There is a parallel between
the lessons on writing and digital literacy, it is an essential skill that
students need to be successful in their futures. Similarly to how writing is
constantly intertwined with jobs and the workforce so is digital literacy. Students
are living in a world where they are constantly surrounded by technology. To
put it simply, they’ll drown if they are not taught how to properly navigate
it. I think the difference between teaching a student how to write and how to
engage in digital literacy though is the excitement factor. Students will
automatically be more inclined and enthusiastic to learn about anything related
to technology. I myself can attest to this as well. Today in class I was very
excited to learn about the digital literacy tools I can use in class. They’re
interactive and provide an experience for the student that is beyond
conventional methods they may be used to.
With the brink of this new technology and teaching tools
it is fair to say that there is still a lot that we as educators have to learn
about digital literacy as well. Yes, it is true that in most situations
educators don’t have to reinvent the wheel. But what do you do when there has
never been a “wheel” per say like this before? This is where problems will
arise with veteran teachers having to learn new methods and figuring out how
adopt them into their lessons. Change is not something that is always welcomed.
For more novice teachers I think the challenge will be finding all of the rich
and valuable resources that are becoming more and more readily available to
them. Giving students access to digital literacy is the first step into an
entire plethora of potential opportunities. Students can use this access to
eventually build skills and create their own digital literacy. For it is only
when one is asked to create and apply their own ideas that they have truly
mastered the subject.
Change is sometimes never welcomed as I have come to find out. I agree with your questions here; how to we work together, both veteran and new teachers, to introduce digital technology into the classroom? It would be great if all teachers would come together to slightly change their lesson plans to meet the demands of the new age of learners. I agree with what Kushner said in class yesterday; while the world has kept up with technology and visa versa, education has not. Education has been left behind as technology has moved far ahead. Just today I asked students if they used Facebook and the responding response was "No". Facebook is on its way out of youth's lives and we are just now trying to implement it into the classroom. If we do not keep up with technology, as educators, how are we going to expect students to be attentive in the classroom? It only makes sense that education works to keep up with technology and use it to its greatest advantage. The only problems I see are that veteran teachers will not be overly willing to change their sound lesson plans for something completely new, and/ or school districts/ schools may not be able to afford the newest technologies. This may also explain why education lags behind, and it will be up to us teachers to bridge the gap and bring technology into the classroom.
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