The Digital Classroom

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The Digital Classroom

• Exploring Technological Literacy

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Background
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Moving Towards Technological Literacy

• Over the last two decades, the definition of
  literacy has expanded well beyond that once found
  in popular publications which expressed literacy
  as the ability to read and write and to
  communicate with written or printed symbols."

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• In addition to the old standards of literacy,
  newly adapted definitions for 21st century
  literacy include the ranges of skills needed to
  participate socially and collaboratively in
  varying contexts and in different environments.

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• As a result of the expanded understanding of
  literacy, a number of phrases incorporating the
  word literacy have been coined. These phrases
  include computer literacy, scientific literacy,
  literacy, visual literacy, cultural literacy,
  adult literacy, etc.

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• As professionals in the field of education our
  challenge is to help our students obtain the
  literacies they will need to succeed in the
  workplace and as life long learners.

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Types of Literacy
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Language Literacy

• "Language Literacy is the ability to identify,
  understand, interpret, create, and communicate,
  using printed and written materials associated
  with varying contexts. Literacy involves a
  continuum of learning to enable an individual to
  achieve his or her goals, to develop his or her
  knowledge and potential, and to participate fully
  in the wider society."

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Mathematical Literacy

• Mathematical Literacy is an individuals
  capacity to identify and understand the role that
  mathematics plays in the world, to make
  well-founded judgments and to use and engage with
  mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that
  individuals life as a constructive, concerned
  and reflective citizen."

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Scientific Literacy

• Scientific Literacy means that a person can
  ask, find, or determine answers to questions
  derived from curiosity about everyday
  experiences. It means that a person has the
  ability to describe, explain, and predict natural
  phenomena. Scientific literacy entails being able
  to read with understanding articles about science
  in the popular press and to engage in social
  conversation about the validity of the
  conclusions.

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COMPUTER and INFORMATION LITERACY

• ALL STUDENTS WILL USE COMPUTER APPLICATIONS TO
  GATHER AND ORGANIZE INFORMATION AND TO SOLVE
  PROBLEMS.
• Descriptive Statement Using computer
  applications and technology tools students will
  conduct research, solve problems, improve
  learning, achieve goals, and produce products and
  presentations in conjunction with standards in
  all content areas, including career education and
  consumer family, and life skills. They will also
  develop, locate, summarize, organize, synthesize,
  and evaluate information for lifelong learning.

Sound familiar?
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Technological Literacy
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Technological Literacy

• Technological Literacy is the ability to
  understand and evaluate technology. It
  complements technological competency which is the
  ability to create, repair, or operate specific
  technologies. "There is a major difference
  between technological competence and
  technological literacy. Literacy is what everyone
  needs. Competence is what a few people need in
  order to do a job or make a living. And we need
  both."
• Technological Literacy is the ability to use,
  manage, assess, and understand technology. It
  involves knowledge, abilities, and the
  application of both knowledge and abilities to
  real-world situations. Citizens of all ages
  benefit from technological literacy, whether it
  is obtained through formal or informal
  educational environments.
• Because technology can be defined as the use of
  hardware and people in order to extend human
  capabilities, Technological Literacy can be
  described as the intellectual processes,
  abilities, and dispositions needed for students
  to understand the link between technology,
  themselves, and society in general.
• Technological Literacy encompasses three
  interdependent dimensions (1) content
  knowledge/social context (2) ways of thinking
  and acting/ Intellectual Processes and (3)
  capabilities/ technical competency.

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21st Century Literacy

• 21st century literacy includes the digital
  skills needed to participate socially and
  collaboratively in the new media environment.
• And, no matter how we cut it, the two aspects
  relating to any type of literacy is the ability
  for powerful decision making and well-founded
  judgments and participation in the wider
  society as a constructive, concerned, and
  reflective citizen.

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Who is Tech Literate?

• Technologically Literate students are able to

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• analyze the technological influences on their
  lives and see themselves as having roles and
  responsibilities in shaping society

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• critically examine and question technological
  progress and innovation

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• explain how technology shapes and is shaped by
  society

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• use data collection and decision making skills
  to make intelligent choices

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• take responsible action on social issues

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• understand and model positive, ethical use of
  technology in both social and personal contexts

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• use a variety of technology tools in effective
  ways to increase creative productivity.

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• use communication tools to reach out to the
  world beyond the classroom and communicate ideas
  in powerful ways.

