Week 1 Journal Response
"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).
As a teacher who has been in different classrooms over the
years, I have seen firsthand how technology has become such an integral tool in
shaping literacy for students. From online lesson platforms, which allow
students to submit work, to educational games that kids enjoy playing and help
them learn curriculum and ideas, digital programs are an engaging and stimulating
approach that brings classrooms together. Yet, there is caution to be taken. As
brought out by Durant and Green, this recent technological literacy strategy “opens
up new possibilities for learning and exchange--and also, of course, new
dangers.” (Durant and Green, 2000). One of those dangers is relying too much on
digital tools as an educator.
Gillen and Barton highlight the “idea that we need multiple,
rich methods to uncover the complexities of people’s interactions using digital
technologies” (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9). They also bring up the “fears
that values of traditional education may be neglected” (p. 11). I very much
agree with this. As teachers, we need to monitor closely both the content and
the amount of time students are utilizing technology in the classroom. We also
need to balance that with personal instruction that the technology cooperates
with, as well as hands-on activities that go beyond digital lessons and
educational videos.
Education has to be, first and foremost, a human experience
for all involved. Dana J. Wilbur points out the need to do “research into
digital culture, technology, and society and understanding the ways in which
new media, tools, and information are shaping our lives” (Wilbur, 2010, p. 5). The
use of technology and the internet has become quite valuable. Yet, these new
literacies should be just a factor in a larger learning environment. They
should complement the curriculum, and serve as a source of tutoring in a classroom
of diverse learners. They should not be expected to “take over” for any main
instruction or interfere with actual social engagement within schools. As a
teacher, my goal is to look into new avenues of digital instruction and see how
they can aid me in educating my students, while at the same time emphasizing learning
as an engaging journey of enlightenment between
teacher and student.
References:
Durrant, C., & Green, B. (2000). Literacy and
the new technologies in school education: Meeting
the l(it)eracy challenge? Australian Journal of
Language and
Literacy. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/literacy+and+the+new+technologies+in+school+education%3a+meeting+the...-a063132991
Gillen, J., & Barton, D. (2010). Digital
literacies: A research briefing by the Technology Enhanced Learning Phase of
the teaching and learning research programme. ESRC Teaching and
Learning Research Programme, London.
Wilber, D.J. (2010). Special themed issue: Beyond
ʻnewʼ literacies. Montclair State University, 2:1.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteWhat you said about the instruction moving beyond technology, more "hands on activities" that we can use in conjunction with the technology we have. Often times I am teaching lessons that start as "hands on", usually pencil and paper or with an anchor chart of some sorts. Then following lessons and activities are a mixture of both technology and hands-on. I think that is something we should be cognizant of. Really great post here, thank you for your insight.
I like your comment of using digital instruction to aid you in educating your students but also not forgetting that hands-on activities and authentic teacher/student interactions are important. At a previous school I felt that there was too much emphasis on using technology and pushing digital literacy that some other aspects of teaching were overlooked.
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