Avoiding the Digital Abyss

Technology provides endless resources to teachers, but some teachers who are not yet competent at utilizing technology may feel overwhelmed by the quantity of resources.  However, teachers need to learn how to harness the opportunities that are afforded by technology in order to prepare students for life in the digital world.  If students are not given the access that they need in order to be digitally competent, then the students are not being a prepared; therefore, expanding the digital abyss between teachers and students.

Rebecca Mullen, a language arts teacher at a rural middle school in Illinois, discusses three different types of technology that can be quickly accessed and incorporated in the classroom to help enhance lessons and engage students.  Mullen (2008) discusses the use of blogs, digital stories, and Youtube as resources that are easy to understand and access and reflects on how she incorporates them into her classroom.  Blain, a student of Mullen stated that "students should be able to use modern technology in the classrooms because that is the world we are growing up in and it is a skill to know how to use the latest technology" (Mullen, 2008, p. 66).

Since Youtube is a resource that allows teachers to access a wide variety of videos on just about any topic, teachers can quickly utilize videos to enhance their lessons.  The website makes it easy to plan by allowing users to save lists of videos that will be used in classrooms.  Some of the material that is posted on Youtube is very inappropriate for school, so Mullen shares some safer alternatives such as SchoolTube and TeacherTube.  Mullen (2008) gives an example of how she used Youtube to help students understand the meaning of nostalgia.  Since middle school students are much younger they may have difficulty understanding the meaning and feelings associated with nostalgia.  So, Mullen took an inventory of television shows that students watched when they were little and then found them on Youtube.  This allowed for Mullen to enhanced her vocabulary discussion.

As a way to enhance writing activities, Mullen uses digital stories.  According to Mullen (2008) digital stories are the same writing assignment that has a different end product.  Students have to brainstorm, compose, and edit their scripts, then record their story and add pictures using programs like Microsoft Movie Maker, iMovie, or Photo Story 3.  This allows the student to practice the writing process, but they walk away with a video that they created, which is an entirely different product.

Mullen (2008) also discusses how she incorporates blogs into the classroom.  Since blogs are a highly effective way to communicate they can be used is several ways.  Teachers can post their homework and create authentic learning experiences on blogs.  Blogs are also a useful way to allow for learning past the classroom.  For example, teachers can post podcasts on a blog to help enhance student understanding and engagement.

The abyss between teachers, school systems, and students needs to be closed if students are going to be prepared and digitally competent in the 21st Century.  There are so many opportunities for learning that teachers and students have access to; however, so many of these resources are blocked and shut down by administrators.  Digitally competent teachers need to educate and push to have more access to technology or schools will never be able to close the digital divide.

Mullen, R., & Wedwick, L. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs. Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 82(2-), 66-69.

Fix the School, Not the Child

The edtechtalk.com discussion Fix the School, Not the Child with "Innovative Educator" Lisa Nielsen examines the problems of standardized assessments in schools in the United States and how parents can become empowered to take control of their child's education.  Nielsen draws on a vast amount of educational experience including work as a literacy and technology coach and library and media specialist. She is an "innovative specialist" based out of New York City who maintains a blog called the Native Educator and regularly writes for the Huffington Post.  The discussion focused on an ebook that she published, which is available for free on her blog, call Fix the School, Not the Child.

Nielsen got the idea for Fix the School, Not the Child after watching the movie "Race to Nowhere".  She was surprised by the movie, which is dedicated to a girl who committed suicide after perceiving herself as a failure in math.  The movie outlines the pressure placed on students to be the best to get into the top colleges, but results in some students becoming mentally and physically ill.  Nielsen discusses how the movie brings to light the problem with testing and student pressure, but she felt that the movie did not address how parents could be empowered to reclaim ownership over their child's education.  The idea of parental empowerment is the main idea of Fix the School, Not the Child.  


Fix the School, Not the Child  provides parents with twenty ways that they can take control.  The main point that the discussion comes back to is that students should enjoy what they are learning, learning how they want to learn, and that parents need to be able to find their voice in their child's education.  Nielsen discusses that some child should opt out of testing and this can only be done through parental involvement. She argues that the tests are not fair or equal and do not measure different learning styles and that students should have a choice in taking the assessment.  Nielsen points out that some students may enjoy the structure of the test and it is appropriate for their learning style, however there are many other students who need to demonstrate their knowledge through another vehicle.

