In an attempt to snazzy up my first official blog post, I decided to include a cheerful little graphic. Good thinking, right? My first inclination was to head over to Google Image, plug in some basic search terms (...think books, students, school supplies - you get the idea!), snag the perfect image, and begin construction on this post. In the midst of my perusing, I came to this harsh realization...was I committing some sort of copyright infringement by including another person's artistry in my work? You bet. I'd say it's rather fitting given that I just read through the NETS Standards for Students and Teachers (See here and here).
I quickly made my way over to Flikr and found the above image. Looks to be a smorgasbord of paint chips, encompassing just about every color of the rainbow. I liked it for its abstract quality, but even more so for its quirky visual representation of these new skills, dispositions, and curiosities that are a necessity in both our physical and digital society. You see, just as those paint chips spill over with color, each displaying a different mock-up that naturally leads from one hue to the next, new literacies are a more sophisticated, person-centered, constructivist based set of skills that harness many of the same concepts we've attempted to teach in, perhaps, a more superficial manner. Richardson (2010), cites skills such as analysis, research, organization, and synthesis as just a sampling of the competencies our students need to be successful contributors to our modern society.
With such a variety of *FREE* digital platforms at our finger tips, these new literacies can be applied in the most authentic of means as students become readers, authors, and innovators. As a teacher, per the NETS Standards, it is my responsibility to harness student creativity and critical thinking, promote appropriate digital conduct, and espouse a digitally literate mindset (or, at the very least, a willingness to learn!) In terms of the NETS Standards for Students, these are NOT simply an add-on to the customary curriculum. Rather, I must embed opportunities for collaboration and exploration throughout all facets of instruction to purposefully incorporate the use of technology.
Here's some food for thought: How can we teach these requisite skills without getting completely caught up with "teaching to the tools?" Sure, there are a wealth of Web 2.0 applications readily available for use, but what do you think are the best ways to strategically integrate technology to bolster and enhance instruction?
