In reading the final section of "Digital Literacies" I found myself running this reoccurring thought through my mind. A thought that I should preface with a short bit of background information, while I'm no stranger to education I am what many would call a rookie educator. I am in no way offended by this moniker, but take exception when the monikers implies a certain lack of knowledge... as if to say..."your too new to education and do not yet know how things are done," which is in my opinion part of the problem that many new educators face. Instead of the seasoned veterans embracing the excitement, enthusiasm, and possibilities of a new educator they only seek to indoctrinate them in the ways of the "old guard" (likely the same way it was done to them), which helps to perpetuate the status quo, not change the process or recognize new literacies as valuable. Now to the thought... the hardest thing for a system to do is change, because in recognizing the need to change may also force you into realizing that what you are doing either isn't working or has failed to perform in the manner you need it to and since most educators were educated in a system that punishes you for failure then admitting that you have failed means punishment is coming. Yet another reason to do away with grades. The greatest catalyst for changing your approach to accomplishing a task is recognizing that what you are doing is not working (and there is valuable learning in failure when you aren't punished or shamed). Though Not specifically expounded upon in the case study of "Kathryn" it seemed to me that the clothing store owner didn't immediately seize the possibilities that Kathryn was excitedly telling her about... like as a way to reach new customers, stay connected with current customers, and in general potentially grow the business by keeping abreast of trends. I keep hearing those words of discouragement... "just wait till you've taught a few years you'll see" or "that sounds good, but in the real world of teaching you don't have time for activities like that CSOs are more important" as if to say, there is no room to really connect with learners and then connect them to learning.
The section opens with the idea that changing means change, which likely means adopting a new approach and a new way of thinking about the education process, in a word pedagogy. Or another way to say this would be that all learners (and teachers) need to better understand their approach to learning and the value in learning in unexpected ways. Case in point, the four case studies of chapter seven didn't recognize or acknowledge the literacy they possessed in working with various technology tools because it didn't fit with the preconceived or adopted definition of being proficient in using that technology. Yet, they did use it to accomplish their intended goals even if those goals were just remaining connected to family via an electronic source, a use that some might not value. It seems likely that a connection between Joanne and Holly could be made back to Caitlyn, from the previous reading, in that they themselves did Not ascribe validity to their use of technology. In the case of Caitlyn she learned that the school system didn't value her self constructed interactions and it seems plausible that the four case studies presented in chapter seven learned that too, as evidenced by Holly's assertion, "I'm not a geek."
Another theme that is starting to appear is the ways in which schools, as a whole and separate, are integrating technology. It seems to me that the BYOD could instantly solve the lack of access to the 1to1 computing problem that many districts face. It would further solve the issue about what type of device is better for school use in that the individual would bring what they are currently using instead of having to use a different device that may not have all the update and familiar apps that the user is accustom to using.
In chapter eight the look at student-teachers specifically and their ability to use and create a "digital portrait" as an assignment. While the degree of proficiency varied among the student-teachers in ability to use technology tools an unexpected outcome to the assignment emerged as something that needed closer examination... multi-literacies, which has its roots into the multicultural learning experiences that is unique to every learner. This work by Kerin has the ability to turn this unexpected outcome into a teachable moment for new teachers, so when they have a group of students turn a future assessment into something completely different than expected they will be able to recognize its value, for both the learners and the teacher. This also plants the idea that assigning a multimodal project is really like a customized modification for every learner in that the individual will create in a media that they feel comfortable using and may through "low stakes - low risk" consequences try a new media as a form of growth.
