A learning journey with no fixed abode
Just before morning tea I sitting in a new entrant class working with a couple a kids on the computer when al of a sudden I look around as I here the following song and discover all 18 new entrants singing and dancing along… Click here
I know by some peoples standards I’ve not been around education all that long and I’ve certainly been around the edublogosphere a fraction of that time. But I have just reached my 365th post, which must count to something. Regardless I have, as yet failed to find an answer to my question: “What is ‘digital literacy’?
However I did com across a slideshare by Dr Tabetha Newman who quoted Allan Martin and suggested it as being one of the most broad, flexible but still tangible definitions out there.
“The awareness, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, analyse and synthesise digital resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others, in the context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process”
Hardly a bumper sticker so question being:
Can you come up with a better definition? In less than 55 words?
Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit 1686
Thomas Gainsborough 1727
Billy Dove 1900
Skip Martin 1916
Norman Luboff 1917
Richard Deacon 1922
Al Porcino 1925
Patrice Munsel 1925
Gump Worsley 1929
Laszlo Kovacs 1933
Bobby Darin 1936
Dick Howser 1936
Charlie Gracie 1936
Tony Perez 1942
Jack Bruce (Cream) 1943
Derek Leckenby (Herman’s Hermits) 1943
George Lucas 1944
Troy Shondell 1944
Francesca Annis 1944
Gener Cornish (The Young Rascals) 1945
Meg Foster 1948
Season Hubley 1951
Robert Zemeckis 1951
David Byrne (Talking Heads) 1952
Tom Cochrane 1953
Tim Roth 1961
Ian Astbury (Cult) 1962
C.C. DeVille (Poison) 1962
Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) 1966
Fabrice Morvan (Milli Vanilli) 1966
Cate Blanchett 1969
Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) 1969
Freaky Tah (Lost Boyz) 1971
Shanice 1973
Natalie Appleton (All Saints) 1973
Amber Tamblyn 1983
Have just spent the last few days getting my Shelfari profile into some sort of order. I originally logged in a couple of years back when it did the rounds but then have done nothing with it for ages.
Reason being that I don’t read that much. Well, I do read but very little of what you might call ‘of note’.
Currently I’m trying to catch up with David Baldacci . The last book of his I read was Hour Game . Since then he has written at least another eight titles. An article on him appeared a few weeks back in one of the Sunday papers, in it was mentioned how much he writes and it appeared to me that he writes one of his books faster than it takes me to read it!
What it did do was get me thinking.
It seems that so many books are written with very little impact upon us. Yep I have read…. while on my holidays. But really, what is their to brag about? Have I read Shakespeare ? No. Have I read Dickens ? No. What have I read that I could put my hand on my heart and say "That was worth the journey with the author." Precious little fiction I’d say. So what about non-fiction?
Well that the other reason for reading isn’t 1. To entertain. And 2. To be informed.
So what have read recently that I can say " I learnt something… I am better for having read that." Hmmm… again I wonder. So those are the reasons I put forward as to not updating the Shelfari.
Until now…
You see my presective has changed somewhat. Reading to be entertained is a valued reason in and of itself. Whether I am reading John Grisham, Spike Milligan or Charles Dickens. The fact that I am being entertained and am enjoying it is helpful and productive, Surely reading something is better than reading nothing at all?
Non- Fiction also has its place. But now that I’m older and I have a lot more choice in what I ‘study’ I am much more selective in my choice of reading materials.
I’m interested in British imperial history, is that helpful for my job? No. I’m interested in Digital literacy and its impact on the classroom, is that helpful to my job? Perhaps. But at least now I get to choose what I read. Follow my interests.
And that is exactly what we hope that students do. Read to follow their interests. But how often is that really happening? Studying is a means to an end. Perhaps some blessed students follow their interests into employment. But in my experience that comes later… often much later.
I am blessed with a job that I enjoy. Reading I do for my job largely I enjoy. What a blessing. But I think back to reading about Vygotsky and his ZPD s and Piaget and I don’t know what. Did I read it? Yep. Did I get it? Hmmm. Did it help me along the road to where I am now? I guess.
So what are we to do? How are we to be spending our long winter evenings? Curled up with Vygotsky ? Orwell ? Gladwell ?
How do you justify your reading list?
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