#cyberPD - Digital Reading Part 2

What really matters?

Part 2 focuses on the three foundations of digital literacy:

1. Authenticity: student choice + ownership
2. Intentionality: Being intentional decision makers (both the teacher and students)
3. Connectedness: students need to be connected readers and writers (both in the classroom, community, and world)

Authenticity

“Being readers ourselves is the best tool we have to keep our classroom workshops authentic” (p. 30).

The book provides us with several questions to reflect on:

• What changes have i noticed in my reading over the past several years? What devices do I rely on most as a reader? My reading of traditional texts has decreased. While I still prefer to read traditional books for enjoyment, I find myself reading more digital texts. Continuously throughout the day I am reading text on my phone (messages, emails, websites, social media posts, apps, etc.), on my computer (email, websites, documents, etc.), and sometimes on my iPad. Because of this I am reading much more often and in a variety of settings including at home, the office, in the car, waiting for appointments, and more. It's important for me to remember that my students reading lives are changing, too. Am I preparing them to use all types of texts in a variety of settings?
• How do I respond to my reading? Blogging, social media, reading notebook, conversation with friends and colleagues - Students need the same opportunities, a variety of ways of responses. This provides student choice.
  
• What types of content do I consider to be "reading"? There is more than reading books. Today we are exposed to text more often than ever. Digital devices surround us with text through apps, websites, email, text messages, social media, digital books, and more. As I have started to pay closer attention to when I read, I notice it is a constant presence throughout my day.
• What trends do I see in the reading lives of my friends and colleagues? While they continue to read books, they are reading more blogs, social media posts, websites and articles, and emails. Students need to be exposed to the same opportunities and experiences.

 We need to reflect on our own reading lives and make sure to use our experiences to plan our reading workshops. Students need to be exposed to a variety of media and texts, as well as have opportunities to reflect on their reading in different ways. This is not teaching a specific tool, but instead incorporating tools where appropriate into our curriculum and workshops. 

Intentionality

"Tech Comfy NOT tech savvy!" -Anglea Maiers, page 48

 This quote summarizes chapter 4. It's important that we are teaching strategies for using technology, not specific apps and programs. By teaching strategies, we ensure students will be able to intentionally select websites and articles, instead of simply "surfing" the web. Students need to know when and how to use the technology, not just have a list of websites.

Connectedness

"...build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so as to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought" (p. 69).

Readers need to be a part of a community of learners, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Social media makes this more possible than ever. Today, classes are even connecting with authors and other classes across the world, reflecting and sharing ideas and learning together. Ways to support connectedness include blogging, social media, Google hangouts, FaceTime/Skype, and many more. Students also need to recognize that books and other texts are connected in a variety of ways, even sometimes connected to videos and multimedia. I was excited to see Wonderopolis mentioned as a source for connecting videos with informational text. Thanks for the shout out, Katherine Sokolowski!