In Chapter nine Leander introduces us to the 4-Rs, resistance, replacement, return, and remediation as the common stance for understanding "new literacies" versus "old literacies." In this chapter I found that in many ways the following question... why are we still arguing about semantics? In that literacy means what? What does literacy mean? the definition seems quite clear and yet here we are stuck discussing old versus new as if you only need one or the other. How can anyone function in a complete and authentic way without being fully literate in their own culture and customs? I pose that question from a POV that doesn't impose or judge what being fully literate means to different cultures as if to say in order to be fully literate one must possess proficient skills in reading, writing, and keyboarding. Because if you were born and raised in the Borneo rain-forest, as were your parents, and you had no access to books or computers then being fully literate has a different meaning. I guess what I'm trying to say is educators need to start recognizing more the value in the diversity of learning experiences and stop judging different as "good" or "bad" but just different. The other "big picture" item I took away from chapter nine was the idea that when creating a visual story the creator create subtle or overt nuances with transitions, which "parallels" the connection I use when teaching students how to interpret political cartoons, there are now errant markings or accidental images there creator purposely placed every pen stroke. Ironically, that's exactly what can be said by writing, visual media, comics, movies etc... literacy is multimodal all the time even if the multi is only in the mind of the creator.
I've opted for a note card confessional in lieu of an illuminated text on digital literacy: by Jeremy Blauser
I felt compelled to add this as another way to think about and accept new and changing literacies.
............Welcome to Rafe's Random Rants
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Case Study: Digital Natives; The Beginning
When Thinking about the digital natives and the time they spend in the various venues are generally for a purpose that is deeper than obvious to understand.The terms below are an effort to give a comprehensive definition to those terms. In many cases the expectation of learning can be overt or subtle and many would contend that in many cases learning occurs that is not readily recognized as such or deemed valuable. For example in the "Game Design Class" we read about the experience of a teen playing Sid Meier's "Pirates" in which no expectation of learning, beyond the scope of the game, were expected and yet during a specific social studies class the teen was able to recall vast amounts of information regarding colonization, ships, trading, and the countries involved with exact and fine details. The teen returned to the game a changed individual and the teacher was forced to recognize that "useless" gaming may in fact have educational merits. In the categories listed below the the reader can infer the level of commitment, the expectation of learning, as well as the level of interest of the participant, understanding the there can and is a fluid shift from one to the other based on varied factors. It should also be noted that these categories also exist in F2F interactions as well and I would assert that the online or digital interactions serve as a place to practice or model other interactions. It would also be fair to note that the language or register people use in these interactions also changes and must be learned by the participants. I always find it somewhat ironic when I hear a digital immigrant talk about the shortcuts and language of texting as if it is something so foreign and idiotic, yet the acronyms of their day are readily received as second nature... RADAR and LASER come to mind... "I know right???" LMAO
Hanging Out:It would generally appear that Sam places gaming in this category, which seems to follow the idea that he has no real interest or has not yet found a game that he is interested in taking to a deeper level.
Messing Around: While all teens are seemingly interested in social media it's fair to say the primary function of social media for Sam is to stay current on events... locally, regionally, and globally. I also think he very easily shifts from "Hanging Out" to "Geeking Out" depending on the factors or events that are trending and if its a topic that truly interests him then he would be "Geeking Out."
Geeking Out: Only because I know more about some of Sam's accomplishments than discussed in the interview it's easy for me to place his desire to write and create stories as the dominant area of interest.
Schooling: Sam's schooling has been quite diverse over the course of his life. He was born in Guatemala and spent the first few years of his life in Arizona. His pre-school years were spent in Connecticut in a parent founded Montessori type day-care. His elementary through early middle school was also in the New Haven, Connecticut School system. He started 8th grade in the Louisville, Kentucky school system and will be starting his Junior year in high school this new school term. He has had many opportunities outside the formal school term in the way of a variety of summer camps. Both of his parents have a PhD and many of his grandparents as well as aunts and uncles have college degrees, which in a way emphasize the importance of education and learning.
Much of my formal case study will incorporate the ideas presented in the case studies mentioned in "Deconstructing" and "Digital Literacies" as they might relate to Sam and his educational experiences.
Hanging Out:It would generally appear that Sam places gaming in this category, which seems to follow the idea that he has no real interest or has not yet found a game that he is interested in taking to a deeper level.
