Welcome to the future!
This is my final blog for this course and I feel a refreshing sense of liberation. Over the weeks I have explored and reflected upon issues with technology. New millennium literacy requires web 2.0 technologies, include blogs, wikis, digital concept mapping, multimedia sharing services, content syndication, podcasting, RSS feeds and content tagging services.
These are all undergirded by digital and visual literacy. Digital literacy requires basic skills to retrieve, assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the internet. Visual literacy however, develops from seeing and integrating sensory experiences and focuses on sorting and interpreting visible actions and symbols.
Moving Forward
It is imperative that we establish the critical systems necessary to ensure readiness for every student. This requires twenty-first century standards, assessments, curriculum, instruction, professional development and learning environments aligned to produce a support system for student success. The model should combine a focus on twenty-first century student outcomes such as blending of specific skills, content knowledge, expertise and literacies; with innovative support systems to help students master the multi-dimensional abilities that are now required of them.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are undoubtedly at crossroads in the education sector. We can either continue to navigate blindly or hop onto the technology bus. I hope that I have motivated some to do as I have done- take every opportunity to learn more and interact with new technology. It is my belief that when you invest in technology you invest in yourself and vice versa.
So as my final ‘write’ I implore you to go boldly into the future. Be wary though, because the future is here!
Farewell from the Millennium Reading Specialist
Have a Wonderful Future!
Before I comment specifically on this blog let me just say, your reading preference? Exactly up my alley. West Indian stories I love and Jeffery Archer? I am hooked.
ReplyDeleteGenevieve the future is upon us and it can be exciting or intimidating so far I prefer exciting. I like how you have identified the inclusion of technology as a "support system". It brings clarity to how these tools can be used.
I don't feel we may ever replace the various teaching strategies but we can enhance them and bring them into the new millienium with the help of Web 2.0 technologies.
Want an example of just where our world is at in terms of children and technology? Check out my blogs "High-tech at High speed" and "Technology or Bayrum".
It's my turn to say farewell as well. Thank you for your thoughts and motivation in blogging! I agree that it is forward thinking as of now. We are on the journey to integrate technology in our classrooms. We have the theory as well as some practice to unitize wikis, blogs etc. We as teachers must also become motivated to support our students in the transition from old to new literacies in our schools. If we have proper plans in place motivation will be easier for us and our students.
ReplyDeleteSindoni (2009) suggests that planning is important in language instruction. both on the macro – level in terms of policy making and on the micro-level in terms of the creation of language learning programs. So this means that when we go back to our schools, we have got to have instructional planning in place to ensure that we can effectively integrate technology when teaching our mainstream and struggling readers. Lever-Duffy and Mc Donald (2008) support her view in “educational technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning” (Lever-Duffy and Mc Donald, 2008, p.27). For us this simply means become better professionals as we effectively manage our attempts to use new instructional tools on a day to day basis.
Bon Voyage!