Week 12 Journal

The game I chose is called Kodu. Kodu is a game lab community, one where students have to sign up, as well as download the program. If done in school, almost any computer can handle the program and can use Kodu. In Kodu, students can build and create their own video game levels. One great thing this program does is give students very simple layouts and instructions, while still dealing with advanced things, like programming. Essentially, the student will have to lay out/build the environment, as well as any game pieces and characters. From there, the students have to code the game, to give the game life and for it to work. 

This game system works mostly in a Technology classroom, where coding is most likely to be done. It gives students basic firsthand knowledge and experience, while still being fun for them. The program has a ton of different features, so it can be used for any genders or age groups. Also, since the program is powered by Microsoft, there are many updates and new features that come along. For example, if a student wanted to make a game on Mars, Microsoft has made a Mars layout, letting the student design a level dealing with gravity, water, and other space issues. To me, Kodu is a more educational Minecraft, and can get students learning more, while still enjoying themselves.

When I was student teaching, the teacher I was with introduced me to it, and asked me to get his students involved in it and interested in it. All it took was me telling the students they were going to get to make and test out their video games to get them excited and ready to go. Once you get students interested, it’s very easy to explain the rules and what to do. It’s amazing to see the creativity in some middle schools once you give them a little bit of independence. Some of the levels were even too difficult for me! This program could definitely be effective in many middle schools, and I believe it could even have a role in the high school, for any inexperienced student who wants to get into programming.

I was able to easily figure out how to build different things, and the coding is written in such a simplistic way, that almost anyone can successfully use it. The great thing about it is that since it is easy, you can make very complex and intricate level designs, and it doesn't even seem like work; many of the students say the class time goes very fast, because they are so focused and having a good time. If certain classes wanted to learn about coding, this seems like a great tool to use.

Week 10 Journal: Interview

For this assignment, I chose a student who is a senior in high school. The student says that the school mostly allows cell phones to be allowed, because “they can supposedly help students in some classes”. The student is very doubtful of this, and knows that many students do not follow those rules. Many of them are on social media or texting during classes and in the halls. The student spent a lot of the interview telling me the negative side effects. “They never really pay attention, so it’s annoying when 5 minutes later they interrupt to ask questions we have already covered”. I asked about the technology used in the classroom, and if social media played any role in it. The student looked at me as if I had two heads and said “of course. All the teachers use Facebook and Twitter to remind students of homework assignments and other school stuff”.

One thing that surprised me during this interview was how nonchalantly the teachers let the students use their phones without even telling them to put them away or stop using it. The student said that only a few teachers actually utilize cell phone technology positively; some only allow cell phone usage for educational purposes, like to look up articles or information to use. The student says: “a lot of the teachers don’t enforce the phone rule, and half of the students are on Instagram while everyone else is taking notes”. Another thing that surprised me is the amount of pressure that the student claimed there was because of social media. “If you don’t have a page, or a Twitter account, or a Snapchat, kids at school will think you are weird”. There is a large stigma to keep up appearances, and regularly update their social media profiles.

This interview continues to show me that technology and social media can only be effective when it is implemented correctly in the classroom. Students should not feel a social pressure just to try and fit in, and teachers should enforce social media rules better. If teachers are not using it to further education in the classroom, I, as well as the student I interviewed, do not think it needs to be in a classroom. The student believes it is used as a large distraction, and if it can’t be used for good, it shouldn’t be used. I am only 6 years older than the student, but it seems social media has changed how students see their social lives and school in general. It is becoming a much more social media-centric world, and our students are adapting to it, for better or worse.

Week 8 Journal Post

For my final paper, I decided to highlight educators’ new methods of adapting to new technologies. With technology consistently changing, I find it interesting to see how older teachers cope with new changes, and how they respond to said changes. I wanted to explore why some teachers have a hard time adapting, and why some are stubborn to change to a changing environment. It seems to be a prevalent issue happening not only in the school I teach in, but schools all over.

Annotated Bibliography:

Cohen, D. (2010, October 11). Adapting Teaching to a New Era - Education Week. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

The author describes practices teachers would want to adapt towards in a changing educational environment, as well as some of his experiences with a few of those practices. The author also describes changing his own curriculum and the successes it had. I believe it is important to use this because it gives a great perspective from a teacher so used to teaching in a traditional method.

