Digital Literacy

The articles that we have read for this week call for a change on the way our students connect with literacy and their interpretation of it. Manderino & Castek take a dive into the term "digital literacies". Which they describe as " the use of digital tools to consume and produce knowledge". We can think of it as not only the way we use technology to look up information (Google) but, also the way that we share our own knowledge and findings with the rest of the internet. Something like this blog can very well fall into that category. Technology has been advancing at such a high rate, there is no surprise that it would eventually find itself as a means of spreading knowledge. Some of the earliest public websites were actually just forums where people would communicate with one another about their topics of interest. We see technology being implemented in our classrooms with things like the SmartBoard, interactive websites like Desmos, and even having whole classes strictly online. The practicality that technology has in education is quite exciting. As future educators, we need to be able to keep up with technology and find ways of implementing them into our curriculum. Just like Maderino & Castek note, it does not suffice to be able to look up information. We need to be able to navigate technology in a way that also strikes critical thinking. It would be an injustice to fall behind where we are not able to use the tools of technology for the benefit of our students. 

Kist notes that technology is multimodal and has a vision for a “new literacy classroom”. A classroom where students are free to express their understandings and knowledge in ways other than print. Inspired by cinema, Kist would like for students to be able to make things like art, music, and film to express themselves and their thoughts. How would something like this play out? I believe giving students choices and or the opportunity to show their creativity is a great way to get them motivated. Do you remember a time when you were instructed to work on a project of your choice? Those always seemed liked some of the most fun times in school. Imagine having the choice of writing a song, making a video, or drawing a picture to show your understanding of a topic instead of just taking a test. Besides relieving the anxiety of possibly failing, you would get to express yourself in a way that you may not be able to in just words. Not to say words don't hold any value, but some emotions are better triggered by visuals. Think of your text messages, how easy is it to be emotionally misunderstood? When a simple "ok" can be misinterpreted as a sign of not wanting to talk. Sure emojis can help but the fact is that those little animations can hold so much meaning and emotion behind them that words alone may not be able to showcase. I think it's important to keep little things like this in mind when you listen or see what your students have to say. 

Do you believe students would better heard if they are allowed different ways of expressing their knowledge with/through technology? If so why or why not?

What kind of limits should we consider when giving students such freedom?

How would you implement technology in your classroom/curriculum?