In Solomon and Schrum, the discussion of the use of video and photo as a means to integrate technology into the classroom seems to fit in quite well with our discussion of Assisting Technologies in the 21st Century. As they mention, "The old adage is that a picture is worth a thousand words: for today's young people, the picture is all," (102). Visual media and technology offer students struggling to connect with classroom material in the more traditional, textual format, an alternate and equally engaging means of delivering what their classmates already are.
For example: At the foundation of a great deal of skill-building for the average middle school student, you will find the push for the individual to create meaning and then communicate that meaning. More traditionally, students are asked to express that meaning through the written word; a complex language that not all learners are privy to. Visual media and Photography offer students with different learning styles, an opportunity to master those same skills and move forward in school with their peers.
I appreciated the Family Center on Technology slideshow, that suggested any use of AT in classrooms be integrated and used by all students so that there is a strong sense of community and acceptance within the learning environment. I think Visual Media makes such a thing very easy.
In a school with a great deal of access to technology, the use of digital cameras to take photographs that tell a story could allow all children to use different components of creative communication to reach the same ends. Uploading these photos to a photo sharing page like Flickr could help this same academic community grow outside of the classroom (reaching into the virtual realm). Taking these photographs and then creating a slideshow or short film using Jing, VoiceThread, or Windows Movie Maker could offer students an avenue for expression and communication that text simply cannot.
I think this is highly important, not only for students who struggle with the written word, but students that struggle with creativity in general. Many students at the middle school level label themselves as being "creative" or "not creative." To them, this often means they can either draw well or write well. If they cannot do either of those things, then they often feel they are more "Type A," logical thinkers that have no aptitude for the abstract realm. As we all know, creativity comes in all forms, and photography and film are fascinating and appealing avenues for young people. They can open up doors of confidence for any student and encourage them to explore more than they normally would.
Interesting post,Mary.
ReplyDeleteYour comments about the way that middle school students label themselves as creative or non-creative are quite accurate. We all have a tendency to go with our strengths, with what we are most comfortable with, and this is perhaps most true during early adolescence. It is understandable, but nevertheless self-limiting.
I agree that many of these tools open up means of expression to those who either struggle with or are uncomfortable with more traditional means of expression and assessment.
But the flip side of this coin is that utilizing tools that, for example, make greater use of imagery in order to draw in students who struggle with writing, risk offering one more means of self-limitation unless very carefully managed. It is great if an alternative approach draws a student in when they might otherwise have sat on the sidelines unengaged. But I think that the teacher must have a clear plan on how, having engaged the student with a visual approach, to then move them on to the task of mastering the bedrock skills of writing and reading. I see these as parts of the whole, but not as substitutes for fundamental skills.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteYour comments and examples demonstrate your inderstadning that Web 2.0 tools can provide alternatives to the traditoinal forms of student productivity. You hit upon the concpet of universal design - designing the curriculum to reaach all learners to create a supportive community that fosters success for all. This is the power technology can have in supporting all students.
Aimee