Transformers - there is more to literacy than meets the eye

Jimmy – Transformations, Innovative Pedagogies

Introduction

There is a wealth of literature advocating the use of innovative pedagogies when teaching digital literacies. Alvermann (2008, p. 16) states “online and offline literacies are not polar opposites”. What this means for educators is that it is important to use technology to be innovative in the teaching of literacy. Mills and Chandra (2011) take this further, suggesting that using digital mediums to enhance and subsequently transform literacy is a positive way of engaging students in classroom activities. Current teachers must use the Internet and digital media to reflect on current world trends and provide students with the necessary literacy and life skills to succeed.

Teaching Digital Literacy

            Haas, Takayoshi, Carr, Hudson and Pollock (2011) state that new literacies such as Instant Messaging (IM) provide much more than information. They are a system of social interaction and students react accordingly to the different elements of IM such as emoticons and slang. In schools, Haas et al (2011) argues it is important to teach the genre of new literacies. By breaking them down, the social purpose such texts have for the new generation are particularly evident. The skills of networking, sharing culture and socialising are presently an everyday and online phenomena – therefore, they must be taught to students to provide them every opportunity in the world.

           

New Learning?

Chase and Laufenberg (2011) state that digital literacy is not a new literacy – it is a timeless combination of good teaching practices including “inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation and reflection” (p.537). Such techniques are not unique to the online world. Chase and Laufenberg (2011) argue it is the educational principles that will be most beneficial to students. Although such practices are fundamental, I believe that a focus on digital literacy and digital identity is needed in the classroom. This will ensure students know how to use the technology in a specific way as opposed to trying to adapt their core values in the online world.

Power of New Literacies

Carrington (2008) argues that competency in new literacies is providing students with access to a breadth of knowledge previously only available to adults. By teaching digital literacies such as a blog, students can then use this knowledge to produce and reflect on texts in a community. This also breaks from the notion that texts in school need to be drafted and perfected for submission. The ongoing nature of the online world reflects the current nature of society, where feedback results in the changing of a continuous narrative. Importantly, Carrington (2008, p.162) states that students “demonstrate explicit awareness of potential risks online”. This is in contrast to the censorship nature most school authorities have over social media sites. 

For teaching, this means an understanding that current students do not have innate media literacies – the genre and techniques for engaging use must be taught in classrooms. In contrast to Chase and Laufenberg (2011), Carrington (2011) argues that reform of education policy is needed to remove the hierarchy of education and introduce a system that involves more of the students and the community in the decision making process. This starts with embedding digital literacy in classroom pedagogy.

There are plenty of opportunities in the classroom for blogging. Image retrieved from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/

Teachers vs Policy

           

Honan (2010) argues that the lack of digital texts in classrooms is because teachers are not engaging with them. This is opposite to the popular fact that it is the government and school leaders that frown upon new technologies. However, a common thought is that unrealistic policy is mapped and handed to teachers who find it difficult to teach basic reading, writing and new literacies within a limited timetable. Although my experience leads me to think this is true, in hindsight I know I could have done things differently with some specific planning. Incorporating Internet searching and commenting on what others find as opposed to using a text on an overhead projector is a simple yet effective strategy. Honan (2010) takes this further, suggesting many teachers merely post finished work online as a separate activity as opposed to integrating digital technology into an innovative pedagogy as current policy documents dictate.

Personal Experience

From my teaching experience, it is clear that teachers and policy makers alike must have a commitment to embedding digital literacy pedagogies in classroom activities. This is how teaching a standard lesson can become innovative. I believe that the creation of lessons that utilise digital technology comes down to the individual classroom teacher. From this it is possible to share ideas with colleagues, use the Internet to network and research what other people are doing in their classrooms.

Conclusion

            The teaching of literacy must transform to incorporate positive elements of digital technologies. Through innovative pedagogies, teachers can effectively teach reading, writing and the life skills necessary to succeed in the modern world. I have seen the positive effects in the classroom of incorporating digital media and I believe it is necessary to acknowledge the current nature of students’ social lives. This begins by teaching lessons embedded with digital literacies and networking to reflect on good educational practice.

Jimmy Cassidy

           

Reference List

Alvermann, D. (2008). Why bother theorizing adolescents’ online literacies for classroom practice and research?. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 52(1), 8-19. doi:10.1598/JAAL.52.1.2

Carrington, V. (2008). ‘I’m Dylan and I’m not going to say my last name’: some thoughts on childhood, text and new technologies. British Educational Research Journal, 34(2). 151-166.

Chase, Z., & Laufenberg, D. Embracing the squishiness of digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54(7), 535-537. doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.7.7

Haas, C., Takayoshi, P., Carr, B., Hudson, K., & Pollock, R. (2011). Young people’s everyday literacies: the language features of instant messaging. Research in the Teaching of English, 45(4), 378-404.

