Using Technologies As A Teaching Tool…

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How some people still oppose using media technologies when teaching, but the fact is that students can access those technologies without us. According to Schiebe and Rogow, “If we want students to use media with a sense of ethics, responsibility and purpose, we have to teach them how” (2012). I have to say a lot of educators are trying not to include technologies into their teaching curriculum as the reason may be that they are not good with technologies themselves. However, educators can’t afford to ignore these innovations either, because they are changing the game of education (Schiebe & Rogow, 2012).

As an adult living in America, I believe it’s important that technologies get involved into today’s learning. Technology is the new tomorrow! Just look at McDonalds, they are replacing cashiers with self-order machines out front. Technology is really taking over. With educators allowing them or teaching them how to use it properly, they can be preparing these learners for the future (Ivy, 2017)

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Pros with using technologies as a tool

Technologies prepare learners for the future. Technology in the classroom can help them prepare learners for the future and equip them with necessity tools to keep up with society as the digital economy is constantly evolving.

Technology allows learners to learn at their own pace. Many students have their own learning style. Technology allows the students to learn in their own ways.

With allowing students to use technologies in the class can allow them to explore more on what’s going on with today’s world. The reason I say that is because many textbooks may be written a while back and that updated information on there weren’t included.

Cons with using technologies as a tool

 Not all schools can keep up with the rapid change with technology. Constantly upgrading and purchasing equipment can be very expensive for schools. It may not work for school that has a small budget for technology or innovation.

Using technology may not create that same social benefit a traditional classroom would have. For example, using technologies in class won’t allow students to interact with others like they would in a traditional classroom. Accessing assignments/quizzes on line can cause student to take the course less serous. When I was in college, I took many online electives such as Ecology where I hated Science overall. But oh hey, when you’re paying your tuition at such a high price, you can take up to six courses so why not when I can earn more credit out of it. I get to google the answers during quizzes (please don’t do that. I am such a bad influence). I tend to take these courses less serious as it wasn’t related to my major but was able to get credit overall.

Many teachers still think that technologies with internet access can be a distraction for students. I have to agree that it’s hard to monitor each one of the students in class. It’s really hard to tell if they are actually following the material as told or actually off on surfing the web or updating their status on Facebook.

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With the pros and cons listed regarding technologies, do you think it’s a good idea that teachers/educators rely on them as teaching materials?

References:

Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F. (2012). The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World. Corwin: Thousand Oaks, CA .

Ivy, S. “Use of Technology In The Classroom.” Use of Technology, Use of Technology, 26 Sept. 2017, http://www.useoftechnology.com/use-of-technology-in-the-classroom/.

What’s Real and What’s Fake?

As Schiebe and Regrow had indicated, for those who live in developed nations are surrounded by media (2012, pp.11). The internet is all about marketing and false information today. So how much of the information and resources on line are real today? How can we tell? As adults, it’s hard to tell so how can we teach younger learners what to do when searching on the web?

As more and more people are just relying on the internet for “digital” news rather than buying an actually newspaper. It is important that they know how to evaluate to see if those sources are reliable. In this week’s blog, I would like to focus on how teachers can teach their learners on how to search and rely on proper sources that are available online. During the last few weeks, we focused on how to include D&ML in curriculum(s) but this week, we should just take a step back on what we kind of media learners should trust before applying them into their assignments.

Everything starts with the search button. Even my cousin at the age of five searches on the web, where she can get her “Shopkins.” Especially with younger learners, educators should inform them at a younger age on what resources to rely on. Educators should teach students how to search effectively. As mentioned by ISTE, one way to teach students how to “search” properly educators use the SEARCH acronym as a tool to guide them through the steps of the internet search process.

What does SEARCH actually stand for?

Search
The whole process begins when they type what they are looking for in the search engine.

Evaluation
Evaluating is the hardest part to teach learners. They would have to look into the sources and credibility of the website. You and I must have trusted news on Myspace or Facebook when were younger. It is important that learners dig deeper into the source and find more about the author and what the purpose of the source is about.

Add quotation marks or Boolean terms
As mentioned by ISTE, the use of quotation marks with keyword phrases ensures key words are searched in the order in which they are entered.

Refine searches
Learners conduct advance searches to narrow down their preferences. For example, they may just be looking for what’s in PDF files. While advance searching that, only PDF files will show up. This way they can narrow down on sources and get what they are looking for sooner.

Check the URL
When I was younger, my teachers told us that .edu and .gov websites are more “legit”  with website ending with .com or .org websites. To be honest, when I was younger, it was so hard to tell the difference between a blog and an actual article. ISTE stated, understanding the URL can help students find author information as well as the geographical location of the server (uk, ca).

Hunt for important information
During the last process, students should be able to look into the “reliable” sources for information. I would like the also call this step the “look what I found” step. This is the step where they are able to capture the information and share with others.

 

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It is important to teach students on what tools or information they can use online. The SEARCH acronym identified by ISTE can help educators support web literacy skills in a way that tell students the difference between factual or inaccurate news.

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I find this video very interesting and I would like to share with you guys!

Without restrictions on the web, do you think it will confuse learners on what’s real and what’s not? Without restrictions where everything is online, do you think learners get to be expose to new ideas or it may mislead them into believing something that’s not true (a.k.a. brainwashing)? So would educators responsible for educating them what to believe or not? Or who do you think should be responsible for that?

References:

Pilgrim, J., and E. Matinez. “Media Literacy Starts with SEARCHing the Internet.” ISTE | Blog, 28 Feb. 2018, http://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=2138.

Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F. (2012). The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World. Corwin: Thousand Oaks, CA .

