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.



These readings are definitely reinforcing the ways that I view technology in my classroom. Many times, the technology used are skills that the students already know how to use, but they are now using the classroom knowledge they have recently learned, only representing it in a digital platform.

illuminated text

More presentations from Natalie

Resources:

Carrington, Professor Victoria; Robinson, Professor Muriel (2012-06-30). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices (Published in association with the UKLA) (Kindle Locations 468-469; 675-677; 1138-1140). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.