Honan, E. (2010). Mapping discourses in teachers’ talk about using digital texts in classrooms. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 31(2), 179-193.

Mills, K., & Chandra, V. (2011). Microblogging as a literacy practice for educational communities. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 55(1), 35-45. doi: 10.1598/JAAL.55.1.4

Innovative Practices – looking to the future … but starting now. By Debbie

In these exciting times of interconnectedness and rapid change in the online world there are so many opportunities for teachers and teacher librarians to implement innovative pedagogies using the internet, in particular Web 2.0 media. In fact, I believe that it is our responsibility as educators to provide 21^st century learners with the skills to use 21^st century technologies. These interactive technologies open up an enormous range of opportunities for sharing information, collaboration and creation of new knowledge. My professional goals to become a more connected teacher are outlined in this blog entry. 

Dezuanni (2010) suggests in order for us to make changes in our practice we should decide on 2 or 3 things we want to focus on and work on implementing these, then choose 3 more, and work on these, and so on and so on. Similarly, the mantra, ‘evolution – not revolution’ is one that I adopted as a teacher early on in my career and one that I will continue to use in my future role as an innovative teacher librarian. In other words, make small changes and keep making them.

For me to enact these transformative practices I need a plan of what I want to achieve in a given time frame. To use some of my newly learned new media technologies I have set myself 3 goals that involve implementation of Web 2.0 technologies into my pedagogical practice.

Goal 1: Blogging a) Create and maintain a school library blog, and b) encourage blogging as a learning experience in the school curriculum (OK so that is 2 goals - but they are linked)

Creating and maintaining a school library blog would provide authentic Web 2.0 opportunities to many school community members. Teachers would have the chance to interact with library staff; students would have opportunities to upload book reviews, access referencing materials; parents would have a platform to view what is happening in the hub of their students’ school; and the library would have an interactive and participatory platform to promote itself to the outside world. There are many, many examples of great school blogs in the cyber world. One that I have been pleased to stumble across, Brisbane Grammar School is worth looking at.  Ferriter, Ramsden and Sheninger state that blogs are often the safest social media starting point for schools as they allow easy moderation of conversations, opportunities to share authentic voices and chances for two-way communication (2011, p 72). As a bonus, creating my own authentic blog as assessment for this course has given me the knowledge, but more importantly, the confidence to venture into this new technology.

As well as creating a blog for the school library, I would like to use blogging in my pedagogical practice to engage 21^st century learners. Blogs can give a voice to students. Blogging can give students an authentic audience and can provide a platform for them to be active participants in Web 2.0 media. The opportunities across the curriculum are endless and as a future teacher librarian I will have the opportunity to assist teachers in embedding these as learning experiences in their own teaching practice. Of course, there are endless online resources available to guide both me and the teachers I will support in the quest to use blogging in the classroom. And even better, there are teacher librarians that blog about blogging in the classroom, so the experts can show the novices (me included) how to engage in this participatory culture.

 

Goal 2: Continue discussions with my school administration about social networking and the education of students

Whilst we need to proceed with caution when it comes to social networking in schools, I feel we also need to be teaching our students how to act ethically in social networking situations. We need to be creating explicit educational experiences that can guide students through the ethical issues they are faced with as they participate in social media. If we are in the business of producing lifelong learners we need to teach the skills that students will continue to use after their formalised schooling ends. Options such as Twiducate provide teachers and students another option to the open world of Facebook by providing a closed place where the teachers have some control over the content, yet students still experience social networking in a safe environment.

What is Twiducate?

In the near future I would love to see a school Facebook page for communication – we need to be where the parents and kids are. Students use Facebook and other social networking sites so regularly it makes sense for schools and educators to engage in these technologies. Many other industries communicate with their clients via Facebook and other social media – it is only a matter of time before schools will be expected to do the same.

Goal 3: Embark on a mission to educate as many students as possible (and teachers) about social bookmarking

Whether we use De.lic.ious or Diigo, or another mode for collating information I believe that social bookmarking is a vital tool for teaching information literacy. Bookmarking helps students classify, organise and store relevant information. As students move towards the end of the secondary schooling, and prepare for tertiary education (in a lot of cases, not all) they will be better prepared for the information overload they will be faced with in their further studies. 

Using social book marks as a teaching tool is another option to explore as I endeavour to include digital experiences in my pedagogy. Teaching Hacks shows how to incorporate bookmarking into the classroom. One of the simple ideas that could easily be used in any classroom is for students to share their research with others in their class using Diigo or Delicious accounts.  This is a just one simple way for students to participate in this technology.

References: 

Dezuanni, M. (2010). CLN647 Youth, Popular Culture and Text: Module 11 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D

Ferriter, W. M., Ramsden, J. T., and Sheninger, E. C. (2011) Communicating & Connecting with Social Media. Solution Tree Press: Bloomington, USA.

Image sourced from: http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/12/schooling-for-the-21st-century-balancing-content-knowledge-with-skills/