The two articles I chose to read were "Improving Digital Practices for Literacy, Learning, and Justice: More Than Just Tools" and "Digital Literacy". It felt as if the two articles were a little contradicting of each other, at least in my opinion. It seemed like the authors of "Improving Digital Practices for Literacy, Learning, and Justice: More Than Just Tools" were trying to express the possible harm and negative aspects to integrating too much technology and digital media, tools, resources, etc (International Literacy Association, 2018). While the author of "Digital Literacy" was highlighting the importance of digital literacy skills and how to achieve them in order to be successful in life (Vanek, 2019). Vanek emphasized the importance of frequently using technology while the International Literacy Association seemed to be doing the opposite. Both articles highlighted the importance of appropriately using technology, especially in the classroom. Literacy will always build off the foundation of knowing how to read and write (International Literacy Association, 2018) and further applying those skills to gain digital literacy skills.
Classroom technology should be used as a tool to assist learning and prepare students up for the "real world" (International Literacy Association, 2018; Vanek, 2019). Something that challenged my thinking was the idea that technology can create more inequity in the classroom (International Literacy Association, 2018). "The inequalities of schooling are exacerbated when literacy instruction focuses on tools that may not be fully accessible in all schools" (International Literacy Association, 2018, p. 4) I am always using technology in my ELA classroom, especially when I am trying to bridge gaps in their learning. We use assistive technology tools during a majority of our assignments, which I didn't consider how lucky these students are to have that support system. I didn't consider that not everyone has the same access to the same tools or competency to access those tools, therefore creating inequity. I have always had technology in my life and during my schooling so I know no different. According to the International Literacy Association, technology doesn't have the ability to make school more engaging or interesting to the students just by digitally providing curriculum. From my personal experience thus far, I highly disagree. My students show a drastic increase in engagement when they are learning on their tablets versus learning directly from watching me provide direct instruction. Reflecting on this, I don't agree that it should be this way and I think social media and technology has a huge hold over our world. Another self-reflection, less student engagement could mean that I need to switch up my teaching styles or adjust my lessons.
I loved reading about finding a balance of technology and digital resources because technology should be used support instruction and not always as a main source of instruction (International Literacy Association, 2018), even if students do seem more engaged. According to Vanek, lacking digital literacy skills can negatively impact someones life in terms of finding and being successful in a career. But these digital literacy skills don't just appear naturally, but having them builds on many aspects of life such as critical thinking skills, communication skills, evaluation skills, etc. I have students who will choose to create a game "review" for a test as a study method instead of making flash cards. Students need to have self-awareness of what they are capable of and what will best support their learning (Vanek, 2019).
Overall, I still believe that as a teacher, I should be providing my students with many opportunities to develop digital literacy skills. This is not an easy task and it requires figuring out the best way to incorporate technology so that it is being used in a meaningful way. The first step is getting my students comfortable with foundational computer skills (Vanek, 2019) and building from there in each lesson. What I still wonder is are these skills being directly taught into for full comprehension? Or does this come naturally for some? Am I putting aside time in my lesson planning to touch on how an assignment is building their life skills or will they just start to naturally acknowledge that?
References
International Literacy Association. (2018). Improving digital practices for literacy, learning, and justice. More than just tools [Literacy leadership brief]. Newark, DE: Author.
Vanek, J. (2019). Digital Literacy. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf
Hi Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI think similar in terms of technology being a positive tool to allow our students learning to be more engaging. I also see in my classroom working with elementary students that they see working on tablets or chromebooks to be very exciting. It is something simple to us but makes a huge difference for them. I see it as a major benefit when I want to differentiate learning for students because it is hard to do that as a whole group with me just talking. It also allows me to progress monitor students in a easy and effective way to track what they are doing well on and what they can continue to improve. Overall, I agree that technology is a more exciting way for the students to learn as well as more engaging. Great post!
Hi Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI resonated with your discussion, specifically when you mentioned how technology can present inequalities. In the fall, I taught a section of ENL Meteorology. While most of the students in this class were familiar with their Chromebooks, I had a new entrant join well over halfway through our one semester class. This student had previously never used a computer. She entered at the perfect time, as we were making presentations about clouds. We were able to teach her how to copy and paste images, create slides, and improve her computer skills.
This was something I felt was important because most jobs require the use of some sort of technology. Overall though, this experience opened my eyes to inequalities that can exist as a result of technology. This was my first experience with a student that had never used a computer before.
Jenna- you have some wonderful observations in this blog, especially when it comes to student engagement. I always encourage teachers to consider when *they* experience a feeling of excitement or anticipation about something. Although positive feelings and excitement are somewhat mistrusted in academic environments, from a human psychology perspective, joy is often a powerful indicator that learning is occurring. So, consider: what makes the tablet elicit positive feelings in your classroom context? Is it prior experience? If so, how does the tablet signal positive memories (e.g., comfort, relaxation, excitement, play, delight)?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the articles have conflicting views. Trying to find the balance between teaching new, emphasizing old and promoting digital literacy at home is a challenging task. While we hope that all students have access to means of technology, there is a good chance there is a level on inequity. I also believe we have to take into account how much technology is allowed at home. Some parents may not allow them on YouTube or video games or iPads, so does that hinder their ability to learn new literacies in school? We have to find the line between pushing the curriculum and narrative but also respecting parents wishes at home.