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• use technology effectively to access, evaluate,
  process and synthesize information from a variety
  of sources.

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• use technology to identify and solve complex
  problems in real-world contexts

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Introduction to the Task
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• In order to deepen students understanding about
  the effects of technology on their lives and how
  it extends the human experience, it is important
  that these experiences relate to real students,
  and their issues and interests in their everyday
  lives.

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• By linking subject matter with everyday life and
  developments in society, students become involved
  in authentic and understandable experiences
  relating to technology.

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(No Transcript)
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Lets Go!

• You are a technology coordinator charged with
  working with one classroom and one classroom
  teacher. You will help your chosen teacher
  identify one small aspect that impacts the lives
  of students and use existing technologies to
  extend the experience for the students. Simply
  stated, create an educational experience for
  students by exhausting some aspect authentic
  their lives (the nugget) and use varying
  technologies to add depth and meaning to the
  experience.

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• The technologies you incorporate should allow
  students to employ the real world strategies of
• Synthesizing
• Researching
• Decision making
• Debating
• Inquiry
• Data collection
• Critical analysis
• Problem solving
• Evaluating, etc

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The End Result?

• The end result should be a technology-enriched
  product that exemplifies the intellectual
  processes our students use in becoming more
  technologically literate (synthesizing,
  researching, decision making, debating, inquiry,
  data collection, critical analysis, problem
  solving, evaluating, etc.), that addresses some
  authentic part of their lives as relates to
  technological issues (culture, environmental
  issues, communications, transportation,
  consumerism, health and safety, politics, the
  economy, ecosystems, energy, technology, media,
  etc.), and that accomplishes the criteria of what
  constitutes best practices in instructional
  technology.

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Samples http//www.edutopia.org/hula-high-tech-v
ideo
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Remember the 3 dimensions of Technological
Literacy

• Where did we see the 3 dimensions in parts of the
  video?

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Technological Literacy Dimension 1
knowledge/context

• What were the different academic and/or social
  contexts?

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Technological Literacy Dimension 2 ways of
thinking and acting/ Intellectual Processes

• In what instances did you see students using
  real-world intellectual processes for addressing
  issues?

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Technological Literacy Dimension 3
capabilities/ technical competency

• What computer skills did the students need to
  execute the projects?

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Approaching Technological Literacy

• Did you see any instances where the experiences
  helped to shape overall technological literacy?

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Planning

• This type of challenge requires focused planning.
  Unlike past projects, the project designs for
  this task may not be found in any project
  registry but relies on the planning, preparation
  and collective energies of everyone involved.

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8 Steps in the Planning Process
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• Choose the content area(s) and social context(s)
  and any goals and objectives.
• Determine the overall purpose for choosing this
  goal/objective.
• Determine the students participating in the
  project Considerations school(s), grade
  level(s), performance level(s), gender, number,
  etc.
• Determine the roles of the participating adults
• Instructor Moving students through the
  activities, checking work, giving feedback,
  etc.
• Moderators uploading to eboards/forums,
  intercepting email dialogue, posting/responding
  to emails, making initial email contacts, etc.
• Secretary Designing/Issuing/ Collecting
  parental consent forms, keeping a log of the
  progress, etc.
• Technician Setting up email accounts, posting
  to eBoards, teaching new software packages,
  Issuing AUPs, taking pictures throughout the
  process, etc.
• Determine Timelines When will you begin? How
  often will participating adults meet/correspond?
  How will the schedule be arranged? How often
  will students work on the classroom computers or
  in the lab? etc.
• Plan for difficulties release time, internet
  at home, testing, etc.
• Conduct research.
• Design activities and accompanying rubrics that
  work to accomplish the intended learning goals
  and objectives.

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and as alwaysOn the day of the Fair
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Engage visitors in an interactive, meaningful
experience. Interactive means more than just
passively seeing or experiencing a project. Have
viewers do something that incorporates use of
multiple senses. Use technology to have viewers
gain deeper insight into the presented project.

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The Mission of the Computer Fair

• To showcase the talents, abilities, interests,
  potential, and skills of our students as they
  relate to instructional technology and its impact
  on student growth and achievement
• To recognize those instructional technology-based
  practices that have had a significant impact on
  the evolution, development, and perpetuation of
  the instructional technology program
• To celebrate and promote excellence in
  instructional technology