This week our class visited an archaeological museum. The museum has extensive collection of artefacts from as far back as the Stone age, displayed with detailed information about each collection. We had allowed students to carry cameras so that they can document what they saw for their study. As one would expect, the students enjoyed the excursion and collected photos.
Something interesting happened at the very end of our trip. One boy said that, he now has a lot of information about ancient things. He said, "Its all stored here in my camera". And one girl asked me how could she work, because she didn't carry her camera.
To us 'having information' means knowing the thing. I tried arguing this with him that he may have collected a lot of photos, however that is different from he having the information. Also, I told the girl to go ahead and write down or draw the things that she thinks are important. But to them that wasn't same as 'having' information of 'their own'.
To these children 'having information' is same has possessing that information in their hand. They think, if they own a print-out or a photo then they literally have the information.
This may suggest that today children aren't treating information as something to be understood, interpreted and integrated with their own knowledge. Information, to them, is a thing to own. And they would store it safely for many years, ofcourse on the net.
No comments:
Post a Comment