The problem of student boredom seems to be growing at an explosive rate.  Many students are bored and are simply completing high school because they have to complete high school.  This ties in with our country's obsession with a piece of paper, or, as Nielsen points out, we are simply "paper trained".  However, some students have opted out and have created learning path plans.  Nielsen discusses a girl who "opted out" of high school and created a learning plan that included mentors, blogs, learning resources, how she would spend her days, and why the school is not giving her what she needs. The student is states, "I left school because my light was growing dim".

Another problem with schools and boredom that many parents may not understand is that education has evolved to include more math, more testing, more pressure and less opportunity for choice and electives. The choice needs to come back to the kids in school and maybe opting out is one of the choices that needs to be made.  There is a growing underground homeschool education movement going on right now in the United States.  Perhaps more and more students and parents are going to become empowered to find another path that is more suited for their child's interests and strengths.

Public education policy makers need to realize that while all students need to be held accountable, different measures need to be used to demonstrate that students are indeed successful.  How is a student which a deficit in reading going to demonstrate math understand when he or she cannot read the word problem?

While Nielsen makes the argument that we need a more student center and personalized approach there appears to be no change in sight when it comes to standardized tests.  Does exempting a child from standardized assessments benefit or hurt the student?  Only time will tell.

Digital Storytelling Assignment

For the Digital Storytelling assignment, I wrote a short story titled How Isolot Spilled the Seeds.  This is a quick story about how the moon came to be and how the "seeds of life" were planted on Earth.  I chose to use iMovie to create a short video that includes text and narration.  All photographs and music are permissible and licensed through Creative Commons.

Living in a Digital World

Is it good or bad to be so connected?  Digital Nation does not necessarily answer the question about whether or not it is good that the next generation of learners and leaders are so connected.  However, the video did present both positives and negatives to our worlds ever growing connectedness.

First, I think that there are many great uses for technology in school, which is what needs to be harnessed to make sure that these connected learners are being engaged and prepared for future jobs.  I was excited to see the journalist's son using Edublog at such a young age as I though that I was doing a good job with the use of blogs in my class.  He already knows how to blog and navigate around the site to complete homework assignments.  This is an example that proves the point that students need to have access and utilize technology in their classes.

Digital Nation also showed how the teacher from New York was using the social network sight Ning to create an interactive learning environment for her students when reading and teaching To Kill a Mockingbird.  What a great way to engage students in the book, which helping them to understand the viewpoint or each character.

Also, the use of technology, along with consistent administration, at another New York school was the key to helping students turn around and increase attendance and achievement.  With a great deal of fear that surrounds how to use the internet and technology in the class, the principal of the school showed that using technology is a learning experience and the laptops are patrolled to ensure that students are staying on task. I believe that whether or not students are using technology there are going to be distractions and that even though there are distractions with technology the entire network cannot be eliminated.

There were many other positive uses of technology that were discussed in Digital Nation and some of them I never considered.  The first use was that presented by IBM and having virtual office meetings with individual avatars for each member.  I though that it was a fantastic way to communicate and save money.  Second, the use of technology to help treat veterans with PTSD.  Finally, I think that my view on social relationships changed a little bit after learning about the relationships developed through gaming.  However, I still have some reservations into the depth of the relationships, but I am open to more understanding.

With all of the great uses of technology, Digital Nation presented some of the negative sides to technology.  Are students and the future leaders too connected?  Are they too distracted?  Is their multi-tasking beneficial or are they becoming confidently mediocre.  The UCLA study into multi-tasking was an eye opener into the reality of multi-tasking.  The researchers found that the multi-taskers were significantly slower, were slower thinkers, and were "terrible at every aspect of multi-tasking.  Despite the results of the study, many of the study believed that they were proficient at multi-taskering.  I have to admit that as I become more aware and in tune with different types of technology, I feel that I need to be multi-tasking more and more in order to keep up with...well nothing.  I think that because I have all of these tools that I need to be constantly checking them.  Is this an efficient use of technology?

Another "side effect" of technology was see in the South Korean PC Bons and was evident in the addiction of Yung Il.  I believe that more and more students are facing addiction because of the rewards inherent in the games and lack of breaks from gaming.  However, I thought that it was fantastic that the school in South Korea focused on internet safety and etiquette before learning how to use the technology.  

Overall, there are many positives to technology, however there are some potential hazards and consequences.