Week 11: Reading and Discussion

 In a blog posting, copy and paste a quote from the text that have moved you... Then find an article, video, podcast, blog posting, image related to what you have read...

I liked this quote from the author's closing remarks, "school can play an important role in introducing students to technology, in contextualizing, scaffolding, and practicing critical awareness and constructive, perhaps even disruptive, ways of using tools for digital literacy." (Avila & Pandya, 104) I am a proponent of technology and see that the major pros of using technology in the classroom are here. The author also hints that technology can be disruptive. I disagree because there have always been disruptions in the classroom. They have just changed from paper airplanes to internet jokes. I really liked that the teacher learned to take her students away from their computers when they had to have group time I feel that this is a good way to ensure that the technology doesn't interrupt important instructions.

I found interesting teaching aids at http://classroom-aid.com/educational-resources/digital-literacy/. This site has a collection of teaching aids for completing searches in literacy.

1. What is the difference between an "essentialist" "traditionalist" or "autonomous" "perspective of technology and literacy and a New Literacy Studies of "ideological" perspective on technology and literacy? Which perspective do you adhere to? Why?

The "essentialist" view is on the medium or technology itself without its educational settings. The "traditionalist" view is on reading and writing without technology. The "autonomous" perspective is based upon a person's literacy skill set. A New Literacy Studies of "ideological" perspective on technology and literacy combines these into a single perspective. I am a techie myself so I have an "essentialist" perspective. (Avila, 88)

2. Give three concrete examples of how the teacher in the chapter supported "new literacy" or "critical digital literacies" practices with blogging.

The teacher of this chapter supported "new literacy" or "critical digital literacies" practices with blogging because she had the students reading each others work regularly, motivated the students differently by having them work with their blogs, and the blogs would help her students to organize their knowledge in their own way. (Avila, 96)

Reference:

Avila, JuliAnna, Pandya, Jessica Zacher.(2013)Critical Digital Literacies as Social 
   Praxis. Peter Lang Publishing: New York, New York.