In this weeks article we read how today student have so much access to information in multiple forms. Students have access to digital text and information via the internet that they can get in matter of seconds through their phones or computers. In Manderino & Castek text they discuss how access to information alone does not raise literacy levels.However these tools increase the ability to collaborate and create ideas. They also discuss how students ability to use these digital tools is only as good as their skills in disciplinary inquiry. Students must be able to ask question and contain meaning from the information. I agree with the text which states that their is an intersection between disciplinary and digital literacy for literacy development. Students have increased access to text and students should be able to understand and communicate the content of these text. As teachers we should teach our students the practice of inquiry, and how to consume the information they have gathered so that they can communicate their knowledge. These blog posts are great example of the use of digital literacy, we read a text and we share our knowledge and what we understood from the text and ask our classmates questions based on the text. Can you think of any more examples that you may be able to use in a classroom?
Kist discusses in his article how a film inspired him to begin to think in terms of new literacies
that opens up multiple forms of expression. I agree with him with the idea that young people today need new literacies because of the advancement of new communications. We live in a time in which there is multiple outlets of expression through technology. I think it is important for students to be literate in not only text but in other literacies such as art, music, drama and films. I believe students should be given a chance every once and while to show their creative side and be able to express themselves differently. In high school, I had a teacher who would every once in a while give us a choice to write an essay, write our own story, write a song, or do a short film on the topic we learned in class. Do you enjoy assignment that allow you to get creative or do you prefer the tradition classroom setting and assignments? What are some other ideas that you have that allow students to get creative in a classroom?
To answer the first question, I think digital literacy if we're thinking the non-traditional text forms can be SmartBoard activities (for middle/elementary school students), interactive maps/stories, or digital presentations. I find the latter to be the most essential in digital literacy because in life there will come several instances where one will have to give a presentation accompanied by a digital slideshow.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, I very much enjoy the creative process behind non-traditional assignments; however, I do feel it is both necessary and comfortable for text traditional assignments as well (papers). Regardless of the technological advancements, traditional assignments will always be around because they are very foundational in the relaying of how much a student knows/how well they can write.
Do you Have a really memorable creative assignment? I think I've had some but their was really only one I enjoyed in High School.
DeleteThe one that sticks with me is we had to write (sophmore combined eurohistory and english class) something with influences taken from the epic of Beowolf. we could write whatever we wanted so long as it was about Beowolf. I wrote a Journal piece that was the journal of Grendal, who was reimajined to what he, historically, might have been. That being a druid living out in the land. I put a lot of effort into making his story heartbraking and showing how, over time, Grendal's naighbors become so unbearable that it made sense for him to go to them in anger, then he was assailed by the "hero" Beowulf who cut off his arm. I would have gotten A if I hadn't had a ton of errors litered throughout the piece.
I was trying to figure out how to get the cover of the book here. hopefully I'll figure it out before the weekend is over.
Completely agree with you Alex. I also believe traditional assignment are necessary but I think students throwing in one or two non-tradition assignments within a semester where the student has to get creative is fun not only for the student but also for the teacher.
Delete@Ryan I think the journal piece sounds like a very cool assignment. Writing as if you were Grendal shows your understanding of Beowulf.
DeleteTo answer your question my most memorable assignment would be my freshman year our teacher put us in reading group in which we all had to choose to read any play we wanted and then we had to do a presentation on it and also make a 10-15 minute video acting out the play. It was actually very fun to do and also cool to see other people plays.
I like the notion that we should teach students "how to consume" the information they're getting. We all know students have all kinds of info readily on hand, so our responsibility now is to ensure they know what to do with this info. It comes back to the emphasis we've been placing on the "process" rather than the "result" lately - how we think about and analyze the wealth of information provided to us is just as important as having the information in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteI really like assignments that allow students to be more creative! In high school, we started to focus more on Capstone projects as our finals rather than exams that allowed us to express what we learned in unconventional ways. For example, for some semesters, I created playlists, animatics, and even presented on one of my favorite video games. Technology of course enabled me to even do any of these things, so tech certainly ties in very closely to allowing students to be creative, even if it might not be absolutely necessary. What students find relevant has mostly been revealed to them through tech as well, and I bet it would create this kind of positive feedback loop if students could use tech to produce creative assignments that relate to what interests them, like with my video game example.
Like most things, I think a balance is necessary between typical school assignments and more creative or project-based approaches, because like Alex said, typical school assignments can still show how much students know about certain things. I think wrt assessment, though, there’s value in offering the choice to take a creative approach if possible, if only so that students don’t feel pressured about standard assessments like tests that may not show their deepest understanding of what they learn.
I like the idea of having a project rather than exam, like you said it allows student to get creative to show what they have learned. I remember doing a similar project for my Spanish class in high school, I had to create a soundtrack for a book that was called Como Agua para Chocolate (Like water for chocolate) , we also had to write a 2 page paper with an explanation as to why we choose each song and what part of the story would we play that song. I agree with you and alex it is necessary to have a balance between tradition assignment and creative non-tradition assignments/projects.
DeleteI think that’s a great idea, but at the same time, while students may be adept at using digital tools, their understanding of what these tools can do is often limited.
DeleteFor example, students use Instagram to post photos but don’t think to use the platform for art or history projects. They record themselves with a voice memo app but do not realize those apps could also be used for journalism projects or a historical narrative piece. Digitally literate teachers know how to inspire students to use today's technology as a powerful toolset to expand their learning opportunities.
also @ Ryan that assignment sounds like it was really cool - and imo assignments like that definitely, if not even better, showcase a student's understanding of certain content like Beowulf. It becomes easier to comprehend material if students put it in their own language and perspective.
ReplyDeleteThere's a good connection between personalizing material to students and how well they'll understand it as a result - it's kinda like the same reasoning behind how stuff like memes (such as the very nice ones in Kathie's blog post) shows students understand a lot about something; it's like a strong testament to their understanding that they're able to produce and laugh at jokes about the thing.
Not sure why my comments are showing up as unknown but this is Kathie responding to your comments
ReplyDeleteThe meaning of "digital literacy" has shifted over the years. While there was a time when job candidates were encouraged to list "Proficient at Microsoft Word" on their resume, now such skills are considered standard. This shift toward a technologically savvy workforce has permeated the classroom as well.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense to assume that the more digitally literate our teachers are, the more they'll employ these skills in the classroom, which will in turn foster a strong sense of digital citizenship in our students. However, the importance and scope of digital literacy extends beyond this simple theory.