Todays Meet is something I have used in several different settings. I have found this tool extremely useful to give voice to people in a large setting. When I first used it there was a group of educators debating two different viewpoints, and we used Todays Meet as a "back channel" to add comments to the discussion. I found this to be very effective, and was able to give people a voice that might not feel comfortable in the larger setting, or when certain people were dominating the conversation. Since then used it in several times with teachers. The first was in a meeting with Academic Specialist, where we were discussing Designated and Integrated ELD. We were all in different places with our learning, so Todays Meet provided a place for teachers to ask more specific questions or comment. I have also used it with a group of Lead teachers as we dug into detailed data. The strength is that people can add thoughts, and everyone an be a part of the discussion. A weakness might be that this can support people bird walking, and can also effect their engagement.
The biggest question of our time as educators to me: How do we fit it all in, and how do we make it relevant and meaningful? Like anything, Digital Literacy needs to be tied into what I am already teaching to make it relevant, and not just one more thing. In my current position, I support Academic Specialist and teacher leads in how to bring it all together. To begin thinking about how to incorporate Digital Literacy, we need to think beyond "substitution". In reviewing the SAMR model, I also found the RAT model (Replace, Amplify, Transform) RAT (Hughes et al, 2006). This model has been used for pre-service teacher education and I believe might support my work with professional learning. Teachers learn about technology in close connection to subject matter content, making it relevant. Having a tight focus or problem of practice, which many PLC/sites have in place, gives a place to start exploring digital technologies as possible solutions. In order to do that they need to begin with Digital Literacy, the foundation. Like with reading foundational skills, writing, speaking and listening, these need to be explicitly taught. I have continued to review the Common Sense Media scope and sequence and resources as a place to begin with these foundations. Our district has worked with Michael Fullan a lot in the past few years, and I found this quote very relevant to our discussions in this Masters program. "Many of the innovations, particularly those that provide online content and learning materials, use basic pedagogy – most often in the form of introducing concepts by video instruction and following up with a series of progression exercises and tests. Other digital innovations are simply tools that allow teachers to do the same age-old practices but in a digital format. Examples include blog entries instead of written journals and worksheets in online form. While these innovations may be an incremental improvement such that there is less cost, minor classroom efficiency and general modernisation, they do not, by themselves, change the pedagogical practice of the teachers or the schools." (Fullan M & Donnelly K, 2013, p25) Using and incorporating new technology tools won't be effective or relevant unless we change our practice alongside. We have to be intentional about how we teach Digital Literacies, and they have to be taught explicitly, as Mr, Marsden said we cannot rely on them being "Digital Natives". Students have to be taught the foundations of what it means to be a digital citizen, and how we need to operate and interact with technology is a safe and respectful manner. I look forward to incorporating pieces of this throughout the content we are already focused on with professional learning. With this generation of students being Digital Natives, they begin at a young age. When my youngest was two years old, she picked up a picture frame and tried to swipe to see the next picture! They know at a very young age how to work a tablet and even a computer. Knowing this, I think it is very important to begin with the end in mind. They need to know the basic safety for the internet, which I thought about and incorporated into my Digital Citizenship lesson, but then the next thing is to get them to think about digital communication. There is so much power in how we use technology to communicate these days (Email, Skye, Blogging, etc...), all provide different viewpoints for students. But with this, comes the respect piece.
Three specific examples of on how I can make digital citizenship personal for my students. The first thing for me would be grounding it in the BEST rules they are already familiar with: Safe, Respectful, and Responsible. They need to know how to be safe in the digital world, which I addressed above and in my lesson plan, next, they need to be respectful. What does it mean to be respectful in the digital world? Much of this goes to to their digital communication, and their footprint. Beginning to understand the idea of "privacy". I specifically identified with the REPs (Respect, Educate and Protect) as a way to teach students about digital citizenship. Breaking it further down into Digtal Etiquette (respect yourself and others), Literacy (Educate yourself/connect to others), and Rights and Responsibilities (protect yourself/protect others). These to me would be the "foundational skills" I would want my students to learn. All lesson would touch back to these REPs. As I think about the scope and sequence for K-2 students, it really begins with the safety and works from there. The ISTE Standards for Students has Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, and Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision making. Really focusing on the first two, how to use the internet and get comfortable with the creative and innovative element of that. Also, really attending to the SAMR model, being intentional about it not just being a substitution. The Communication and Collaboration piece is a nice beginning for primary students, how to share their thoughts skype with other groups of students, and craft an email or blog. This begins to get them thinking about their "Digital Footprint" and what they want to put out there. |
AuthorKarly Miller Archives
May 2017
Categories |