EDET 573 Week 1 Reflection

This week's reading assignment was Chapter 1 in Technology to Teach Literacy and Literacy 2.0: Reading and Writing in 21st Century Classrooms. Both chapters introduce and address the change or shift that literacy is making in education. No longer should students passively read textbooks with regurgitation as a goal or complete comprehension checks at the completion of their readings. Today's students should experience much more in their 21st century classrooms.

I found the information on moving to a social-constructivism learning paradigm in Technology to Teach Literacy intriguing. It seems to align perfectly with the Common Core Standards. The idea to allow students to apply "tools" they have learned to aid in learning new concepts will naturally promote student responsibility. Focusing on students' abilities to problem solve and encouraging collaboration will keep students active in their education. Technology is constantly changing and it is necessary for educators to continue to learn and share innovative ways to incorporate it, so literacy can be promoted both in and out of the classroom.

Techno-Constructivist link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech005.shtml
Link to Common Core State Standards site: http://www.corestandards.org/

"Think of mistakes as experiments rather than failures" is my favorite quote from the first chapter in Literacy 2.0: Reading and Writing in 21st Century Classrooms. As responsibility shifts to students, this might be a quote to share! I had a fast flashback to Madeline Hunter and my beginning years of lesson planning as I read the suggested lesson framework. I was relieved to find modeling included as a part of the Focus Lessons. While my 6th graders are eager to engage with technology, I often try to show proper technique or procedure with potential problems and solutions prior to their independent attempts. I also was interested in the perception of homework in the Independent Learning step of the framework. I believe homework needs to be individualized to meet the needs of the learner. As a parent of a gifted child, nothing is more frustrating than watching your child complete assignments that are mere rote memory activities for mastered concepts. I do confess that in the past I was guilty of making absent work homework without providing many of the notes or examples completed in class. Technology is now allowing me to provide information, notes, and even modeling examples to students both in and out of the classroom. :)

Link to Updated Bloom's Taxonomy document: http://www.utar.edu.my/fegt/file/Revised_Blooms_Info.pdf

Anderson, R. S., Grant, M. M., & Speck, B. W. (2008). Technology to teach literacy: a resource for
     K-8 teachers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Gonzalez, A. (2010). Literacy 2.0: reading and writing in 21st century 
     classrooms. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.