Changing Literacies

Chapter 4:

The skills and attitudes that provide young people with opportunities to participate effectively in this world are often not the skills and attitudes rewarded in our school system - Victoria Carrington (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 76)

I like this quote as it makes me think deeper about the skills of our younger folks. From my experience, I can say that a lot of my schooling (pre college) did not involve a lot of technology. In my non-school life, I used the internet a lot and for different things. The fact that I could navigate around the web, search for things, and  had the ability to teach myself something by watching a YouTube video or reading and article, seemed irrelevant when I walked through the school doors. I'm not saying that students should text all through class and Facebook and SnapChat their friends every five minutes, but there needs to be a way for them to show their technological skills in a school setting.


Chapter 5:

Depending on one's point of view, this can be seen as a fascinating diversity of human experience or a confusion of unfiltered information and opinion. - J. Davis & M. Merchant (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 84)

(This quote is referring to blogs) I relate to this quote. When I first started this class, I had no idea what a blog really was, never mind how it worked or how to make one. I struggled through the first assignment and had a lot of trial and error as I taught myself how to make this blog. Once I got the hang of it and was satisfied with what I had done so far, it began to be fun. I like this quote because I am proof that a student can start out with no opinion of blogs and then actually learn how to make/work one and come out on the other side as having learned something.


Chapter 6:

What are the implications of working in an environment in which some pupils are more experienced or confident than the teacher? As in many other applications of new technology, children tend to be more experienced and more adaptable. Although this is not always the case, teachers do need to be prepared to learn from pupils and to value their experimentation.- Guy Merchant (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 108)

This bulleted point out of chapter 6 makes an excellent point. The lack of technologies used in the classroom might catch up to our teachers, especially our veteran teachers. I have had classes in the past that the  teachers literally only taught out of a book. There needs to be balance so that the students don't surpass the teacher in the knowledge that is used in a certain class.




Making Connections to the Text:
The reading is continuing to open my eyes to new thoughts and new possibilities of using technology in my classroom. Even though I teach math, there are still some ways that I can incorporate these ideas in way class. For example, I could have a blog where I post the daily assignments and homework and require students to comment their ideas or questions. Or, as a class, we could have a create and update regularly a wiki based  on the topics that we are studying. With lower level math, there is a lot of wiggle room for fun projects and activities and it would be great to incorporate more technology as I go!

 

For my illuminated text, I chose this quote from chapter 4:

The skills and attitudes that provide young people with opportunities to participate effectively in this world are often not the skills and attitudes rewarded in our school system 

References:

Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (Eds.). (2009). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices. London, United Kingom: SAGE Publications.

Analyzing The Interview

Analyzing the Interview


Hanging Out:

John doesn’t use the computer to “hang out” with his friends. He does use social media, such as Facebook, but he does that on his iPhone. He says that his friends and some family also use the types of technologies that he uses.

Messing Around:

John uses the computer to “mess around” on YouTube. He watches music videos and videos of ATV racing. He learned about YouTube in school, even though the site is blocked from students. He observed his teacher showing a video in class, and from that little bit of exposure, he taught himself have to navigate it effectively.

Geeking Out:

John participates in GNCC ATV racing and uses technology to “Geek Out” by making videos, on an app on his iPhone, of himself and his friends from pictures of their race. He uses still photos and adds music and effects to them to produce these videos, which he uploads to Facebook. He found and taught himself how to use this app.

Schooling:

John uses the computer in a school setting to mostly practice typing and take standardized tests. All social media sites are blocked in the Marion County School system, as well as YouTube (available to teachers only), Pinterest, and some online game sites. When he is allowed to use the computer for leisure activities, John likes to go to www.mostfungames.com and play racing games.

 

Connections to the Text

Some quotes from the text that I liked and may consider using in my case study final are as follows: (all as cited in Carrington & Robinson, 2009)

The skills and attitudes that provide young people with opportunities to participate effectively in this world are often not the skills and attitudes rewarded in our school system. p.76

They will need to understand and work with information in ways that are appropriate to the time in which they live. p 77

Digital texts are frequent multimodal and thus readers need to be. p 80

References:

 Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (Eds.). (2009). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices. London, United Kingom: SAGE Publications.

Interview with a Young Person

For this case study, I interviewed "John", an 11 year old boy from my town of Mannington, WV . He is about to enter 6th grade in the fall. His use of technology is heavy in the form of entertainment, and he seems to really only use an actual computer at school for practice/tests. He stated before the interview that he felt nervous to do it. I believe that his short answers show that.

 

 

For this interview, you get to choose a fake name. What would you like it to be? Anything that you want.
*thinking*….. John.

