My friend Alex Ragone (a fellow PLP-er) tweeted a link from PBS MediaShift this morning. I like the site, so I jumped into the article to see that word again– curator.
Like you, I’ve been seeing the word for a while now (was Jeff Jarvis the first?), describing how we will learn to sort through volumes of information online. I have my own curators (here, too) and I’ve been working through how to help our students do/find the same.
Those in the know say we are now relying much more on individuals rather than organizations to provide us with our news and information. As a former journalist and journalism teacher, I worry about our lack of “gatekeepers” when it comes to relying on everyone. However, worry aside, learning to discern is critical.
As much as I prefer the skill to be integrated into every discipline, I am tired of waiting for everyone to get on board. In my perfect world, I would create a course for all students–one that teaches them to sift,sort, share and do. This wisdom will help create better citizens of the world.
Read the article here…it’s worth your time.