Are You an Immigrant or a Native in this Digital Land?

Our world is not the same as it was 20 years ago.  The way that students today communicate, think, and learn have all transformed as digital technology progressed.  As a result of this transformation, traditional education is no longer meeting the needs of these students.  As Prensky (2001) points out, “Today’s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV). Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives” (p. 1).  As a future language arts teacher who is passionate about reading, these statistics fill me with mixed emotions.  On one hand I am disappointed that reading is becoming less and less a part of students’ lives, but on the other hand I can also understand how growing up in a digital world changes how students’ spend their time.  Prensky (2001) says, “…today‟s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (p. 1).  Their predecessors are the ones who didn’t grow up in the digital technological world.  These people are often the ones who are educating the digital natives. 

I classify myself as a digital immigrant.  My family did not have Internet access in our home until I was in high school; we had a computer long before that, but not Internet.  I purchased my first cell phone as a freshman at UGA when I was 18 years old.  I began learning about the digital world as a college undergrad ten years ago.  Much has changed even in ten years time.  As a homeschool teacher for two teenagers, I find it a struggle to keep them focused and motivated when most of the assignments come straight from the textbooks.  They are a prime example of how the traditional education system is not reaching this generation of students who think differently and learn differently.  We must find new methods to reach the students of today. 

Prensky (2001) states, “Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work” (p. 2).  If we are to become effective educators, we must use new teaching methods that spark the attention of the digital natives and cause them to become well-educated students.  If this means that lessons will be turned into educational games, more technology will be used, and perhaps incorporating e-readers into the literature classes, I am in support of whatever it takes to reach my future students and further their education.   The question is…what exactly will it take to effectively educate the digital natives?   

After reading the Digital Literacies articles, I began to understand more about incorporating digital literacy in the classroom.  O’Brien and Scharber (2008) state, “A search on the term digital literacies yields a range of results including digital media, new technologies, new literacies, or New Literacy Studies (popularly abbreviated to NLS); or things that digitally literate people produce (blogs, wikis, podcasts); or activities that digitally literate people can engage in such as digital storytelling, social networking, and webpage creation” (p. 66).  This definition of digital literacies assists me in the interpretation of digital literacy and how to incorporate it into the classroom.  The more I find out about the world of the “Digital Natives”, the more I will be able to reach them in the classroom. 

As Chase and Laufenberg (2011) state, “This is to say, if digital literacy is simply reading and writing in a digital environment, there is no need for the new terminology. Writing with a pencil and writing with a pen are both writing” (p. 535).  Digital literacy means incorporating new technology as tools in the classroom that will enhance literacy education.   I particularly liked the example of how the Science Leadership Academy uses technology in creative ways to drive their “inquiry-based, project-based public magnet school”.   I can see how their approach could be easily incorporated into other schools if there is support from the school system. 

I understand from reading “Digital Literacies Go to School: Potholes and Possibilities” that there are many “potholes” that make teaching digital literacy in schools a struggle.  I still believe that if it is true that students today think differently, process information differently, and learn differently than generations of the past, why are we not changing the methods of teaching to reach these new students?  Our methods and expectations of teaching must progress as we progress.  This seems the only logical way to approach teaching today.

Chase, Z., & Laufenberg, D. (2011). Embracing the squishiness of digital    

          literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(7), 535-537. doi: 

          10.1598/JAAL.54.7.7

O'Brien, D., & Scharber, C. (2008). Digital literacies go to school: Potholes 

          and possibilities. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(1), 66-68. 

          doi: 10.1598/JAAL.52.1.7

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 

          1-6.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants, part ii: Do they really 

          think differently? On the Horizon, 9(6), 1-9.

Literacy with a capital "L"

From the first day of LLED 3530 class, I began to think of literacy as more than just reading and writing.  As we worked together to create our group’s interpretation of literacy, I noticed that everyone had something different to contribute.  Each person’s individual background knowledge and experiences helped to establish our view of what literacy is and what forms literacy takes.    

Gough (1995) explains, "There is literacy, the ability which enables many people to read and write, and there is Literacy, our account of their reading and writing" (p. 80).  There are millions in our society who are literate, but they are often literate in different ways.  Yes, those who are literate have the ability to read and write, but they also have the ability to express themselves by communicating in differing forms.  Take for example an artist; the artist creates a masterpiece without the use of words, but that masterpiece sends out a message that communicates with nearly everyone who views the artist’s work.    

