Why should teachers care about digital literacy? – Paffrey & Gasser (2008)

Children and young people are a different generation; they are ‘Digital Natives’ (Paffrey & Gasser, 2008). All aspects of their lives are in some way affected by digital technologies (Paffrey & Gasser, 2008) and therefore children need to understand how to use these technologies appropriately, effectively and safely.

As teachers, we must become educated in these technologies (21stCFP) in order for us to be able to effectively teach these essential lessons of a new generational life. The majority of young student teachers have the benefit of being ‘Digital Natives’, but for those older teachers, they must become ‘Digital Immigrants’ (Paffrey & Gasser, 2008).

Paffrey and Gasser (2008) balance the arguments for teaching digital literacy. They see the benefit of teaching children to utilize technologies so they “are interacting with digital information, expressing themselves in social environments, creating new art forms, dreaming up new business models, and starting new activist ventures.” (2008: 9). It is important that children are able to ‘hack’ through all the digital information in order to find relevance and to fit their own purpose (Jones & Hafner, 2012). However, Paffrey and Gasser (2008) also understand both the parents and teachers fears of children’s safety, loss of traditional education, and impact of uncensored imagery or information. They (2008) also stress the importance of teacher’s involvement in digital literacy and understanding that traditional education is still extremely important within this new native world.

It is important for teachers to care about, and be, digitally literate so as to enhance their own teaching practice for an inevitable future of ‘digital natives’ as well as to help children understand the skills needed to become safe and intelligent digital users.

Paffrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) ‘Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives’ New York: Basic Books

The 21^st century Fluency Project Understanding Digital Kids II

Jones, R H & Hafner, C A (2012) Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction Abingdon: Routledge

Week 2 - FutureLab

Why should teachers care about digital literacy? FutureLab (2010)

FutureLab (2010) takes the view that ‘digital literacy is an important entitlement for all young people in an increasingly digital culture’. Therefore with the current digital culture growing vastly it is the role of teachers to ensure children are prepared for society, taking interest and implementing digital literacy in their teaching to ensure young people have the ability to ‘take advantage of the wealth of new and emerging opportunities’ (FutureLab, 2010).

FutureLab (2010:3) also defines digital literacy as the “‘savvyness’ that allows young people to participate [...] safely as digital technology becomes ever more pervasive in society”. Children have wide access to digital media through television, computers, games and tablets outside school which are indispensible in children’s lives. Therefore it is important we as teachers equip children with the understanding to use media safely. Marsh (2005) supports this view that the focus should be on encouraging and scaffolding pupils to participate fully in the world outside the classroom in ethical and effective ways.

However FutureLab (2010:9) also makes a valid point that many young people are not the ‘digital natives’ they are expected to be, ‘all young people need to be supported to thrive in digital cultures’. This was apparent on school placement where a child was unaware of how to control the mouse and keyboard of a computer. It is our role as teachers to ensure all children can access upcoming digital culture as ‘we are not simply preparing them for adult life but for now’ (Marsh, 2005).  Technologies such as the internet can offer extensive opportunities for informal learning and for expanding where, how, what and with whom children learn. ‘It is teachers who have experience in the higher order critical thinking skills that can support young people’s use of digital technology’ (FutureLab, 2010:10).

Developing digital literacy is also about addressing the changing nature of subject knowledge (future lab, 2010:12). The Primary Curriculum reform (2009) increased significance of ICT, this as an explicit recognition of the increasing digitalisation of the world in which young people are growing up and which “will require digital literacy of all children for their full participation in society” (FutureLab, 2010:15). Technology delivers engaged, inquisitive children in place of the passive, disinterested children of years past (McDougall, 2010:5) thus supporting children’s learning styles. Prensky (2001:4) supports this view ‘Their attention spans are not short for games, for example, or for anything else that actually interests them’. This is an aspect I viewed when on placement, children whose turn it was to engage in mathematics through the computers were excited, motivated and engaged throughout their learning.

In conclusion the implications for teachers are that learning through digital literacy can both engage children and ‘allow them to critically engage with technology and to use it well’ (FutureLab, 2010:17) thus making them prepared for the digital society which is rapidly growing.