John…are you sure?
Yes.

Ok, John…Do you have a computer?
Yes. But I don't really use it a lot.

 

Will you please tell me all the different types of technologies that you have and use?
X box 360, PlayStation 4,… iPad,.. iPhone,…. Wii, TV….. and that’s it.

What kinds of things do you use the computer for?
YouTube…and games.

What is your favorite thing to do on the computer?
Probably to watch videos on YouTube.

How did you learn to do that?
School.

What are some other things that you use the computer for?(besides YouTube and games?)
Tests at school.

What is your favorite game? Why?
Basketball on the PlayStation 4. Because you get to play basketball and that’s my favorite sport. You get to be the character.

Do you know other people who do this?
my friends…my cousin

How do you use the computer at school?
tests, umm….. Appropriately. Typing game.

How would you like to use the computer at school?
uh……games.

Do you think teachers would let you use the computer to do those things? Why? Why not?
Maybe, if you get an award.

Anything else that you would like to tell me?
I’d rather come outside and play than stay inside and play video games all day.

What if you had a friend over and you had the choice to stay inside and play PlayStation together, l or anything, x-box, whatever, or go outside and swim. Which would you pick and why?
Go outside and swim. Because I like it.

*** “John” also had his iPhone in his pocket during the interview and when I asked him if there was anything else that he would like to tell me, after answering,  he got his phone out and showed me an app. It is an app that allows the user to use their pictures to create videos. “John” chooses the pictures he wants, the music, and some effects, and the app turns it into a video. He uses this to make videos focused on his ATV racing. He did not know the name of this app.

Connections to the Text

Some quotes from the text that I liked and may consider using in my case study final are as follows: (all as cited in Carrington & Robinson, 2009)

"Online practices are often exploratory, improvised, and bound up with people's social and cultural lives, seen as some as inappropriate for the classroom setting" (Lambirth, 2005) p. 31


"Digital texts are frequently multimodal and thus readers need to be aware of how images can represent 'reality' in different ways." p. 41


"Rather, as educators, we need to see what young people are already doing, so that we can build on their existing practices and knowledge, and identify barriers and enables to new media literacies.." p. 21

"In-school and out-of-school practices are clearly not mutually exclusive..." p. 30




References:
Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (Eds.). (2009). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices. London, United Kingom: SAGE Publications.
 

Digital Texts in and Out of School

Introduction:

To this day there remains a belief, entrenched in curricula and policy, that children and their learning should be quarantined from engagement with these texts and technologies, and should instead be taught and evaluated against a curriculum focused on print.(Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 2)

This quote definitely has truth to it, but I don't agree 100%. I do think that in a school setting, there are certain expectations that students are held accountable to (example- no cell phones in class, no Facebook/twitter/social media while in a computer lab). However, I do feel that teachers are growing, along with technology, and integrating more and more (as much as their school limitations allow them) technology into their classroom. I is happening with me in my own classes, as well.


Chapter 1:

For educators, an example of learning such as this can be intriguing, and we might ask ourselves how the kinds of learning Jacob is doing in his home environment complement or connect with the kinds of learning he is doing inside schools.- R. Willett (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 14)

I like this quote and it definitely made me think. The boys in this chapter didn't have any formal schooling on the topics that they were creating. Some of their fathers helped them and passed along their knowledge. I find it fascinating that kids, as well as adults, are able to pick up a new technology and just run with it. Are the things they are learning at school enabling them to be more critical thinkers and to be able to learn on their own and figure new technology out? Or, are they ways they are learning on their own, trial and error and intuition, helping them do better in a school setting? It's hard to say for certain one way or the other. I like to think there is nice balance and that it is all tied together in their learning.


Chapter 2:

Indeed, if we can talk about a 'digital divide', it resides within, as well as across, generations - a fact that those in education need to be wary of. - Julia Davies (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 32)

I love this quote! I could not agree more. I've talked previously about the digital divide and I think that this quote is correct. Just because someone is a 'digital native', does not mean that they know or even want to know all about technology. As the text continues, it says there are many young people  who are uninvolved or have problems with access/usage. Educators definitely need to be aware of this and when planning activities/lessons, need to take that into consideration so that they can reach the whole class, and not just those who are up to date with the technologies being presented. The trick is finding balance and actually making sure that we (as educators) are able to help/reach all our students.


