Reflection on EDUC 6712: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

I am nearing the end of my seventh course with Walden University. “Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom” has been my most time consuming course. I spent what I consider a significant amount of time developing my inquiry-based unit. Upon completion of my final product, I see a high quality, well-planned product that I can utilize to teach traditional content while building modern literacy skills in young people. The systematic teaching process takes considerable classroom time at first. As students learn to utilize digital resources effectively and efficiently, the time spent should yield high learning dividends.


Creating an inquiry-based plan is already influencing my behavior in the classroom. I am spending time teaching students, and staff members how to effectively search for information. My students are learning how to evaluate sources. Classmates are learning how to take notes instead of copying from web pages. I am also explaining when and why to list resources. I do not feel all of my young people are ready for strict APA or MLA citations. However, my students are beginning to understand the concept of giving credit to others for their work. They are also learning to build a reference list.

One professional development goal I have is learning how to differentiate instruction through technology. My student population often contains resource, inclusion, dyslexia, ELL and 504 learners who require accommodation or modification. However, they still need to learn content and modern literacy skills. Fortunately, my next Walden University course covers this material. To this point, every Walden course has expanded my information literacy skills and enhanced my use of technology. I expect my remaining three courses to do the same.