Growing Up with the Post Button
Blog Response 1
Ever since middle school, I had always overheard teachers taking the initiative in my district to try and incorporate some kind of technology. I remember receiving our first set of ipads we got to take home and having to be test subjects for the soon-to-be-made rules of what apps were and were not supposed to be downloaded (for the record: Instagram and Snapchat are not necessary for a multi-model learning experience). My favorite projects that I can look at in school always happened to be video essays and educational skits that were acted out on an app called imovie and filmed for our class. Below, I have attached a screenshot from a video project I did in middle school entitled "Metamorphic Rocks". I can see now how effective creativity online can be, I clearly felt engaged and feelings of excitement to show off what I had made. I believe that as a whole, this generation of future teachers are in their own right: guinea pigs. Most of us have grown up with technology in the classroom, AND have grown up with this generational change into technology as well.
Looking into my young adulthood, it is pretty tough to hide from the online world. This is why it is important to learn how to effectively communicate in. During my adolescence, I started using it to share pictures with my friends, repost infographics about topics of social change I was hoping to spread awareness to, or even just to share funny memes!
Something that I had never taken into account before diving into the readings for this week, was how represented (or unrepresented) some groups of people may feel in the digital landscape of the classroom.
There are many obvious potentials I see in this way of learning with technology. The idea of hobbyists participating in media learning in an informal format seems very optimal and can be a safe space for students to engage in risk-free learning. Having infinite ways to demonstrate your learning is also an obvious plus that I can see when it comes to creative projects to participate in. Learning how to do things such as Networking, Negotiation, and Transmedia Navigation are new things to navigate in this upcoming digital age. I believe this generation of teachers and students alike are up for the challenge.
Some pitfalls that I can see when looking at the digital landscapes of a classroom would definitely have to be what the connection between students would look like. I believe that connection and incorporating technology in the classroom can live in harmony - being intentional about it will have to come into play as well.
Witt is lit! After reading about your video presentation about rocks, it made me think about the possibilities behind tying something that someone would not deem interesting, like rocks, to something that they enjoy, like video productions. I think this relationship would be something to explore in creating the participatory culture that the readings suggested as extremely beneficial. I wonder what the outcome would be if a subject that a student was uninterested in was tied to a presentation method that the student used to express themselves in their free time.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I think it is so great that you have had the chance to explore different digital literacies within a classroom. Having had a similar experience, I understand how refreshing it can be to do a project in a form that is now considered untraditional, such as a video essay. I think having that combined knowledge of how to do use these forms and the benefits of using these forms will carry on well within your future classroom.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the readings, I also hadn't considered how represented/unrepresented some groups of people may feel in the digital landscape. Now with this knowledge, I feel that we can most certainly do our best to limit the possibilities of students feeling unrepresented.
Thanks, Emily, for sharing this pic from your middle school media adventures as an artifact for reflection of your own explorations with digital literacies.
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