I feel that the readings for this week are really getting at the problem that I am having trouble with and that is to be able to use the technology in a way that really deepens the understanding of something and not just using technology because it is the cool thing to do. Everything has its own literacy from math to science to foreign language. Everyone has there own literacy comprehension that they need to be successful in what they are doing. Technology can help us deepen the literacy of all of these things, however, we need to change the practices that were are currently doing which includes not using the smartboards as a glorified white board or quit using iPad to play math games on. We need to use them in way that will make the learning become more detailed and intricate so that the children will get more out of it in the end.
-Derek Partridge
Derek, I definitely agree that we need to find new ways to integrate technology into the classroom. It can become easy to fall into the same patterns of how we typically use it, such as allowing students to type their responses or play games. One way that I have tried to employ technology is by having students complete an entire lesson on the computer. I post the materials online and students have to read through them and answer prompts as they read. Afterwards, they can submit their work online as well. But again, this is just one suggestion and we also have to be careful not to make this the everyday occurance.
ReplyDeleteHi Derek, how are you? Reflecting on your post, I have to say I am in complete agreement with your assertions. At this juncture, we have begun to view technology-usage as a social practice more than as a gateway to extending our educational possibilities. It is important that we as a society begin to understand that “different modes express different meanings in different ways.” (Frank Serafini, 2014, p. 14). That is one important component of this technology-based society: recognizing that not everyone is going to see things through the same lens. As you stated, literacy covers a broad spectrum of competencies. Though with us in a positon of needing to accept change in a media-centered world, we need to utilize media correctly. With there being so many available resources, it is no longer a world focusing on what can I do, but rather one that makes us ask: "What should I do?"
ReplyDeleteHello Derek. As an outsider looking in (non-teacher that is), but having raised three children to adulthood, It would seem to me that the ability to reflect on the past methods of education would go far to truly help education people and further their desire to learn more. By example, I remember when they were finally able to put entire encyclopedia sets on to DVD ROM disks. Prior to this, we had a full set of encyclopedias that, like many families, was handed down over the years. The cool thing for my children, at least my son, was to open a dusty book, read the Table of Contents, find the subject he was interested in, read it in the book, and then go to the DVD and search the exact same topic. Only this tinme, it came with images, videos, voice clips, and other snippits of digital knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThere will come a time when learning may not require a classroom, or even a teacher. While I believe that is still a few decades away, I still think being able to demonstrate teaching through all forms of texts, as of our fellow student colleague Carolyn Eanes mentiones in her blog post: http://cenewmedia.blogspot.com/ is what will keep the human in the equation of teaching and learning.
Apologies for the typos, severe storms in Atlanta today and they caught my attention before I could check for typos. Mark
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