I was actually really into Steven Wheeler's latest blog entry, the interview with Rosie Jones about open universities and the future of libraries moving beyond physical space, and designing digital library environments! It's pretty wacky that so many people still say they prefer physical books, but Dr. Jones suggests that this is not especially useful, so universities may have a role in helping students move beyond the physical book and more and more into the digital. I think it's at best odd, and at worst unethical, that students have access to all these physical resources AND all these digital resources (e.g. academic journals, scholarly articles, search engines, periodicals) while they're enrolled, but then once they graduate they can no longer access these resources.
Dr. Jones makes a great point that digital capabilities are not as much about teaching students how to use a particular tool because "software doesn't stay" (07:59). She argues that digital literacy involves training students to stay informed about digital tools and evaluate tools as they become available and determine what is worthwhile to learn how to use. I see a similar strategy being employed in this very course, in fact. :)
Technology Tailgate hasn't been updated since the last time I checked it, and Cool Cat Teacher had a couple of posts about gifts for teachers that seemed a little silly but cute. The post on CCT that seemed to have the most substance was about teaching empathy and empowerment in the aftermath of tragedy. The point that teachers are teaching more than content but also morals and values and feelings is well taken; this past Tuesday was the culmination of a food drive conducted at our school, and it was a great way for students to get involved in something meaningful and connect with their communities. Perhaps a good way to make a foreign language activity out of this is to do a pen-pal project or a greeting card project, where students send cards or letters (digital or paper) to people in need.
Dr. Jones makes a great point that digital capabilities are not as much about teaching students how to use a particular tool because "software doesn't stay" (07:59). She argues that digital literacy involves training students to stay informed about digital tools and evaluate tools as they become available and determine what is worthwhile to learn how to use. I see a similar strategy being employed in this very course, in fact. :)
Technology Tailgate hasn't been updated since the last time I checked it, and Cool Cat Teacher had a couple of posts about gifts for teachers that seemed a little silly but cute. The post on CCT that seemed to have the most substance was about teaching empathy and empowerment in the aftermath of tragedy. The point that teachers are teaching more than content but also morals and values and feelings is well taken; this past Tuesday was the culmination of a food drive conducted at our school, and it was a great way for students to get involved in something meaningful and connect with their communities. Perhaps a good way to make a foreign language activity out of this is to do a pen-pal project or a greeting card project, where students send cards or letters (digital or paper) to people in need.
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