| Name of teaching resource:
Reading Eggspress, specifically the stadium feature. |
| Weblink (if web based): |
| Who should this digital teaching resource be used with? (ie year/grade)
The stadium feature of Reading Eggspress is most appropriate for students in the 7-13 age bracket or grades 2-7. |
| How should it be used? (e.g. individual, whole class)
Reading Eggspress is a versatile program well suited to self-paced and self-motivated learning. It is a resource that can be used under the instruction of a teacher in a classroom setting as well as for any students wishing to fast-track their literacy in their own time. |
| Which subject or learning area would it be most appropriate to use in?
Stadium is a Reading Eggspress program that is most beneficial for the development of English literacy; specifically its spelling, grammar, vocabulary and usage. |
| Identify the strengths of this teaching resource:
I consider the strengths of this resource to be that it is entertaining and also incorporates an element of competition with other players or the computer itself. An added benefit of this is students learning to perform under pressure. Further, it is a resource that caters to the individual student’s capabilities. |
| Identify any weaknesses of this teaching resource:
Whilst participating in the stadium feature, I encountered an error in that an answer was provided in the question. Although, this is a minor fault, I do wonder how many instances this occurs in. |
| Explain any ideas you may have for further use of this teaching resource
I imagine this is an excellent program to use with struggling students and also English as a second language students who, although older, may not grasp the complexities of the English language. |
Science teaching resource.
| Name of teaching resource:
Pinterest, specific resource is my Science board. |
| Weblink (if web based): |
| Who should this digital teaching resource be used with? (ie year/grade)
This resource is to be used with students in upper primary (grades 4 – 6). |
| How should it be used? (e.g. individual, whole class)
As this pinboard is a compilation of various activities, posters and articles, I envision it being used as either a whole class activity or as group activities. |
| Which subject or learning area would it be most appropriate to use in?
This pinboard has been designed to increase students’ knowledge and enthusiasm for the sciences. |
| Identify the strengths of this teaching resource:
I believe a strength of this resource is the hands-on nature of the activities and the fact that many of the teaching aides are visually appealing. I imagine students in grades 4-6 will be enthusiastic to engage in science with the assistance of any of the links on this Pinterest board. |
| Identify any weaknesses of this teaching resource:
A significant weakness is that teachers may have to test every activity themselves to check for safety and validity. A further weakness is that each of the links on the pinboard assumes a certain level of prior understanding of the topic and does not cater for individual learner capabilities. |
| Explain any ideas you may have for further use of this teaching resource:
A resource such as this could be developed under a school’s communal Pinterest account, the benefits of this include the ability of all teachers to contribute their findings and resources to this board. |
Digital fluency.
To be digitally literate, if not fluent, seems to be an increasingly important skill to have for effective participation in the 21st century. Niessen (2013) states that digital fluency refers to one’s ease of technological ability and the knowledge of when, where, how and why to use specific digital mediums. As the digital world is so vast, it is challenging to define fluency in a quantifiable manner. According to Howell (2014) digital fluency can be achieved in any number of technological skills such as navigation or programming. As digital literacy is a precursor for digital fluency, this is appears to be an educational focus.
Seemingly, it has become a fact of modern life in Australia that each work, home and recreational space requires a degree of digital literacy for effective participation. This provides a good argument for Australians and people across the globe to increase their digital fluency. According to Purposeful Technology (n.d.) success in both white and blue collar jobs depends in part on one’s digital literacy.
Educators should remain mindful that the knowledge and skills they impart upon students should be relevant and applicable to the current times; thus, I believe it is a teacher’s responsibility to educate in a manner that enhances digital literacy and fluency. It is a well-known fact that learning is most effective when skills are experienced first hand (Briggs & Makice, 2011). Consequently, a number of hands on activities can be devised that aim to increase digital fluency. Howell (2014, p. 134) suggests a combination of digital activities that involve creative, experimental and purposeful components which are well suited to this outcome; examples of these activities may include blogging, animations and spreadsheeting.
It is my opinion that the goal of most teachers is to prepare students for successful participation in society through the development of their literacy, numeracy and critical thinking skills. This now also includes digital literacy which I believe to be one of the foundations for success beyond the classroom.
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References
Briggs, C., & Makice, K. (2011). Digital fluency: building success in the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.socialens.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/01/SociaLens_Digital_Fluency_Sample1.pdf
Howell, J. (2014). Living and Learning in the Digital World Mod 02 03 Week 6. [ilecture]. Retrieved from https://echo.ilecture.curtin.edu.au:8443/ess/echo/presentation/69320b47-1f26-4f87-ae1c-7ba4e48e0050
Howell, J. (2014). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
Niessen, S. (2013, April 19). What is digital fluency. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.shuananiessen.ca/what-is-digital-fluency/
Purposeful Technology. (n.d.) Why is digital literacy important. Retrieved from http://purposefultechnology.weebly.com/why-is-digital-literacy-important.html
Socialens. (2011). Digital fluency. [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.socialens.com/blog/2011/02/05/the-difference-between-digital-literacy-and-digital-fluency/
Socialens. (2011). Digital fluency – Two levels of skill. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgaWWp75K64
The Learning Mob. (2013). Digital literacy. [Image]. Retrieved from https://thelearningmob.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/diglit2.jpg
The digital divide.
