M2 Blog Post 2: How New Literacies Are Relevant To Us
During the 2020 Covid Pandemic, my community saw a large gap in educational opportunities for students. Many students did not have access to electronic devices or did not have Wifi to access content. Instead of digital instruction, the school district sent out packets to students for each class. Some students returned them, and some did not. Now the district has 1:1 devices for students, but I agree with the International Literacy Association that this does not heal the educational gap amongst students (International Literacy Association, 2018, p.4).
I was alarmed by the statistics given about digital fluency in the workplace. With the majority of jobs requiring some level of computer work, it's concerning that 73% of entry-level employees struggle with computer based problem solving (Vanek, 2020, p. 3). What I see within my classroom is a divide in students that effectively use email. Each of them are issued a school email, but not as many regularly check their email as I would have assumed. Even with my honor roll high school students, I need to remind them how to send an email. This is an example of a basic computer skill that our students should have mastered before graduating (Vanek, 2020, p. 2).
I've noticed this year that students in my school district are talking more with each other face-to-face now that they have no other choice but to talk in real-time. One of my high school students tells me often that she's happy about the phone ban because it takes out some of the drama of school life. Last year was my first year of teaching, and I do find it easier not having to deal with the phones this year. The International Literacy Association mentions school settings setting an example for the future workplace rules about phone use (International Literacy Association, 2018, p.4). I do think that students need to learn when an appropriate time to access their phone is. This is similar to AI use. I am seeing students take a simple question to ChatGPT and then paste the generated answer into their assignment drop-box. I have had several talks with students acknowledging that I have been trained in Professional Development sessions to use AI as a tool, but that I never just copy and paste and go on with my day. I am open with them that AI usage is a tool, but that you need to be trained to use it effectively, and that they have not yet been trained for me to allow them to use it in my classroom.
Something that I enjoy teaching students is utilization of websites such as Canva. I am able to teach them how to create brochures, flyers, invitations, and more. Not all of them will have a need for this in their future workplace, but it comes in handy for a variety of life activities. I see Canva as a way for students to tackle digital problem solving, and they can use it for work, school, or personal needs (Vanek, 2020, p. 2).
Chromebooks are a very valuable tool, that I don't think we need to use exclusively, but rather use them as an option of our multiple modes of representation. Back to the conversation of equity, some students need some more practice with technology tools, whereas others may have advanced tech skills. We still need to encourage students to challenge themselves, and they can't get out of using technology completely. But I do think there is value in designing some lessons where students get to choose what type of technology they use, such as creating a flyer on Canva vs. Google Documents. Or even letting them choose to create a brochure on paper instead of on Canva. When we give our students options for completing an assignment, they are going to buy-in to the value of their education.
In my recent department meetings at school, we have been working on incorporating NYS Digital Fluency Standards into our pacing guides. Hopefully this will help me with supporting students with getting comfortable with new technology and with integration of new and relevant technologies.
My classmates already in the teaching field-- what are some uses of technology that you're really proud of in your own classrooms?
References:
International Literacy Association. (2018). LITERACY LEADERSHIP BRIEF Improving Digital Practices for Literacy, Learning, and Justice More Than Just Tools. International Literacy Association. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-improving-digital-practices-literacy-learning-justice.pdf
Vanek, J. (2020, 03 24). Digital Literacy. THE SKILLS THAT MATTER in Adult Education, American Institutes for Research. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf
Alyssa, I knew I had to read your post after reading your comment on mine. The AI use is insane. I've tried and tried to explain to my students that while I understand google and ChatGPT are a norm, they don't actually reflect that you have comprehended the content I am teaching. Just today I was grading assignments and noticed that a student had just copy-pasted what she was told, she didn't even answer the question!! The question asked her to choose between two potential businesses based on location and a tenant scenario. She gave me some indifferent answer that wasn't either of the choices. I've seen so much about guidelines on how to implement proper AI use in your classroom but to be honest, I don't even fully understand how it works. Professional Development on its proper use would be great. When we speak, we constantly have to find ways to effectively communicate with our words to get the correct response. We use body language, tone, and inflection to convey so much more understanding that just the spoken word. How do we expect a computer to correctly answer a question or find a solution without truly understanding the initial prompt? I teach of NYS Digital Fluency Standards and I know that they are taught at a Middle School level but once they get into High School at my district, they are no longer being taught that kind of literacy. One of other students was talking about she was going to make something that would convert her verbal words into words on a typed document because she speaks faster than she can type and it would save her time. I literally showed her how she could do this on her Chromebook and you would have thought I had laid a golden egg. When we think about how many adolescent children know their way around an iPad or iPhone for entertainment, it's astounding compared to the students who don't know that they have so many tools right at their fingertips. If only they had the proper education to build and use those tools and make them more successful members of society.
ReplyDeleteHi Alyssa, I really appreciated your break down of use of technology and the need for teaching digital literacy. It seems that everyone is chasing the next new thing in technology. I know this a common thread as my own children do the same thing - one year it's Gatorade water bottles, this year it's Owala... But with the COVID gap it has felt like many are placing their hopes on the next new app or device. I also read the article by the International Literacy Association and was encouraged by the fact that how we use these tools and teaching the use of the available tools outweigh having the biggest and brightest new toy. I think your approach to AI is fantastic. Students see it as a short cut, but describing it as a tool that must be learned makes such great sense! You are not ignoring the technology, but placing healthy boundaries on it.
ReplyDeleteI also was thinking of the cellphone ban. While I teach lower elementary and have not had to deal with it in my classroom, I have daughters in middle and high school. I think that was the one area I disagreed with the article. While workers are allowed and sometimes encouraged to use their cellphones throughout the work day, is that a reason to allow students to have them? I think the cellphone ban will help teach the next generation about the appropriate time to use their devices.
I love that you offer your students multiple platforms to create their work. My oldest daughter is very artsy and prefers pencil and paper, yet she can also create something beautiful using her computer. Given the choice allows her the freedom to create something truly breathtaking.