Social Networks
Twitter: Wow! Never did I imagine the world of educational possibilities with Twitter. I never really had an interest in twitter because from news updates, my impression is that it’s a platform for everyday people to really build a social network not necessarily an academic network. When news updates focus on media wars between celebrities, entertainers and of course politicians in the 2016 election and past elections, it’s difficult to perceive an academic use for Twitter. I had tried it once for promoting my tutoring business many years ago but I must say: I used it briefly and remained a Twitter “Lay man” until the textbook readings exposed me to “Twitter Tips and Tricks” (Schrum & Solomon, p.65). In fact, I was afraid that I’ll be lured into the so called “twitter wars” if I allowed myself to become a fan.
- One way that I would like to use Twitter as an English teacher is to have my students use it for role play to portray the characters they have read about in an assigned novel. They will post tweets as the characters they are pretending to be. That is something I can certainly use Twitter to accomplish with my students.
- I got on board for the sole purpose of building my professional network. It’s been amazing. I have made almost 200 connections from different parts of the world. As a morning routine, I read the LinkedIn feeds on the homepage: from Ted Talks on new technology to school initiatives on Personalized Learning. All I can say is that it’s been worthwhile, and who knows, I may land my next position from a connection on LinkedIn!
Virtual Environments
81dash: I heard about this platform for the first time this week and I must say that I like it. Yes, I just like it. I feel that it will do for me what Microsoft OneNote will do for me. Due to the fact that OneNote has more capabilities and happens to be a more familiar platform, I’m not very keen on using 81dash. I know that less is more depending on how you view it. But the less in this case is to stick to the platform that I already know – OneNote, rather than adopt 2 platforms and confuse myself and my students.
- For school districts that are yet to introduce a Personalized Learning Initiative or platform, I would recommend 81dash for individual teacher use. It’s ideal for sharing files, managing learning content and creating a Personalized Learning platform for student learning objectives.
- Much as I created an account as a learning task, I don’t intend to use it again but I see it as something that will motivate students because it has a gaming layout, which students would likely be enthused about.
- To my fellow educators, if you can get past the concern of feeling dead, by all means explore it more. As for me, I will stick to other virtual environments in my current life.
The Digital Divide
At my school, the digital divide exists amongst Special Needs students of Latino and African American heritage from low socio-economic backgrounds. It is sometimes uncomfortable to observe this digital divide given that you can’t easily ignore the racial aspect of this divide. “The race digital divide is a symptom of racism, and to understand it outside this context diminishes its significance and cripples our ability to address it effectively” (Gorski, p. 6). Based on my communication and interaction with parents of students that I teach, there appears to be a generational issue with this divide as well. By this, I mean that parents of students who experience a digital divide were not digitally equipped either. For example, a student who lacks home access to technology devices or the internet, have parents who also lacked access to whatever learning technologies were available in their school days. Therefore, the trend seems to continue.
Identifying strategies for equitable access to digital tools and resources:
- It’s important to recognize that “any discussion of the racial digital divide in the United States must begin with a critical analysis of this omission, of this invisibility, of this most dangerous form of racial privilege that allows those in power to simply ignore a problem that is too large or complex or economically costly” (Gorski, p. 8, 9). Therefore, a thorough and inclusive research needs to be conducted in a manner that includes every ethnic group in our school systems.
- In the meantime, one strategy that I use to ensure that each of my students receive digital equity and resources is to provide digital access and instruction at school with school resources during school hours. As a Special education teacher, I work mostly with students in this digital divide category at my school. Much as I believe in homework and assign it when necessary, I always consider those students who don’t have digital access at home without calling them out. When I assign homework, I provide options and make it about authentic practice, and emphasize the process without emphasizing the technology. For example, in a Biography unit, students’ homework may be about interviewing a family member. Their options for recording the interview at home will have different options such as recording interviewee responses with pen and paper or a cell phone. Then, when students are at school, I have them document the information on a digital platform that is made available to all students at the same time with the same type of device –ipads, laptops, desktops, etc.
References:
Gorski, P. (2005). Education equity and the digital divide. AACE Journal, 13(1), 3-45.