Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Early Technoliteracies

Today, lots of schools and teachers use technology in their school for literacy. With using technology, children learn many things in easy and effective ways. They can write, watch, read, draw, paint, and even speak. For writing, if children have some mistakes in their grammar or spelling, the computer automatically fixes it. For watching, children can watch anything they want and for reading, children just select which book they want to read and just click the title. In drawing and painting parts, I observed that my nephew had a great art game CD and when he clicked any color he want to use and click wherever he want to put, then the section was filled in the color he chose. How awesome is that! Because when I was a preschooler, I did not have that kind of technology, I was kind of surprised even though I have technology recently. Children also can talk to computer with their avatar. As the time has been changed, children’s learning style also will be changed. Children are learning their literacy in more understandable and accessible ways with just clicking. Technology provides useful information to children.
 
I agree with the technology is one of the biggest and important part for children to learn literacy. However, I am sometimes concerned if children focus and obsess on technology too much, it would be worse than that they do not have technology. Therefore, teachers, caregivers, and parents should manage their children to use technology in appropriate ways with relevant time. Also, teachers and parents should not forget about real materials and environments have more authentic meaning for children sometimes. 

5 comments:

  1. I think it is important for teachers to use technology only when it is really beneficial. I have heard of cases where technology was used to replace the teacher, allowing the teachers to do less work. Teachers need to be careful to not let this happen.

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  2. I love the comment you make about computers and "autocorrect." Teachers are so concerned with spelling, which I believe has value, but as a student, every method I use to write communication corrects my spelling. My dad blames my poor spelling skills on the "reg squiggly line" and it's true, but does it matter? I am turning in a finished product with the correct words. This is a great topic to address.

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  3. It is important to realize that children's learning styles are different now than they used the be. Acknowledging this fact will help teachers plan developmentally appropriate activities using technology for their classes.

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  4. I like that you said that teachers and parents need to learn to incorporate technology, but in intentional, meaningful ways. There is definitely a big difference between using technology to benefit children and using it to keep them busy.

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  5. You Bring up a good point in that so much of the technology that children are able to use today was not around when we were younger. Although we can relate on a certain level about children's love for technology we are not the ones who have grown up with it since birth. Technology may mean something different to them than it does to us.

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