First off, I would like to thank Michelle for introducing us to “Media Smarts” today in the discussion form. It really helped me understand the definition of information literacy and digital literacy and their connection to technology. I learned that the competencies for digital literacy can be broken up into three principles: use, understand and create. “Use” represents the “technical fluency” needed to engage with computers and the internet; from things like the basic know-how to the more sophisticated abilities for accessing and using resources like search engines and online databases. “Understand” are the skills that allow us to “comprehend, contextualize, and critically evaluate digital media,” so we can make informed decisions about what we find online. Understanding also includes “recognizing how networked technology affects our behavior and our perceptions, beliefs and feelings about ourselves and the world around us”–the cognitive and cultural dimensions of the connected-self. Finally, “create” means to produce and communicate content effectively through different digital media tools such as blogs, discussion forums, tweets, photo and video sharing, etc. Being able to create digital media means that we are active contributors to digital society.
By engaging in blogging, forum posts, tweeting and pearltrees we are definitely being active contributors but I came to the realization today that these contributions do not come without hurdles. For example, when I tried to download the twitter app and the pearltree app to my ipad today, I couldn’t because my husband had changed the password and I did not have enough experience with the ipad to figure out how to reset it. Then, I found the wifi connection to be extremely slow today as well. So, I immediately started thinking, “if I am running into these problems, what’s to say that my students won’t encounter these problems when I try to introduce these new types of digital media to them?” Not only that, I only have a total of 15 desktop computers and 10 mini ipads, how am I going to facilitate a class of 30 students?
This thought brought me back to “Why School” and the importance of “screaming” and getting administration and community members involved and demanding that more changes be made to facilitate technological equity in our schools.
Hi Harjeet,
Sorry if you get a reply twice… I was in the midst of reading over my response to you and I don’t what I pressed but it disappeared to I’m not sure if I hit send by accident… but I wanted to scream when it disappeared! Lesson learned – type in a separate document first then cut and paste.
Anyways, what I said was that I was happy that you also found Media Smarts helpful and that I connected with your questions about the various technological issues that you and your students may and probably will encounter. I have run into many with my class. Technological issues can be so frustrating because it delays things so much! Even though I have enough computers for a class to use, all of them are not always working or other teachers have signed up and I don’t have access to a class set. In terms of network issues like not being able to log on or a weak wifi signal that is out of our control and just preparing the kids for that ahead of time can be helpful. I just wanted to share a few things that I have done to deal with such issues:
– prepare a back up activity
– buddy them up with another student if possible
– if you don’t have enough computers for a whole class, split the class into two groups where each get a 45 minute session to use the computers – this works well for me because it keeps them on task as they have a set time limit
– having group projects where groups get to use one or two computers – this way the others can use books or be preparing some other part of the project
These are just a few things that have helped me in the past year… hope you find it helpful too!
I like the competencies for digital literacy, but I feel they are missing the social and cultural aspects, which are a key part of learning through connectivity. For example, improving our ‘use’ of digital technologies often depends on being able to articulate questions, and find discussion forums or support services to get answers. There is real social sophistication in problem-solving around technology, especially if one is feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Understand, as well, could be considered from a social and cultural perspective. What we are capable of understanding, we learning from each other. Our cognitive is social, and this involves the ability to articulate ideas, as well as grasp others’ articulations. Create could be considered the same way. So, these are good principles, but we really have to understand them in relation to our social selves. Our social selves as connected. Good thinking about how technological challenges can emerge without warning and threaten to derail our learning opportunities. I don’t think the technological conditions in schools are going to change until teachers learn to share their stories and voice their ideas and proposals, to gather community support for change.