Introduction
This eCampusOntario resource consists of a series of four modules intended to help beginning teachers locate and curate digital resources for use in the Language Arts classroom. The modules are part of a 36-hour Year One course in Language Arts for preservice teachers in the Junior/Intermediate (grades 4-10) Division.
Housed on the University LMS, the “Explore Resources” activities are completed independently in the hybrid course. Although specific connections are made to the four strands of Language Arts, the basic structure of the resource curation modules could easily be applied to other content areas. Moreover, the skills in digital curation acquired by the teacher candidates are applicable to resource location in all subject areas.
Rationale:
Digital resource curation is a vital skill for 21st Century classroom teachers[1]. While beginning teachers are adept at using the Internet for basic Google searches and social media, they are often unaware of the wealth of resources available online to assist them in lesson design and instruction. Not only do they need practice in locating resources efficiently, they also require skills in critically assessing materials, connecting them to mandated curriculum outcomes and classroom needs, and storing them for retrieval in the future. Ungerer (2016) describes digital curation as “an active process whereby content or artifacts or both are purposely selected to be preserved for future access”[2].
Contact Information:
Questions about this resource can be directed to:
Ruth McQuirter, Ed.D.
Professor, Faculty of Education,
Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario
rmcquirter@brocku.ca
