Saturday, October 26, 2013

IW: January - The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies

Even though not everyone in Inspired Writing is a Language Arts teacher, we all still write in our content areas.




Updated February 2013
Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee, February 15, 2008
Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the 21st century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities, and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Active, successful participants in this 21st century global society must be able to


  • Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;
  • Build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought;
  • Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes;
  • Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;
  • Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts;
  • Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments.


This definition for me shows the strong connection to the TPACK model we spoke about in August     ( refer to the following post for a review of TPACK )
1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
2) Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list?

19 comments:

  1. 1. I’m a little embarrassed to say that it is probably the information pillar. We are have been experimenting a lot with a new on-line social studies curriculum. That has been challenging because it is new to all of us and there are only enough accounts for two students to share a computer. This has definitely been a process...even signing in to the program can really trip up some of the students. It is definitely better and will continue to be as each students gets his/her own account. Students began posting to a class book recommendation blog recently. The intent of the blog is for students to browse when looking for a book, in addition to the book talks I’ve given in class. We also use the links on my class website to access digital resources for vocabulary stems/trees. Again, both of these examples go along with information pillar.

    2. As we complete more extended writing responses, I am hoping to move more into the productivity pillar. I want to try out some of the prewriting activities we used in class. We have used the research tool in Google docs a little, but really want to dive into more of everything related to using technology for all steps in the writing process.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen,

      It sounds like you are doing some incredible work in your classroom. It is amazing how the "basics" can still be such a stopping point for so many. I think that list above can be daunting to us when we are still focusing on proficiencies with the basics, but it gives us something to keep striving for!

      Penny

      Delete
  2. 1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
    I would say that my students have been working on “developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology.” For fourth graders this is a key piece to their development. I want this to be something they don’t have to struggle with because it will allow them to do so much more moving forward.

    2) Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list?
    Looking at the other bullet points on the list, I believe that this first bullet is the foundational piece in order to work on the rest. They must have a strong command of the tools at their disposal in order to manipulate them in the given ways above. Many of those other bullets require higher level thinking, which fits well with our shift to Common Core. I might not get to everyone with my students this year, we may only touch on a few, but I feel confident that they will be proficient with the first bullet by the end of the year. The only other thing I could see on the list is “Being able to differentiate when technology is a necessary tool and when it is not.” So many times I have students who gravitate towards it with no real purpose. I want them to be able to creatively think and strategize about when the tool will enhance their work. It is not just a shiny, fun toy - it is something that allows them to be 21st century thinkers when used appropriately and effectively. Determining this is a very important skill as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would also love to add the ethical piece, but frankly I have yet to discuss with them cyber safety. This has reminded me that I want them to electronically sign a contract and have them post it to their Google Sites revealing their assurance to remain cyber-safe. 1) However, developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology is something we do on a daily basis. I require typed work, they peer edit electronically, they revise and edit their own work electronically, they use online graphic organizers for brainstorm, and in the near future they will get a heavy dose of how to research online, evaluate and analyze reliable sources, and incorporate them in a type agenda. I believe we have not had as much work with (but soon will) managing, analyzing, and synthesizing multiple streams of simultaneous information. This coincides with the research they will be conducting after winter break. That kind of covered #1 and part of #2 all at once. 2) Instead of wondering what should be added, my initial reaction was how am I supposed to help my students build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought? Are we expected to skype someone in a foregin country? I guess I'm just unclear of the expectation. Otherwise, I think it hits most of what I would expect of a 21st century learner, especially with vague verbs like "create, critique, analyze, and evaluate" - I feel as though that kind of makes it easy to say they've "covered" everything.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?

    I believe that my students have been working mostly on developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology. One of our big learning goals this semester has been learning to fully utilize the Inspired Writing website throughout the writing process. My students are using the online thinking maps and linking them to their final written pieces, practicing the electronic peer editing tools, utilizing the word choice lists, and discovering different ways in which we may publish our pieces. My students first step in doing all of this, began with simply learning how to toggle back and forth with their Google Documents and the website. That in itself was a great skill to learn that I assumed many already knew how to do efficiently! I am hoping that next semester we will tackle the tools available for formal research. This will allow us to have conversations around managing, analyzing,, and synthesizing multiple streams of simultaneous information. My students may very well be in the more developmental stages of that goal but I feel that their strength in the other area will help them build upon those skills in the later grades.

    2. I don’t feel that there necessarily needs to more added to the list above, but rather that the last bullet is constantly adjusting to the advancements of technology. I feel that the ethical perspectives are going to be pushed more and more as social media continues to become a bigger part of our daily lives.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My starting point for this response is not the bullet points, but a statement in the introductory paragraph. “As society and technology change, so does literacy.” I don’t think so. Literacy is, and always has been, the ability to communicate one’s thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively with whatever means available, and to access the thoughts and ideas of others. Technology certainly does change the “means available” but has never altered the fundamental purpose and practice of literacy. If we shift away from teaching communication and more toward teaching the technologies of communication we doom future generations to subservience to the creators and controllers of those technologies.