 

 

 

 

 

Participatory Culture- International Student Edition

 

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I would like to start off this week’s blog introducing what I do for living or I should say what my job is all about. I work for an educational consulting company that works with a lot of international students from China and Korea. We assist them with the application process when applying to schools and create the support they need upon arrival. We help seek for tutors and communicate with their teachers so that we are able to help them succeed through out the time they are here studying in the U.S.

Many of the international students arrive to the U.S. not speaking English at all. By this meaning, English barrier is a major challenge for them overall. With my job experience, I had witnessed multiple cases that the student themselves aren’t confident about their work because of the English proficiency. This is also one of the reasons they are not as engaged in class comparing to their peers.

What is Participartoy Culture?

According to Jenkins (2009), participatory culture is:

• With relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement
• With strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others
• With some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices
• Where members believe that their contributions matter
• Where members feel some degree of social connection with one another (at the least they care what other people think about what they have created

Over the years, the schools had created more opportunities and had focus a lot more on their international students. For example, a local high school we work with, now 30% of their students are international from other countries. The school used to not have an international student director where students that can go to for questions regarding their classes or schedule. They used not have a tab for international students on their official website. They started preparing and organizing a two-day orientation for the international students. For the first day of the orientations, they focus heavily and had all international students attend. The second day is where all new (international and domestic) students meet up.

During the orientation for international students, International Director and teachers are to work closely with them, informing the resources that are available for them. As Jenkins (2009) indicated, “Much writing about twenty-first century literacies seems to assume that communicating through visual, digital, or audiovisual media will displace reading and writing.” Teachers are to inform the new students how to access school assignments and lectures online. As Jenkins (2009) had also stated, “Educators must work together to ensure that every American young person has access to the skills and experiences needed to become a full participant, can articulate their understanding of how media shapes perceptions, and has been socialized into the emerging ethical standards that should shape their practices as media makers and participants in online communities.” This high school had chose to use Google classroom for their class interactions and their assignments. Google classroom allows them to submit their assignments where the teacher can give feedback directly on work they had done

 

I have also experienced multiple cases where school had informed us how our students had plagiarized. As English being their second language, the teachers had also shared lectures on how to access materials and what sources are appropriate for researches or essays. These videos on Google classroom are to help assist these new learners about the skills they should develop over time. Besides from that, the school offers an online tutor where seniors are to assist new coming students such as proof reading and scheduling tutor hours. As Jenkins (2009) had indicated “Our goals should be to encourage youth to develop the skills, knowledge, ethical frameworks, and self-confidence needed to be full participants in contemporary culture.” This high school is trying to assist by offering help to their international students by providing available resources so they are nourish to adapt to the culture. These resources can help student build confidence on their work and improve their skills overtime.

In regards to this week’s topic on participatory culture, do you believe with such diverse background, which platform (affiliation, expression, collaborative problem solving or circulation) works best/most effective? Why do you think that?

References:

Google for Education: Google SVA Scholarship (n.d.). Retrieved from Google, edu.google.com/k-12-solutions/classroom/?modal_active=none.

Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Puruhsotma, R., Robinson, A. J., & Weigel, M. (2009). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21st century [White paper]. Retrieved July 22, 2018 from: https://www.macfound.org/media/article_pdfs/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF

Additional Video:

What is google classroom?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Teach D&ML? Who Should Be Responsible To Teach? What Are Some Challenges When Teaching D&ML?

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Why teach about media literacy?

As NAMLE explained, “The purpose of media literacy education is to help individuals of all ages to develop the habits of inquiry and skills of expression that they need to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and active citizens in today’s world” (Scheibe & Rogow, 2012).  As it seems that social media is being involved in our daily lives more and more over time, students can be confused as they see messages on there. According to Scholastic, teaching students specifically about media literacy skills can provide them with tools needed to be responsible and critical consumers of media (2017).

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With Scholastic’s indication, I believe that it is the educator’s responsibility to teach their students the skills for Digital and Media Literacy (D&ML). Scheibe & Rogow (2012) believe that: “In an age of media convergence and rapid change, the approach that makes the most sense for media literacy educators is to provide students with reading, writing, analysis, and reflection skills that apply across all technologies, including versions that will come in the future” (p. 16).  It is important to educate students when media literacy is always changing and evolving over time. This way they are being prepared for what the future holds.

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As mentioned previously, D&ML is to help individual of all ages. Parents of younger learners would not typically provide their child with reading, writing, analysis, and reflection skills that would apply across technologies. Today technology plays an important role in our daily lives. More students are using technology to access course material online. This is why starting at a young age, educators should teach their learners and have them be familiarized with D&ML.

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What are some challenges?

Major challenge with teaching D&ML is that not everyone would have access to a computer or tablet at home such as lower income families. It can be a challenge for the learner itself as well. If they do not have access to a computer at home then they would not be able to be on the same learning process as their peers. Another challenge is that not every school has the fund to purchase enough computers or tablets for all of their students. Teaching D&ML requires a technology. It can be a major issue for schools to teach D&ML when there is not enough resource for each one of their students. If the budget is a challenge for the school, do you believe there are other ways to teach D&ML skills to these students? What else can schools or educators do when facing such challenge(s)? Do you think many students of all ages will be affected if institutions aren’t going to teach D&ML skills? In what ways will they be affected?

References:

DePasquale, J. “Tackling Fake News: Strategies for Teaching Media Literacy Scholastic.” Scholastic Publishes Literacy Resources and Children’s Books for Kids of All Ages, 6 Jan. 2017, www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/john-depasquale/2017/Tackling-Fake-News–Strategies-for-Teaching-Media-Literacy/.

“Media Literacy Defined.” National Association for Media Literacy Education, 10 Mar. 2017, namle.net/publications/media-literacy-definitions/.

Scheibe, C., Rogow, F. (2012). Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World. Corwin: Thousand Oaks, CA.