Not long ago, educators were asking their students to look in books and pamphlets to find information. The teachers served as the primary deliverers of information, and learning was truly contained within the four walls of the classroom. However, teaching and learning have shifted dramatically. Information is accessible at fiber optic speeds, and students are able to acquire information in multiple formats rather than simply out of the mouths of their teachers. David Warlick attests to the changing role and accessibility of information. Literacy is no longer about simply reading and comprehending a text (Warlick, p. 17). Now, literacy truly involves learning what the forms look like, how to access it, what to do with the material, and …show more content…
Instead of the teachers dictating the learning and the management of the classroom, students take the reins and really interact with the material. Furthermore, digital generation learners need to have visuals, both linguistic and non-linguistic, to retain information better. This, in addition to frontloading by connecting background knowledge, is what provides support when connecting context to content. When students are truly discovering and learning, a calendar should not limit students thinking …show more content…
Our learners were born into this world. Even though technology is rapidly changing, students have been expected to adapt swiftly with the changes. Most of our students are inundated with screens from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed. We know technology can be engaging and empowering in the classroom when used correctly. The most challenging part of shifting to digital classrooms isn’t the learners or the technology itself; it’s changing the mindset of the adults. The shift is forcing classrooms to move away from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered classrooms. With endless facts at our fingertips, teachers no longer need to be the only source of knowledge in the classroom. We can learn from other people and sources, which ultimately lead to endless possibilities. We find students regularly serving as “experts” and leaders in student-centered classrooms. When we place students in leadership positions, we boost morale, confidence, communication skills, retention rates, etc. All students deserve this opportunity at one point or another, as everyone is an expert at something along the
Gomez, L. M., & Gomez, K. (2007). Reading for learning: Literacy supports for 21st-century work. Phi
There is no doubt our educational system is more complex than ever before. There is much to consider when looking at the balance between theories, proven methods, and the reasons why we chose to invest such time into our children’s education. In this paper I will touch on these theories, methods and the importance of the education.
A mere generation ago, literacy was generally focused around solely reading physical materials. Susan Metros emphasizes that most of the teachers employed in schools are from a generation that was largely based around the written word (106). Literacy was a rather simple concept. As Reardon states, “At its simplest, [literacy] is a combination of word reading skills and knowledge-based literacy competencies” (18). To put it simply, if a person could read and understand what he or she was reading, he or she could be considered literate. A wide expanse of knowledge was not required for literacy. The amount and variety of books that a person had read did not dictate that person’s level of literacy. The requirement for literacy was solely that an individual be able to read written texts. At one time, being able to interpret the words on a page was enough. Catlin Tucker asserts that, "Growing up...I knew that people who were literate could read and write, and people who were illiterate could not...Now, as an educator and parent I find myself revisiting this question of what it means to be literate. The definition of literacy is changing. Literacy means something different today than it did 10, 20, or 30 years ago"
Literacy is taught using a structured literacy block due to the fact that “attempts to cover too many topics too quickly” have the tendency to “hinder learning” (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 58). The structured literacy block works to offer students the time that they need in order to learn the information presented to them while ensuring that students have the appropriate time needed to process the information that has been presented to them (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000). The structured literacy block approach is based off of the implication that “learning cannot be rushed” and that for learning to be effective, the inte...
As students arrive in the morning with their mobile devices, students cycle through their core classes (English, Math, Science, History, and Language). These abbreviated mini periods enable students to access and collaborate around a complete digital curriculum available via the suite of web-based resources found in the Ed Box curriculum management system. The teacher is a facilitator and works seamlessly with the system and students to present new topics as well assesses their understanding. Teachers in the classes roam about assisting students individually as they work on their mobile devices and work in small groups to navigate through the curriculum. These students deftly toggle among various resources delivered via the student portal, tracking progress via the data served up on the intuitive dashboard console.
