The True Grit of a Teacher

When thinking about how classroom technology can have a positive or negative effect on a student’s Literacy this Acrostic poem can help give you an idea.            

Lack of proper Language skills

Ideas are at your finger tips

Teachers are almost irrelevant

Engaging Students

Reading Facebook instead of books

Access to different Resources

Catastrophic effects

Yearning for Learning

However, with the proper training and usage of technology in the classroom it can be more of a positive literacy tool for students.

Literacy can be defined in many ways, such as reading and language skills, however it also includes communication skills, cultural awareness, adaptation/change with the times, and collaboration.

BUT GUESS WHAT!! It also includes technology…

Technology is one of the many ways we communicate with each other and how to do it properly which is a part of the Literacy definition. Here we could use a tem called code-switching. Code-Switching is when, where, and how a person chooses to use a certain type of language. For example, focusing in on students, the way a child would talk to their teacher will be different from the way they will talk to their friends. Therefore, students have to know how to properly code switch in order for technology to work effectively with their communication skills especially when it comes their assignments.

On one hand technology can be a negative thing for students, because they can become dependent on the easy access of information, they don’t properly code-switch, they don’t have access to it at home, they aren’t familiar with that certain program, and many more. However, with good instruction and great teacher most of these obstacles can be overcome.

They can be overcome because there are way more positive effects on a student’s education. They have more resources at the tips of their fingers; have more programs in order to help with their effective communication, and etc. Therefore, the student’s Literacy will improve because their communication will become more effective; they will become more culturally diverse; and their collaboration with others will also benefit.

So, to wrap this up here’s a poem that may help you think about the effects technology can have on someone personally and academically.

Who R U?

Social media is…
constructing ur identity
destroying ur relationships
remixing ur life
through a text message, status update, or tweet…
r u even the same person?
Be responsible.

1. Arcosstic Poem
2. News Cast
3. Recipe

The blog will be centered around Literacy and technology; however, it may include ideas about creativity as well .

art and skill of a digital writer

is to understand audience and situation

but 2 b shrt

#notablog

How Traditional Research Papers are a Drab

When thinking of traditional research papers this is what I picture students feeling:

There are many different options for us teachers to explore when thinking about assigning a new project for our students. You can always go with the traditional route and have them write a standard, 5 paragraph essay on your topic, but put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Think about how many papers just like this they’ve already written. Will they actually learn anything from this? Perhaps more importantly, will they enjoy doing this?

    Group of teenagers sitting in a classroom

On the flip side, you could test your students’ creativity by assigning something a little more interactive, such as a social media campaign! Have them choose a site of their choice, such as Twitter or Facebook, and let them run wild. You’ll probably notice a change in engagement, and have some more fun yourself! Have students create a hashtag that people can use to express their concern about the issue the student has posed and let the creative energy flow!

Jon Stickland teaches his sustainable systems analysis class in the R.E.A.L classroom in McDonel Hall on Friday March 29, 2013.

The social media campaign could look something like this:

example of social media campaign

So let’s encourage creativity and involvement in class!