Journal 10

 Martinez, S., & Prensky, M. (2011). Learning and leading with technology. Is the Digital Native a Myth?, 39(3), 6.

I found a very interesting article in the 2011 issue of Learning and Leading with Technology. It was set up like a debate between two professional educators and discussed whether or not the term "Digital Native" or "Digital Immigrant" is considered a myth. I have always believed in the term "Digital Native" because I am from the generation that grew up within technology. As I read through the argument by Sylvia Martinez that these terms are myths, I started to reconsider my thoughts on the terms. Sylvia argued that yes it is true that these younger generations are growing up in the world of technology, but calling them digital natives is a cop- out to not have to actually teach these children anything about technology. Just because they grow up in the world of technology does not mean they necessarily know how to use every aspect of the digital world in benefit for their learning experience. It is still up to us as educators to help students and teach them new and evolving ways of the digital world. I can definitely agree with this point because ever since I entered into Professor Heil's Ed 422 class on technology and education, I was amazed and saddened at how many web based resources there were available to students and that I did not discover them sooner in my years of schooling! How much easier it all would have been.

As I read through Marc Prensky's argument that the digital native is not a myth, I started understanding and agreeing with him as well. He states that the term "Digital Native" does not necessarily have to mean that you are supposed to have knowledge of everything. He describes it as a metaphor of a cultural experience. Being a digital native just means that children are more comfortable with digital technology and tend to learn quicker when they use different digital tools.

As educators, how do we bridge the gap between digital natives and immigrants?
I think that as educators we need to constantly be on top of the digital world. We need to go the extra mile for our students and understand that our times are emerging and children have various needs that have to be met.

How do we achieve this bridging of the gap?
Developing the PLN is an excellent way to be on top of the educational world. Joining online communities such as Classroom 2.0 or Twitter can connect you with people from across the world and bring you up to date quicker than one can imagine.

Journal 9

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading, 39(3), 12-15.

Annette Lamb discusses the concept of reading and compares it from the older days to more recent times. Years ago, reading consisted of opening a book, flipping through the pages and reading line by line. In our new digital world, reading has progressed to forms of e-books, interactive reading, reference databases, hypertext and trans-media story telling. In our emerging and growing digital age, we now have the Kindle, e-books and apps for the I-pad or I-phone or interactive storybooks on CD-ROM. It seems that these new forms of reading are catering to the needs of all diverse people in our world. There are many students that can not just sit down for two hours and read a book straight through. They might have more visual and active brains that do not have the will or want to force themselves to sit through a long book. Many of these apps for the I-pad or I-phone have e-books that allow the reader to adjust font color or size and add various graphics to what they are reading. This benefits those children who may have a learning disability or need extra help putting sentences together because it caters to their personal learning style.

How can educators incorporate e-books into classroom material?
Educators need to understand that these new forms of technology and reading enhance the learning experience for children. I did classroom observations at an elementary school and noticed that some teachers handed out I-phones to children who had learning disabilities. These i-phones had applications that helped the child pronounce words and put sentences together.

Is it beneficial to get rid of books altogether?

I think that getting rid of hard copies of books is not beneficial to students because it does not allow them to explore all areas of their learning abilities. Some students may not prefer reading via the digital world, rather they would open up a book and want to flip actual pages.

Journal 8

 

AAC, also known as Augmentative and Alternative Communication, incorporates all forms of communication that are used to express thoughts, needs or wants excluding oral speech. As humans, we all use AAC through facial expressions, gestures, or even write. AAC is used to help those with severe speech or language problems communicate their vital needs.

There are different categories of AAC which include no tech, low tech and high tech devices. No tech is a form of natural communication which includes gesturing, eye communication or sign language. This should be administered and translated by someone close to the child to identify the problem or want at hand.

Low tech is the use of physical materials such as pointing to particular pictures or the use of speech output systems. An example of a low tech device would be a communication board. Communication boards have familiar pictures of people, words, objects, symbols and numbers with words printed on top of the picture. The boards, pictured on the right, resemble large cards, folders, or books. The way the child communicates his or her thought is by looking at the picture/symbol, pointing with their fingers, or using a pointer stick. This could be used in the classroom to get by with asking or answering basic questions.

High Tech AAC devices can be activated by a pointer stick, body part, eyes, or an infrared light pointing tool. The child can select his or her option by turning on a switch on the device. Once the option is selected by the child, the high tech device can generate computer speech by the particular selection. An example of a high tech device would be DynaVox M3 displayed to the right. This device is primarily utilized by children and uses a voice output transmission. They have a dynamic display screen that includes a tracker system, touch screen, and scanning. It has word prediction and spelling that can initiate conversations, questions, and expression of feelings. This device is primarily used for those children just discovering their journey to speech output. This could be used in the classroom when there is an art project, group work, or for any verbal communication amongst the student’s peers. The digitized speech sounds are much more natural sounding which makes the transition of public use easier on the student.

The primary goal for children with special needs would be their inclusiveness into the general education population and the ease of being able to access their appropriate communication aids. One resource I found that would be most helpful in achieving this would be the Profiler Mounting System for AAC devices. This piece of hardware allows its users to mount their device to just about everything and anything. It has special tubing that is formulated to maneuver the device any which way. This hardware system fits with just about any communication device available on the market.

A software that I found very useful for those who have trouble speaking or can not speak at all was called EZ Keys by Words +. With its time saving and easy to use software, EZ Keys includes a dual word prediction and abbreviation expansion. This system learns your speaking patterns and adapts it to future use. For example, it displays a list of the last four to  five words used in conjunction with the previous word. Teachers could use this device in the classroom for those children who have a hard time participating or being involved in class activities. It allows them to stay up to pace with the rest of the children without feeling left out or disadvantaged.

I commented on Lindsey and Kara's Journal 8