I found it fascinating to read about the new concept of "transliteracy" and just how much it has changed our society as a whole. Over the years, modes of reading, writing, and communication have changed so much...even within the classroom.
One of the biggest things that stood out to me was the fact that they said that we live in a nation that is considered "ninety-nine percent literate". The part that I'm hung up on is if our literacy statistic is so high.....why are our children's literacy rates not matching this high percentage in schools? It seems as time passes, and we become more and more apt to technology, students are having more struggles with reading. And it's not to say that the integration of multiple platforms in the classroom is bad, but sometimes I feel that we need to stick to the basics. Kids in Kindergarten are using Ipads instead of whiteboards or paper to write their names....but what's going to happen when they have to sign they're signature on an important document? As much as I love technology and the notion of transliteracy, I feel that it may do more harm than help inside the classroom.
I don't want to take your comment, "even within the classroom" in a bad way, but it just evoked a thought in me so I'm going to comment:
ReplyDeleteI think it is a great thing that classrooms and education have kept up with this continual change in how much reading, writing, and communication has changed. Can you imagine if it didn't? There was one part of the article that said the students are more knowledgeable in trasliteracy than most teachers are, I'm sure especially the older generations as well. I wonder how much teachers and parents have learned only because it must be integrated into our education because it is what us or the current students know and live by, otherwise the students may be at a complete loss and confused by writing and mailing a letter instead of the ease of available email. Hmm... Your comment just made me think a lot! Thank you! Great response.
Amanda, I think you and I are very much so on the same page. I was almost flabbergasted when reading that statistic, because I do not feel like it truly reflects the nation that we live in. I agree that technology has a place in the classroom, but that it is necessary to find a balance. Kids are coming into kindergarten with no hand strength. This sounds like not that big of an issue, but children are playing less with modalities and more with computers/iPads/video games while at home. This means that children in kindergarten are struggling to hold a pencil because they do not have a developed muscle. Technology in schools, can have unintended consequences, and I think it is always important to keep this thought in mind while teaching.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your blog post amanda! I found that statistic to be shocking and to be very different from what our classrooms are actually like today. I think that the key is a balance like you said-it is important to keep up on all of the things that are going on and to understand the all of the new technologies coming out (especially since our students will know how to use them!) but we also need to incorporate the basics because they are the foundations for many things in our everyday lives.
ReplyDelete