Technology or Literacy

Seems like a strange pair to have to choose between doesn't it? But that has been the problem in our classroom over the last several weeks as we have struggled to first finish our radio plays and now as we fight with our International Teen Life videos. Technology has not been kind to us in this time. We have fought failing files, crashing computers, and generally uncooperative technology. We have pushed hard; stretching skills and machines. The kids have persevered and worked through it all, putting in extra time over lunch hours and early in the mornings to complete their projects, but it has been at some cost.

As we have struggled with our computers, we have sacrificed our concentration on literacy to solving technology troubles. In a studio environment such as ours, kids rely on each other for creative encouragement, guidance, and suggestions, but also for technical help. But with struggling to simply finish things and worrying about computers crashing, we have lost some of our focus on literacy, creativity, and innovation and have instead had to spend a lot of time problem solving. While this is good experience for kids to have, it is not where I'd like the focus of my classroom to be.

For a technology - centred classroom to firmly focus on literacy and learning, the tools need to work. They need to be transparent. When everything works, the learners can concentrate on collaboration and producing the best possible pieces they are capable of. But when the technology becomes difficult to use, it stands between the students and their learning and becomes a point of focus all its own.

There is an incredibly diverse number of things currently happening in my classroom. The students are editing videos produced by students in South America. Animating poems produced by another class in Asia. We are also finding Creative Commons licensed music, and other images and videos we can use that we have found on the Internet. They are dealing with collaborating on wiki pages pulling tremendous amounts of research together and using Google docs as a platform for storyboarding between several sets of students around the world. Our classroom is a busy, intense space that is exciting and interesting to walk into each day.

But as we push further each day, we reach places where we can see the boundaries of what is possible and we also realize that sometimes, blazing new trails can be a tiring, difficult job.

technorati tags:technology, literacy, studio, classroom

Comments

[Kevin H.]

This is a struggle that I confront all the time -- the time spent working out the technology versus the time spent learning (although, I would also argue that overcoming tech hurdles can be a form of learning that requires critical thinking, cooperation and an endless amount of patience and ingenuity).
Not that I am glad you are struggling, Clarence, but it is helpful to know it is not only me. :)
I would love to know more about your radio plays.
Peace,
Kevin

[Jeremiah Patterson]

Trouble-shooting, developing interdependence between students, and "reading" difficulties with technology...it may be frustrating, but it may just fit with an emerging definition of 'literacy.' Paradoxically, our discomfort as educators may provide our students their best opportunities for real learning. Keep it up, and keep the faith.
jp

[Clarence Fisher]

I agree with both of you. Trouble shooting technical difficulties might be part of what expanding literacies includes; looking after and maintaining your creative tools. I would just like to ensure that the focus of our space is on the creativity and innovation that takes place in that space. It must be because I have a Mac owners attitude in a Windows school ;)

[Clay Burell]

I feel your pain, Clarence. And while I agree with Jeremiah and Kevin that "frustration tolerance" and problem-solving are important skills to develop, I also agree with you that classroom learning and producing time should be spent on that, instead of constantly stopping the work to change flat tires.

And as another Mac user consigned to the flames of a Windows school, I feel your pain even more. We should also be modeling "smart consumerism" in our classrooms. Instead, our schools are choosing Yugos over Porsches when the costs are about the same.

Are you at a 1:1 school? Have carts? What's your set-up?

Now let's have a look at your radio plays :)