Chapter 3:

Equally, therefore, Clare and Tom can be described as children of the new digital age (Marsh, 2005); children who, as long as they can remember, have been surrounded by ever-evolving digital technologies and practices that impact on their daily existence, and the textual landscapes that they occupy (Carrington, 2005). As sited in (Carrington & Robinson, 2009, p. 50)

 

I really like the phrase 'children of the new digital age' and I think that it is a nice replacement for 'digital native'. This phrase brings new meaning to someone born after 1980. It recognizes that not everyone that age can or wants to navigate through all the new technologies. It simply states that some people were born into such an age that the want/ability to know all this information is a possibility. Each person has the choice to participate or not.

     _________________________________________________________________________________________


The reading definitely made me think of the technologies that I use in my classroom. When I was in college, none of the math classes that I took had anything to do with anything online. Now, just 6 years later, the college algebra course that I am teaching is built around and integrated into an online program in which students can do homework, tests, quizzes, and practice problems. It is an important part of their learning process for the class, and the work they do in that program is a part of their final grade.

A major barrier that exist limitations. When I subbed in the Marion Co school system, some classes of kids only had the chance to use the school computer lab for 40 minutes a week, and that was in a good week. Not all schools are equipped with enough technology for all students to have adequate time to practice on and learn these new ideas. And it's not fair for teacher to assign all of this learning as homework because not all kids have high speed internet and computers at home. Even here at FSU, I only have available to me 15 iPads at a time. I have sometimes more than 25 students in a class. So, that makes it difficult for us to do a lesson using the iPads in class.

 



For my illuminated text, I chose the quote from chapter 2

Indeed, if we can talk about a 'digital divide', it resides within, as well as across, generations - a fact that those in education need to be wary of.

 

 

References:

Carrington, V., & Robinson, M. (Eds.). (2009). Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices. London, United Kingom: SAGE Publications.

Beyond Digital Natives

Chapter 10:

"There is no doubt that ICT and digital media have had a major impact on the ways in which young children today learn, play, work, and socialize."- Rachel Levy (Thomas, 2011, p.151)

This quote could be the summation of the whole book in a single line. I like this and with out a doubt I agree with it to the nth degree. I also feel this applies to young adults, as well as older generations. Technology has proved it is here to stay and if a person doesn't want to get left behind, they better just accept it and learn to love it.


Chapter 11:

"These results support the notion that technology is highly assessable and therefore potentially well-integrated into young people's lives."-S. Bennett & K. Maton (Thomas, 2011, p.171)

This line is talking about research that was done on digital natives previously mentioned in chapter 11. It is very easy to just look at a young person and think "yep, a digital native who knows all about this new form of technology" simply because they are young and because that seems to be the norm. There are many more factors that contribute to the digital native argument, including an individuals ease of access to and their want to use technology. I agree that there is the potential of technology being well integrated, but that is not always the case.


Chapter 12:

"Among other things, it is not enough to be born on a certain date in history and merely to have access to technology"- J. Palfrey & U. Gasser (Thomas, 2011, p. 189)

Again, I think this hits the nail on the head with how people make the assumption a person is a digital native based solely on their year of birth. Just because someone is born after a certain date and has access to what seems like endless information at their fingertips, that does not mean that they know all about it and utilize it to it's maximum potential. It's not true nor fair to just put that label on all young people.




In the reading, it mentions that 'digital natives' is a subgroup of the population, not an entire generation. I  agree with that statement. All people are different, all people learn differently, all people have different likes, and all people utilize the tools that they have in different ways. It wouldn't be fair to an entire generation to lump them together and call them one thing, and it wouldn't be wise for someone to assume it's ok to do so. 

The True Meaning

 

I choose to make this meme because after reading the text in it's entirety, I believe that you can't just simply label someone a digital native because of their age. It is easy for all of us to just make assumptions here and there based loosely on half facts. We just need to remember that we need to know the whole story. And with the term 'digital natives', there is more than what meets the eye.



Resources:
Thomas, M. (Ed.). (2011). Deconstruction Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies. New York, NY: Routledge.

Deconstructing Digital Natives Presentation

 

 

In my presentation, I take a closer look at the term 'digital native' and try to gain a better understanding of exactly what it means and who it is. Throughout the text, there are a few definitions and interpretations given of what 'digital native' means. The main thing that I took from this book, and that I hope to show through my presentation, is that there is no one exact definition that spans the entire population and fits every person who could be considered a digital native.

In the first few slides, I want to portray how technology is changing rapidly. Children are on the cutting edge of all these new technologies that didn't exist as little as five years ago. They don't even realize it, either. It's such a normal part of their lives now days, some children can't even remember a time before they know how to use the internet or mom/dad's iPhone.

Several studies that the book shows us brings to my attention that all over the world, people use technology for different things and in different ways. However, in the bigger picture, we are all humans, and I feel confident in saying that we all have similar uses for technology. Teenagers and young adults seems to use the internet more for communication and entertainment. This particular fact was true for the USA as well as the folks in Japan and the Nordic countries.

