Friday, July 24, 2015
Media & Ecology Learning Case Draft
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17bhBqNtKTMIwt1u62JoLBFHpOD-D7K3dLyPhQm6L60Y/edit?usp=sharing
Changing Literacies; Changing Pedagogies
Chapter 7:
"These findings clearly have implications for teacher educators who must find ways of encouraging pre-service teachers to evaluate current practices surrounding digital technology in the classroom."
I found this entire chapter interesting, as I hadn't entirely noticed it before, but the ways that I most usually teach are adaptations of what I used while student teaching. I felt that I learned the most I have ever learned in my life during my student teaching experience. I also feel that while student teaching, the methods that you learn to use then are going to be most comfortable for you to then take to your teaching after graduation.
Chapter 8:
"There is no doubt that in the context of schooling, critical examination of relationships, knowledge and practices are vital (Comber and Simpson, 2001) and, in relation to digital literacies, this is very often associated with issues of access to or exclusion from resources, including hardware, software and connectivity to the internet (Nixon, 2001)"
I liked this quote because I feel that critical examination of relationships is necessary for mastery skill level of any given content. Any content in general education requires the use of making connections and it is often a skill that students can struggle with. I also appreciated the fact that it noted the problems that can arise from lack of access to resources, which is usually technological.
Chapter 9:
"A common stance that lies somewhere between resistance and replacement may be described as ‘return’. By return I mean to indicate a stance that values new literacy practices but validates and defends them with respect to print."
I chose this quote from Chapter 9 because I feel that it reflects my stance on incorporating old media with new media. I feel that we cannot really have new media without the old, and that often times new media is just another way of representing what was already in print. I also believe that in order to truly utilize new media, we must have traditional skills.
References:
Carrington, Professor Victoria; Robinson, Professor Muriel (2012-06-30). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices (Published in association with the UKLA) (Kindle Locations 2701-2702, 2966-2968, 3124-3125). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
"These findings clearly have implications for teacher educators who must find ways of encouraging pre-service teachers to evaluate current practices surrounding digital technology in the classroom."
I found this entire chapter interesting, as I hadn't entirely noticed it before, but the ways that I most usually teach are adaptations of what I used while student teaching. I felt that I learned the most I have ever learned in my life during my student teaching experience. I also feel that while student teaching, the methods that you learn to use then are going to be most comfortable for you to then take to your teaching after graduation.
Chapter 8:
"There is no doubt that in the context of schooling, critical examination of relationships, knowledge and practices are vital (Comber and Simpson, 2001) and, in relation to digital literacies, this is very often associated with issues of access to or exclusion from resources, including hardware, software and connectivity to the internet (Nixon, 2001)"
I liked this quote because I feel that critical examination of relationships is necessary for mastery skill level of any given content. Any content in general education requires the use of making connections and it is often a skill that students can struggle with. I also appreciated the fact that it noted the problems that can arise from lack of access to resources, which is usually technological.
Chapter 9:
"A common stance that lies somewhere between resistance and replacement may be described as ‘return’. By return I mean to indicate a stance that values new literacy practices but validates and defends them with respect to print."
I chose this quote from Chapter 9 because I feel that it reflects my stance on incorporating old media with new media. I feel that we cannot really have new media without the old, and that often times new media is just another way of representing what was already in print. I also believe that in order to truly utilize new media, we must have traditional skills.
References:
Carrington, Professor Victoria; Robinson, Professor Muriel (2012-06-30). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices (Published in association with the UKLA) (Kindle Locations 2701-2702, 2966-2968, 3124-3125). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Changing Literacies
Chapter 4:
"The printing press heralded an information revolution that drew from and enabled other social, cultural and political change. It was a technology of its time. A growing segment of the public were able to access information in volumes and types never previously imagined, challenging the traditional authority of the church and scholars."
I chose the above quote from Chapter 4 because it draws parallels between the technology of the printing press and the emerging technologies that we are experiencing now, and how it is challenging to adapt to these new modes of learning. At the time when the printing press was invented, it was very advanced and opened an entirely new world of literacy to the public. Just as this happened with the printing press, it is happening to our society now: we are continually being introduced to new and innovative technologies. How we choose to adapt and accept the new ways of learning is what is important.
