After spending
time considering the ways in which I am a learner in the 21st
Century, I realized that I am someone who uses the digital world to learn in
many ways, but I don’t see computers, electronics, and the Internet as the
educational Holy Grail that my children see it as. My son uses an online math program called Jiji
at his school. He loves it. However, once he got to the challenge
questions, my husband and I honestly couldn’t help him anymore. There were problem solving spatial problems I
could not figure out. He was only in the
first grade and I was shocked I couldn’t help him with his first grade math. I spent an entire evening trying to figure
out the correct answer to one question.
I sent him to my mother, a mathematical genius, who also couldn’t figure
it out. I was out of ideas and he said “no
problem, I will just look up how to do it on YouTube.” First of all I couldn’t believe he
immediately thought of YouTube as the answer, and secondly I didn’t believe his
Jiji math problems would be on there.
Well, I was wrong. He watched the tutorials and was able to
complete the challenge section of his math program independently. That is when it first hit me that students today
are definitely learning differently than I do.
My children use YouTube to teach them how to build Legos, make Rainbow
Loom bracelets and draw animals. I do
not look to the internet first, I generally look to people to teach or help me
learn something. That being said, I am
finishing my Master’s Degree online so I am becoming more of a 21st Century
learner. I use the Internet to research information,
to find pictures of what something looks like, or to gather ideas. I do still prefer to learn and access information
in a linear way, very opposite to what Mattan Grifffel was describing in his “Crash
course in Digital Literacy” lecture. He
was describing learning something new in stages that allow the entire picture
to become more clear as you learn more and more about your subject rather than
learning one thing at a time and moving on to the next concept. He suggests learning the big picture first
and then focusing on concepts once you have a place to “hook” them. I don’t think I learn like that; I am usually
looking for a sequence or an order. I
also find Prezi Presentations interesting to look at but again, it seems they
lack order. In some ways I am definitely
embracing the technology available to me as a learner in the 21st
Century, but in other ways I prefer a pen, paper, a linear approach and a book.
I believe I
am also transitioning into a 21st Century teacher in many ways. I am learning different ways to use
technology so that it can help my students learn more, faster, be more engaged
with the material, and communicate what they know through a broader variety of products. Students
respond better to information that “looks” a certain way and technology has
helped me put information together for my students in a more modern and
appealing way. I access short videos,
clips, news reports, audio readings and many other digital media to engage them
in the curriculum. Student production capabilities
are enhanced because of the various technology tools available to them. I can offer a greater choice of learning products
because there are so many interesting and creative ways for students to express
themselves in the 21st Century.
Also, I use technology to help my students reach a greater audience with
their learning products because we can e-mail, publish, and easily share what
they are creating. Using technology to allow
them to connect and share what they are learning helps build buy in on the part
of the student and I am continually impressed by what they can create. Technology has also improved my communication
between parents, students and myself as the teacher. I can communicate with parents and students
through e-mail, the Goggle Classroom, my school website, Teleparent, ABI, and
so many other avenues that have only become available in the last few
years. It is an exciting time to be a
teacher; there is a lot to learn.
I think that
in order for me to become a more confident 21st Century learner I
will need to branch out and try new tools available to me when creating my learning
products. I noticed in my reflection
process for my Master’s Degree I have opted to write a more traditional paper
whenever given the choice. Even though I
can create a PowerPoint, I find it interesting I would still prefer to write a
paper. Prezi is new to me, but I am
going to try to learn how to use it effectively as a way to convey
information. The “thing” I usually ask
for when I need to learn something new is time.
I need the time and freedom to play with a new form of technology in
order to become comfortable with it and there is just not enough of that to go
around.
However, I
am excited about the tools available to me as a learner and a teacher and am committed
to learning how to utilize some of these technologies this year. Dr.
Doug Belshaw discussed at length in his TED talk that “The place to develop
these digital literacies is the overlap of the two circles.” He was referring to the circle of individual
interest and the circle of important issues.
I am looking for ways for students to learn how to create something like
a meme to express an opinion, persuade others to agree with them, and publish
what they have created in a public forum.
That overlap seems to be the sweet spot of educational utopia where the
students are interested, learning, and creating something that is valuable. I want to use digital literacy skills to
allow my students to find their voices and learn how to make an impact with their
words/ideas. In order for me to ask them
to do this, I need to learn how they might accomplish those goals first.
References:
[Media Evoluion / The Conference].
(2014, August 19). Mattan Griffel – Crash Course in Digital Literacy. [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTZqv9tCDtY.
[TEDx Talks]. (2012, March 22). The
essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78.
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