Teaching Media Literacy

1.Media literacy, I feel, is the ability to to use a variety of technology and locate and analyze information while using this technology. As we rise into higher levels of education, the amount of media literacy expectations rise as well. The question is, are we supplying our students with the educational technology skills needed in order to meet the required expectations successfully? From my perspective, the answer is a big fat NO! Although research tells us some countries are successful at incorporating media literacy into their schools, I don't feel the U.S. is one of them.

2.My school in particular, compared to others in the district, is technology poor, and I don't see anything changing anytime soon. The calculator would be the exception. In this technology has indeed been incorporated into the classroom learning environment. Sure our children know how to use a computer, but do they know how to find credible resources with technology? Do they use technology to analyze and assess information or just to gather it? I believe most students have no clue as to locate credible resources, or discern if one is. I also believe most high school students don't even know the difference or importance of credible resources.

3.I agree that students who are proficient online readers, are not necessarily proficient with the offline, or visa-versa. Students are so used to being provided text or hard bound reference/resource books, and taking for granted the credibility of them. Being an online reader is different. One must know how to assess the authors credibility as well as make snap judgements about the information they are consuming, considering it could change before they located the website again. I feel the two different kinds of readers require different skills in order to be successful.

4. Since this is the first year I've actually had working computers in my classroom, albeit only four, still I plan to start here this year. Regular math students, in particular, benefit from remedial work in such a way as to appear fun, and basically, not remedial. We have new software just for these students. The wonderful aspect of this software, is it can connect to anybody else using it, they can compete against eachother, even in another country. I hope to allow the last 15 to 20 minutes a block for the students to rotate onto these computers. This, for my classroom, is the optimal place to start integrating media and technology into the classroom.

TECHNOLOGY - HOW?

According to the challenge presented to me, I am to pick one educational technology standard a seventh grader should be able to do, and implement it into my week. This was an extremely difficult assignment whose classroom is not overwhelmed with technology. I have decided to go with an assignment that won't hurt those who are unable to participate, but by the fun nature of the assignment, some students might feel more inclined to do.
Our first football game is this Thursday. One of the standards for technology a 7th grader should be able to do, is to create original animations or videos documenting school, community, or local events. I thought the first football game was a great place to start, but with a twist. The assignment given to all of my classes, whether regular math or pre-algebra, was to present a video using pictures from digital cameras or phones, or video from video cameras or phones highlighting the football game this Thursday. The twist is along with the highlights, the students MUST also show and explain how math is used during the game. Since equipment can be difficult for some to come by, I feel it is important to allow this first opportunity to be extra credit so as not to punish those who are unable to participate, but I will allow grouping so those who have not, can group with those who have.
Obviously the biggest challenge will be those students who want to participate but don't have the equipment to. These students will be paired as much as possible with those who have equipment, and most all of my students have cell phones. Most of these cell phones take pictures and video. Computers are at their disposal at school. I will post again next week to report on the success of my endeavor.

Technology - Really?

As an overwhelmed graduate student whom also maintains a full time teaching position, I am always looking for the opportunity to make my life, and that of my students, easier. I have often dreamed of being able to implement the same fascinating technology in my classroom I hear my fellow colleagues do. As I dream this particular dream, visions of LCD projectors and smart board sugar plums dance in my head. Elmo heartfully cries out, "Here I am, dance with me!" As I take his steely arm, our technological entwined image floats across the barren walls of the classroom until I realize the end of this particular dream has arrived, the server has crashed.

In reality, I have had only my teacher computer and a set of TI-73 calculators, one for each 7th grader, at my disposal. Don't misunderstand, we have done marvelous things with these calculators, and are in themselves an example of outstanding technology. My students typically score higher than any others in the district in which I teach on their benchmarks. But what could I do with more? How greater an impact could be made with the proper technology? This is the question I ponder. This will be the focus of the semester.