    That being said, I did in fact spend an inordinate amount of time on the first bullet point, helping students achieve proficiency and fluency with the Google tools. This is in part because these tools have come along quite a bit after they might have gained proficiency using them in elementary or middle school. The same was true for word processing a score of years ago. When I was first hired at Littleton High School, one of my units in the ninth grade class I taught my first year was word processing using Word. The technologies advance in fits and starts, charging forward, slowing down while students catch up, then charging forward again. I daresay a part of our curriculum will always be addressing the latest literacy technologies.

    Beyond that, my focus depended on the class. My LA 10 class did a little bit of bullet point 3, as did Rock ‘n’ Pop, which also took in points 2 and 5. In Science Fiction we addressed bullet point 4. Apart from addressing plagiarism under the heading of “academic integrity,” I fear that the ethical responsibilities bullet (6) has gone neglected.

    ReplyDelete
  6. NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies

    1. Our sixth graders have spent most of first semester working on point #1: Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology." Although many of our students came from LPS feeder schools, we also have many open-enrolled students who came to us with much less experience with computers and Google tools. Now, at the midway point of the year, the digital playing field seems to have leveled off a bit. Most of our students are completely comfortable navigating Google tools and what they have to offer. I also have several "go-to" people in each class who are more than willing to help anyone who is struggling (or at times even answer my questions!).

    2. Now that most of my students are comfortable with the basics of technology, I'm eager to pursue some of the other points in the NCTE definition. As Melanie pointed out, I, too, think that Cyber Safety needs to be an important part of our discussions. It always amazes me how our middle school students are still so innocent and naive about what they post online - even after talks by our SRO, teachers, parents, etc. I would like to help them become a little bit more savvy about some of the digital decisions that they make and help keep them safe online.

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are impressive standards and goals - for students and for us as adults! I see areas where I need to focus my teaching with students, and I also see needs where I personally need to improve. In working with elementary students, I feel that we must first teach them the “proficiency and fluency” of technology so that the following four may occur.

    We are working on the idea of “manage, analyze, and synthesizing” information. For us, that includes online multimedia as well as books, magazines, and articles. Students need to be taught to be aware of sources of information that they are taking in; they also need to be taught how to take in the information (i.e. citations, note taking).

    Students are engaged the most when they are able to create and defend their own multimedia. A group of four students have collaboratively written a 19 chapter creative story! They have defined themselves as authors, and I believe that a huge part of that is having this true purpose and audience. https://sites.google.com/a/lpsk12.org/book-lovers/we-3-books/the-adventures-of-green-scream-raised-shotgun-1-the-beggin

    ReplyDelete
  8. 1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
    The bullet point that most aligns with what my students have been doing so far this year is “Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology”. We have been concentrating on how to use different tools that come with our netbooks - Google tools, Audacity, and different web-based programs my school has.

    2) Why?
    This is the bullet point we have been working on the most since, as third graders, this is really the first time my students have been using netbooks and Google Accounts. It takes lots of practice and repetition to even sign on to their Google Account with fluency. Another obstacle we had to overcome is for students to problem solve when a problem arose with their netbooks (freezing, mouse not working, etc.). Most of my students are now pretty proficient with the basic tools we use, and can help other students that are not proficient yet. My hope for the rest of the year is to move past this bullet point so we can do more complex tasks, such as “manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information”, especially with our science techbook.

    ReplyDelete
  9. 1. The bullet point that aligns most w/ what I am doing is the first one about developing proficiency w/ tools of technology. I am doing pieces of a couple of the others, but this year I have been more focused on using different tools with their writing and interactions.

    2. When I look at these points I don’t see much about research, although the fourth point (Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information) does perhaps touch on this.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That is one detailed definition. I had to read it a couple of times and could get even a deeper understanding if I could talk to others.

