Content Curation

In the midst of the information overload that the Internet has brought to our lives, personal and professional, the idea of content curation becomes a must. But what is it and why is it relevant for teachers?

Source: https://danielmiessler.com/blog/curation-for-the-win/

The figure of the curator dates as far back as the 16^th century, when the first documented use of the word is recorded by the Merriam Webster Dictionary, as someone who is in charge of the care and supervision of something, especially regarding exhibits, such as in museums or galleries. But the advent of the Internet has brought about a new use for the term that was first recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary in September 2011. The meaning of curate was extended to cover the selection, organization and presentation of content, especially online. The funnel metaphor provides a very clear representation of what curation involves.

The first step is, therefore, looking for information. Information gathering is something we all are quite good at, but using online tools (such as Feedly or Trap.it) to systematize the search will facilitate the task considerably. However, filtering information is just the beginning. After the selection process comes the human touch. It is here that the job of a good curator becomes more noticeable. It is the time now to compare and contrast information from different sources, to connect it to the needs of a specific audience, to comment on it. That is the hard part of the curation process, but also a vital one. According to Joshua Merritt, without this, there is no curation.

The job of a content curator is, by definition, social, because their work is aimed at an audience. That is why sharing is an inherent part of curation. To do it, there are multiple tools available, some of which you can see in the infographic below.

Source: Katie Dunn at http://dailygenius.com/6-great-tools-content-curation/

And why is this relevant for teachers? The list of reasons is endless. Among the most important is the fact that our “digital resident” students may be well learned in the access to digital information, but they do need someone to guide them in the use and interpretation of that massive amount of information. Turning our backs on that need, we are missing a precious opportunity to optimize our students’ potential.