Messing Around: While all teens are seemingly interested in social media it's fair to say the primary function of social media for Sam is to stay current on events... locally, regionally, and globally. I also think he very easily shifts from "Hanging Out" to "Geeking Out" depending on the factors or events that are trending and if its a topic that truly interests him then he would be "Geeking Out."
Geeking Out: Only because I know more about some of Sam's accomplishments than discussed in the interview it's easy for me to place his desire to write and create stories as the dominant area of interest.
Schooling: Sam's schooling has been quite diverse over the course of his life. He was born in Guatemala and spent the first few years of his life in Arizona. His pre-school years were spent in Connecticut in a parent founded Montessori type day-care. His elementary through early middle school was also in the New Haven, Connecticut School system. He started 8th grade in the Louisville, Kentucky school system and will be starting his Junior year in high school this new school term. He has had many opportunities outside the formal school term in the way of a variety of summer camps. Both of his parents have a PhD and many of his grandparents as well as aunts and uncles have college degrees, which in a way emphasize the importance of education and learning.
Much of my formal case study will incorporate the ideas presented in the case studies mentioned in "Deconstructing" and "Digital Literacies" as they might relate to Sam and his educational experiences.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Digital Definitions: What is Text?
I really like the opening to Part B, takes a historic perspective as it relates to text and technology, especially how it connects learning to development. I find individuals that can see the change in front of them with such accuracy and certainty that they want help prepare others for those impending changes that they not only speak out, they try to help implement the changes (of course from their POV). Neil Postman was in a way a great "revelator," and as an educator tried to help educators prepare for the future by shifting their focus to the dynamic changes that technology brings to everyday life and what he thought those changes would mean to society and the classroom learner. In his somewhat skeptical way Postman talks about the impact and implications technology could have on learning. I found a great PBS interview to share his views as they also relate to the historic perspective of literacy. I would also recommend reading his book... "The End of Education" as way to expand your own thinking about the "New Aged Learner" in the classroom. Just keep in mind this was written 1995 and his primary focus was the impact of TV and visual media in general, a topic that we have been exploring in depth this semester. Note: I don't necessarily agree with all of Postman's views, but all of them make me think!
The End of Education: By Neil Postman
When considering the ideas of wikis and MOOCs as examples of how access to information and learning is changing the educational model as a whole... I'm reminded of why this is such a great time to be in education. Yet, there seems to be so much resistance to change that the unknown gets labeled bad and unreliable... there are still educators that believe Wikipedia is bad unreliable research source and while I don't think its the only source students should use I do think it's a good place start, especially if you use some of their references to explore a topic deeper. It should be noted the most trusted names in encyclopedias, "Oxford" and "Britannica" are on equal footing as Wikipedia when it relates to accuracy, all are about 87% and mainly do to the changing world and new discoveries, NOT bad entries. Many of the uses in technology that are implemented in my classes primarily deal with access and creating media on different websites or apps, like using Padlet as a place to develop and post project ideas that allow the entire class to comment and create... from the Padlet wall to the presentation creation site like Emaze, Presi, or PowerPoint, with research and instruction built in to scaffold the learners that need it, but not wasting the time of the learners that do Not.
My Illuminated Text:
"The moral panic about new communicative practices does not bode well for the teacher for the teacher wishing to work wieth online text production in her classroom. "
The End of Education: By Neil Postman
When considering the ideas of wikis and MOOCs as examples of how access to information and learning is changing the educational model as a whole... I'm reminded of why this is such a great time to be in education. Yet, there seems to be so much resistance to change that the unknown gets labeled bad and unreliable... there are still educators that believe Wikipedia is bad unreliable research source and while I don't think its the only source students should use I do think it's a good place start, especially if you use some of their references to explore a topic deeper. It should be noted the most trusted names in encyclopedias, "Oxford" and "Britannica" are on equal footing as Wikipedia when it relates to accuracy, all are about 87% and mainly do to the changing world and new discoveries, NOT bad entries. Many of the uses in technology that are implemented in my classes primarily deal with access and creating media on different websites or apps, like using Padlet as a place to develop and post project ideas that allow the entire class to comment and create... from the Padlet wall to the presentation creation site like Emaze, Presi, or PowerPoint, with research and instruction built in to scaffold the learners that need it, but not wasting the time of the learners that do Not.
