Technology Refusal

“Technology refusal” two words that made me cringe at the slightest thought of its existence. I had to take a step back and seriously think about this because I have been so engrossed in technology for the last six years I could not imagine a classroom where technology was not incorporated and/or was refused. Understanding the difference between the abuses of technology in the classroom versus a successful incorporation and infiltration of technology into this setting is vital in understanding how to use technology to guide students to become successful in a digital age. As quoted in Chapter Three: You Won’t Be Needing Your Laptops Today by: Kevin Leander, “[…] technologies reduce the physical labor of teachers to communicate written information, and they enhance the teacher’s authoritative position” (p. 58-59). Some educators may argue that the usage of technology creates a clear divide between teacher and student. Unlike the whiteboard and overhead projector that offer a common surface for both students and teachers alike, the usage of technology can be thought of as a power differential because these devices are typically controlled by the teacher in charge. However, classroom sets of iPads and laptops I believe will dismantle that power divide within the classroom that technology may create.

Taking a look at the larger picture, there are times when technology incorporation can lead to failed lesson(s) and as educators it is important to take a step back and evaluate how we choose to use technology within the classroom setting. For example, I had created a power point presentation for one of my classes and had emailed it from my home computer to my school computer. I got to school the next day and we just so happened to have lost power during that school period and I was left to think on my toes. I alternated the lesson from what I had originally planned and did something a little different with my classes but, as much as I am an advocate for technology infiltration in the classroom there are moments like these that make me regret relying so heavily on these technologies. Anything at any point in time can occur and can cause these technologies not to work, and because of that we as educators must always have a plan b to fall back on.

There are very few moments in my classroom that I choose not to use technology, all of which I can probably count on one hand but, these days are intended to bring out skills in which technologies have not been able to assist students in developing. The more research and professional development classes I’ve taken based off of various technologies, I’ve found that these technologies actually increase student engagement giving them a sense of ease and comfort. For example, I’ve begun incorporating Google Docs into my classroom on a daily basis. I find that giving students the opportunity to write on a laptop, iPad, or desktop computer allows them to feel a sense of unity and gives them a step up upon exiting high school- everyone is for a lack of a better word, equal. This Google Docs platform changes the dynamic of the classroom, allowing the teacher access to student work at the click of a button from anywhere that has Internet access. One of the upsides to Google Docs is that you can see all the revisions students have done since they began the document, essentially you can watch it transform before your eyes and this is an amazing experience. If you’ve never incorporated Google Docs into your classroom, I would look to do a research project or writing assignment where students use that platform instead of Microsoft word.

For the sake of this assignment, the computer becomes the center of the lesson creating a means of unity amongst the students.  Leander expresses, “This experience of being “with” the teacher is central to the discourse of the laptops interfering with the classroom interaction space, as is the idea of “unity” (p.67).  There are moments in the classroom when I do wish students had longer attention spans and could focus on one thing instead of multitasking. One of the downfalls of technology is that students are not able to focus as well and continuously struggle with the constant desire to be hooked, having their interests sparked- receiving instant gratification. We as educators struggle on a daily basis trying to figure out how to spark their interest and grab their attention for the duration of the entire lesson. At times, it is increasingly difficult especially when students are caught up with something that occurred outside of the classroom. They lose interest, then focus, and then they become disruptive and there is no way to pull them back in to the lesson.

“The idea that teachers might, “keep doing what [they’re] doing,” and that technology might “enhance” or be an “outgrowth” of the curriculum, is essentially a guarantee  that the social space of schooling will be saturated by the relations set forth in current curricular practice, […]” (p. 73). But, most importantly it is essential that we as educators “keep on, keepin’ on” and do what we do best- teach. To leave you all with some powerful words, the best teachers are those who tell you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.). (2013). New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 57- 98). United States: Peter Lang Publishing.

Journal #3: Multimodal Pedagogies and Trajectories of Remixing

After reading through Chapters 1 and 2, I found myself familiar with some of the terminology being used. The discussion that blogs and other social media usage in the classroom are platforms that should be incorporated into everyday usage is not all that new. Through my few years of teaching I’ve learned to incorporate blogging, social media, Google and a variety of other technologies into my classrooms. As quoted in Chapter One: Multimodal Pedagogies by: Lalitha Vasudevan, Tiffany Dejaynes, and Stephanie Schmier express, “blogging is more exciting than a journal because people can appreciate writing more if it’s in a book” (p.30). This quote seems to hold some truth to it especially with the younger generations. We are finding that students do not necessarily enjoy reading books but, are more inclined to choose shorter reading passages- magazine articles, newspaper articles or even a blog posts online. Students are hooked because these pieces of writing are relevant to their lives; they can feel a sort of connection and it allows them to be engaged in what they are learning.

Within Chapter One: Multimodal Pedagogies, Section: Multimodal Play we find a discussion about making our space by engaging MySpace and YouTube. This section raises an interesting point, “[…] youth of his generation- are more inclined to share online profile information than phone numbers” (p. 31). This shift that is occurring is so small in the large scheme of things but, it is interesting to point out that this shift is happening. There are times that I too find myself saying to people, “Find me on Facebook” instead of simply passing out my phone number. In a way, I too am placing myself in a virtual reality always having to rely on technology as a means of escaping a phone or face to face interaction. It is rather interesting to think about how many of us now-a-days are more likely to share our online profiles- profiles that contain photos, thoughts, and people we hold dear to our hearts. Why is it that we feel comfort in these social networking platforms and are not afraid of what they could do to us if placed into the wrong hands?