 

 

FutureLab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: (Sections to be read: Introduction & The Importance of Digital Literacy)

http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf

 

Marsh, J. Brooks, G. Hughes, J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K. (2005) Digital Beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new Technologies University of Sheffield

 

McDougall, S. One Tablet or Two? Opportunities for change in educational provision in the next 20 years. FutureLab:

 

Prensky, M. (2001) ‘Digital Natives, Digital immigrants, Part 11: Do They Realy Think Differently?’ In On the Horizon 9 (6)

Week 2 - 21st Project

Why should teachers care about digital literacy?

The 21^st Century Fluency Project

Glister (1997 cited in Marsh, 2005) defines digital literacy as lettered representation being transformed and shaped by technology. The 21^st Century Fluency Project (21^st CFP) emphasises that children are different today. As they communicate in different ways than any previous generation, due to living in a different world (21st CFP).

The 21^st Century Fluency Project described their research showed a growing disconnection between learning preferences of digital students and traditional teachers (21^st CFP). Palfrey and Gasser (2008) describe teachers’ roles, as being on the front line in supporting the children. However, the 21^st Century Fluency Project claimed that teachers are failing their students because their instruction is targeted at children from another generation (21^st CFP). McDougall supports this when he stated that, the format of education has remained the same despite the changes of everything else in society.

The 21^st Century Fluency Project (21^st CFP) claimed that engagement and motivation are key to learning, as it is about children wanting to learn. Using digital literacy in the classroom provides one way to make subject learning relevant to the children (FutureLab, 2012). The use of new technology in the classroom may motivate the children to want to learn.

Palfrey and Gasser (2008:8) stated that teachers worry about being ‘out of step with the digital natives they are teaching’.  The project suggests teachers need to ‘become learners themselves, and discover the digital world’ (21^st CFP: 4).Teachers can improve their confidence in using new technology by: learning about different digital tools, exploring the online world and familiarising themselves with what the children are doing and how they are doing it (21^st CFP). On my previous school placement, an expert came in to show the teachers how to use the new technology in the classroom, this then improved the teachers’ confidence to include new technology within their planning.

Schools may be missing out on a huge opportunity to use digital tools as a powerful resource (21^st CFP).  On my self directed placement, the school used the internet as a place where children could access homework and resources to support their learning at home. This is supported by the 21^st Century Fluency Project when they claim that, virtual learning environments can be very successful (21^st CFP).

In conclusion, teachers need to ‘meet the digital generation half way and embrace their world, as we expect them to embrace ours’ (21^st CFP:12).  

FutureLab (2012) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf (Accessed: 25/01/13)

Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer

McDougall, S. One table or two? Opportunities for change in educational provision in the next 20 years. Futurelab: http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/discussion_papers/One_tablet_or_two.pdf (Accessed 25/01/13)

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding The First Generation of Digital Natives New York: Basic Books

The 21^st century Fluency Project Understanding Digital Kids II

Week 2 - ED

Week 2 - Why should teachers care about digital literacy? The 21^st Century Fluency Project

The 21^st Century Fluency Project (21^st CFP) outlines that today’s children are different to any other past generation due to their constant exposure and use of digital media (21^st CFP:2). Palfrey and Gasser (2008:3) mirror this view stating ‘this is the most rapid period of technological transformation ever’.

‘Teachers are on the front lines’ (Palfrey and Gasser 2008:10) and they have a responsibility to ensure digital literacy is part of children’s lives. However, the project states that there is a gap between pupils learning preferences and educator preferences. Schools tend to accept new technology only when it reinforces old conventions of teaching which presents that teachers are not aware of the benefits of using digital literacy in the classroom (McDougall). The project suggests that to be a good teacher is not to be a good disciplinarian, but to teacher for engagement and motivation (21^st CFP:2).

‘Educators must become learners themselves, and discover the digital world’ (21^st CFP:5) and there are many benefits of having knowledge of this world. The project states, one valuable benefit is having digital media resources in school as they are effective as an alternative to standard resources and can help lower achievers. This is something I observed working well within school, especially to assist children with SEN, to motivate them to learn through the use of iPads.  