My Illuminated Text:
"The moral panic about new communicative practices does not bode well for the teacher for the teacher wishing to work wieth online text production in her classroom. "
Interview With a Native
The Digital Native I interviewed is a 16 year-old male, Sam, that will be starting his junior year in high school. He is a well adjusted teenager from an upper-middle class family. He started preschool by age 2 in a Montessori like day care, and entered the Connecticut school system before transferring to the Kentucky school system for 7th grade middle school. Sam is the oldest of three children, a younger brother and the younger sister all of school age and four years apart in age. It would be fair to note that Sam is now slightly above the average height of his peers, but was easily taller than ten through fourteen year-old boys, which caused unknown adults to assign greater "age appropriate" responsibility on him than should have been. A ten year-old that looks 16 is still only ten developmentally and socially. I conducted the interview via Facetime, rather than just a phone call, so I could assess non-verbal cues as well. The interview duration was about 23 minutes.
Do you have a computer / iPod /MP3 player / Wii / Xbox etc....? Yes, I have a Mac Airbook, iPhone, Wii, and access to 3 different iPad s of differing generations
What kinds of things do you use the computer/phone/iPad etc for? Mostly social media and looking up information. I listen to some music, but not constantly. I also like to check out breaking news stories...Do you have a special News app? Not really it's the one already on the iPhone. I also use my iPhone to text and check social media for messages... Do you use speech to text when creating or answering messages? No... Why? it never gets it right and auto correct is hard enough sometimes.
What is your favorite thing to do on the computer? I really just like typing... What do you mean? Well, I like writing stuff like ideas for plays or short stories... Do you actually type or do you just use two fingers? I learned how to type using both hands, but I usually just use a couple of fingers...Like texting? sort of
How did you learn to do that? My dad taught me a lot of the basics, but I really just learned more by doing it.
What are some other things you use the computer for? School work and presentations like power point and stuff... Do you take your computer to school? Yes... Can you access the internet at school? Yes, but it's really slow... Do you log on as a guest or a user? a guest, so when I really need to look something up I use my iPhone as a "hotspot" ... Would you like to use your computer at school more? Yes, I really like the online textbooks and would like to use it more for notes
What is your favorite game? Why? I don't really play too many games... Really? Yes really, sometimes I play a game called "color switch" it used to be popular... So no massive online games like WoW? No...Why? I don't have time because of the other things I do, like Walden theater.
Do you know other people who do this? My friends and I might play sometimes, but not together, it's not that kind of game.
How would you like to use the computer at school? Like I said, I like to use my computer for the online textbooks. I wish all my classes had online textbooks.
Anything else you would like to tell me? No, not really... I guess I think the schools should give us an iPad to use for the year... Would you rather use your own computer if you had better WiFi? Yes, maybe... Do you think the school should ask you to use your computer and if you don't have one they will then give you an iPad? No, I don't think so...Why? because that wouldn't be fair to students that don't have a computer.
Are you allowed to use your phone for class work during class? No... Do you think you should be allowed to use your phone during class? Yes, but only for school work during class unless you can listen to music while you work.
Do you have a computer / iPod /MP3 player / Wii / Xbox etc....? Yes, I have a Mac Airbook, iPhone, Wii, and access to 3 different iPad s of differing generations
What kinds of things do you use the computer/phone/iPad etc for? Mostly social media and looking up information. I listen to some music, but not constantly. I also like to check out breaking news stories...Do you have a special News app? Not really it's the one already on the iPhone. I also use my iPhone to text and check social media for messages... Do you use speech to text when creating or answering messages? No... Why? it never gets it right and auto correct is hard enough sometimes.
