Providing a novel perspective and framework through which to view the issue, the authors transform the presentation of the Internet in schools. It should not be considered a slice of technology, but as an avenue for presenting information. As such, educators need to teach children how to use and read it effectively. In other words, it is “a literacy issue, not a technology issue” (Leu, O'Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry, & Everett-Cacopardo , 2009, p. 265). Furthermore, when students leave the classroom to learn computer skills during “specials”, the lesson becomes inauthentic. Authentic teaching incorporates these skills in the classroom.
Are your schools viewing “new literacies” as a technology issue, or a
literacy issue? What kind of power
do teachers have to change that?
It is abundantly clear that the focus can no
longer be on textbooks. However, I
think students should be exposed to both.
Because my educational background is entrenched in traditional
textbooks, I am confident in determining the validity of online sources. Students should also have this
knowledge, beyond just being wary of “.com” sites.
There is a call for teachers to implement and
incorporate technology into the classroom. However (and I think this is a product of my generation’s
comfort with technology), for me, technology is not something to
implement. It comes
naturally. When an authentic, real
world person would use technology, as we often do in daily inquiry, I would
have the children use it as well.
It would be seamless, and this classroom is a perfect example.
The horizon
report lists technologies that are on the rise, but given the nature of
technology, is it worth the time and money to learn a new device that may or
may not garner a foothold in the market?
Is it better to wait until it’s established?
I don’t know
what it’s like to read a textbook on a Kindle, but I can only imagine the
possibilities! Recently published
textbooks often incorporate invitations to log on to an affiliated website for
extra activities. I’ve never done
that myself because it’s just a tad inconvenient, but if that activity was
literally at my fingertips and all I had to do was touch a graphic, my
experience would be much more interactive.
While reading
about augmented reality (AR) and gesture-based computing, all I could think
about was the movie eXistenZ.
Blending the lines between reality and fantasy terrifies me because it
seems all too easy to lose the ability to distinguish the two after enough
exposure. However, if I am
picturing it correctly, AR could allow students to experience hands-on learning
in an extremely cost effective way (golfing in PE, exploring the rain forest,
entering Narnia…)
I am in love
with the idea of using a wiki as an online portfolio. Online portfolios make so much more
sense than physical ones (I’ll spare you my thoughts on why!) but there are two
really great reasons for using a wiki: 1) the children can add to it wherever
they have internet access! They can add things they do at home, from home! 2)
THEY ARE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY IN AN AUTHENTIC WAY WHEN THEY ADD TO A WIKI
THEMSELVES. It is NOT using
technology for the sake of technology!
Ciao!
