Digital Blog Post #C - Chapters 7 & 8

Chapter 7 dedicated a section of its content to a subject that is near and dear to my heart: the use of video games as a tool for learning, one that was of great importance to me as an ELL student. Several professionals have concluded that on top of being an invaluable aid to teaching, educational games allow their players to develop skills essential to a technology-driven 21st century society, such as strategic thinking, interpretive analysis, and adaptation to rapid change. There was also something quite interesting explored in this section, coined by MIT researchers as the "five essential freedoms of learning:" the freedom to fail, experiment, fashion identities, effort, and interpretation. I believe it's pivotal for teachers moving forward to recognize the value of these games and incorporate into the daily experience of their classrooms.

Further explored in chapter 7 are the attitudes of parents and teachers still coping with the psychological and sociological impact on children who spend a great deal of time immersed in video games. Many of these people raise valid concerns; some believe that there's been a desensitization to real-life violence, while others fight to promote a more positive understanding of the gaming aspect of the 21st century. Whichever side ultimately prevails, if either does, it is pivotal for educators to remain in the loop while this debate is ongoing, so that we may make the best choices that will benefit our students the most.

Chapter 8 covers the concept of electronic student-teacher communication. It's interesting to see tools we have been using throughout this course already discussed in such detail in our text. Blogs and wikis are but two of several tools many educators are employing in the 21st century to remain in contact with their students beyond the classroom and enhance learning for everyone involved.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Edutopia. (2012, March 21). James Paul Gee on Learning with Video Games. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnEN2Sm4IIQ

Digital Blog Post #B - Chapters 3 & 5

Chapter 3 dedicated a subsection to creativity and the way it's being redefined in today's educational climate, and to how it has evolved over time to incorporate a wider variety of philosophies. The book proposes that creativity is not necessarily, as it is often defined, being able to create things never before seen by the world, but rather something more intimate. People often say that there is a lack of originality in the world today, citing familiar storylines in books and repetitive drivel in TV shows. But perhaps creativity and originality don't have to be synonymous. "The creative act can be what is new to the individual, not new to the world." Computers are now allowing for students to express themselves in new ways that are meaningful for themselves, not just others.

As an aspiring writer, the notion of e-reading and e-books is one that fascinates and frightens me at the same time, and it's one chapter 5 touches on. It talks about the rapidly changing reading habits of people across all age groups, but particularly children, who spend so much of their time online they hardly find time for pleasure reading. With so many companies making e-books easily accessible and "digitalizing" something as time-tested as reading, it'll be interesting to see what turns publishing heads as go we into the next decades. Perhaps e-reading will motivate children who are difficult to separate from their computers to read more often.

Another issue chapter 5 touches on is one that has arisen in recent years as a direct consequence of technological advancement: cyberbullying. Computers and social networking have given bullies new venues to torture their victims, and it has become a serious issue for schools. Some believe that the perceived anonymity one attains through the web wrongfully gives perpetrators the idea that their actions are permissible or inconsequential. As we prepare our students for a future in the world of electronics, we must also teach them the importance of behaving ethically online, as one would in "real life." The web has become such a permanent part of our daily lives that it is "real life," and it's vital to recognize that the people with whom we interact in the virtual world are as real as though we interact with phyisically.

Resources:

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Strutt Central. (2012, March 22). THE CYBER BULLYING VIRUS. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5PZ_Bh-M6o

Digital Blog Post #A - Chapters 1 & 2

One of the most interesting concepts explored in chapter 1 is the use of technology today among children. According to the book's information, today's 12 to 18-year-olds are part of the iGeneration, and have never known a world in which there are no cell phones, or Internet access. This fact puts into perspective the importance of being tech-savvy for teachers today. Many of those currently aspiring to be educators were not brought up with technology as an everyday reality, certainly not the kind available today. Already it is heavily incorporated into classrooms; there exist very few without Smart Boards anymore. Online classes become more prevalent every semester. It'll be interesting to see how the classroom, and education at large, is transformed in the coming decades.

Chapter 1 also goes on to talk about the importance of building a digital identity as an educator, or indeed any professional. That sounded fairly intimidating; the book mentions that along with a digital identity comes a "personal commitment to innovation." Constantly reinventing one's career sounds like a massive, frightening undertaking, and I hope I'll be up to the task when the time comes. In the meantime, it's good to know that technology-related skills can be a part of one's resume in the 21st century.

For all the talk about new technologies and an ever-evolving world, however, we don't seem to be any closer to figuring out how best to help "low-income, nonwhite, urban, and rural youngsters" who lack access to these latest inventions and are thus being left severely behind, as talked about in chapter 2. Many kids currently don't have access to technology outside of their school environment, which can be a hindrance to their performance, and that is unlikely to change. I worry about how I might be able to handle situations like that in the future, and hope that I can wrangle a solution that will be in my students' best interests.

Resources:
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.