The project also notes that ‘schools may be missing a huge opportunity to leverage digital and social networking tool as powerful learning resources’ (21^st CFP:9). Currently, new digital technologies are ‘primary mediators of human-to-human connections’ for young people, and the project believes social online communities, are beneficial to schools, pupils and parents for aspects such as homework and integrating technologies they are interested in and use at home (McDougall). The connections that people can make are ones that they would never had chance to make in the offline world (Palfrey and Gasser 2008:5).  

In conclusion, the project states to bridge divide we need to ‘meet the digital generation half way and embrace their world as we expect them to embrace ours’ (21^st CFP:12). Therefore, the implications for teachers are to balance their current teaching whilst integrating digital literacy to motivate and interest children’s learning further.

Bibliography

McDougall, S. One table or two? Opportunities for change in educational provision in the next 20 years. Futurelab: http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/discussion_papers/One_tablet_or_two.pdf (accessed 23/01/13)

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding The First Generation of Digital Natives New York: Basic Books

The 21^st century Fluency Project Understanding Digital Kids II 

A Student Teacher’s Perspective of Teaching Literacy Using Popular Culture

A Student Teacher’s Perspective of Teaching Literacy Using Popular Culture

Lambrinth (2003) states that many teachers do not like to teach using popular culture because they already have preconceptions of literacy that do not involve popular culture, and its power to alienate the pre-existing literacy in schools. However, Marsh, et al. (2005) provides figures showing a higher percentage of teachers believe that children learn from popular culture, for example via the television.

After interviewing a student teacher about her perspective on teaching literacy using popular culture, it became apparent that she felt comfortable in doing so because of her confidence of understanding its place within society today. She explained that it would need to be used within a wide curriculum that would interlock with ‘typical’ educational literacy.

She elaborated by stating that because popular culture has a strong influence upon our society, with the use of mediums such as television, film and computer games (Dean, 2010), children would become much more engaged and motivated to learn. It would have a relevance to their own lives and lives outside of the classroom. As Arthur (2005) explained, it is important that there is similarity between the experiences of literacy at home and at school. The student teacher agreed with this and continued to say that an easy way of doing this was to use what the children are exposed to and shaping it to fit your own curriculum.

After extending the conversation further, by introducing the wealth of and common perception of high culture, she began to ponder the idea of using both and making links between the two to have a literary rich environment at school.

As we moved on to parents and how they may react to teachers using popular culture in school, she indicated how parents are responsible to the exposure of popular culture to their children and we would only be extending upon and utilizing this. Arthur (2005) examined parent’s fear of popular culture and his results showed that their primary worry was cost. Buying into brands and merchandise costs, and therefore, would teaching using literacy that promotes brands and merchandise cost too. (Arthur, 2005)

The student teacher concluded the survey by stating that popular culture will inevitably work its way into education through 21^st century technologies anyway. Merchant (2007) suggests that ways in which to introduce popular culture into education in an easy and manageable way, was to do so via the use of technology and introduction of developing and expanding technologies.

 

Dean, G. ‘Rethinking Literacy’ in Bazalgette, C (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms London: SAGE

Arthur, L. (2005) ‘Popular Culture: Views of parents and educators’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: RoutledgeFarmer

Lambrinth, A. (2003) They get enough of that at home: understanding aversion to popular cultures in schools Reading 37(1)

Marsh, J., Brooks, G., Hughes, J., Ritchie, L., Roberts, S., Wright, K., (2005) Digital Beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new technologies University of Sheffield

Merchant, G. (2007) Writing the future in the digital age Literacy 41(3)

A student teachers thought on popular culture within the classroom.

Within my survey carried out with a student teacher on their attitudes towards popular culture within the classroom it became apparent that she had positive attitudes however also had some reservations. She responded that she appreciated that teaching is evolving as children are now growing up in a digital world and they develop a wide range of skills, knowledge and understanding of this world. (Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts and Wright 2005) These children are known as “digital natives” (Paffrey & Gasser 2008:1).

