Engaging the voice of all students is more readily achieved through digital writing tools. In a typical classroom, only the strong voice is heard----a voice that influences or silences the majority of students sitting in the classroom. Furthermore, students are more adapted in navigating through the digital landmines that most teachers find fearful to enter. Therefore, giving students a green light to express their thoughts and ideas in new arenas can expand the amount of writing that most students usually reluctantly complete. Also, by incoorporating the various digital tools available, students can share their information and can easily enteract with fellow students in a nonthreatening manner, and each can truly hear what other students are saying. The reader (audience) has time to understand what is being said without outside interference and will have time to add his or her comments along with substantiating his or her statement(s) with factual information or video clips.
Digital tools also permit the presentor to use engaging formats when conveying his or her ideas to an audience, thus, achieving a greater feeling of success. Digital formats allow students to share information and receive insight from peer interaction, which helps the author/creator to produce a more polished product. A product that reaches a larger audience, and knowing the expanded audience usually challenges the writer to achieve greater proficiency.
Moreover, gaining digital literacy, students will expand their learning through the use of online chats, collaboration of knowledge, organization, brainstorming of ideads and the formulation of arguments, all which enhances the quality of their writing. Then, to effectively combine images, video, hyperlinks, and audio clips to emphasize strategic points within their presentation stengthens the final draft of their presentation.
Basically, the use of digital tools increases the cooperation among students and allows each to express his or her ideas and beliefs, and the tools allows those ideas and beliefs to be supported with factual information. However, with technological advancement comes pitfalls and hazards. First, teachers have to be careful not to overuse this mode of expression so that it becomes "just another way to turn in homework"----like PowerPoints have become. Also, there is always the potential risk if sharing too much personal data online and the obstacle of district filtering and blocking. Another hazard of digital usage is the limited "techno-savvy" on the part of the teacher. However, I am never shy about asking students to teach me and to teach peers.
Finally, digital tools makes writing relevant to many students who usually fall between the cracks---those who resist the plain handwritten (typed) production. Yea, digitalism is a spark to re-ignite stagnated expression.
Inspired by an Earthworm
14 years ago
great comments! and what a balance we teachers must achieve: use technology 2.0 to motivate, enhance learning, deepen collaboration & understanding -- and yet not use it as simply another way to hand in homework.
ReplyDelete"However, I am never shy about asking students to teach me and to teach peers."
ReplyDeleteI think this will be critical for us as teachers. We have to be unafraid to use technologies we don't completely understand and use our students as experts.