I was a secondary school student almost two decades before new literacies for digital learning became a necessity. I used dusty reference books from the library to conduct research, my cell phone had three ringtones, and high-speed internet was something I only found with the wealthy parents I nannied for. I was behind the times, even compared to teens of my generation.
So, as a new teacher of students of today, sometimes the notion of technology in the classroom and all that entails can be both intriguing and overwhelming. The articles assigned for the first week's readings in Teaching and Learning in Digital Environments class served as a great reminder of how far I have to go to catch up, even as the digital world is constantly evolving and thriving towards greater abilities.
The first article I read, "What Is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge?," by Koehler and Mishra, introduces a whole new acronym to my vocabulary: TPAK. Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge are the framework that expert teachers possess, giving them the ability to accurately integrate technology into their curriculum. This makes complete sense that the three components rely on each other for successful teaching, but the varying levels of technology and the teacher's willingness to confidentially embrace the technology component isn't as black and white. Not to mention, the students cooperation and access with technology both inside and outside of the classroom.
In Selfe's article, "Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention," she accuses us English teachers of ignoring technology. At first I was offended. Surely, I am not this person. I am willing to learn about Google Classroom and incorporate TurnItIn.com and PowerSchool and Quizlet or Prezi. I don't ignore technology! But then, as I read on, and considering this article was written the year I graduated high school and now, almost twenty years later, still rings true for me, I realize that I, in many ways, am exactly who she describes.
I do not want to read a book on my Kindle; I want to hold the pages in my hand. I hate sending emails; I'd rather doodle in colored ink and snail-mail a letter, postage paid with a cute and seasonal stamp. I allow my students to Google definitions and use spell check, but my ego admits that using a print copy thesaurus or dictionary somehow proves greater intelligence and fortitude in academics. That, I realize, is as ludicrous as assuming my grandfather's abacus makes him better at math. Regardless, it subconsciously floats around in my mind. That being said, I get what Selfe is saying about Composition teachers having a responsibility to embrace and teach technological literacy. I just struggle to do it.
In my classroom, and a struggle Selfe addresses in her article, many students do not have access to the internet or own home computers. Cell phones are unreliable because bills do not always get paid. I have tried to implement technology in my classroom and students are turned off to it to because it potentially means admitting to something else they are forced to go without.
Also, teaching technology literacy can be low on the list of priorities when your students are still learning to be just that- students. They need to know how to read, write, and respect the dignity of their peers with which they interact before we can consider teaching them to use technology tools responsibly to access information and means to express that information.
For those students that do embrace the internet for education, Gilmore brings many good points to the discussion in his article, "Write from Wrong." The threat of plagiarism is substantial in any classroom. I am surprised that in my district, there is nothing in place to reduce the risks. I student taught in a district that used TurnItIn.com and found it to be a great tool for discussions and peer editing, in addition to catching plagiarism. If a student is caught, it becomes a teaching opportunity to again show proper citation and the importance of it (many times, I genuinely think the paraphrasing led unintentionally to plagiarism). Today, the best I can do is check the revision history on Google Docs. This gives me the chance to do what Turn It In cannot- check for reused papers from other teachers and copied work from other students.
In my credit recovery courses, I challenge the students to be honest with me. Writing is a process, so if they intend to reuse an old paper, fine. Tell me. Get my permission because, in most cases, we can work on revisions again and again until the paper is where it needs to be to show proficiency. This works with credit recovery, but probably not so reasonable in a traditional classroom.
A few of the reading really got me thinking about how I approach my alternate education classroom. Hutchinson's article, "Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning," caught my interest a bit more than the others. On one hand, I'm wondering why we don't have these for our students (although teacher's have one assigned for personal use) and on the other hand, I'm wondering how hesitant my students would be to try reading on an app.
During one block (25-50 mins), I have 10-12 students working at an individual pace on individualized curriculum. Everyone is at a different place within different sections of English. There must be an app for that! I imagine that iPads could essentially unite students while still working at their own place. Why not read a novel and engage with discussions and sticky notes that involved a classmate that read the same chapter several weeks prior. Not to mention the additional features that help with comprehension and vocabulary. The article states that students were able to easily navigate the iPads. I've seen toddlers prove this, surely teenagers can handle. It also mentioned that students worked collaboratively to troubleshoot. I can appreciate how that would encourage discussion about the task at hand (and even empower the students to show a thing or two to the teacher). The benefits are numerous, although proving they are worth the expense will always prove to be a challenge.
