Digital Blog Post C-Chapter 3

Now feeling like a pro doing these blogs, I found three interesting topics that were discussed in Chapter Three that were also really fun to make with all of the programs we have at our disposal.  

My first topic is media literacy.  I found this topic very interesting, for the reason that I use media literacy in this course and my other courses, too!  It is a way of making the material that you have around you and using social media and entertainment as a way to express what you have learned.  I absolutely love this way of literacy, as it not only expands what you can do with technology, but also allows you to develop and engage more in what you are learning.  Here is my link to Haiku Deck that I created, my first one ever!

The next topic that I really enjoyed reading about was active learning.  I love the idea of active learning for everything.  Science is a great example of active learning, because experiments can be used to engage the students and keep the students learning.  I also find that using games for other subjects allows students to have active learning in other subjects.  For example, active learning is learning by doing.  If you create a game for your students to help remember the spelling words, it will allow them to keep using that game for all of their vocabulary.  One of my teachers created a musical chairs with our spelling words that was interactive and funny.  Here is my link to my creation on Padlet for active learning, which I can later add on to.

Lastly, there is information literacy.  I think this is the hardest one for students to fully grasp and it takes stages for them to fully excel at information literacy.  Students I think struggle the most with the last two steps, because of the fact that younger students do not know what is exactly good information.  While they might be able to find it, evaluating it to see if is what they need for what they are doing does not necessarily click with them.  I know that this is what I struggled with most when I started having to do research of find articles that are true.  Below is a video that discusses all of the ideas that come with information literacy.

Citations

1. Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

2. Armstrong Atlantic State University (2013, January 25).  Information Literacy. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSLdkUDc-Yg

Digital Blog Post #B-Chapter Two

In Chapter Two, there was a significant amount of information that I found both valuable and interesting.  First, the student-centered teaching was exactly how I want to be as a teacher.  I am very constructive to my students, making sure to tell my students what they could work better on in a more meaningful and elaborate matter.  I also try to be progressive and take a more meaningful approach to my students by allowing them more access to technology and giving them the ability to conduct their own research.  I ask so many questions during the day my students are sometimes nauseated.  Yet, it helps them to think for themselves and be more creative.  

Photo Credit to Tagxedo

I also found digital natives to be interesting.  I for one, am considered a 'digital native', yet I feel that I did not use technology as frequently as the digital native is defined.  I believe I grew up slightly differently, as my mother was a teacher and used very old-fashioned ways of teaching.  No technology was used.  Then, when I went to elementary school, I didn't have the access to technology due to my school's low funding.  I didn't really get to use computers until my fourth or fifth grade year and even then it was limited.  I like CNN's term that they call the digital native-immigrant.  I believe I fall into this category because I eventually grew into the technological stages but not right away in my life.  I did not grow up using technology as others did.

Lastly, the digital immigrants are a breed of people that are far and few in between in regards to teaching.  Many teachers have had training throughout their years of teaching and are able to keep up with the students in the capacity they need to.  Many can create Powerpoints and make other projects that use technology for their students.  Overall, I feel teachers have adapted to the digital age and now need to look for ways to keep students engaged in the learning.  

Overall, these aspects of the chapter were very interesting and upon more research, I find that people can agree that teachers and students are adapting to this new digital age, and become frequent users of technology in and out of the classroom.

Citations

1. Joy, Oliver. (2012, December 8). What does it mean to be a digital native? CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/business/digital-native-prensky/

2.  Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

3. National Association of Independent Schools (2012, June 1).  Teaching in the Digital Age-Stephen Carter Part One. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpdVTKDHIZg

4. Pepitone, Morgan. (2015, January 18). Student-Centered Teaching.  [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html.

Digital Blog Post A-Chapter 1

As I was reading the first chapter, I felt very old-fashioned as far as who I am as a person and using technology.  I did not grow up using cell phones, Ipads, or music players for that matter.  I did not even get a cellphone until I was 16 and it was used only for me to contact my parents when I was leaving home and coming back.  The first concept that stuck out to me was 'digital childhood.'  First off, the text stated that more than half of the children under five were using technology at some point during their day was astonishing to me (Maloy, 2013).  I myself don't want my children being able to use an Ipad or phone better than me by the time they are three, even five!  This article, "Screens, Screens, Screens", was an article that I found doing some more research on the topic of digital childhood.  I found that I completely agreed with the idea of limiting a child's access to technology and getting more hands-on with a child of a younger age.

Digital identity as a teacher is critical, and I find that I will have a hard time with this.  For me, I repulse technology and yet as a teacher have to embrace it.  As a twenty-year old, I feel as though I am not as technically inclined as those around me.  I do not find technology interesting nor do I enjoy using it to teach with my students.  Yet, in the world we live in, I must learn to find ways to enjoy using it and incorporate it into my daily life.  Below is a video that shows the basis of what we as people do, but as a teacher I will have to learn to find my digital identity by using technology more often and doing research on what will be best to use with students.  

Finally, using social media in a digital identity was the most confusing, yet what I find would be beneficial for me during my time as a teacher.  For example, I am an avid Pinterester, and many of my friends of this social site are other teachers.  I have already pinned some of my favorite ideas from them and vice versa.  In this sense, I am making an identity for myself by using social media as a way to find new and collaborative ideas to use in the classroom later on.

Photo Credit to Sean Macentee from Flickr

Citations

1. Fitzpatrick, Jacob (2014, October 28). My Digital Identity.  [Video File].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoX0hOb2foE
2. Macentee, Sean (2010, November 26). social media.  [Photograph].  Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/5209796269/
3. Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.