Chapter 5:
"We now realize that to read online texts in a critical way, one needs to see them as more than free-standing, isolated constructs to be deciphered in the same way as paper-based texts (Penrod, 2007; Richardson, 2006). Blogs need to be read and understood as part of a whole wider network of texts whose process of publishing makes a difference to the way they mean and the role they play in society (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006a)."
I found this quote to be very interesting because it is often difficult to be a critical reader if you do not look at the larger picture of where the information has come from. Information, especially on the internet, comes from so many different informational outlets that it can be very extensive and cover many different perspectives. I also connected with what they mentioned about reading blogs, and understanding that blogs are part of a large network of texts almost working together. I found this to be very important because just as in this class, my blog is only one point of view based on a common text that we are all reading, and reading critically at that.
Chapter 6:
"The idea that digital technology might help to motivate reluctant learners and provide more meaningful contexts for literacy has captured the attention of an increasing number of educators (Merchant, 2007b)."
I really enjoyed this quote because I think it is very important to engage at-risk learners as much as possible. At this day in age I feel like students really have a comfort zone with technology. They are comfortable navigating, creating, and constructing on the internet, which enables them to learn. I have always felt that being comfortable in the classroom was a necessity for learning, and if the technology makes these students feel like they are doing something that they are good at and comfortable with when they're using technology, they are more likely to succeed.
References:
Carrington, Professor Victoria; Robinson, Professor Muriel (2012-06-30). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices (Published in association with the UKLA) (Kindle Locations 1481-1483, 1811-1814, 2073-2074). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
"The printing press heralded an information revolution that drew from and enabled other social, cultural and political change. It was a technology of its time. A growing segment of the public were able to access information in volumes and types never previously imagined, challenging the traditional authority of the church and scholars."
I chose the above quote from Chapter 4 because it draws parallels between the technology of the printing press and the emerging technologies that we are experiencing now, and how it is challenging to adapt to these new modes of learning. At the time when the printing press was invented, it was very advanced and opened an entirely new world of literacy to the public. Just as this happened with the printing press, it is happening to our society now: we are continually being introduced to new and innovative technologies. How we choose to adapt and accept the new ways of learning is what is important.
Chapter 5:
"We now realize that to read online texts in a critical way, one needs to see them as more than free-standing, isolated constructs to be deciphered in the same way as paper-based texts (Penrod, 2007; Richardson, 2006). Blogs need to be read and understood as part of a whole wider network of texts whose process of publishing makes a difference to the way they mean and the role they play in society (Lankshear and Knobel, 2006a)."
I found this quote to be very interesting because it is often difficult to be a critical reader if you do not look at the larger picture of where the information has come from. Information, especially on the internet, comes from so many different informational outlets that it can be very extensive and cover many different perspectives. I also connected with what they mentioned about reading blogs, and understanding that blogs are part of a large network of texts almost working together. I found this to be very important because just as in this class, my blog is only one point of view based on a common text that we are all reading, and reading critically at that.
Chapter 6:
"The idea that digital technology might help to motivate reluctant learners and provide more meaningful contexts for literacy has captured the attention of an increasing number of educators (Merchant, 2007b)."
I really enjoyed this quote because I think it is very important to engage at-risk learners as much as possible. At this day in age I feel like students really have a comfort zone with technology. They are comfortable navigating, creating, and constructing on the internet, which enables them to learn. I have always felt that being comfortable in the classroom was a necessity for learning, and if the technology makes these students feel like they are doing something that they are good at and comfortable with when they're using technology, they are more likely to succeed.
References:
Carrington, Professor Victoria; Robinson, Professor Muriel (2012-06-30). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices (Published in association with the UKLA) (Kindle Locations 1481-1483, 1811-1814, 2073-2074). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.
Monday, July 13, 2015
Analyzing the Interview
Hanging Out:
The subject of my interview uses technologies to communicate with friends through text messaging and the use of social media outlets such as instagram.