What is your favorite thing to do on the computer? I really just like typing... What do you mean? Well, I like writing stuff like ideas for plays or short stories... Do you actually type or do you just use two fingers? I learned how to type using both hands, but I usually just use a couple of fingers...Like texting? sort of
How did you learn to do that? My dad taught me a lot of the basics, but I really just learned more by doing it.
What are some other things you use the computer for? School work and presentations like power point and stuff... Do you take your computer to school? Yes... Can you access the internet at school? Yes, but it's really slow... Do you log on as a guest or a user? a guest, so when I really need to look something up I use my iPhone as a "hotspot" ... Would you like to use your computer at school more? Yes, I really like the online textbooks and would like to use it more for notes
What is your favorite game? Why? I don't really play too many games... Really? Yes really, sometimes I play a game called "color switch" it used to be popular... So no massive online games like WoW? No...Why? I don't have time because of the other things I do, like Walden theater.
Do you know other people who do this? My friends and I might play sometimes, but not together, it's not that kind of game.
How would you like to use the computer at school? Like I said, I like to use my computer for the online textbooks. I wish all my classes had online textbooks.
Anything else you would like to tell me? No, not really... I guess I think the schools should give us an iPad to use for the year... Would you rather use your own computer if you had better WiFi? Yes, maybe... Do you think the school should ask you to use your computer and if you don't have one they will then give you an iPad? No, I don't think so...Why? because that wouldn't be fair to students that don't have a computer.
Are you allowed to use your phone for class work during class? No... Do you think you should be allowed to use your phone during class? Yes, but only for school work during class unless you can listen to music while you work.
My post interview comments and reflection, as well as follow-up with Sam's father center around the idea of fairness Sam pointed out when asked about being required to bring your own device if you have one. I will likely explore this in greater detail when writing the full case study
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Digital Text: Not Just For School
Chapter 1, the opening picture of Part A, a multi-level mall epitomizes the links and cross links of multi-modal literacy! I spent a great deal of time processing the constructs centered around social interactions and the role they play for students and adults, particularly as it relates to digital media literacy. Since we just completed the "Deconstructing Digital Natives" many of the salient points still resonate and are relevant in this new book, which keeps circling back to the differences between Natives and Immigrants. On one hand, social media plays a significant role in the daily life of many teens (Natives), but in some cases that significant role has soared into a dominant role for some adults (Immigrants). This all leads me back to importance of social interactions and the role they play in learning. Gee offers evidence to support his claims about learning from video games, yet it's not the "what" so much as the "how." Trial and error can be an effective way to learn a new concept, especially if there is more experienced learner there to scaffold, only when the dynamic struggle leads to frustration that would cause a learner to quit rather than persevere. This leads to my quote of the chapter, "Arguing that game players are developing different approaches to learning"(Willett, pg 14). The learn by doing or low risk practice is a concept that a lot of people wanting to support, but feel constrained by mandates and timelines, which then turns into..."we don't have time for that" or "that's not really learning what you need to know to be successful" which led me to this visual.
Chapter 2, the quote I chose really is a continuation of all the discussion about multi-modal communication that I have been involved in for quite some time. Julia Davies offers this thought..."All communication is multi-modal (Norris, 2004), so it is not surprising that play in one mode often triggers play in others; thus play with images, for example, often provokes playful, creative language. (Davies, pg 32-33) Furthermore, the quote builds upon many other points of view about learning in general, for example if people are just "hanging out" with no expectation of learning something new or how to better access where they are "hanging" does learning occur? By digging deeper on this question you might be inclined to ask for a specific definition of learning as it applies to this situation and I would be inclined to agree, but also add that any interaction regardless of the motive yields understanding not previously obtained. Since the quote opens the door to play I was immediately remembering some of Mead's thoughts on the idea of self, which led me to offer this video as way to broaden the conversation as it relates to students learning how to learn and think about their interactions with different types of texts. As well as what they and others around them learn to value. Reading this chapter I was still recalling the case studies of Shaun and Caitlyn, which caused me to ponder this question... How do they make sense of the "Me" and "I" as it relates to digital literacy?