I asked my class to do a similar experiment to that of Mr. Norman’s (p. 32); I handed out iPads to the students and asked them to pull up any online profile of themselves that they wished to share. After doing so, I asked students to create a t-chart- on the left they were to describe their online persona, on the right they were to describe their real life self. After students completed those two tasks, I asked them to jot down the similarities and differences they found between their two personas. Did they represent themselves differently online?  After closely analyzing our online v. offline personas many students came to find that the way they represented themselves online was different than the way they conducted themselves in real life. I asked students to think closely about if the way we portray ourselves online accurately represents who we are, what we believe in, and what we stand for. This was an interesting experiment and I would encourage you to try something similar in your classrooms.

            Having students blog in class is an interesting means of teaching- many educators do it, including myself and it allows for me to teach my students how to become digitally literate all the while teaching them how to become active participants in a world that teaches them to be passive. Within the two chapters we read, I found there to be a disconnect between the educators and students. The educators seem to be lacking the necessary skills needed in order to be digitally literate in the cases provided in Chapter 2: Trajectories of Remixing. If we are to teach students the necessary skills needed to succeed, we too must be literate in what we are teaching them.

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.). (2013). New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 23- 56). United States: Peter Lang Publishing.

Journal #2: Literacy Debate- Online, R U Really Reading?

In a world that is ever changing, we find that literacy comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Literacy can be thought of as a multimodal means of connectivity amongst people -a form of expression, that one must be knowledgeable within in order to understand its complexity. Literacy is the foundation for underlying success within education and it bridges the gap between those who can, and those who choose not to. New media literacies act as a culture created to spark the everyday creativity of its participants. To be actively engaged is to have a voice in a world that is no longer authentic and trivial, it is now creativity that has been shaped and molded from previous generations.

According to David McCullough quoted in the New York Times, “It’s not on call at the touch of a finger. Learning is acquired mainly from books, and most readily from great books” (p. 3). As the need for digitally literate educators is on the rise, we find that students are learning and absorbing more information on a daily basis than ever before. To argue that learning is “mainly acquired from books and most readily from great books” would be the furthest from the truth. Although students may not be reading novel after novel, they are spending hours on the Internet reading fanfiction, blog posts, newspaper and magazine articles that are of high interest to them, therefore, making them more actively engaged in what they are reading. They are becoming active participants in the online community because they are engaged in the content, digitally literate in the technology, and have an array of platforms at their disposal. 

            As new content is created on a daily basis, different ideas can lead to a revolution. A revolution of thoughts, creativity, voice and expression, and a revolution can lead to change. These changes can already be seen before us in the shift of digitally literate students. We, as educators, have our primary duty of helping students learn. If the content is being absorbed, what difference does it make if it’s through a bound book or an iPad?             

Bibliography

Rich, M. (2008, July 27). The Future of Reading- Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? New York Times, p. 1-7. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Journal #1: New Literacies as a Social Practice

As our society changes and becomes more technologically advanced, we as educators are forced to adapt and implement these new technologies into our classrooms. These sources and means of which we were once familiar and literate with are now ever changing. As we become a more digitally literate society we find that this social practice has become a norm in our everyday lives. It is a means of escaping reality and exploring creativity in a world that we are not all that familiar with quite yet. This week’s assignment asks us to look at the following quote:

"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).

Having been raised in a technologically sound generation, I too find myself engrossed in technology in a virtual reality that lures me away from the norm- the world is at my fingertips only a click, a tweet, a post away. As an educator, I face the constant struggle of captivating my students on days when I choose to stray away from the incorporation of technology into my classroom, whether that be by iPad, Apple TV, Reminder apps, projectors, etc. I find that students are digitally literate but, lack the essential skills to be paper literate. They are constantly in need of a digital fix and through that fix, it enables them to find a purpose to their own lives or should I say, a means of escaping a reality only to be stuck in a realm of disconnect.

If we approach digital literacy as a social practice, we find that when teaching students to become digitally literate we are also teaching them a means of digital fluency. Working in a rural school district, I’ve found that many of my students own cell phones and iPads that they bring to school with them but, many of them do not have Internet connection or a computer at home. I find it increasingly important to promote digital literacy within my own classroom setting because it is essential to the overall success of the student both in and outside of the classroom. Gillen & Barton (2010) state that “Each learner is an amalgam of diverse experiences, capabilities and understandings affected by the entirety of their personal history including experiences of physical strength and weaknesses” (p. 17). The article discusses how learning opportunities can be made through personal experiences and history and because of that, it provides the students with a sense of comfort and ownership because they are familiar with these technologies and feel a sense of pride with the work they are completing.  

Greetings!

Hello everyone!

My name is Briana Del Bene and I live in the Albany area. I attended the College of Saint Rose, where I received my Bachelor's in English Adolescence Education with a minor in Film and New Media. I just began my 2nd year as a 7-12th English Teacher. I knew I wanted to be an educator ever since I can remember and I hope to be an inspiration to many of my students- helping them to pursue their dreams. 

I decided to pursue my M.Ed at Empire State because of the wonderful things that I have heard through some of my friends and colleagues. I also enjoy that I can pursue my degree at my own pace while focusing on my career. 

This past summer I enjoyed traveling to Mexico with my family and attending a few concerts at SPAC. A few of my favorite hobbies are cooking, photography, and track and field. I also enjoy coaching track and field during the spring semester. I'm looking forward to this semester!