New Literacies Learning (from 4/14)

My ideas surrounding both literacy and technology have greatly evolved throughout this course. Throughout my collegiate classes, I can recall briefly discussing literacy as it applies to education and cirriculum within schools. However, throughout this course my understandings of just how in depth the term literacy really is has drastically changed. Before this course, I had little idea as to how involved the term literacy itself was, let alone all the forms and types literacy comes in! In choosing a new literacy, emotional literacy, I was able to research and expand my understandings as to what new literacies are and specifically emotional literacy. I feel that this project has made me realize more clearly the importance as a future teacher including instruction in literacy in multiple forms. Between emotional literacy, cultural literacy, visual literacy, and social literacy; there are a lot of aspects surrounding instruction we as teachers must keep in mind. I have learned that literacy instruction does not need to be limited to the simple, monotonous English instruction I can recall, but an encompassing of literacy instruction through various technologies in which students can discover and explore their individual identities.
The new technologies aspect of this project was also very educational and benefical in working with. Before this course, I definately considered myself to be a digital immigrant in that I was fairly unfamiliar with most technology. Beyond cell phones, email, and google, my technology experiences have been limited. This project allowed me to see just how many ways new forms of technology can be incorporated in all forms of classroom education. Through our use of the smart board in class, and the day in class that we explored the different technologies, I realized just how many ways teachers can utilize such technology as a resource to promote students learning in all forms.
I truly learned a lot in this project about both my new literacy and technology to ways in which I can modernize and incorporate these new ideas and technologies to create a more effective learning environment for my students.