As I mentioned, I was assigned one iPad for teacher use. It serves mainly as an app center for my own children's games and a Netflix viewing tool for those same children.
Clearly, I have some learning to do.
So, as a new teacher of students of today, sometimes the notion of technology in the classroom and all that entails can be both intriguing and overwhelming. The articles assigned for the first week's readings in Teaching and Learning in Digital Environments class served as a great reminder of how far I have to go to catch up, even as the digital world is constantly evolving and thriving towards greater abilities.
The first article I read, "What Is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge?," by Koehler and Mishra, introduces a whole new acronym to my vocabulary: TPAK. Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge are the framework that expert teachers possess, giving them the ability to accurately integrate technology into their curriculum. This makes complete sense that the three components rely on each other for successful teaching, but the varying levels of technology and the teacher's willingness to confidentially embrace the technology component isn't as black and white. Not to mention, the students cooperation and access with technology both inside and outside of the classroom.
In Selfe's article, "Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention," she accuses us English teachers of ignoring technology. At first I was offended. Surely, I am not this person. I am willing to learn about Google Classroom and incorporate TurnItIn.com and PowerSchool and Quizlet or Prezi. I don't ignore technology! But then, as I read on, and considering this article was written the year I graduated high school and now, almost twenty years later, still rings true for me, I realize that I, in many ways, am exactly who she describes.
I do not want to read a book on my Kindle; I want to hold the pages in my hand. I hate sending emails; I'd rather doodle in colored ink and snail-mail a letter, postage paid with a cute and seasonal stamp. I allow my students to Google definitions and use spell check, but my ego admits that using a print copy thesaurus or dictionary somehow proves greater intelligence and fortitude in academics. That, I realize, is as ludicrous as assuming my grandfather's abacus makes him better at math. Regardless, it subconsciously floats around in my mind. That being said, I get what Selfe is saying about Composition teachers having a responsibility to embrace and teach technological literacy. I just struggle to do it.
In my classroom, and a struggle Selfe addresses in her article, many students do not have access to the internet or own home computers. Cell phones are unreliable because bills do not always get paid. I have tried to implement technology in my classroom and students are turned off to it to because it potentially means admitting to something else they are forced to go without.
Also, teaching technology literacy can be low on the list of priorities when your students are still learning to be just that- students. They need to know how to read, write, and respect the dignity of their peers with which they interact before we can consider teaching them to use technology tools responsibly to access information and means to express that information.
For those students that do embrace the internet for education, Gilmore brings many good points to the discussion in his article, "Write from Wrong." The threat of plagiarism is substantial in any classroom. I am surprised that in my district, there is nothing in place to reduce the risks. I student taught in a district that used TurnItIn.com and found it to be a great tool for discussions and peer editing, in addition to catching plagiarism. If a student is caught, it becomes a teaching opportunity to again show proper citation and the importance of it (many times, I genuinely think the paraphrasing led unintentionally to plagiarism). Today, the best I can do is check the revision history on Google Docs. This gives me the chance to do what Turn It In cannot- check for reused papers from other teachers and copied work from other students.
In my credit recovery courses, I challenge the students to be honest with me. Writing is a process, so if they intend to reuse an old paper, fine. Tell me. Get my permission because, in most cases, we can work on revisions again and again until the paper is where it needs to be to show proficiency. This works with credit recovery, but probably not so reasonable in a traditional classroom.
A few of the reading really got me thinking about how I approach my alternate education classroom. Hutchinson's article, "Exploring the Use of the iPad for Literacy Learning," caught my interest a bit more than the others. On one hand, I'm wondering why we don't have these for our students (although teacher's have one assigned for personal use) and on the other hand, I'm wondering how hesitant my students would be to try reading on an app.
During one block (25-50 mins), I have 10-12 students working at an individual pace on individualized curriculum. Everyone is at a different place within different sections of English. There must be an app for that! I imagine that iPads could essentially unite students while still working at their own place. Why not read a novel and engage with discussions and sticky notes that involved a classmate that read the same chapter several weeks prior. Not to mention the additional features that help with comprehension and vocabulary. The article states that students were able to easily navigate the iPads. I've seen toddlers prove this, surely teenagers can handle. It also mentioned that students worked collaboratively to troubleshoot. I can appreciate how that would encourage discussion about the task at hand (and even empower the students to show a thing or two to the teacher). The benefits are numerous, although proving they are worth the expense will always prove to be a challenge.
As I mentioned, I was assigned one iPad for teacher use. It serves mainly as an app center for my own children's games and a Netflix viewing tool for those same children.
Clearly, I have some learning to do.