Chapter 3 gives way to more case studies that really get the reader to start thinking about their own possible students as well as classroom practices. The first glaring point is the required hand writing vs typing (I agree that students need to learn how to write by hand and even further agree that the very act of writing letters make a cognitive difference in the decoding and encoding skills of students), but the lame excuses offered are well just that lame! My students must write a timed essay, either informative or persuasive, as part of the writing exam required for their English credit. Since this essay must be typed all the practice work they do in my classes is electronic and turned in via email as an attachment that I grade or gets peer graded, No paper and they benefit from using more 21st Century skills (Note: all peer grading in my class is anonymous, No student ever knows whose paper they are grading). The other points in the case studies point toward the social aspects and interactions as well as the motives for those interactions, which led to this quote..."In order to succeed socially, as well as, academically, across the myriad opportunities for text production available in the early twenty-first century, children must possess the ability to interrogate and recognize the power relations and forces that play upon and around their production." The term I would use is "authentic digital literacy" not just functional awareness of digital literacy tools.
References:
YouTube: Khan Academy: George Herbert Mead
Photosforclass.com
Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (2009). Digital literacies: Social learning and classroom practices. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Chapter 2, the quote I chose really is a continuation of all the discussion about multi-modal communication that I have been involved in for quite some time. Julia Davies offers this thought..."All communication is multi-modal (Norris, 2004), so it is not surprising that play in one mode often triggers play in others; thus play with images, for example, often provokes playful, creative language. (Davies, pg 32-33) Furthermore, the quote builds upon many other points of view about learning in general, for example if people are just "hanging out" with no expectation of learning something new or how to better access where they are "hanging" does learning occur? By digging deeper on this question you might be inclined to ask for a specific definition of learning as it applies to this situation and I would be inclined to agree, but also add that any interaction regardless of the motive yields understanding not previously obtained. Since the quote opens the door to play I was immediately remembering some of Mead's thoughts on the idea of self, which led me to offer this video as way to broaden the conversation as it relates to students learning how to learn and think about their interactions with different types of texts. As well as what they and others around them learn to value. Reading this chapter I was still recalling the case studies of Shaun and Caitlyn, which caused me to ponder this question... How do they make sense of the "Me" and "I" as it relates to digital literacy?
Chapter 3 gives way to more case studies that really get the reader to start thinking about their own possible students as well as classroom practices. The first glaring point is the required hand writing vs typing (I agree that students need to learn how to write by hand and even further agree that the very act of writing letters make a cognitive difference in the decoding and encoding skills of students), but the lame excuses offered are well just that lame! My students must write a timed essay, either informative or persuasive, as part of the writing exam required for their English credit. Since this essay must be typed all the practice work they do in my classes is electronic and turned in via email as an attachment that I grade or gets peer graded, No paper and they benefit from using more 21st Century skills (Note: all peer grading in my class is anonymous, No student ever knows whose paper they are grading). The other points in the case studies point toward the social aspects and interactions as well as the motives for those interactions, which led to this quote..."In order to succeed socially, as well as, academically, across the myriad opportunities for text production available in the early twenty-first century, children must possess the ability to interrogate and recognize the power relations and forces that play upon and around their production." The term I would use is "authentic digital literacy" not just functional awareness of digital literacy tools.
References:
YouTube: Khan Academy: George Herbert Mead
Photosforclass.com
Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (2009). Digital literacies: Social learning and classroom practices. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Digital Natives: A Point of View
This is my Point of View presentation: There are several links and short videos to watch that support and enhance my understanding of the information. The presentation was prepared using the EMAZE presentation website.
