Part 1 of 4 Curate to Personalize Learning Engaging Screenagers

DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion

Part 1 of 4 Curate to Personalize Learning Engaging Screenagers





Did you ever sit in class and wonder, “Why are we learning this?”
Don’t you remember that frustration of wondering how this learning applies to you and what is important in your life?
Wouldn’t it be great to teach our Engaging Screenagers to adapt what they are learning to personalized their content?


A while back, I saw a great quote from O. E. Wilson:
“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.”
What if students could learn to synthesize information to personalize their learning?
When I was in graduate school, I had a professor tell me, “When ever you are in class and you have an option to select (personalize) the topic for your assignments, chose a topic that is related to your thesis or dissertation.”
Basically he taught me to personalize my learning, and as a bonus I was getting ongoing feedback from my instructors.
Curate personalized learning:
Having tried many different techniques to improve engagement in my courses, I’ve found curating with eWorkbooks is one of the more effective engagement learning methods because we encouraged students to personalize their learning.
Although including games in learning can temporarily raise the energy and excitement in the classroom, that intensity quickly turns to stress if too much gaming goes past what Malcolm Gladwell calls The Tipping Point.

Back in 2010, I was teaching Mass Communication and I would frequently ask students about their media usage and my observations were correct that they were personalizing their curating (for entertainment) on Facebook, etc., for several hours every day.
Back then I started asking my Engaging Screenagers to search for (now we call it curating) evidence to support their main points while personalizing speeches using their mobile devices.
They would write about what they found on paper worksheets, give them to me, and wait until the following class to get my feedback.
With time lag and the massive effort on my part, this wasn’t too efficient. (junk engagement)
As I started using Google Forms as eWorkbooks, this process was suddenly much more efficient, as they could curate their evidence as well as their source URLs, so I could see (in 1 or 2 columns in the real-time responses spreadsheet) their work when they were still in the classroom.
This allowed me the opportunity to show a few examples that synthesized well with the learning, and also, I could individually support those who seemed behind or confused.
Now, at the beginning of the semester, I have students chose a topic that is of interest (personalized) to them (or their dream job) and throughout the semester, using Google Forms eWorkbooks, they curate ideas, facts, images, videos, etc., that is related to learning material and synthesized into their interests. (optimal engagement)
This exercise noticeably changed the dynamic of the class (once I learned some best practices, but more about those struggles in a future blog,) as learners showed eagerness to get the learning content so they could go curate items thatsynthesize (personalize) the learning into their interests. (optimal engagement)
My satisfaction in teaching has gone way up as I changed my role of the expert in front to that of guide who supports their personalized curating and synthesizing, as this exercise allows (encourages?) them to ask so many more questions. (optimal engagement)


DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion
DrWarren Engaging Screenagers problem solving discussion









At first I was concerned that curating wouldn’t work so well, but one day a student told me, “We do this all day every day on Facebook, Instagram, and texting, so this is natural for us.”
What keeps them going? Is it the surprise is it the challenge of finding something new that is personalized? Is it the group activity?
A few years ago I was talking to my aunt about why she loved to travel and she said, “You never know what you are going to find right around that next corner.
I think that might similar to what engages the students so well when they personalize curating.
Again, as I always say, I believe human beings have a natural curiosity, and when guided in a positive way, they can flourish beyond their own self limiting beliefs.
As Dale Carnegie wrote, “look for and expect the best from others,” and I firmly believe those others will do great things.


As as students were curating, I folded in mini learnings on digital literacy, cyber citizenship, and digital self discipline so the students would have added value in their experiences curating with mobile devices.

Aren’t Engaging Screenagers already using their devices to learn and personalize their curating based on their interests?
Isn’t it the current education system slowing Engaging Screenagers from personalized their own learning?
Isn’t it a shame for those fabulously curious beings to lose passion for learning that isn’t personalized?

Personalize learning to keep that learning passion.

You can see examples of screen innovations for Optimal Experiences at JOIN THE CURATION: Google+.
Remember to engage tomorrow.
Following with you.
Keep it simple.
All the Best, Warren
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Dr Warren LINGER © 2017

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