The Great Divide

The picture of the girls at Eagle Rock is of my daughter and my niece -- both six years old. My daughter was using a computer mouse before she could talk, playing games on toddler software. Now she has her own email, surfs the web using yahooligans, and has a library of her own software and a gameboy. In contrast, my niece, has been "protected" from the electronic world by her father (my brother), who, ironically, has built his own career on the cutting edge of technology. When asked about the absence of computers (as well electronic toys and TV) in my niece's life, my brother will say that "technology interferes with literacy".

As I've read more about the new literacies, I've been thinking a lot about my niece, and my brother's point of view. Does the use of the new literacies interfere with the old literacies (ie. reading and writing)? Without the distractions of technology, my niece has become a prolific reader. Yet, what will happen when she hits middle school? Will she struggle to catch up in academic technologies; will she be left out socially because she can't IM or even e-mail? I love seeing my own daughter curled up with a good book, but it's also exciting to see her learn about the world through Google Earth or Reader Rabbit. As I compare the two girls, I also see the difference in learning strategies. One girl learns in the linear, methodical world of books. The other asks questions and then explores concepts in a more open ended approach. This shows me a clear example of how technology natives vs. immigrants approach learning. As a teacher, I think we must recognize that we have natives and immigrants in our classrooms. Just as we know there are different "intelligences", we must also recognize that the approach our students take in learning is also affected by their experiences with technology.

What Rules?

I left class this past week feeling quite cocky -- feeling so techologically literate. The next day I told some teacher friends that I now have a blog. They were impressed... So why has it taken me so long to post a new entry? Why I am I hesitating in posting comments on others blogs? I realize that I am not sure what to write. There appear to be no guidelines on blogging, no structure. I am looking for format. In the literacies of the past, there was format--there were rules. I suddenly have new compassion for my students who come up to me complaining that they don't know what to write in their dialogue journals... Therefore, I am resolving to write regularly without getting hung up on mechanics. After all, this is what I ask of my students in their journaling.

The New Literacies

I came into class today feeling a step behind because I missed the first class. This is how I sometimes feel with my kids, a step behind, because they seem more saavy in the new literacies than I do. At the start of class tonight I was feeling confused about what these "new literacies" are, but through our group discussion, I have begun to realize that they are not so much a set of discreet domains (like reading and writing), but rather an evolving set of skills that change as the technology changes.

As a teacher, I have worked in a school in which each student has his or her own laptop and also in one that has only one -- a PC in the library. At the former, I struggled to stay one step ahead of my students using a wide array of tools from the internet to "smart boards". At the other, I brought in my own laptop for students to experience what it is like to use a keyboard. To me, then, I feel that the way in which a teacher integrates technology into the classroom is highly dependent on the tools they have available at their school. At either end of the spectrum, I think that teachers need to be creative in how they incorporate new literacies into the curriculum.