Please find attached the link for my visual essay:
http://www.moovly.com/usergallery/5ad2f6ab-0e4a-b9e2
The world we live in is intensely stimulated and the children of the twenty-first century have been brought up with numerous electronic devices. In order to cater for these children that are “growing up digital”, curriculum in schools has undergone a major change with new digital technologies being added into everyday school lessons. There are many advantages and disadvantages towards the digital approach and it is an ongoing debate whether or not schools actually require these new technologies. In this blog I intend to unpick these arguments and also consider the role of the teacher in both situations.
The children of the twenty-first century have been brought up with an incredible array of digital technologies. There are more mediums to which children can learn to read and explore new vocabulary and knowledge such as tablets and Kindles. By 2011, Amazon reported selling more Kindle books than hard and soft-back books combined and since then the trend has continued. Using these new digital technologies in the now interactive learning environment, literacy education has been improved. Korat (2010) states that presenting children’s books as digital text can improve children’s phonological awareness, reading skills and vocabulary. This is mainly due to the fact that children are so familiar with these technologies. The new style of classroom now caters to the children’s interests and previous knowledge to effectively use the dazzling array of digital technologies available.
K.W. Barrett
January 12, 2012
When considering the use of digital technologies in the classroom environment, the main focus should always remain what is in the child’s best interest for their learning. Educators must avoid using digital technologies in lessons when it does not benefit the children’s learning experience. Beetham and Sharpe (2013) explain that the emphasis should not be adapting pedagogy to what technology offers. We risk changing the curriculum to fit around technologies rather than using digital technologies as an aid when appropriate. John et al (2009) express that a digital tool may not always be the most appropriate educational tool and that there is still a place for paper and pencil. Educators should not be racing to replace worksheets and whiteboards with new digital technologies when these are still effective teaching methods.
Digital technologies have opened up new dimensions in education and teachers play a crucial role in this process. However, the role of teacher somewhat changes when digital technologies are incorporated into the classroom. November (2010) explains that adding technology is easy but reshaping the relationship between students and teachers is the hard task. Teachers often have children in their classroom with a wide range of knowledge and experience and it would be foolish not to take advantage of the skills that the children have. This can be a difficult situation to manage but the teacher must accept the evolving relationship and use it in a constructive way to enhance the children’s learning. The teacher should embrace these emerging technologies and use them effectively for the children who are “growing up digital”.
Emporio State University
February 16, 2010
Children are familiar with digital devices from a very young age and grow accustomed to this way of learning. The change in mainstream classrooms has been gradual and rather successful, so far. Educators must be cautious when adding more and more digital technologies to ensure the child’s best interests are always at the centre.
References
- Beetham, H. Sharpe, R. (2013) Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age. Designing for 21st Century Learning. 2nd Edition. New York and London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
- John, P. Robertson, S. Sutherland, R. (2009). Improving Classroom Learning with ICT. New York and London: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group.
- Korat, O. (2010). Reading Electronic Books as a Support for Vocabulary, Story Comprehension, and Word Reading in Kindergarten and First Grade. 24-31.
- November, A. (2010). Empowering Students with Technology. 2nd Edition. United States of America: Corwin.
- Online Marketing Trends. The Coming of Age of Ebooks: Infographie. Retrieved from onlinemarketing-trends.com/2011/03/tablet-adoption-drives-ereader-sales-by.html
Image 1 retrieved from:https://www.flickr.com/photos/barrettelementary/6695933435/in/photolist-bcGqcH-bcGpyt-bcGpJc-bcGpS6-9S9DcL-bcGqvK-bcGpp8-bcGqNc-bcGqFt-bcGqme-bcGq4D-oywtu-4AKWyi-eUSw1J-GrQnA-ytH2q-GrQmb-GrV1V-GrQeN-GrUYM
Image 2 retrieved from:https://www.flickr.com/photos/emporiastateuniversity/6842038472/in/photolist-bqBeGq-bDwanK-bDwakz-bDwari-bqBeEy-bDwaok-bqBeFS-bDwamB-bqBeBw-bDwapc-kyc7jn
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