Chapter 5 Readings

In the Literacy, Technology, and Diversity book I was intrigued by the fact that many schools have been participating in global learning since the early 1900s. I think a lot of times educators think that the "old" way of teaching was not effective and that finding new techniques is necessary. But, after reading this I have learned that in the past teachers had great ideas for teaching as well. I specifically liked the fact that students' home dialect or language is recognized and respected in the classroom. It makes students feel proud of their background and utilize that to build more knowledge or understanding. I also liked the idea of actually communicating with students from other countries. I have my students partake in learning about other countries, but we have never actually communicated with children that reside in another country. I think that this is an authentic learning experience and one that would produce great educational results.

In addition, I really liked the idea of creating digital yearbooks. I think it is necessary to have a hardcopy of the yearbook just in case something would go wrong with the DVD. But, I think this is a creative way to have the students record their memories. It is fun and interesting and allows the children to be critical thinkers on how to lay out the actual yearbook. However, I think that this may not be feasible in many school districts due to financial difficulties. This seems to be a recurring issue when it comes to technology. Creating this type of yearbook would require a lot of materials and also a director that was knowledgeable about technology. Therefore, even though I think it is a fantastic idea, it may not be possible in many districts.

Digital Videos

I personally enjoyed watching some of these videos. This is such a creative and unique way to actively engage students in the reading and writing process. While watching these videos I thought about my third grade students and how they would LOVE to partake in this kind of learning activity. However, a concern that I have had about implementing digital video is the amount of time that it takes to make one. There is only one of me and I do not have any assistance in the classroom. I have thought about enlisting the help of parents to help the students make digital videos, but they will need to be informed of its many uses. They may not be of much help if they are unaware of how to utilize the program and its features. I can just picture all of my students needing help with creating their digital video and me not being available to each of them. This is definitely a con to using digital videos in the classroom. I would say that another con is that some teachers do not use it correctly. I wasn't particularly impressed with some of the first grade videos that I watched. I felt that they were not well thought out and did not engage the children in using much knowledge. I understand that this is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, but it should also be educational as well.

I do believe that there are many positives to using digital videos in the classroom. First of all, children will be motivated to participate in class due to the fact that this is something out of the ordinary and that the child can take ownership of. I also think that this is opening a door for students to realize that there are multiple ways to demonstrate one's learning. Technology is a critical component of the job market. Understanding how to use this type of technology can help make a student more marketable in the future in the workforce. It helps to put the students a step ahead and also level the playing field for students that may not be successful at regular paper pencil types of activities.

The most influential video that I watched was the one titled My Shoes by Luciana Padilla. I was intrigued by this woman's story and how candid she was about her life. The use of digital video definitely helped enhance my experience with learning about her life. If I would have just read a paper that she wrote about herself, it wouldn't have had the same emotional affect on me. Hearing her voice and seeing her pictures really struck a nerve with me that made her life real to me. I thought it was a great video!

Overall, I believe that digital videos would be a great resource to use in the classroom.

Reading Reflections from Chapter 4

Reading chapter four in Literacy, Technology, and Diversity brought up many mixed feelings for me. The book mentioned the fact that students in affluent schools have more access to technology than students in lower income schools. The point was raised that teachers in the low income schools are focused primarily on teaching to the test. I agree with this because these are the schools that are having difficulty meeting AYP. Why are we having difficulty meeting AYP? Could it be because the teachers in these districts are not provided with the resources and intervention necessary to help these students reach success? It leads back to the statement that "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer." This statement is true for education. The students in more affluent schools keep excelling due to the environment that they are in and the low income students get the shaft. This is unfair, but unfortunately the way the education system is ran.

