Week 13: Story Draft/Reading and Discussion

Above is a draft of my story with just the pictures and a sound check:

A quote that I agree with in the text: "We suggest that a critical digital literacies framework, used in conjunction with TPACK, may serve to bring a critical, reflective lens to technology use within personal and professional contexts." (Avila & Pandya, 143) I believe that my knowledge of technology grouped with this course has better prepared me to teach with technology than had I taken a course on TPACK. Teachers need to see critical digital literacies in their studies in order to in turn teach their students. So I strongly agree with the authors and believe that critical digital literacies should be part of any education majors' curriculum.

http://mkoehler.educ.msu.edu/tpack/what-is-tpack/

This link gives more information into the background of tpack.

1. Why do the authors of this chapter chose to use the term "critical digital literacies" rather than just "digital literacies"

Per the text, "we employ the specific term "critical digital literacies" to de-emphasize the relative importance of technology skills, and emphasize the critical understanding of and engagement with functional technology skills within the broader contexts of technology use." (Avila, 134-5) Digital literacy means less than the skill-set that the authors want students to have.

2. How well did our own teacher education program prepare you to use technology in your teaching practices? Was it more tools based or literacy based?

I have only practiced in the Masters of Education program, but it has prepared me well along with the technology skills I already have. I have learned more tools based skills from my classes.

3. What should  teachers be thinking about when they engage in critical thinking as it relates to technology use in school?

Teachers need to have their students understand that the author of any material has an agenda in their writing and it needs to be solved along with the reading of their work.

4. On page 149, it is stated that students have certain rights with respect to "critical digital literacies." Do students in your teaching context have these rights? Give an example or non-example of at least one of these rights.

Students in my teaching context have these rights because I will be teaching technology skills. In K-12 classrooms, I believe that students will still have rules to follow in exploring and experimenting in their own digital space that needs to be there for safety and to keep students on task.

Reference:

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