Wow! What a big technical world we are living in. As I read about digital literacy I see an overwhelming world that I know very little about. Having said that, as an educator, it is my job to be a lifelong learner. I cannot ignore technology any more than I can ignore all the historical events that have happened since I began teaching. I remember driving to class on September 11, 2001 and hearing about the horrific attack in New York. But history did not stop on that day—historical events (good and bad) are happening every day. How then, can I stop trying to learn and teach about evolving technology? I can’t. I have to try to keep up and teach students how to move around and communicate in many digital areas.
When trying to “keep up” in this digital world Lindsay and Davis state that an educator must continue, “transforming yourself into a professional who can effectively research technology trends, monitor the uses of technology in your school or district, avoid the fear factor that can easily paralyze you, and empower student centered learning to create vibrant, exciting learning projects” (2010). For some educators, such as myself, “keeping up” is indeed a huge task. But I am learning and I am so eager to learn more. The only thing stopping me, is me! Young students are excited about technology and I need to build upon that excitement. Just as some learners are visual and some are tactile, many students feel comfortable learning online. There are many ways to incorporate technology into our lessons and make those lessons exciting.
Lindsay and Davis use several points to aid in introducing technology lessons such as their Flat Classroom Project. Their guidelines include:
- · Have a plan
- · Overcome the fear factor
- · Deal with objections
- · Straying off topic (it’s really ok sometimes)
- · Put the learning in the hand of the students
Really, couldn’t these points be used in dealing with any lesson unfamiliar to us? Instead of being afraid, let’s embrace this new way to learn.
Lindsay, J., & Davis, V. (2010). Navigate the Digital Rapids. Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(6), 12-15. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
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