Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
What Does Curating Mean?
In the Cambridge dictionary the word curate means: verb [ T ] uk / kjʊəˈreɪt / us / ˈkjʊr.eɪt / “to be in charge of selecting and caring for objects to be shown in a museum or to form part of a collection of art, an exhibition“. Until the invention of computers, curating information and objects was done with books and tangible items. In our lifetime we are learning how to become digital curators, which means that we need to find a way to store and organize the plethora of information and photos, files and folders we have on our devices and on the internet.
What Does Digital Curation Mean to Me?
Digital curation is defined as “the selection, collection, maintenance, preservation, and archiving of digital assets”. https://ischool.sjsu.edu/digital-curation This is extremely important to me as a future educator because most, if not all, of my lesson plans, ideas, photos, etc. will be digital. In the old days, before computers, teachers would have shelves full of binders and file folders. Presently, our folders are digital and there is a LOT of information that needs to be stored. There is way too much information to be stored on a desktop or laptop. There needs to be a system in place for an educator to be organized and able to use her time efficiently. Furthermore, as a teacher, there are so many ideas on the internet for classrooms, that the first step of curation is to filter what is important to store in the first place.
Platforms to Choose From
Photo Storage, Classroom Correspondence with Parents, and Idea Resources: Instagram
Instagram is a great place to store photos for ideas for the classroom and to be inspired by other educators for ideas they use in their classes. You can even create a private instagram page for your classroom parents to follow. I currently use this platform to store photos, and follow creative educators.
Idea Resources: Pinterest
Pinterest is a brilliant place to store and organize ideas that are online. You can create different boards that have specific themes and glean ideas from more seasoned educators. I currently use this platform to collect ideas for every subject in the curriculum.
For files that I create for school I use my laptop and organize files by subject. I make sure to delete any files that I don’t need anymore, but am mindful of what may be useful in the future. For reminders I use my reminders app.
I am interested in learning more about how other educators approach digital curation. I know there are many apps and resources out there that I could probably use, but for now, what I’m using is effective. I believe there is also a danger in thinking that we need to use every app available for all our digitizing needs. I think it’s a good idea to self reflect and know what works for you personally and what doesn’t.
