It is imperative that education is open to innovation because the society we have created will stand still for no one. This graphic, for a 21st Century Learner, is an interesting overview of what Alberta Education has determined the most important skills for today’s learners. I definitely think that it is lacking in the area of literacy - it points out technological and digital literacy but has totally ignored visual literacy. With the amount of visual communications we are exposed to, up to 5000/day, the fact that visual literacy is not specifically mentioned in this visual model is a concern (Ohio State University, 2013)! Do you think that Visual Literacy is important for students today? Should it have it's own section in this model?
I think that every aspect in this model could either have the internet playing a part or not - but I think it is important that it is integrated effectively. I think that by including Entrepreneurial Spirit into this model is important and does not suggest that we are to teach students the importance of the bottom line. I think that perhaps a better word to describe the same concept would be Enterprising Spirit. That removes any monetary or specific links to business out of the mix. Every successful entrepreneur is enterprising, I think that the fundamental attributes of entrepreneurs - in other word, their enterprising nature, are the specific skills/attributes that are being referenced in the model.
I think that the internet provides a form of connectivity that cannot be replicated in real world interactions. Looking at the structure of the internet, I believe that it’s entire conception and premise is based on connectivity. As a future educator, I feel that it is my responsibility to promote constructive and healthy connectivity both in the real world and through the internet. There are so many positive opportunities that only the internet can provide for us, if I were to ignore this in my classroom, I think that I would be failing as a teacher.
Communication
Asynchronous communication is important in that it provides the individual with time to ponder and develop their own thoughts or position regarding a concept. I know for myself that I appreciate that time because sometimes I like to research or take the time to construct my opinion, whereas with synchronous communication may not provide me with the time to research and fully develop an idea. On the flip side, synchronous communication is imperative for developing vital social skills and generating ideas and concepts which can then be researched or explored later. Both types of communication are important and I think that in both regards, respect is of the utmost importance. It is important to consider other viewpoints so that when communicating with others, whether asynchronously or synchronously, the conversation is built on empathy and mutual respect.
Email & Blogging
As a future educator, I will be communicating via email with students, parents, administration and community members. I plan to discuss the importance of emails with my students. As a business owner, email communication plays a vital role in my business. From having a copy of documentation for my records to being able to communicate with my clients easily, there are a number of benefits for using email. It is imperative that students are familiar with professional email communication and I plan to integrate that into class projects/activities, for example in a Graphic Arts class I could have the students reply to an email I have sent as though I were a client looking for a graphic designer. Providing students with the opportunity to gain real-world experience in communicating professionally is very important. I also plan to use blogs with my classes and it is important to ensure that students and parents/guardians are aware of expectations in regards to comments and postings. I like the idea of having a permission form where blogging is discussed and policies are listed, along with signatures from both the student and guardian confirming their role.
Conclusion
There are a great many considerations when using the internet in education and it is important for me as a future educator to ensure that there is a clear purpose, meaning and expectations when I integrate it into projects/activities.
Further Reading
Here is a link covering some of the basics of Visual Literacy:
http://www.frankwbaker.com/strategies_for_analyzing_visual_images.htm
21st Century Learner. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.psd70.ab.ca/schools/Greystone/OurStaff/PublishingImages/21st-century-1entejd.png
Ohio State University. (2013). 7 Things You Should Know About Visual Information. Retrieved from https://ocio.osu.edu/elearning/toolbox/brief/visual-information/7-things-you-should-know-about-visual-information/
Jason’s ED 4764 Page: http://summerschoolsalmon.weebly.com/1/post/2013/07/topic-3-communication.html?
Laura Muirhead’s Internet and Education Blog: http://ed4764muirhead.weebly.com/1/post/2013/07/communication.html?