Messing Around:
My young person's biggest interest and the thing that she cited as the most fun on the computer was looking up OneDirection things. She is also going to their concert and found this information on the internet.
Geeking Out:
During the interview she talks of how she uses the computer at school, which she said was mainly for research and typing papers. She said that she also likes to find and play games on the internet.
Schooling:
We did not talk about using technology to read books but we did talk about the use of the computer in school for research. She said that she traditionally uses Google for her research.
The subject of my interview uses technologies to communicate with friends through text messaging and the use of social media outlets such as instagram.
Messing Around:
My young person's biggest interest and the thing that she cited as the most fun on the computer was looking up OneDirection things. She is also going to their concert and found this information on the internet.
Geeking Out:
During the interview she talks of how she uses the computer at school, which she said was mainly for research and typing papers. She said that she also likes to find and play games on the internet.
Schooling:
We did not talk about using technology to read books but we did talk about the use of the computer in school for research. She said that she traditionally uses Google for her research.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Interview with a Digital Native
Some quotes from our course texts that I am considering including in my final case report that I feel relate to my findings in my interview are listed below:
From Chapter 3 of Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices: "Accordingly, they have developed the capacity to be literate in this digital textual landscape, as well as within their educational settings. Therefore, in addition to their measured educational literacy, Clare and Tom can also be regarded as children who are digitally literate."
From Chapter 8 of Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies: "...how the Internet and the many digital tools available on the Web have affected the way students seek and gather information in the context of higher education."
From Chapter 1 of Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies: "...digital natives are problem-solvers; they have new expectations; they invent new processes; they don't only work for an organization, they think of work as play; they are enthusiastic and skillful."
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Digital Texts In and Out of School
Chapter 1:
"Although digital technologies may be enabling modes of learning such as trial and error, it is important to look at other modes of learning in relation to these technologies."
I chose this quote from chapter 1 because I think that trial and error is often a great learning tool that students to not realize that they use so much. They do use this so much in learning technology, because they're teaching themselves, and I think that they need to understand that making mistakes is okay. Often in math, students think they need to always get the answer correct, even when first learning the skill set. I encourage students to just try the problem - without help - and if they get it wrong, that is great, because they will then learn from their mistakes. Although this is my biggest agreement with the quote, I also agree that other modes of learning should be utilized as well.
Chapter 2:
"This incident illustrates a number of points; while all of us were involved in an activity that could undoubtedly be described as ‘play’, it was also one which could not have taken place without having acquired a range of complex social and literacy skills beforehand."
The above quote from Chapter 2 summarizes much of what I love about using the digital world as a learning tool. Although the activity at hand was disguised as "play" there is still so much learning going on. I have touched on this subject in previous posts, where I have talked about how although Twitter is a social media outlet, there are limitless learning opportunities via News Outlets' Twitter accounts, which often post much sooner than you may come across them on another site. I also like that it emphasizes the need for traditional learning skills before you may fully use the activity. Using digital media as a learning tool does not replace traditional skills, it simply adds to the skill set of that individual.
Chatper 3:
"Accordingly, they have developed the capacity to be literate in this digital textual landscape, as well as within their educational settings. Therefore, in addition to their measured educational literacy, Clare and Tom can also be regarded as children who are digitally literate."
I chose this quote from Chapter 3 because it draws from the idea that what makes children able to be digitally literate is their success in their educational settings. Students still need their traditional skills that they learn in formal schooling in order to be successful on the tools that they encounter on the internet. Digital literacy is an additional skill that today's students are learning, not a replacement of the traditional formal learning skill sets.
"Although digital technologies may be enabling modes of learning such as trial and error, it is important to look at other modes of learning in relation to these technologies."
I chose this quote from chapter 1 because I think that trial and error is often a great learning tool that students to not realize that they use so much. They do use this so much in learning technology, because they're teaching themselves, and I think that they need to understand that making mistakes is okay. Often in math, students think they need to always get the answer correct, even when first learning the skill set. I encourage students to just try the problem - without help - and if they get it wrong, that is great, because they will then learn from their mistakes. Although this is my biggest agreement with the quote, I also agree that other modes of learning should be utilized as well.