The personal, professional and educational digital expectations in today’s age seem to be ever increasing. This may be an exciting prospect for those who are digitally fluent, however, there exists a large population who are not so digitally privileged. A major concern lies in how to bridge the digital gap; this term refers to the division between those who have access to technology and those that do not (Bentley, 2014).
A report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics claims that in 2010-2011 approximately 21 percent of Australia’s population was not using the Internet (Adult Learning Australia, n.d.). There are a number of factors that are known to contribute to this gap, amongst others these include access, knowledge, geography and socio-economic status (Barr, 2014). A disparity such as this may well have serious implications for equal opportunities across the nation ranging from online services to education. With regards to the educational implications, Green (n.d.), claims that students on the wrong side of the gap will continue to fall further behind their classmates, which in turn, may result in being limited to lower paying jobs in the future.
In an attempt to combat these disadvantageous factors, schools may be in a fortunate position to provide access points for technology, assist in developing student’s digital literacy and provide opportunities to explore the capabilities of modern technology. The role that schools could potentially play in bridging this gap should not be underestimated. Critical factors relevant for schools that aim to bridge the gap include the quantity of technology available and the quality of hardware, software and programming (Green, n.d.).
It is vitally important that in this digital age no student gets left behind, as the negative implications may be substantial. I believe it is the duty of every school to impart technological knowledge and opportunities so as best to prepare students for their successful participation in this digitally driven world.
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References
Adult Learning Australia. (n.d.). Bridging the digital divide. Retrieved from https://ala.asn.au/news/bridging-the-digital-divide/
Barr, P., N. (2014 October 6). The digital divide is narrowing but more needs to be done. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/the-digital-divide-is-narrowing-but-more-needs-to-be-done-25994
Bentley, P. (2014, July 3). Lack of affordable broadband creating ‘digital divide’. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/bridging-the-digital-divide/5566644
Green, L., C. (n.d.) Bridging the digital divide in our school – achieving technology equity for all students. Retrieved from http://www.idra.org/IDRA_Newsletter/May_2000_Equity_and_Excellence/Brid ging_the_Digital_Divide_in_Our_Schools/
Jamesduck4652. (2012, April 25). Digital divide flash animation. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFDDQi9ow4
Wright, S. (2011). Internet users by country. [Image]. Retrieved from http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/internet-access-global.jpg
The digital world.
Recent reflections regarding my personal use of digital devices and the role technology plays in my society have lead me to believe that technology has been, and will continue to be the greatest influence on life in the 21st century. Today’s world appears to be a digital one in which technology is endemic; on trains, in classrooms, in laboratories and in the hands of toddlers. Statistics provided by the International Telecommunications Union suggest that approximately 90% of the global population has mobile network access (Shein, as cited in Zhang, 2012).
For me, the digital world encompasses a number of interconnected aspects; this includes devices such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones; virtual tools such as the internet, applications, software and data; and the manner whereby it is all connected, for example wifi and broadband.
Now, possibly more than ever, technology plays a significant role in shaping education and the world in general. As Howell (2014, p. 15) states, today’s people are no longer simply citizens of a community or nation, but also members of a much larger global information system. Mobile technology and a familiarity with the digital world are both, in my opinion, key contributors to the increasing reliance on technology. Children and adolescents in particular are dependent on their digital devices (Gallo, 2013), and display a high level of digital literacy (Eaton, 2011). This ongoing engagement with the digital world suggests that 21st century learners are motivated and intrigued by technology. This notion is supported by Howell (2014, p. 15) and Prensky (2008) who both claim that today’s students seek to be active participants in their own learning. Consequently, it stands to reason that over time teachers have needed to adapt their approach to education and increase their digital literacy in an attempt to accommodate student’s digitally driven nature. It appears that gone are the days when education was teacher-centered; enter the age of student-centered hands-on learning.
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References
AITSL. (2012, May 7). 21st century education.. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA1Aqp0sPQo
Eaton, S. (2011, December 7). 21 characteristics of 21st century learners. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://drsaraheaton.wordpress.com /2011/12/07/21st-century-learners/
Gallo, L. (2013, June 3). Living in a digital world. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://now.uiowa.edu/2013/06/living-digital-world
Howell, J. (2014). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.
Liberty Voice. (2014). Technology [Image]. Retrieved from http://guardianlv.com/2014/05/social-media-is-everywhere/
Pinterest. (2014). Whiteboard cartoon. [Image]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/280067670552567603/
Prensky, M. (2008, May 22). The 21st century learner: How tech obsessed iKids would improve our schools. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia .org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008
Zhang, G. (2012, April 27). The impact of mobile technology on people’s lives. [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://dmsp.digital.eca.ed.ac.uk/blog/ literaryhighstreet2012/2012/04/27/the-impact-of-mobile-technology-on-peoples-live/
Teaching and learning in the digital world. 