I'm going to discuss a few chapters here that peaked my interest, and see where that takes me. So, I hope everyone can follow along. First, in chapter 2, I came away with wanting to use more media in my own classroom. NCTE this year is focused around multiple literacies, so I'm looking forward to learning more about how to bring these literacies into the classroom. In past workshops, I've learned about implementing blogging and electronic portfolios, yet whenever I get home, it seems that technology is just never consistently available for us to use at school. I try to incorporate my new knowledge, but I always appear to fall short in the grand scheme of things. Furthermore, the majority of my students do not have computers at home, and thus, are not as technologically literate as one might think. However, O'Brian reminds me on pg. 42 that technoliteracy does not have to be simply "tied to particular tools like computers", but is a much broader concept that deeply connects, "literacy, learning, and technology together in critical, cultural ways." While I like this thinking, still most of the projects he describes do use hardware and software tools involving a computer.
How can we improve accessbility to technology for ALL students? It seems that if we don't, we are placing these students at even more of a disadvantage later in life. I always say I'm going to write a grant, but never seem to find the time. Does it solely rest on the shoulders of teachers? I do realize, though, that even with greater accessibility, I have a lot more to learn. I think I tend to fall back on print literacy probably because that is what I'm most familiar with, but integrating multiple literacies could be another way to create reciprocity in the classroom. Plus, I have noticed that when I do think of media as a literacy for students to explore, they are much more engaged in reading and writing practices.
Doh! I ran out of time, but I will post more later. I especially would like to discuss Chapters 6 and 8....
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2 comments:
I agree, I want to use more media in my room (if I had one) too. I've probably said this in class, but once when I subbed for a middle school class, I let them have computer time and they somehow got onto myspace, which is supposed to be blocked on the school server. I had to laugh, because that's some real problem solving in action. Of course, they don't get tested on things like that.
I think integrating technology, more computer use, more video/music/art/whatever across all subjects is the way to go, so that it just becomes part of what we do rather than a skill to learn in isolation. Course that's easier said than done.
Like you, I feel that tension between what we envision for technology and what happens when we get back home.
I'm sure we all have those technology frustration moments as teachers (for example, the disaster of setting up 20 laptops for 3rd graders in the classroom for a lesson and having the server go down; the frustrating district-approved software; the headphones being stolen from the computer lab; the list goes on...)
I notice that the teachers on my campus over the years who successfully integrate technology in to instruction are those with the flexibility and know how to trouble-shoot, and the commitment to keep coming back for more. Takes perseverance and energy, but it's so worth it!
Makes me think of what might be possible if there were more resources (like campus-based technology support, which we have almost none of) for teachers who want to do more but may feel insecure in this area...
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