Elementary school and high school for me focused on being able to read, write and do arithmetic. These three R's together made up the definition of literacy (Drake, Reid, Koholon, 2014). Literacy is a main goal of education and therefore every student in Ontario in grade 10 is required to successfully complete an Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test or Course (OSSLT) in order to be eligible to graduate. The OSSLT only focus' on the reading and writing aspects of literacy however, literacy in the 21st century has become much more. Literacy today according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) has expanded into including new interdisciplinary literacies.
 |
| Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/mail.csuchico.edu/21st-century-literacy/ |
These new interdisciplinary literacies according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) will allow students to gain the 21st century skills (such as critical thinking, communication, and computer and digital technologies) that are needed "for students to participate fully in a constantly changing world"(p.107).
 |
| Retrieved from: http://www.besteducationresources.com/financial- literacy-can-help-you-pay-off-your-student-loan-debt.html |
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15K8F7PHoSo
As discussed in the video students need teachers to understand the world that they are living in and therefore, it is important for teachers to be able to understand and use technology in order to teach these new literacies within the 21st century classroom. The personal experiences that I have gained through my placement courses are both shocking and interesting. What intrigues me the most is the extent to which students are engaging with technology within the classroom. This comes as a surprise to me because I did not have any of these tools or resources when I was a student at that age.
 |
| Retrieved from: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/remind/jppddpkfhdojffabldnpdacpeoefcljp |
When I had shared with my sister my experiences with technology in the classroom she responded by sharing with me this free application that is used by several teachers today. This application is called Remind and functions to send reminders to both students and parents as a text message. The application does not allow the students to respond to the message and ultimately allows a teacher to use the technology that students are using throughout a daily basis. Recognizing that such softwares are available for teachers has made me realize that in order to prepare my students for the workplace and the real-world today I am going to have to teach myself and learn to effectively teach others about the technology that is integrated into these new literacies.
Cheers,
Mr. Bracco
References
Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Financial Literacy Education In Ontario Schools . Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/surveyLiteracy.html
Warlick, D., (2005). The New Literacy. Scholastic,. Retrieved from http:// www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=263
Hi Mr. Bracco,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you’ve written an enjoyable and engaging blog post this week! First and foremost, the title of your post had me intrigued to read the remainder of your blog. It spoke to the content of your blog while also leaving me wondering, what exactly the three R’s of literacy entail.
With this being said, I think you covered an interesting and integral topic in education. I really liked that you spoke to the new interdisciplinary literacies that are being incorporated into classrooms to develop the 21st century skills of students. You did a fantastic job directly referencing the Ontario curriculum and providing specific examples to reinforce how these new literacies are being implemented into the classroom.
Also, I enjoyed watching the video that you embedded into the blog post and appreciate that you included additional commentary about the video. For example, you reiterate the important arguments made in the video while also connecting your own personal experiences from your placement. I would encourage you to try to better format the images and videos to break up your text a bit more.
Finally, thank you for including information about the Remind application in your blog. I have personally heard great things from teachers who have integrated this technology into their classroom. This application will be especially useful for us, as future educators in the Intermediate/Senior stream, considering how prevalent technology is within this age demographic.
All in all, you’ve done an excellent job with your blogs and it’s great to see how you’ve implemented our feedback to improve upon your work. I hope that you’ll keep up with your blog!
All the best,
Miss Berardocco
Hello Mr. Bracco,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post due to the fact that you question the traditional model of teaching, by focusing on the three R's reading, writing, and arithmetic. for instance, I loved how you stressed the importance of multiple literacies that students need to be taught in order to gain 21st-century skills that are necessary in becoming active citizens in society. You brought up the idea of youth becoming immersed in technology, and that educators have taken steps to utilize technology in terms of teaching subject material. For example, I really enjoyed how you related the importance of learning multiple literacies in terms of your own experience as a student, due to the notion that you brought up that these resources were not available when you were younger, yet your sister is now using devices such as Ipad and cellphones during lessons. In addition, you do a great job of incorporating visuals to break up the text, and I found the video very informative as it went through the multiple literacies that children and youth need to be exposed to. Lastly, towards the end of the blog I liked how you brought up the application Remind, as this is a key tool educators can utilize in communicating to students as students are constantly reminded via text message what to expect in regards to the homework that need to be completed, to upcoming tests and essays due in the near future. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to more blog posts in the future.
Sincerely,
Anissa Bertolino
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood Evening Mr. Bracco,
ReplyDeleteFor your final post in this class I am quite impressed on the improvement you have made throughout this course! I liked how you focused on the three r’s of teaching (reading, writing, and arithmetic), and the importance of multiple literacies for the 21st century student. Including the three r’s you also incorporated these intelligences to the technological student of today, and drew from your own personal experiences in the process of doing so to make a point! I loved the use of your visuals and the breaking up of bulky texts. I liked how you took my criticism from other posts about incorporating the use of apps and technology in the classroom today, and talked about the application known as “Remind”. Keep up the great work!
Until Next Time,
Miss. Bieber