Blog Post 4- Module 3- Integrating new literacies into the classroom

I would like to say, as a younger teacher, I am probably more apt to incorporate digital literacy in my classroom than those who have been working in this field for a long time. I would like to say I am 80% confident in my ability to assign something online with the intention of it being an extension activity NOT a ‘time-filler’. So many times, as districts, we have a plethora of applications we can use for our students but we use them as a time-filler rather than an opportunity for them to learn about the online features. I am lucky to have the librarian in my school… who I use regularly. They are always willing to show us new websites or applications that students have access to. They also provide a ‘library FYI’ page where students have access to all KID appropriate and AGE appropriate research tools to help them as needed. I found it interesting yet appropriate when Aguilera stated, “To invite students to engage more deeply with these behind-the-screen conversations, we can focus on the different digital literacy practices that involve, for example, navigating purposefully online. While spotting "fake news" has become a hot topic both in and out of classrooms, why not give students a chance to explore the origins of fake news by creating it themselves?” (2017). What appeals to me is when teaching 10 and 11 year olds, you have to be prepared for all of them to have online access. Unfortunately, most students aren’t censored or watched online. This quote stuck out to me because I have had multiple students who have access online and they will come in and say things like “Did you see Josh Allen got traded to the Jaguars?”, these students have no idea what sites have correct information or not. A few times, in between transitions, I will take 5-10 minutes to show them how to tell fake from real.




When my students go to library (25 minutes, once a week), they learn different AI tools to use and how to spot the difference between AI and real life. I typically stay in the library for this time and look over some of our ela curriculum, but I do try and pay attention… because I honestly can learn something too! One thing I was able to take away from our visits this year, was that pretty much any assignment can be done online with the same outcome if not better. For example, we were doing a math unit of multiplying whole numbers. The librarian, Jenna, told me that I could even use an online AI tool to come up with riddles or word problems based on a specific topic. It was around the time of the superbowl so I gave it the criteria of superbowl. I had the kids access a google docs form with the questions. I was able to include pictures and even multiple choice to written response questions. I had a random number generator pair partners together and made it a bracket challenge on our LG Board. I have NEVER seen my students so invested in math…. Like EVER! One hypothesis was that "highly news-literate teens" would be more skeptical of what they see in the news than peers who were less news literate. They were asked, for example, if they think the news media are fair, if they are accurate, and if they tell the whole story. "The teenagers in our survey all consumed similar amounts of news, but, as the findings regarding current events knowledge indicate, newsliterate teens seem to do a better job of selecting news that is useful," they wrote in a Journal of Media Literacy Education article” (Jacobson, 2017). I think this, again, proves that students who are educated in school between the difference will do a better job judging what is real and what isn’t.

The possibilities and tensions for doing digital literacy in the classroom can go hand in hand. For example, if you are planning on doing a science lab online with readings, instructions, pictures, videos and extension activities. The tensions or difficulties would be that some students benefit from the hands-on-learning and manipulatives when it comes to science or even math. The possibilities could be doing this lab twice for repetition. For example, you could do one lab online about the water scarcity in parts of the world, with that being the research and experiment part. You could then have them doing another lab of their own water footprint per day (to compare how much gallons a day they use) and then compare those numbers to the amount that some of the other places have. We actually did this in our science kit from BOCES and both activities allowed for students to make the connection between the importance of water scarcity versus how much we use (in a water abundant location).




Out of the articles, I chose ‘Expanding early childhood literacy curriculum through

play-based film-making and popular media’ although I don’t teach early childhood, I found that there would be some benefits for childhood education as well. I know play/recess time is mainly good for pre-k and under… or so they say. I have seen arguments over tag, football, swings etc. Recess is the perfect time for teachers to help mediate and work through these disagreements. The article talks about how play can even incorporate online apps like Imovie or something similar (Coggin, 2014). I had never thought of this prior to the article. Instead of only allowing them to play board games or talk during indoor recess, wouldn’t it be fun to allow them to make an Imovie (with kids that aren’t in the no media club). Similarly, I could even use this as a project for the end of a unit, instead of a test. For example, when we end our Midsummers Night Dream unit in ELA, we could have the kids create an Imovie on their favorite scene from the play. At the end they could turn to themselves and say why they liked it, why it stuck out to them etc. Imovie will allow them to learn to zoom in, zoom out, crop/cut, add effects and even transitions between scenes. If I took anything from these several articles, it would be to do your research prior to starting a project with your students, observe your students, pre-teach the expectations, find the fun and the million opportunities that digital literacy has to offer, and lastly, use this as an extension or replacement for curriculum instead of a filler for students.











Aguilera, E. (2017). MORE THAN BITS AND BYTES. Literacy Today, 35(3), 12-13. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fmore-than-bits-bytes%2Fdocview%2F1966006470%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067




Jacobson, L. (2017). ASSESSING NEWS LITERACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Literacy Today, 35(3), 18-22. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fassessing-news-literacy-21st-century%2Fdocview%2F1966007432%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067




Coggin, L. S., Wohlwend, K. E., Buchholz, B. A., Wessel-Powell, C., & Husbye, N.

E. (2014). Expanding early childhood literacy curriculum through play-based

film-making and popular media. In C. Felderman (Ed.), Perspectives and

provocations on early childhood education, Early Childhood Education

Assembly of National Council of Teachers of English Yearbook (Vol. 3).