The purpose behind the images and videos I chose follow my understanding and philosophy about the book, Deconstructing Digital Natives and my own understandings that have grown from the many different paths I have walked and the ones I'm still walking. Their are many factors that have shaped my views and this work is a glimpse into that understanding. I have carefully chosen image, video, background, music, and text as way to lead the viewer on a journey. Some of the video links are short and some need a few extra minutes of your time, but hopefully, if you have Not seen them, you will take the time to engage with this presentation. I welcome your comments, questions, or concerns. Please view full screen, press pause and click on the various video links to view separately.
The purpose behind the images and videos I chose follow my understanding and philosophy about the book, Deconstructing Digital Natives and my own understandings that have grown from the many different paths I have walked and the ones I'm still walking. Their are many factors that have shaped my views and this work is a glimpse into that understanding. I have carefully chosen image, video, background, music, and text as way to lead the viewer on a journey. Some of the video links are short and some need a few extra minutes of your time, but hopefully, if you have Not seen them, you will take the time to engage with this presentation. I welcome your comments, questions, or concerns. Please view full screen, press pause and click on the various video links to view separately.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
The Digital Natives Are Restless
Chapter 10, I found the case studies presented in this chapter to be particularly interesting as it deals with our pre-conceived ideas about literacy... in this case digital literacy. I was really interested in the findings and comparisons made between Shaun and Caitlyn in their case study, which led me to this reoccurring thought as it related to Caitlyn... Had the institution of learning killed her creativity? I ask that question because even in the interview session Caitlyn's mother had no real explanation for her ability to solve, make sense, and interact with meaningful text while at home on the computer, yet did Not do so at school. Furthermore, Caitlyn, whose mother was a teacher, was able to surmise or discern what the school system valued as appropriate interactions with literacy / digital literacy that she could not or would not use her self taught creative strategies in a formal setting like school. While some of this assessment by me is built upon my own reasoning and comprehension skills and not direct interaction with the case study, it seems likely to me that in this case Caitlyn's strategies (self taught and unknown by her educator mother) were not valued and supported as authentic. This led me to include this TED Talk by Sir Ken Robinson, if you have not watched this talk I highly recommend it! My quote for this chapter, "This suggests schooled constructions of literacy, and perhaps reading literacy in particular, caused considerable disruption for Caitlyn, as her own strategies to make sense of texts were perceived to be without value in the school system."(Levy, pg 160) There is so much more to say about these case studies and their findings as it relates to the students in our own classrooms year after year. I will end with this thought... If "teachers" would more readily recognize themselves as learners too, then the learning environment will change and each learner will be seen as a valued contributor to the learning process.
Chapter Eleven's Title pretty well said it all for me... Paulo Freire's, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" was the first thought that hit my mind, and while this chapter did not dig off into this ideology I did make a sort of connection in this chapter to the "natives vs immigrants" that we have been reading about all along. The overall underlying theme seemed to focus on "change" and what that generally means for different age learners, in that the natives seemingly embrace technology simply as a normal way of accomplishing a task, while the immigrants see technology as something that changes the way to perform a task. I offer this example... can you imagine yourself hand writing a countless number of entries into a large, roughly bound, ledger book in alphabetical order and tracking account details and tallies, while also needing to add new alphabetical entries with no extra space to do so.... Now do the same task with a digital spreadsheet... No comparison right? One allows for infinite editing which maintains complete alphabetical order and built in formulas to calculate. So, why then would an immigrant be fearful of changing to a tool that helps them do the task better? The quote comes in form of a paraphrased quote by Marx, "All to often people have tried to change education in various ways. The point, however, is to understand it, so we know what requires change, what is possible to change, how to change it, and with what effects for whom" (Bennett, Maton, pg 176). I include this TED Talk by Clint Smith as a glimpse into what that quote might mean in different context.