The book also mentioned that there really is no evidence or research that proves that technology helps improve reading scores. I think that schools are looking for a "quick fix" due to the pressures of meeting AYP and No Child Left Behind. Technology is not our answer. Yes, we need to incorporate technology into our instruction and prepare our students for the future. But, technology alone cannot make our students successful. Teachers need to be knowledgeable on the best teaching practices and have a vision for how their students should be taught. The teacher needs to understand the needs of each of their students and be able to devise a plan of teaching that meets all of those needs. Simply implementing technology without thinking through how it is going to challenge students' thinking will not encourage learning. Technology instruction needs to be carefully planned and thought out just like any other form of instruction that we utilize in the classroom. I do agree with the book that technology can be a source of motivation for children. Students are bored in the classroom these days because we live in a society that is stimulating to all of the senses. Students need to be taught in the manner in which they live. Therefore, using technology as a way to motivate and actively engage students is a great idea!

IPODS and Blogs in Classrooms

I like these types of technology in the classroom. I have never utilized them for instruction, but can see where it can be useful. IPODS and blogs can help motivate students to learn and help them to be actively involved in the learning process. Students use these types of technologies in their home environment and are excited about using them. However, many classrooms still incorporate the traditional paper pencil method and as a result many students are bored with the curriculum and would prefer to have a more hands-on approach. However, there are some cons to using this type of instruction. The state mandated tests are still paper pencil and can be rather dull. If students are only exposed to technology, this may hinder their performance on the test since this is not something that they are accustomed to. In addition, some students could use blogging and IPODS other than for instructional purposes. Students may download or write about inappropriate information and thus may be a cause for concern. This would require the teacher to be aware of this possiblity and monitor the students more carefully. But, many of my students are more technologically savvy than I am, which means that they can pull the wool over my eyes! I do feel that reading and writing skills can be improved through this form of instruction because the students are more adept to read and write when they are motivated and engaged. Students will be reading and writing at times without even realizing that they are learning in the process. The only thing that concerns me is the fact that many students and I will admit even myself use codes when text messaging or using other forms of technology. Students have a tendency to not use capitalization and punctuation when writing e-mails or texts as well. This could cause a decline in proper grammar and English skills. This all leads to the realization that teachers will have to monitor the use of these types of technologies in order to promote positive reading and writing skills.

Reflections to Readings

I was intrigued by the information presented in chapter 3 of Making Literacy Magic Happen. I like how the book shows different ways that technology can be utilized to foster students' learning. I really liked the section that talked about how middle school students are asked to review software that they could possess in their classroom, but also review software that is not financially possible to obtain. This promotes higher-level thinking for these students and requires that they really evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the software. In addition, the students are also given a voice in which types of software that they believe would be beneficial to their learning. They are challenged to think about how this software could promote learning and they are required to justify their thinking. In my opinion, this is a great way to actively engage students and promote critical thinking skills. The only thing I was disappointed with while reading, was that majority of the ideas focused on students ranging from grades five to ten. I currently teach third grade and would love to utilize some of these technological programs in my classroom, but want to make sure that they are developmentally appropriate. I hope that while I continue reading this book, I will find programs that are suited for my grade level or can find ways to modify these types of instructional techniques to meet the needs of my learners.

In the book titled Literacy, Technology, and Diversity, I particulary liked the section that focused on multiliteracies. I recently took Dr. Murnen's Advanced Language Arts class and he focused a lot on multimodal literacy. He stressed the importance of not just teaching our students how to read and write black ink on white paper, but to teach students how to demonstrate their thinking in other ways. Technology is a great way to promote multimodal learning or as the book states "multiliteracies". This really made me evaluate my own instruction in my classroom and reflect on how I could improve. I am confident in my teaching abilities and know that I engage my students in hands-on lessons and promote critical thinking. However, reading this particular section in the book and combining it with what I learned from Dr. Murnen, I have realized that my teaching could be much more effective if I partnered it with technology. I have already consulted with my technology director and inquired about setting up e-mail for my students and using Imovie in my classroom with my students this year. Cummins (2007) stated that students need to be provided with opportunities for learning that are meaningful. I believe that using technology will help my students to actively participate in their learning and also provide them with meaningful learning experiences. This will also prepare them for their future outside of school seeing how our world is ever changing and requires the use of technology in almost every profession.

Finally!

Hello classmates,

I finally have been able to create my blog. I worked on creating this for almost an hour yesterday and finally had better luck today. I look forward to blogging with you this summer!