Blog Quiz

I'm doing this blog quiz early this week because I have a lot of work to do between now and Wednesday, as I am getting my wisdom teeth taken out and am going to need a few days to recover. Since I won't be in class on Wednesday, I want to wish everyone good luck on their presentations. I know you'll all do great.

In response to the articles we read on student voice and new media literacies, I now have a better understanding of just how important this new learning is. Students nowadays are far more advanced in technology than us. Between creating their own personal podcasts, text messaging, and designing their own blogs and websites, the adolescents of today leading this particualr technological rebirth on their own. It is material like those listed above that keep students interested and on their toes. For example, the one article written by Catherine Gewertz on "Outside Interests," is extremely telling. 17-year-old Randy Herrera literally begins every morning using technology. However, in school, Herrera feels as though he is doing the wrong thing by using these tools. The particular portion of this article that really intrigued me was when Herrera mentions that he doesn't have access to many of the computers in his high school:

-But in school, he has little chance to use new technologies. In English, for instance, there is a computer in the classroom, but he says students are not allowed to use it. To do research, his class of 29 troops upstairs to the media center to share 15 computers. And there, he says, many useful sites are blocked (Gewertz).

To me, this makes absolutely no sense. This is definitely a step in the wrong direction, as we are depriving our children from important knowledge. This is almost as ridiculous as a teacher not allowing his or her students to bring textbooks home with them at the end of the school day and telling them not to read ahead. Why do we feel as though we have the right to tell these students, "no" when esentially all they want it to learn. Herrera is a perfect example of an eager, curious, student who is being told not to use the internet. In the same article Anastasia Goodstein states, "There are really just pockets of innovation happening, in certain classrooms. Most teachers are really not taking advantage of all the things they could be doing" (Gewertz). Obviously in the case of Herrera's classroom, this is becoming a huge problem.

Even since we were in high school so many advances have been made concerning new media literacies. We never had iPods, podcasts, garage band, blogs, etc...So why are we keeping our children from learning how to use these in a constructive manner? I don't believe there is only one answer to that particluar question, for not all teachers are trying to prevent their students from using these sources. I think an appropriate answer, however, is that teachers are afraid that their students may more than them. Yet this is not a bad thing in any way, shape, or form. Why not allow students to share with their teachers tidbits of helpful, new, knowledge. Many teachers have a pride issue and feel as though it is either their way or the highway. This is so far from what should be going on in classrooms that it really makes me ill. We should encourage our students to always voice their own opinion, and if they have something that they feel could benefit the class as a whole, to share it!

Perhaps the most insightful and promising evidence that new media literacy is being used, was in the article, "A Digital Decade." In the article it states, Billions of dollars are being spent each year in an effort to prepare schools and students for tomorrow’s technological demands and challenges." This is certainly something to smile about when practicing to become a future teacher. Friedman and Richardson, as well as Hobbs and Warlick would be thrilled to hear about this. All in all, steps are being made in the right direction, and it is up to us to keep them going the right way.