“If we want students to use media with a sense of ethics, responsibility, and purpose, we have to teach them how.”

In some school districts, students have constant access to the digital media world. It is now common for a school district to provide devices for each of their students or for a school district to have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. Scheibe & Rogow write about the importance to follow through on guidance and supporting students in using technology for educational purposes. “Otherwise students are likely to use those technologies to play and socialize and perhaps even get themselves into some trouble...”

This week, I experienced a “teacher first,” that made me even more aware how important it is to model and teach appropriate behavior when using technology. I noticed some students weren’t making as much progress in their online math curriculum as their peers. I made sure to keep an eye on these students, checking in to see if they needed help and even using the ability to “drop in” on their screen to see if they were actually completing the curriculum. I was baffled why they weren’t making any progress. It looked as though they were always doing the right thing.

I decided to look into it a bit more and opened up some students history on their iPad. And there it was….. tons of google searches show up on the screen as I scroll through the history. Google searches of puppy dogs, different foods, local attractions, Disney World, etc. I saw these students were sneaky about their searches, keeping more than one tab open to be able to switch back to the curriculum page in an instant. … Had they outsmarted me?!

I decided to look through more students iPads and realized I had made a mistake along the way. About half the class’ internet history showed that they had spent their time not on task, but on google searches and games. I knew I would need to address the class and go back to the basics about our classroom iPad rules. We discussed the rules again, like we did in the beginning of the year. This time I asked students to share if they have been able to follow through with them, or if there were some they struggled with. To my surprise, a few students were honest, mentioning it was hard to not use apps that they like whenever they want to.

I took this moment as teachable and made sure to readdress expectations and show students how I expected them to act – ethically and responsibly. I let the students know that I had checked their iPads and wiped their history. I set up reminders to go through this topic again and discuss digital citizenship more frequently. I see how this is an example of how media can challenge the thought that the teacher is the sole expert in the room. When it comes to teaching media literacy and digital citizenship, I am no expert. I decided to research some review lessons and important topics to discuss and keep relevant in morning/weekly discussions. If I am not guiding my students on how to be a good digital citizen then I cannot expect them to just be one.

I found this really great print out that I decided to hang up as well and encouraged students to look over and reflect on their own actions.

Additional Resources

http://blog.kathyschrock.net/ –After reading this weeks chapter, I looked up the mentioned educators and found I really enjoyed reading Kathy Schrock’s blog. A favorite post of mine is “Fake News: Fact or Opinion” where she shares this great graphic from ISTE titled “Citizenship in the Digital Age.”

https://www.ipads4teaching.net/ — This website has some incredible resources, especially related to iPads in the classroom

https://www.letterschool.org/7-reasons-why-ipads-in-schools-are-very-useful/ — I found this to be a helpful article about all the good that can come from using technology in the classroom

https://www.kathyschrock.net/ — Kathy Schrock has all kinds of resources available and this site is worth taking a look at

Question

My question for you all is sort of complex, depending on your own thoughts – I am wondering how you provide that gradual release to be able to trust your students again after something like this has happened? How can I incorporate a daily check in about this? I can imagine they felt a sense of invasion to their privacy, like i felt slightly taken advantage of. Would you too feel as though it was your fault, not enough teaching or pre-teaching about media has happened?

Sources

How do you teach digital and media literacy?

I can honestly say, I probably would never have even noticed it before taking this class. I am an intervention teacher for elementary math, and went into many classrooms last week to take quick benchmark assessments. As I walked around a 5th grade classroom, this poster caught my eye.

This poster hangs above the iPad cart in a 5th grade classroom.

Ironically enough, I open up week 5 assignments and there the poster is again. I decided to take a closer look into how this piece of media is used in classrooms.

After asking the teacher of the classroom about the poster, she told me she’s had it there for a few years. The printer margin on the paper says 2017, so that sounded about right. She explained that the librarian had sent them out in an email with talking points for beginning of year expectations about iPads in the classroom.

Every classroom I am in, uses technology daily. Specific iPad apps are written into every grade level curriculum, and every student has an iPad. Some students enter kindergarten with little knowledge of how to use the iPad, but by first and second grade they know how to maneuver it like pros. They use math gaming apps, literacy apps, music apps, art apps, apps that let them post and share educational videos, all of their textbooks are accessible through an app including tests, and apps to give them a brain break. Students enrolled in school now, are far more digital media literate than I ever was in grade school.

Teachers I know have used this brainpop video to introduce talking about media in classrooms.

A study by McCraw-Hill education gave reason why college students prefer digital learning technology and content. I think many of these reasons are related to grade level students as well.

I have seen both the positives and negatives in using technology in the classroom. Students have abused the iPad time before, by using drawing apps or just clicking nonsense through them to be done. When this happens, I think it requires direct instruction on how to use the app and why we use the apps during school that we do. I have also seen the wonderful progress struggling students have made with the help of literacy and math apps.

I know as a teacher, using apps has made data collection so much easier. Instead of taking hours to correct and compare papers, I have the information available instantly. I know students in my school can agree with many things said in the info-graphic above. I find they are able to retain more when learning interactively with different content.

How is digital and media literacy taught at other schools?

I know coming from working in other school districts that this isn’t the norm that I have known. No other schools that I’ve worked in have had as much technology in the classroom. I’m wondering what your “norm” is?

More Useful Infographics:

https://elearninginfographics.com/classroom-tech-evolves-infographic/

https://elearninginfographics.com/technology-transforms-learning-teaching-infographic/

Sources

Digital & Media Literacy

I tend to look at digital literacy and media literacy as two separate entities that intertwine. After starting my graduate course in this subject, I can see that they coincide with one another and belong together.

Digital and media literacy has to be taught. Who’s job is it to teach it? I think it requires ever-changing, evolving discussions from parents, teachers, care givers, friends. I believe in today’s day and age, with so much access to different types of media, it requires all hands on deck.

Teachers are learning and adapting their lesson plans to include aspects of digital and media literacy, without their students even being aware of it. I think about how much more media is shown in today’s classes than when I was in school – and the difference is clearly visible. Digital and media literacy skills are focussed on teaching students to think critically, for themselves. This includes “equipping students to successfully navigate their world and think for themselves.” (Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F.)

Today’s youth are exposed and becoming familiar with media earlier than the youth before them. This is why I think teaching digital and media literacy requires some help from home too. Parents should be monitoring what type of media their children are seeing and should help navigate them through appropriate and valid media.

The biggest challenge I think we face in teaching digital and media literacy is in researching the media we are using. The internet is a super hub of information and opinions. The challenge is in helping students navigate their way through fact vs. fiction. Another challenge is allowing students access to age appropriate material. Often times when I see students working on a research project, they are quick to pick the first article that comes to mind – whether it aligns to their reading ability or not. If it is too advanced of an article for them, they shut down, and if it is too easy, it usually does not contain enough important information.

Resources:

Scheibe, C., & Rogow, F. (2012). The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World. Corwin: Thousand Oaks, CA 

https://socialmediarsm.wordpress.com/2015/10/24/social-media-between-teacher-and-students-yes-or-no/

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