Meskill, C., Mossop, J., DiAngelo, S., & Pasquale, R. (2002, September). Expert and Novice Teachers Talking Technology: Precepts, Concepts, and Misconcepts. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

In this article, interviews are given between five novice teachers and two experienced teachers. The experienced teachers are not necessarily older; rather it refers to their experience of both teaching and technology. The novice teachers had limited experiences in both teaching and technology. The interviews are used to show the differences between the educators who have incorporated technology into their lessons, and those who have used more traditional teaching methods.

TIM: The Technology Integration Matrix | A video resource supporting the full integration of technology in Florida schools. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2015.

This Integration Matrix on the University of South Florida’s College of Education website is a great tool that showcases different technology adaptations, and ideas that educators could use. It shows some good examples of how technology can be assimilated and effectively used in any classroom, while still being able to adhere to curriculum.

Demetriadis, S., Barbas, A., Molohides, A., Palageorgiou, G., Psillos, D., et al. (2007, December 14). Cultures in Negotiation: Teachers' Acceptance/Resistance Attitudes Considering the Infusion of Technology into Schools. Retrieved November 4, 2015.

This article is data from a Greek secondary school survey. It really makes clear how other countries use technology in the classroom, and their efforts to make it a bigger priority. The article shows how teachers would like to use technology more, but many feel they do not grasp a full understanding, therefore do not feel comfortable using it to a fuller extent. This article gives a worldwide viewpoint of technology, and how there aren’t too many differences when it comes to teachers and technology.

Borsheim, C., Merritt, K., & Reed, D. (2008). Beyond Technology for Technology's Sake: Advancing 

Multiliteracies in the Twenty-First Century. Retrieved November 5, 2015.

The authors of this article describe using technology in the classroom to make the environment multiliterate. Using different technologies, but not just for the sake of technology; using it to help students grasp the lesson better. This article is from the standpoint of English teachers, and an English classroom can be the perfect environment to start implementing technologies.

Journal #3

I think one of the more interesting readings in the first two chapters was of the Norwegian school system and their new implementations, as well as how remixing works. Reading the examples Mr. Erstad puts forward have a very familiar ring to it. It may be difficult in the core classes to implement this, but in a Technology class setting, remixing is done all of the time. I know that for years teachers told me to come up with brand new ideas, even though half of the time I could only think of how to improve things. This is what remixing is all about, to recreate and blend things together to make something better, whether it be music or a project in a classroom. As Mr. Erstad says “This combination of media elements is not just a sum of the different elements, but creates something new; a new quality as text” (Erstad, 2008, p.44).

Reading the case samples put forward was very rewarding to read, except for the last one. For me, it was tough to see a teacher stifle creativity, like in Case 3. For a group of students thinking outside of the box to use a more symbolic font is great, and the teacher didn’t even give the girls a chance to use it. That anecdote seemed to be a good symbol for traditional learning vs. a changing society. If a teacher is going to expect the most out of their students, they should not be hindering creativity. They should be more like Mr. Cardenas, who “respected the knowledge that students brought” (Schmier, 2010, p.26), and “encourages the journalism students to work hard and be creative” (Schmier, 2010, p.26). That is what makes a successful classroom; the students and teachers must be willing to work together to learn and grow. If a teacher is stuck in the ways of the past, nothing effective will be accomplished. The end of Chapter 1 said it best when it comes to being successful: “the profound act of teachers and students knowing each other through multimodal play in order to teach and learn together” (Lankshear & Knobel, 2013, p.35).

Overall, I thought the readings were very informative. Doing a project like in Case 2 of Mr. Erstad’s could be life changing for students. Seeing how others live, even in the other side of the city, showed those students a new perspective, and something that will probably stick with them for a while. It can have a profound effect, and being able to capture those moments on a camcorder for a class, or a newsletter on the Internet, is worth this change in how we reach students, and how we teach them.

Bibliography:

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.). (2013). A new literacies reader: Educational Perspectives. New York: Peter Lang.