Gough (1995) states, “…this yields the view that literacy means different things to different people.  This is almost certainly true; people have different Literacies” (p. 83).  It is important to remember this as a future teacher of middle school students.  I understand that all of my students will be coming from different backgrounds, experiences, families, and cultures.  It will be important for me to learn how my students best communicate.  Perhaps it will be through reading and writing, artistic creation, or technology.  No matter the means, it will be up to me to find out so I can become an effective teacher. 

In the world of middle schoolers, pop culture plays a huge role in their lives.  Pop culture includes TV, movies, video games, music, fiction and nonfiction books.  As Hall (2011) points out, “Understanding how youths integrate pop culture texts into decisions about academic ones can help teachers more effectively use them to deepen students’ reading comprehension and curriculum knowledge” (p. 296). 

Hall states, “In school, students are usually expected to engage with reading, writing, and discussing texts in a formalized manner, but they rarely understand why they must do so.  In response, students have stated that the curriculum is disconnected from their own lives, that teachers do not find ways to get them involved in their own learning and they have little say in what they do” (p. 297).  Wonderful, meaningful learning opportunities can occur when pop culture is used in the classroom to help students make connections.  What better way to help students make connections in their academics than incorporating the pop culture of their lives into the classroom? 

Gough, P. B. (1995). The new literacy: caveat emptor.  Journal of Research in   
          Reading, 18(2), 79-86.

Hall, L. A. (2011). How popular culture texts inform and shape students'  
          discussions of social studies texts.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult 
          Literacy, 55(4), 296-305.

Blogs, Readers, and Literacy.... Oh My!

I am beginning to realize that I am not alone in my discovery of the blogging world. Like so many others, I have heard of blogging but have never participated myself, and I never imagined that it could be used as a tool in the classroom. Students today are surrounded by technology in so many varying forms. It would be a shame not to incorporate their technological skills into the classroom.  

As Johnson (2010) states, "Exploiting the potential use of authors’ blogs in the language arts curriculum can result in establishing an authentic learning environment that creates powerful connections, collaborations, and creativity that promotes learning and challenges thinking" (pg. 174). When students are allowed to read what the author is actually thinking, a new world of learning is available to the students. Traditional teaching and learning is a thing of the past as teachers and students participate in authentic learning through technological mediums. It is time for teachers to find engaging methods of instruction that will "hook" students interest and foster genuine learning. I desire to become the kind of teacher who is passionate about seeing her students excited to learn.  

I realize that having a desire and carrying out that desire are two different things. Johnson (2010) tell us that, "Authors’ blogs are abundant, but finding, managing,organizing, and using them in meaningful ways may seem overwhelming. Teachers’ lives are busy enough without trying to find time to visit and read multiple posts on several authors’ blogs daily. However, there are online tools available to make the process manageable" (pg. 178). If there are ways to make the process manageable and not consume too much valuable time, there should not be an excuse to not utilize this resource in the classroom.  

While blogging is a new concept to me, reading across the curriculum is also a new concept that I am learning more and more about each semester. Our instructors are actually telling us that it is possible for students to read in classes other than language arts! Who ever heard of such a thing? Obviously, everyone except me.  

Every day there are content area teachers who incorporate reading into their classes. In middle school, I was an avid reader, but I struggled with the concepts presented in science and math. If my teachers back then would have incorporated reading across the curriculum, I may have developed a genuine interest in science or math.  

Sanacore and Palumbo (2010) state, "Students who are immersed in wide and varied reading have a meaningful context not only for developing a lifetime reading habit, but also for learning vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and other literacy skills" (pg. 180). Reading can be used as a way to challenge students' skills in other content area classes. Through reading, students grow, develop, and improve in their literacy skills. This improvement allows for more understanding and comprehension in each subject area.  

If reading across the curriculum has such positive results, why isn't every school participating in some form? My eyes have been opened to new possibilities in the world of middle school education. I am excited to learn current teaching methods and how I can apply them in my future classroom.

Let the learning begin! 

Johnson, D. (2010). Teaching with authors’ blogs: Connections, collaboration, 
          creativity. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(3), 172-180. doi:    
          10.1598/JAAL.54.3.2


Sanacore, J., & Palumbo, A. (2010). Middle school students need more 
          opportunities to read across the curriculum. Clearing House: A Journal 
          of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 83(5), 180-185. doi: 
          10.1080/00098650903583735