Chapter 12, the concluding chapter of what has been a book dedicated to dispelling the myth and trying to clarify what the term "digital Native" truly means. There have many Points of View offered and research backed findings to support a good working definition of the term, yet as with many of the fallacies that surround education dispelling the preconceived notions or ideologies is Not an easy task. A problem that really bugs me... teachers and educators should know better or at least constantly strive to make themselves better... what some would call mandated Professional Development (PD). The thought that makes the most sense to me... is that the goal of learning is constant, and if we want our students to become lifelong learners, then why would we, as teachers, not also be lifelong learners. Trying to stay one step ahead or allowing students to teach /guide you is just you recognizing that you too are a learner. I really like it when a student says, "I can show you a trick to do that better," which helps me, but really helps to support the overall class rule..."1. All are learners and All are teachers, we are in this together, so let's help one another." The quote helps to build upon the true definition, "...to allow a term to describe a subset of today's youth; the manners in which they relate to information, technology, and one another." (Palfrey & Gasser, pg 188). As a point of clarification I would add... and how they communicate with one another... to aid in the understanding of the term relate, this helps the reader to include texting, social media, snapchat, periscope, instagram, etc.... And while immigrants may see the interactions as different and maybe even judge them as not authentic, yet only because those interactions do not align with the immigrant's experiences of authentic interactions. The Natives are interacting on levels that have never been possible until now and those interactions are a way to prepare them for the interactions they will continue to have in the future, but they still need to learn how and so do the immigrants!
We are all Learners!
Chapter Eleven's Title pretty well said it all for me... Paulo Freire's, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" was the first thought that hit my mind, and while this chapter did not dig off into this ideology I did make a sort of connection in this chapter to the "natives vs immigrants" that we have been reading about all along. The overall underlying theme seemed to focus on "change" and what that generally means for different age learners, in that the natives seemingly embrace technology simply as a normal way of accomplishing a task, while the immigrants see technology as something that changes the way to perform a task. I offer this example... can you imagine yourself hand writing a countless number of entries into a large, roughly bound, ledger book in alphabetical order and tracking account details and tallies, while also needing to add new alphabetical entries with no extra space to do so.... Now do the same task with a digital spreadsheet... No comparison right? One allows for infinite editing which maintains complete alphabetical order and built in formulas to calculate. So, why then would an immigrant be fearful of changing to a tool that helps them do the task better? The quote comes in form of a paraphrased quote by Marx, "All to often people have tried to change education in various ways. The point, however, is to understand it, so we know what requires change, what is possible to change, how to change it, and with what effects for whom" (Bennett, Maton, pg 176). I include this TED Talk by Clint Smith as a glimpse into what that quote might mean in different context.
Chapter 12, the concluding chapter of what has been a book dedicated to dispelling the myth and trying to clarify what the term "digital Native" truly means. There have many Points of View offered and research backed findings to support a good working definition of the term, yet as with many of the fallacies that surround education dispelling the preconceived notions or ideologies is Not an easy task. A problem that really bugs me... teachers and educators should know better or at least constantly strive to make themselves better... what some would call mandated Professional Development (PD). The thought that makes the most sense to me... is that the goal of learning is constant, and if we want our students to become lifelong learners, then why would we, as teachers, not also be lifelong learners. Trying to stay one step ahead or allowing students to teach /guide you is just you recognizing that you too are a learner. I really like it when a student says, "I can show you a trick to do that better," which helps me, but really helps to support the overall class rule..."1. All are learners and All are teachers, we are in this together, so let's help one another." The quote helps to build upon the true definition, "...to allow a term to describe a subset of today's youth; the manners in which they relate to information, technology, and one another." (Palfrey & Gasser, pg 188). As a point of clarification I would add... and how they communicate with one another... to aid in the understanding of the term relate, this helps the reader to include texting, social media, snapchat, periscope, instagram, etc.... And while immigrants may see the interactions as different and maybe even judge them as not authentic, yet only because those interactions do not align with the immigrant's experiences of authentic interactions. The Natives are interacting on levels that have never been possible until now and those interactions are a way to prepare them for the interactions they will continue to have in the future, but they still need to learn how and so do the immigrants!
We are all Learners!
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