At the heart of this transformation is adapting the role that I play within a learning environment, and the types of learning environment in which I interact with my students. Student centred pedagogy needs to be at the heart of my teaching practice. Such transformation can not occur in isolation either. I need to be proactive in acquiring relevant technological skills, and also be proactive in sharing this knowledge with teaching colleagues.
It is an important part of my role as a future teacher librarian to support school staff in effectively planning and implementing curriculum in which mobile media technologies are truly integrated. It is also part of my responsibility to provide opportunities for staff professional development in this area. The more teachers use
technology, the more they recognize and value the positive effect it has on student learning and engagement and its connection to 21st century skills.
In order to be able to confidently adapt current teaching practices educators need to be provided with opportunities to:
- Develop knowledge about the capabilities of mobile media tools
- Learn how to confidently use them
- See the merits of using these tools to enhance existing curriculum practices.
My own confidence in using mobile media tools has had an influence on my ability to effectively integrate them into my teaching practice. Upon reflection of my curriculum practice, in the past I have attempted to use a number of these tools within lessons. However I tended to use these tools as only information gathering tools, via fairly traditional forms of lessons. I have also been significantly constrained by the financial limitations of my particular learning environment.
These experiences however have allowed me to develop not just skills in using mobile media tools. I now feel more confident in attempting to use a wider range of tools in a more authentic manner within my curriculum practice.
As a future teacher librarian it is important that I actively promote this authenticity within my school community. One way in which I can do this is to ensure that teaching staff have equitable access to these tools in order that they have opportunities to “play” and learn about potential benefits of using such tools to enhance their own curriculum practice.
Any curriculum development which I undertake must be authentic and meaningful for students. It is not just a matter of providing the latest and greatest tools for student use. Authentic curriculum development can only take place if I first consider what it is that I want the students to learn, and in what context. Following this, I can then look at which tools I believe will best assist students in achieving these goals.
I need to consider the social and collaborative nature of knowledge acquisition and production today. Students as members of a millennium culture do not interact with knowledge in isolation. Using a variety of mobile media tools, members of this culture circulate information in a variety of formats to a wide audience. Any authentic curriculum development needs to take this into consideration. Students need to be provided with opportunities to negotiate and collaborate with peers on tasks.
As an educator it is essential that I develop an understanding of the role that mobile media tools play in the day to day lives of the students that I teach. It is particularly important to remember that learners do not view these tools as important because of their potential use as educational devices. Essentially these tools play a significant role in their lives because they provide opportunities for a continuous media experience. Mobile media devices allow users to stay in continuous contact with friends, regardless of location.
Both educators and students need to consider the ethical implications of interacting with mobile media tools. While users have access to information on nearly any topic they wish to explore, it needs to be remembered that the quality and accuracy of this information may be always be consistent. As part of my teaching practice I need to provide opportunities for students to acquire information literacy skills, in order that they will become discerning users of online tools. This should not be done in isolation. It should be the skills which underpin all academic areas, and all curriculum development.
Some people may argue that youth will naturally acquire key skills and competencies on their own through their interactions with mobile media. However there are three significant concerns which need to address when dealing with policy and pedagogical development.
- The Participation Gap (or the digital divide) — due to a variety of reasons (including geographical and financial) there exists inequality amongst youth today. These inequalities impact on a users ability to "access the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare them for full participation in the world of tomorrow." There is however a growing awareness of this issue as can be seen in the following clip.
- The Transparency Problem — Youth today are heavily influenced by the information that they receive through their online interactions. One of the greatest challenges for myself is to be able to guide youth in " learning to see clearly the ways that media shapes their perceptions of the world." for good or not so good.
- The Ethics Challenge — The question of ownership of any content found in an online environment is a difficult one, and one which is becoming increasingly blurred. As an educator I am grappling with how to deal with issues that are arise when youth take on an "increasingly public roles as media makers".
By taking into consideration all the implications mentioned above, and recognising the challenges I also face I am working towards transforming my own teaching practice using the new knowledge and understandings I have gained through my study this semester. I hope to be better able to implement innovative practices with a strong pedagogical framework as the basis, whether it be as a classroom teacher, or as part of my future role as a teacher librarian. I aim also be a role model and support teaching colleagues in using mobile media tools as part of their curriculum practice in an authentic manner.
You are so right about being proactive with your own learning and sharing that learning. Technology changes SO rapidly that if you are not proactive and seeking new ways of doing things, you’ll be left behind.
ReplyDeleteI also like your discussion of being ‘authentic’ with curriculum development and teaching. It is too easy to throw a piece of technology into the mix just for a bit of student appeal without having an authentic reason for including it. I think most of us as educators have been guilty of this!
This ‘always on’ generation of students are accessing a you state ‘a continuous media experience’, so it would be great to be able to use the technology they are familiar with in an educational context. But as you suggest…we must also be confident in the technology, and use it in such a way that it is meaningful and educationally sound. Being confident in our use of technology helps to bridge the generation divide. I don’t think we need to necessarily be proficient in our use (nothing like learning from and with our students!), but confidence to experiment and try new ways of doing is vital.
Proactive, and authentic. I will take these thoughts from this blog post!