In his eBook, Why School?, Will Richardson speaks directly about the recently minted “modern literacies” and advocates for an education system that promotes, teaches, and recognizes the importance of these new forms of literacy (p. 192). Simply put, he posits: “Why do we need to master these modern literacies? Because we now live in a world of abundance, where if we and our kids can’t do that stuff, we and they won’t be as successful a those who can” (Richardson, p.192). And, he’s right. If we want our students to be successful in this rapidly changing world of here today and gone tomorrow technologies, we have to teach them to be literate in these ways, so they have a foundation upon which to build, the knowledge, skills, and confidence to adapt where necessary. In other words, if at first they don’t succeed, they need to learn how to try, try again – to problem solve and learn.
While doing research in-class yesterday on this the topic, I came across a lot of ministry resources dedicated to promoting and practically implementing technology and information literacy in the classroom. Among these were the government’s Education Plan, Digital Literacy Framework, and Integration Performance Standards. I was surprised to see them because I have never seen them before. I couldn’t help but wonder: if the ministry and the school district were really serious about implementing these strategies, shouldn’t they be promoting these resources to teachers? I personally do try to integrate new technologies into my practice, but the inaccessibility of computers makes it very difficult to carry out any unit of study that requires more than perhaps a class or two in the computer lab. And, so, again I wonder: if the ministry and school district were really serious about implementing these strategies, would they not provide direction and funding for school’s to have up-to-date technology? There seems to be a major disconnect. How can our students develop these literacies, let alone be connected, if the WiFi doesn’t work properly, and the computers are too slow, and their teacher can’t get them into the lab for more than a class anyhow?
Richardson, Will. Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information Are Everywhere . Kindle Edition ed. Ted Conferences, 2012. eBook.
“If we want our students to be successful in this rapidly changing world of here today and gone tomorrow technologies, we have to teach them to be literate in these ways” I totally agree, Kristine. But, let me take it a step backwards. As global citizens of the digital age, all of us, in whatever occupation and whatever age, must, learn to adapt to these technologies (educators included).
Personally, I myself was surprised myself to see the resources that the ministry has dedicated to promoting technology and information literacy in the classroom. It looks like a great plan, but I guess what is supposed to happen is quite different from what actually does happen in the classroom due to lack of funding. However, computers need not be expensive. Basic PC’s can be had for less than $300. If that is too expensive, there are lots of battered old laptops for cheap. A new fancy laptop is a nice thing, but there is no difference between an old computer and a new one in answering emails, making blog entries and typing documents. Finally, the growing trend is that personal computers will be cheaper and better in the near future.
Hi Kristen, the article that you mentioned above really seems to have helped you out with the cultural dimension of the connected self. It seems like you really are starting to understand the meaning of it, something I am still struggling with…You made a point that I really grapple with as well. The government has come up with with all these plans to change education to make it more self-directed and to make it more inquiry and technology based…but where is the money for all this? The question is how? How are schools going to make these changes without the money for appropriate technology? My answer as teacher is, we have to keep asking for it. By no means are all schools going to get major funding for these changes but there are grants that come up now and then that can really help. For example, our district just offered schools in our district a grant of $4500 grant for technology and all we had to do was apply for it and explain how it would be used. My school was the one that received the because we were the only ones willing to take the time to put in a very thoughtful application that made it clear how new technology would be incorporated. With this grant we bought a 3D printer and 12 new ipad minis for the library. Furthermore, id just like to say that your feelings of being overwhelmed with this class and everything we are learning are justified but try to remain positive and just focus on what you would like to take away from it and apply to your teaching, because that is what will be most important.
Have you heard of efficacious learning? That is what I call the capacity to source solutions to emergent problems, particularly in the context of digital technologies in school settings. Instead of giving up and deciding, “It’s not for me.” Efficacious teachers and students encounter barriers and challenges, and then sort out what to do in response to them. For example, I would love to see teachers in the VSB actually follow up on the wifi problem. Why is it that so many schools in the VSB have wifi so unreliable that teachers don’t want to teach with it? What can be done about it? How do you reconcile the documents you found on the Ministry website and the realities of technological insufficiency in your school setting? What would be an efficacious response to this situation? I think this could be a very important inquiry topic that is timely and necessary for the quality of learning available in the VSB.