She appreciated that popular culture was an important aspect of children’s lives which Arthur (2005) supported stating that for many it was even “the main part of their lives” (Arthur 2005:175) now we have evolved into a society with ‘digital natives’. The student teacher discussed how popular culture within the classroom can engage children far more within their learning and motivation and allow them to become much more of a part of their learning journey as they will have more experience to reflect on which is an idea that Lambrith (2003) discusses stating that using popular culture can capture the interests of children, ‘empowering’ them and allowing them to feel more comfortable and welcome within the school environment (Lambrith 2003). Arthur (2005) concurs stating that it encompasses their own experiences, allowing them to connect to their interests and validate their strengths. (Arthur 2005) Using popular culture in the classroom is reported to have a positive impact on children’s progress in speaking and listening within literacy. (Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, Roberts and Wright 2005)

The student teacher however argued that she wouldn’t want all traditional Literacy teaching values to go out the window and still feels that it is important for children to appreciate the importance of Literacy in a non-digital world and that there is a huge wealth of learning that can be gained from focusing on non-popular cultures and that the two could be balanced out and taught together. This idea is discussed within Lambrith’s research were it is discussed that popular culture just be used as a tool to teach traditional literacy skills. It would be used to capture children’s interests but just be a gateway to teaching the traditional points of literacy practice. (Lambrith 2003) Merchant (2007) also queries the place of popular culture within the classroom stating teachers have a responsibility to provide a critical view of the nature of popular culture.  (Merchant 2007)

As a student teacher myself I agree with my fellow student teacher. It is clear there are a huge number of benefits to incorporating popular culture within your teaching however I think within my classroom I will use popular culture as a starting point or a gateway and not get too carried away with incorporating it into my lessons. I do appreciate however that digital literacy will be becoming a much bigger part of the classroom and will need to be incorporated into teaching.

Arthur, L. (2005) ‘Popular culture: views of parents and educators’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood. Oxon:RoutledgeFalmer

Lambrith, A. (2003) ‘”The get enough of that at home”: Understanding aversion to popular cultures in schools’ Reading 37(1) pp.9-13

Marsh, J. Brooks, G. Hughes, J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: young childrens use of popular culture, media and new technologies. University of Sheffield (Section 2.10 p.46; Sections 3.2 & 3.3 p48/49)

Merchant, G. (2007) Writing the future in the digital age Literacy 41 (3) pp118-128

Paffrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives.  New York: Basic Books (Introduction pp. 1-15)

Parent view on popular culture

My parent survey showed a positive attitude to popular culture being used in the primary classroom. The parent expressed her views on popular culture, as being important to her child’s daily life.  This view was shared with Arthur’s (2005) research in 2001 that children were passionate about popular culture, and this interest was extended to a range of texts and toys. However, Arthur’s (2005) research did highlight that some parents were concerned that their child’s identity and world views might be affected by popular culture. This view was not shared by the parent I interviewed. The child’s popular culture ranged from bags, films and DS games; however the parent informed me that her child would use popular culture as a context in drawing. The parent expressed her child had difficulties of sharing ideas in the classroom, and sometimes it seemed the child lacked motivation in certain subjects. The parent believed popular culture would motivate her child with her work and to share her ideas in the classroom. Lambirth (2003) stated that using popular culture in the classroom can help the child to feel comfortable, as they feel valued. Marsh and Milliard (cited in Lambirth, 2003) share the same view that popular culture can be used to capture the child’s interest. As a student teacher this research has influenced my decision to use children’s interests in my planning.

 

Merchant (2007) stated that children of all ages should have access to new technology. The parent expressed that new technology in the classroom would benefit her child, as she does not have an Ipad at home and tends to focus on her DS. She believed using new technology in the classroom would benefit her child, as she would develop new skills. This idea was shared with other parents that new technology is needed in the classroom, as it prepares the children for the future demands of new technology (Marsh, Brooks, Hughes Ritchie, Roberts and Wright, 2005). This research has influenced my decision as a student teacher to include new technology within my planning to develop children’s ICT skills.

 

Arthur, L. (2005) ‘Popular Culture: views of parents and educators’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: Routledge Falmer

 

Lambirth, A. (2003) “They get enough of that at home”: Understanding aversion to popular cultures in schools’ Reading 37 (1) pp. 9-13

 

Marsh, J. Brooks, G. Hughes, J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K. (2005) Digital beginnings: Young children’s use of popular culture, media and new Technologies University of Sheffield (Section 2.10 p.46; Sections 3.2 &3.3 p48/49)

 

Merchant, G. (2007) Writing the future in the digital age Literacy 41 (3) pp118-128