Another major point I discuss is learning. Everyone does it differently. There is no template that fits each and every one of us when it comes to learning. Factors in our lives also play a part in the way we learn, especially the way we learn and interact with technology. If a child is introduced at an earlier age, I do believe that they have a little leg up when it comes to learning and accepting new technologies. I also believe that a child can come from no technology in the home and excel when introduced to it later in life.

As far as technology and education goes, I don't think that there is one right answer. I do think that teachers should teach children how to use the technologies that they are expected to use in school. I also think that some of the responsibility has to be on the student to want to learn and better themselves so that they aren't left behind in this ever-changing, rapidly growing world of technology.

I liked the idea behind "moral panic"; but I truly believe that what you see is not always what you get. Just because a person fits the stereotype or the profile of a digital native, doesn't mean that they are a computer/ technology genius. It all has to do with what each person knows, what they want to know, and how much effort they put into knowing/learning. No one is just born knowing how to use Facebook or how to created a 20 slide PowerPoint presentation using two different programs.

To wrap it up, I do believe that you just can't that every person born after 1980 is a digital native. The text gives plenty of examples where someone born before that is just as, if not more, technologically inclined than me (by birth year alone, defined as a digital native) and plenty more of a so called digital native not living up to their name. It's unfair to everyone to label an entire generation as one thing and not take into account all our differences.

My last slide is easily my favorite. It reminds us to keep an open mind; and with that, we all can have hope and opportunities for a brighter future.

Digital Natives: Navigating Literate Worlds

Chapter 7:

"Not all young people are digitally competent, nor are they all interested in every aspect of the new media"-Ola Erstad (Livingstone, 2009 as cited in Thomas, 2011 p.99)

I agree with both parts of this line. Not all young people/students have the same opportunities so how can we expect them to all be digitally competent? Technically, I am a digital native, yet there are many apps and forms of technology and digital/social media that I know nothing about, nor do I have the desire (at least right now) to learn about them.


Chapter 8:

"It [the Internet] has fundamentally changed the ways in which activities and exchanges are carried out across sectors as divers and important as commerce and banking, entertainment, the arts, and education." -G. Kennedy and T. Judd (Thomas, 2011 p122)

This is true for my life, so I am sure that it is true for many other people as well. On-line banking has changed my life! As stated in a previous chapter, thanks to technology, we have changed the way we view television, movies, and music. In my Math class, more aspects than not are on blackboard and MyLabsPlus program, both online.


Chapter 9:

 "In Sweden more than half of five year olds are using the Internet and there are almost no non-users among teenagers and young adults." (Findahl & Zimic, 2008 as cited in Thomas, 2011 p.137)

This quote really surprised me. I have no knowledge of people in other countries use of technology, so to think that almost everyone (teens and young adults) in the entire country uses the internet was shocking. I think of people in America, and even just the people that I know... Not even close to all of us have or even use the internet.



Teachers & Digital Literacies:
The text mentions that "it is important to stress that digital literacy is related to situational embedding, that is, that use of technology with life situations" (Thomas, 2011, p.106). This seems to be especially true in my opinion. If a student's parents are able to provide them with technology at home at a younger age, then their life situation allows for them to be more acclimated to learning new things. If a student doesn't have this particular life situation, then perhaps they aren't introduced to any new technology until they make it to elementary school.

So to answer the question should teachers be responsible for developing digital literacies, I think both yes and no. Yes, because for some students, a teacher is the first person to introduce technology to them. So I do feel it is the teachers' responsibility to make sure that the students have the opportunity and the knowledge they need to be up to par with the technology used in their classroom for their grade level. I don't, however, think that it is up to teachers to teach students how to use Facebook, or Snap chat, or whatever the latest app happens to be.

I do think that developments in digital literacies can support the development of reading practices. Since not all reading is done via a text book, students can pick what they read based on their interests. This has the possibility to make students want to be a better reader because they are interesting in what they are reading. When it comes to writing, I feel that nothing is really going to beat the  practice of actually writing to improve. Practice makes perfect, and this especially holds true when it comes to writing.

 

I chose to make this meme because this recently happened for me. I had never heard of, let alone used, Google Docs or Google Slides. I think that this represents how the role of formal schooling plays in the development in digital literacies. Up until right now in my schooling, I did not need either of these applications of Google, but when I did, it was through Taskstream and YouTube that I learned how to use them.




 Resources:
Thomas, M. (Ed.). (2011). Deconstruction Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies. New York, NY: Routledge.