Chapter 2:
"This incident illustrates a number of points; while all of us were involved in an activity that could undoubtedly be described as ‘play’, it was also one which could not have taken place without having acquired a range of complex social and literacy skills beforehand."
The above quote from Chapter 2 summarizes much of what I love about using the digital world as a learning tool. Although the activity at hand was disguised as "play" there is still so much learning going on. I have touched on this subject in previous posts, where I have talked about how although Twitter is a social media outlet, there are limitless learning opportunities via News Outlets' Twitter accounts, which often post much sooner than you may come across them on another site. I also like that it emphasizes the need for traditional learning skills before you may fully use the activity. Using digital media as a learning tool does not replace traditional skills, it simply adds to the skill set of that individual.
Chatper 3:
"Accordingly, they have developed the capacity to be literate in this digital textual landscape, as well as within their educational settings. Therefore, in addition to their measured educational literacy, Clare and Tom can also be regarded as children who are digitally literate."
I chose this quote from Chapter 3 because it draws from the idea that what makes children able to be digitally literate is their success in their educational settings. Students still need their traditional skills that they learn in formal schooling in order to be successful on the tools that they encounter on the internet. Digital literacy is an additional skill that today's students are learning, not a replacement of the traditional formal learning skill sets.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Beyond Digital Natives
Chapter 10:
"...young children are 'growing up in a digital world and develop a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding of this world from birth.'"
I found this quote to be interesting because it shed a positive light on a digital native. It portrayed the benefits of being a digital native and expressed the attributes that one may gain from being a digital native. The vast use of technology in young kids, even from birth, is expanding the portals of knowledge available to young kids. Even an infant that can see the bright light of a technology tool can tell that they are intrigued, and try to touch and play with it. Even if they do not know what they are doing, they are expanding their knowledge of that tool. Overall, Chapter 10 was my favorite chapter that I have yet to read in this text.
Chapter 11:
"Overall, the findings suggest that rather than a homogenous population of always connected digital natives, young people's technology activities and interests are widely varying, beyond a core set of common activities involving communication and information retrieval."
I strongly agree with the above quote from Chapter 11. Just as children before digital media had a wide range of interests and hobbies, digital natives have that as well. We should not generalize digital natives as using their technologies for one or two common reasons. Learners are constantly finding new things to use the internet for, whether it is fun, informative, something to pass the time with, or all three.
Chapter 12:
"We identify digital natives as a population, not a generation, of young people who use technology in relatively advanced ways. In order to be classified by this term, a young person has to meet three criteria. First, they were born after 1980. ... Second, they have access to digital technologies. ... Last, and most crucially, digital natives are those with the skills to use these digital technologies in relatively sophisticated ways."
I liked this quote, although particularly long, because it very directly defined what it was like to be a digital native. I like that they waited until the end of the book to do this, because it allowed the reader to really form their own opinion before they read the definition. I also like that they make it clear in their conclusion of the book that the term digital natives is in fact not to describe a generation, but only a population of that generation.
The meme above shows one way that formal schooling can help develop digital literacies. I learned to use EBSCOHost in my high school english class and I use it to this day. I loved, and still do, that it provides the correct citation for all of their articles in multiple formats.
Stand Alone Presentation
The embedded presentation is an overview of what it means in this day
and age to be a digital native, as told by the highlights of Deconstructing
Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies Edited by
Michael Thomas. Being a digital native is thought of by many as a negative thing,
and thought of as something that includes all young people today. I hope to
convey many characteristics about these digital natives in hopes to further
understand the learners that we as educators are working with in our classrooms,
and break the negative connotation that is associated with this term. The more
that we understand the strengths and weaknesses of our learners, the better we
can accommodate their educational experience to fit their learning
needs. This includes understanding that all students are not digital
natives. There are certain characteristics that the student must have in order
to truly be a digital native, and knowing what characteristics these are,
hopefully we can better identify learners who are fluent with technology and
those who still need aided in their digital endeavors. We as teachers can also
learn from these digital natives that we may have in class and have other
students learn from them as well.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)