Curriculum with Internet Access

With this course combined with the curriculum course, I have been pondering somewhat how curriculum in an online environment differs from curriculum in a traditional environment since this is directly relevant to my work. One thing that I keep coming back to is the need to develop information access skills at all levels. This is something that both my high school freshman and my graduate students need help and practice with (though at different levels, of course). But there is so much available at one's finger tips.

I was reminded of this today when my husband was on the phone with his boss talking about our recent trip to the Munich area. They were done talking business and were sharing a bit about travels in the area. His boss asked when King Ludwig II built his big fairy tale castle. I am sure we were told visiting, but the information didn't stick; so, we just pulled it up quickly on the internet. This caught my attention because there was a time when I would have actively remembered all of the names, dates, and other random facts in something presented to me. But with the internet at hand, I really just need to remember the big, linking things, and I can quickly access anything else I need.

That ability seems like it fundamentally changes curriculum because the random facts are so unimportant but the big, linking ideas, the ability to apply the information, and the ability to access the information are all really important. The applicationhas always been important, but that access skill seems like it has really evolved in the internet era.