In CEP 811, I was challenged to broaden my media consumption to include new sources of information. These sources were not to be standalone articles, but blogs or people who continuously post on Twitter and/or other affinity sites. To my surprise, I easily found people to follow. My problem in searching came about when I tried to find opposing opinions.
I decided to search for opinions on whether to assign homework or
not. I have not assigned homework for my elementary students in years because
research showed it did not make a significant difference, it has been awhile
since I revisited the topic so it seemed time. While searching on Twitter, I
found many groups/people opposing the idea of homework, but I wanted to find
someone who could argue for the implementation of homework. I found an advocate who made an infographic to show when it is appropriate to assign homework. While exploring his Twitter feed further, I decided he would be someone I should follow who might challenge
some of my views.
I took a break from the search for advocates of homework and turned to proponents and advisories of standardized testing, specifically NWEA. I found it extremely difficult to find scholarly adults who felt standardized testing was worthwhile putting our students through. I wondered if Twitter had used a formula and was showing me what it thought I wanted to see rather than letting me decide. Pariser explains how this happens in his 2011 TED TALKS.
I feel this assignment pushed me out of my comfort zone when I found others who disagreed with some of my beliefs, however, it was beneficial because I know I can learn from others. I do wonder, however, how many other opinions I was prevented from seeing due to my filter bubble.
Sources:
1. Marzano, R., & Pickering, D. (2007, March). Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework. ASCD. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
2. Carr, N. (2013). Increasing the Effectiveness of Homework for All Learners in the Inclusive Classroom. School Community Journal, 23(1), 169–182. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1004337.pdf
3. Pitler, H. (2015, July 29). Should I Assign Homework Today? [Infographic]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/hpitler/status/626485253595529216
4. Adams, S. (2020, September 30). How the SAT Failed America. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2020/09/30/the-forbes-investigation-how-the-sat-failed-america/?sh=5c8c4b8353b5
4. TED. (2011, February). Beware online "filter bubbles" | Elia Pariser. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles/transcript
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