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. (5th ed., pp. 12-286). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Every child deserves a positive, safe, nurturing, and stimulating learning environment where they will grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. My role as an educator is to provide my students with this type of environment as well as an education that will help them succeed academically and become life long learners. It is the responsibility of a literacy educator to provide students with this type of environment, but also to provide instruction that will help students become successful readers and writers. There are numerous programs and philosophies about literacy and reading. Through years of experience and research, one begins to develop their own creative approach on teaching these skills. After looking at different programs and seeing the positive and negatives of each, an integrated and balanced approach of literacy seems to be the best way to teach the differing needs of each student.
Literacy is an on-going skill that teachers and students alike should commonly study and practice in all grades. Problems faced by teachers, especially teachers in higher grades, are not having the skills to be effective teachers of literacy. To effectively teach literacy across content areas, a teacher would need skills such as knowledge of the reading process and the ability to cultivate the knowledge gained in order to make informed decisions within their classrooms (Clary, Oglan, Styslinger,
It is a “reading world” we live in and students should be guaranteed every opportunity to succeed in this information driven society. Children today are overwhelmed with more reading material than ever before on billboard, television, the Internet and at school, causing reading to become a relevant and essential need in the life of every child (Lumpkin 1972). Being able to read has become the core of our information driven society. Yet, reading difficulties continue to plague the foundation of our education system creating a problem that only seems to be escalating. Hasselbring affirms that reading difficulties are a serious concern to our nation’s students claiming that, “as many as 20 percent of 17 year olds... [are] functionally illiterate and 44 percent of all high school students…[are] described as semi-illiterate”(2004). This is a harsh reality to face – a reality that stems from difficulties developed at the elementary level where reading complications arise and usually go unchecked. These reading difficulties are carri...
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
The use of computers in school classrooms has evolved throughout the years, and has become revolutionary in changing the way we teach and learn. Our classrooms should no longer be confined to four walls and a few teachers who are considered to be experts in knowledge. Our classrooms need to keep up with a changing society and a new world that is dependent on technology. As students graduate, they need the technological skills needed to thrive in a world in which technology sets the pace. Society expects the school system to produce functional citizens who have the skills to gain profitable employment, and not be a drain on the system.
The question people are asking themselves today is, Is digital literacy just as important as daily subjects such as reading, writing, and math for our students today? To prepare for this paper I was given three excerpts to read. Right away I was drawn to how much time we spend on the internet daily and what types of things we do while we are on the internet. I realized that today’s society is dependent on the internet for most things like doing homework, researching information, shopping, and getting on social media websites. While reading a fact sheet named Fact Sheet: Digital Literacy, “We live in an internet economy I came across interesting facts such as 96% of Americans use technology and internet at their jobs and 28% of American don’t
The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future.
Technology has changed many aspects of our lives, so why should we expect less of the classroom atmosphere? Technology in the classroom has changed the way students learn and the way teachers teach. Technology today is integrated into the classroom as a teaching tool rather than being taught as a course. There are many ways that technology is used in today’s classroom such as the World Wide Web, Power Point, and Excel (Starr, 2011). Teachers will continue to be the most important aspect of a child’s education because they teach and technology does not. The use of technology in the classroom can bring advantages to a child’s education but can also bring disadvantages (Cleaver, 2011).
As facilitators of learning, our classrooms are filled with students who are comprised of generation X’ers and Millenial’s. We must be conscious to structure our lessons and approaches so that we can present content in the most effective manner. Technology, in regards to principles of teaching, challenges the teacher to not only learn what the technology is all about, but to learn to integrate it effectively within the context of their individual classrooms. Teachers in classrooms across the nation struggle with computer technology, the many features, and the never-ending cycle of new devices that are bought into their classrooms daily. Because of the lack of training and severe levels of discomfort, teachers have developed a negative disposition towards the use of technology when it applying it to principle. Recognizing the noted factors, it can be resolved that we do live in an interactive world. Our job is to effectively integrate the technology in such a way that it supports, guides, and enhances learning for all parties involved.