Category: INF533

This module discusses the implementation of technology and ICT within the curriculum and therefore within our classes, schools and libraries.  We – both as teachers and librarians – need to remember that it is not enough to think of ICT and technology as a whole as a tool to help engage students for a period of ten to fifteen minutes.  We need to be able to use technology to enhance the learning already happening and not detract from it.

The most pivotal point is that students are regularly seen as passive consumers of the curriculum and not active learners (Rowan, 2012, p. 219). One of the major areas where students are seen the most as passive learners is within the area of literacy. Students learn literacy skills the best through collaborative work with both their teacher and their peers.  The biggest aspect of this collaborative work is that teachers are just as engaged with the technology as what the students are.

A particular feature of ICT impacting on students and teachers is that more and more meaning is being made from common symbols that we would otherwise not glean. Simple punctuation symbols are now being strung together to create images designed to convey different emotions or to show affection to another person. As I alluded to in a previous post, we cannot assume that our students live in a world of 100% print; for a large portion of our students print is a foreign concept that they do not like and do not care for.

We need to learn how to balance how we utilise technology and how meaning can be gleaned from aspects that we ordinarily would ignore.  We need to adapt how we use technology and how we are engaged with it – it may mean that we use digital texts rather than print or learning what “<3” means (it’s meant to be a heart, by the way). There are plenty of other options and it is up to use as to how they are implemented and adapted within our schools and classes.

References

Rowan, L. (2012). Imagining futures (Ch. 13). In L. Rowan, & C. Bigum (Ed.),Transformative approaches to new technologies and student diversity in futures oriented classrooms: Future proofing education (pp. 217-225). Dordrecht: Springer Science +Business Media B.V.

Module 1 opens with a generalised fear that the reading culture would be replaced by a visual one. I would have to say that 1970s-1980s fear is now true; movies and TV are more popular than books and the Internet is more popular than newspapers.

Over time, we have seen typewriters, postcards, the handwritten letter and more gradually disappear to the point where students of ours will not have seen any of them. They will only have heard of them as we have heard of VHS tapes and film negatives.

As we have become more digital orientated, texts have become more multiform (Huang, 2012, p. 288) through experimentation with formats to varying degrees of success. Electronic texts are generally seen as cheaper because they are easier to store (Felvegi and Matthew, 2012, p. 40); however, one must take into account the ‘cloud’ or hard drive space needed to store these digital files.

Technology – especially digital literature – can benefit classes greatly, however, they are not always seamlessly embedded into the classroom. This can be due to teachers nearing retirement or who are set in their ways being unwilling to change their practice. Or because of the classroom/school facilities cannot handle the high level of technology and digital material that we have. Similarly, some students may not have access to a laptop or tablet or even have the Internet connection at home – therefore making it impossible for them to connect to digital literature in the same way that we can.

Digital literature is something we (including “digital natives”) are still feeling our way with. We are still learning how to embed it into our classes, schools and libraries. While our generation has grown up with technology and the digital world, it may take the next to fully have digital literature embedded within our classes and schools.

References

Flevegi, E. & Matthew, K.I. (2012). eBooks and literacy in K-12 schools, Computers in the schools, 29(1-2), 40-52.
DOI: 10.1080/07380569.2012.651421

Huang, H-C. (2012). E-reading and e-discussion: EFL learners’ perceptions of an e-book reading program.
Computer Assisted Language Learning, 26(3), 258-281/. DOI: 10.1080/09588221.2012.656313

This module opens the scene for Digital Literature in schools. The good, the bad and the ugly.

There is the ability to explore what we can use in our classrooms as well as have avaliable in the library for school wide perusal. Digital Literature can encompass all creative environments, including iPads and flexible use of graphic interfaces and interactive multimedia.

Digital Literature can provide creative and easy solutions to common problems as well can create a host of their own.  These problems can include accessibility (both in a physical and intellectual sense), pedagogical integration and individual site and learner needs.

Digital Literature can be a blessing and a curse; it is up to us as to how we approach it with our students, staff and site.