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Week 2- Reflection and questions “Blog Reading”

Week 2: Blog Reading

This reading states and outlines the works, benefits, significance, and downsides of the new media called “blog” used by the new young generation. This online journal is a quick and easy way to gain thoughts, share, reflect and challenge ideas. These ideas can be shared in variety of forms; text, hyperlinks, images, multimedia and be about entertainment, commerce, news, politics or anything that is on your mind. 

This type of technological tool is continuously growing, as 50 million people are now blogging including teachers, students, libraries, and even soldiers at war. I understand that this is the way of the future and that it generates interest, learning, and connections and initiates growth in communities.

I agree with the article, that information posted can be misleading, false, inaccurate and bias. But it also states that blogs are becoming an “instructional teaching tool”. Yes, this technology might be useful for students in secondary schools completing international studies, ICT, commerce, English or politics, (like stated in the example), but this technology is not entirely suited for primary education. Young children may be confident users at home, but lessons and learning at this age should still be face to face. Explicit teaching in the classroom is vital, so too collaborative learning. With blogs as the instructional mode for classroom learning children are not developing social skills, team learning, or may not understand that everything they made read is not true. Hence misleading information and subject related vocabulary could cause confusion in learning, whereas in the classroom environment misleading facts are rectified immediately, and questions answered correctly. 

If I had to use blogs in the classroom setting I would only use them to consolidate, discuss and reflect ideas after knowledge and learning. I believe this technology is suited for primary students only, infant years will be unable to criticise, debate or understand the concept and aim of blogs. 

I have very mixed reactions regarding the use of blogs in the classroom, however my opinion could be influenced because of my low confidence in computing and ICT skills. However, I think this article has made a convincing case for the use of blogs in the classroom environment. 

Questions

1.    Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

-         Blogs support a variety of learning styles thanks to its rich and diverse range of types and forms used to portray information. For example through texts, hyperlinks, images, video, sound, and multimedia.

So I think it is safe to say, this ICT supports a variety of learning styles, visual, spatial, audio, verbal, logical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence.   

2.    How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

-         Blogs are a quick, simple, easy way to capture, share, reflect and challenge ideas or concepts in regards to entertainment, politics, commerce, news etc.

-         Develop high order thinking by critically analysing and debating others ideas and thoughts

-         Creates rich social networks – generates growth in communities

-         Creates interest in universal, social, national, and local issues developing own value system.

3.    How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

Creativity “is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or concepts, or new associations between existing ideas or concepts” (Catharina cited in Schaefer, 2008). 

The use of bogs enables the development of creativity because users inhabit some characteristics like “energetic, curious, independent, perceptive, open-minded, and imaginative” (Catharina cited in Schaefer, 2008). In a general sense, it is where people are interested in new things and think in new ways. With no doubt, blogs enable the use of creativity as people “deliberately remove barriers of tradition and habit, examine and remove perceptual blocks, practice divergent thinking and practice convergent thinking” (Catharina cited in Schaefer, 2008).

Ideas taken from: Schaefer. C. (2008) Schaefer blog, 10 Ways to Develop Your Creativity: Lessons in skilled living. Obtained from http://www.schaefersblog.com/10-ways-to-develop-your-creativity/ on the 14^th of March 2009.

Note: The blog postings are by Catharina F. de Wet, Ph.D and author of One View of Giftedland, a blog focusing on talented and gifted education.

Week 1 reflection: The Digital Natives debate: A critical review of the evidence

I agree with majority of the arguments proposed by Bennett, Maton and Kervin; as they argue that Prensky’s assumptions and allegations have little or no supportive evidence. Prensky (2001) suggests that all people born between 1980 and 1994 are “digital natives” (Bennett, Maton and Kervin, 2007). Meaning they have surrounded themselves with technology in their everyday life thus they think and process information differently from other generations (Bennett et al. 2007). He also claims this generation speaks a digital language, can access information fast, multi task, and network and prefers graphics before text (Bennett et al. 2007). This generalisation has challenged the education system to change pedagogy, assessment, instruction and professional development to accommodate skills and interests of the digital native generation (Bennett et al. 2007).

The other side of this argument presents that all people born prior to 1980 are “digital immigrants” (Prensky 2001 cited in Bennett et al. 2007). This generation which includes most teachers have started to use technology at the later stages of life; so not born into a digital world, they have old traits and habits, and prefer text before graphics (Prensky 2001 cited in Bennett et al. 2007). He claims that this generation will never be fluent and reach a competent standard with technology.

Bennett et al (2007) state that there are many contextual factors that can influence these claims such as culture, socio-economic status, age group, family, access and exposure; thus effecting skills and uses of technology.  Recent research demonstrates “low levels of skills of the digital native’s generation due to a diverse view of the role of technology in lives of young people” (Bennett et al 2007, p.778). In a survey of 4374 students in United States only 93.4% owned personal computers, 82% had a mobile phone and only 21% were creating own content and multimedia (Bennett et al 2007). In Australia, university students are not utilizing emerging technology; 21% have a blog, and 24% have social networking technologies (Bennett et al 2007). 

            Prensky insists that digital natives learn differently compared to past generations; “Our students are changing radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (Prensky, 2001 cited in Bennett, et al. 2007, p.776), therefore our educational institutions are becoming “outdated” and “irrelevant” (Prensky, 2001 cited in Bennett, et al. 2007). Bennett et al (2007) opposes this view, suggesting that some of the skills fixed to “digital natives” like multi tasking are not limited just to this group rather this skill can be possessed by people in the “digital immigrant” group. Hence supporting there is little evidence to state such a claim and cause “moral panic” within the educational system; there is no evidence to suggest that there is “widespread profound disengagement in learning” (Bennett, et al. 2007, p.281).     

        Some points made my Prensky do seem relevant in today’s society. For example, education methodology could be open and responsive to some changes in the teaching of curriculum, but I strongly agree and support further research is needed to clarify Prensky’s allegations.

Bennett. S., Maton. K., and Kervin. L. (2007) The digital natives debate: A critical        review of the evidence. British Journal of Eduactional Technology. Vol 39, p.   775-786

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