Group items tagged

"Digital Literacy across the Curriculum handbook"

This text highlights the eight major principles of the connectivism theory and connects them to the Association of College and Research Libraries informational literacy standards. This source objectively evaluates the effects of connectivism when implemented for the purpose of teaching literacy standards. The big idea to be taken away is that as school librarians are embracing the digital media world, which is drastically altering student library experience, they are intuitively embracing connectivism, but would benefit from being more intentional about applying the theory. The theory applied to the library experience would involve the domains of information management, contacts, synchronous communication, and RSS. The goal would be that the conenctivism theory is applied so that students make personalized networks using the domains that maintain a dominance in secondary and post-secondary libraries.

EasyTech makes it so simple - even tech novices get on board. Need time saving ways to teach critical 21st century skills? Accoring to the site, "EasyTech makes that possible too. An award-winning, K-8 technology literacy curriculum, EasyTech helps students efficiently integrate technology skills with digital literacy, higher-order thinking and core curriculum."

This blog post by Tom Whitby explains what a connected educator is and is not. Whitby discusses that way that educators can connect through social media and who they connect with is very crucial. He continues by discussing that being a connected educator is not an add-on, it is a necessity. We need to have digitally-literate educators to be able to teach digitally-literate student.

I really enjoyed reading this post, and it helped validate the reason I sought my Master's degree in Educational Technology. It is so important for educators to stay connected for their own professional development, and to enrich the instruction given to their students. When teachers connect with other teachers and use PLN's it benefits everyone involved, including the students.

It so true. Educators are finally arriving a pedagogy that reinforces the digital tools already available and provides a theoretical framework for all those teachers who resist technology or say that it isn't for them.

A list of technology tools and resources that educators can use to help teach information literacy and digital literacy to their students.

A middle school language arts educator shares his favorite digital tools for text and video annotations, teacher feedback, and formative assessment.

A middle school language arts educator shares his favorite digital tools for text and video annotations, teacher feedback, and formative assessment.

Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age

Breakthrough Learning in a Digital Age

Summary: Although the paper identifies three challenges to Connectivist Learning (self-directed, presence and critical literacies) the findings, based on Kop's research, suggest that social networked learning does work. The paper includes students responses, both positive and negative, about their learning experiences. I found that aspect of the paper fascinating.

This paper highlights current theories of learning and gives a critical analysis of connectivism ""within the context of its predecessors" in a attempt to establish whether this theory is indeed anything new to offer for teaching and learning in the digital era.

This article looks at the challenges that could be faced by using PLEs and Connectivisim in social networking. The article breaks down the challenges to Connectivist learning and then explains the research methodology behind their findings.

A thorough article about various aspects of games and information literacy in the digital age. Includes a list of references and an embedded TEDx talk from noted teacher-librarian and researcher Joyce Valenza.

Literacy blog with apps posted with links to the apps and an explanation of the app and how it can best be used within the classroom.

This Edutopia article explains what a PLN is, how they develop through thought, that PLNs are collaborative, what PLNs can do for you, and how to build a PLN. The article brings up three deterrents of PLNs for educators: PLN is a mindset, there is an overwhelming amount of techno-babble, and requires more digital literacy than a Google search. A good quote from this article is, "We must remember that lifelong learning requires effort." The article ends with a list of resources on PLNs.

Edutopia's article defines PLN and provides concrete ways for educators to establish one. While it addresses the barriers for mass adoption of PLN, the focus is to highlight the collaborative nature of PLN. It is this collaboration that allows for personal and professional growth.

This is yet another great and practical article. I especially like how the author outlined how we can each develop a PLN in 20 min/ day and gave some great suggestions for what we should do with those 20 minutes. 20 min/day feels very doable, even to someone new to PLNs or social media.

This article discusses the evolving use of technology in the classroom and the fact that digital inequality between educator and student is beginning to be a huge problem in today's education system. It explores issues in new literacy practices and new learning theories as they relate to Web 2.0 and the importance of changing our education systems to keep up with these continuously changing technologies.

This article discusses how digital games like Minecraft can enhance reading and writing skills. Children enhance reading skills through reading manuals on how to play and create in the game. Games also contribute to writing skills when students post to gaming sites. Students are more motivated when they care about the task like playing the game.

Interactive curriculum for keeping kids safe online.

This site lets teachers, for free, set up unlimited student accounts and walks them through the creative writing process. Of course, teachers can also use the site to create digital books for their class.

Under the curriculum link, I found "Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum for Grades 9-12" This FREE, pioneering curriculum is designed to empower students to be smart about how they create, communicate, and treat others in our 24/7 digital world. Browse the units to find the right lessons for your students.