Journal #2

Technology is an ever-changing topic; it seems new things come out every month: phones, laptops, E-readers, etc. Now that we are in the 21^st century, I believe technology has become fully ingrained with literacy, and we as educators must embrace that. I know that for many students in my school, they would rather sit in front of a computer than a textbook. When they do class work on a computer, many of them are using their digital literacy skills, and many of them know exactly what to do. This comes from using this technology almost every day. But does this make them more knowledgeable? Is this really a form of learning/reading? I believe that in this constantly changing world, anything used to further a student’s education should be considered as a part of literacy learning.

The article does a good job of showing positive and negative aspects of digital literacy, but I believe the author was leaning towards the latter. I think what is important to realize is that as we read this piece in 2015, it was published over seven years ago, in 2008. Many things have changed in that span. Mr. Motoko did not mention the Amazon Kindle that had just come out 6 months prior. This was a watershed moment in digital literacy, even if it was a little too expensive for students’. Two years after this article, Amazon lowered their prices of a Kindle to 140 dollars, and it came with Wi-Fi (Wagner, 2011). By 2010, an Amazon Kindle had become relatively cheap enough for any aged student to buy one. I had a Kindle, and I still use it. In 2014, the price of a Kindle was 80 dollars. I see students using their Kindle’s in class (usually when I don’t want them to), and almost 90% of the time, a student is using it to read.

Overall, I think new technologies will help where it is needed, and in the end, should be used in moderation. As the article states "One early study showed that giving home Internet access to low-income students appeared to improve standardized reading test scores and school grades"(Mokoto, 2008). I believe using this technology to increase literacy where it is needed most will be the most effective, and best way we can use digital literacy to our students advantage.

Bibliography:

Rich, M. (2008, July 26). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? Retrieved September 24, 2015.

Wagner, K. (2011, September 28). The History of Amazon's Kindle So Far. Retrieved September 24, 2015.

Journal #1

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).

As a high school teacher, this quote speaks volumes to me. There is a large schism in the high school setting; many teachers still implement textbooks, and traditional ways of literacy, while many students cannot find a way to connect to that. The ways of communication and literacy are changing rapidly; it seems every few years a new technology emerges that can help students learn, and teachers educate. As Gunther Kress notes “the current period writing is being affected by four factors: 1) Texts are…ever-increasingly appearing with writing, and, in many domains of communication, displacing writing where it had previously been dominant. 2) Screens are replacing the page and the book as the dominant media…3) Social structures and social relations are undergoing fundamental changes…4) Constellations of mode and medium are being transformed” (Gillen & Barton, 2010, p.6)

Over the summer, my high school received a NYS Technology Grant, which meant updating technologies in the classroom to better reach students in a changing world. In almost all the classrooms, a SmartBoard was installed, as well as newer computers. This will have a profound experience on how a student learns, but there is an issue. Many of the teachers do not understand this new technology, and do not understand how it can affect their classroom. I believe that students will not be able to effectively learn with this new technology until their teachers fully comprehend it. Some teachers are very open to this change, and have embraced it, while others are far more stubborn in seem to be stuck in their ways. One teacher has had students use iPads and different apps on their phones to do homework, while another teacher gives the same homework out of a textbook. It’s no surprise when 90% of the one class does their homework, and less than half do theirs in the other class. Dana Wilber perfectly summed up Grushka & Donnelly’s work “Digital technologies and performative pedagogies: Repositioning the visual”, saying “this work draws upon the transformative potential of new literacies…they argue for the necessity for teachers to learn, as a part of a new literacies framework, visual literacy and critical pedagogy, in order to engage students to better understand their world and construct learning” (Wilber, 2010).

I believe that when all teachers can be on the same digital literacy level as their students, that is when real effective learning can be done, when students and teachers can use their technologies together to learn from one another.

Bibliography:

Gillen, J., & Barton, D. (2010). Digital Literacies: A Research Briefing by the Technology Enhanced Learning phase of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. London.

Wilber, D. (2010, May 31). Special themed issue: Beyond 'new' literacies - Digital Culture & Education. Retrieved September 15, 2015.