    1.) As a teacher of third graders (8-9 year olds), I have witnessed huge growth this year. In the fall it took 20-30 minutes just to log in. Now logging isn't even an issue I think about. This growth is connected to the first bullet:
    Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;
    They have also Mystery Skyped with several classes across the country. That's not in depth problem solving but is related to the second bullet point:
    Build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought;

    We have also created expert books and geography presentation on our computers. These are multimedia presentations that relate to the fifth bullet:
    Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts;

    The list seems complete and gives me thought to pause and see what else I could be doing. I think our scholars will touch a couple of the other bullet points when we research online and write another informational book. I am also trying to meet with another class on Skype to share our writing. It won't be global, but it's a start.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 1) At the middle school level, my primary focus for students falls between the first and fifth bullet points, both of which emphasize skills development with technology and multimedia. My seventh graders used the web to research various topics for proposal essays on adding specific elective classes to the school. Doing this required both navigation of Google Docs and its various tools as well as analyzing and using information found on the web to support their proposals. My eighth graders heavily focused on analyzing various forms of bias in multimedia, which directly correlated with the fifth bullet point. I would also venture to say that these writing pieces touched on the sixth bullet point as well, since our discussions included ethical practices in advertising and news reporting. Both classes have used Google apps with increasing functionality for formatting and presenting their information creatively, and this also includes various tools for use during the predrafting and brainstorming processes.
    2) At the junior high level, most students are quite familiar with technology for recreational and social purposes, but they aren't nearly as savvy with technology for functional or productive purposes. Perhaps this is simply an issue of age, but I also think students are initially introduced to technology for entertainment, and there's a resistance to using it for productivity. I'm still often surprised at how difficult it is for students to navigate new tools and develop creative products with them given their technology saturation. Junior high students are cognitively at a point where the learning curve with technology is still fairly sharp, but they are starting to feel more comfortable with open-ended tools that are not just "plug and publish." Being able to analyze and create multimedia texts is also a skill I think that supports other literacy objectives, and I know from my years teaching high school, it is a valuable foundation to interact with others through technology.
    I would love to see more collaboration and interaction with other communities through technology in my classroom. The second bullet point is definitely one I'd like to integrate with my students. Considering this, I recognize that most of the bullet points are in some capacity interconnected, since collaboration does beg some ethical responsibilities and require other literacy skills.
    If I were to consider anything that might be missing from the list, I would say the development and maintenance of a PLC or other online community would make sense. Even adults often use technology to remain connected and network, so it follows that this is a skill developed along with other technology literacies. The second and third bullet points hint at this process, but do not explicitly state continued interaction in a digital forum.

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1. The bullet point that my students have been working on the most is #1:Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology. In fact, I feel like that's been the focus of my classroom this year with little attention on the remaining bullets. Through the work that we've been doing in Inspired Writing and my own personal research, I've been looking for a number of ways to both engage students and enrich curriculum. We've used: google docs, we video, instagram/vine, blogs (not much!), poll everywhere, socrative. And, there's so much more! How can one ever 'develop proficiency' when there's simply an inexhaustive amount of technology available. As I was writing my list of tools we've used this year, I was simultaneously aware of how much technology that we HAVEN'T used this year! Thus, I think it's important to focus gaining proficiency on technology that's most commonly used in today's world, and when time, expose students to what else is available.

    2. I can not think of anything else that should be on this list…I do trust the expertise of those who put it together to have carefully considered all angles! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. 1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
    Most of what my students have been doing this fall aligns with the first bullet. In fourth grade, developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology seems to be the natural starting point. For many students, this is their first exposure to many of these tools. For others, they have already used these tools, but for entirely different purposes. I am still working to find purposeful ways to do the other things on a more consistent basis.
    2) Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list?
    I think that the first bullet is foundational because, just as students come to us at a variety of levels of understanding in reading, writing, math etc., students also come to us with different levels of understanding of the tools of technology. On one end of the continuum, there are students from homes where technology permeates their life and it is the primary way that they accomplish things, and at the other end, there are students who have had no exposure to smartphones, have no computer in the home and/or no Internet access. Just as each lesson in a subject requires teachers to differentiate for students to ensure that they have equal access to the learning of new content, each lesson that involves technology needs to be differentiated for students at a variety of levels of experience. It is difficult to imagine how students will be able to access information in the future without this basic foundational skill.
    I didn’t see anything that I thought needed to be added, but I am pleased to see “manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information” on the list. I think this is a skill that I struggle with the most, as I tend to feel overwhelmed sometimes by the sheer volume of the input. It doesn’t seem to bother my students, but I wonder sometimes that it may interfere with their ability to attend to details.

    ReplyDelete
  14. 1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?

    I think that we have worked a lot on "Building intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought" with Mystery Skype.

    2) Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list?
    Connecting with schools in different states has shown us that third graders and classrooms have similarities to us as well as differences from us, but seeing how others work together and solve problems (or struggle to solve problems) around our country has been a positive experience for us. Students have learned some excellent problem-solving skills as they have become more knowledgeable about our country. Being patient with others who speak differently that we do, who are more proficient or less proficient than we are, and being aware of our responsibility to be smart with our questions and actions has helped my students to grow. It is imperative that our students develop an awareness of how video communication works, and the etiquette that accompanies this. It isn't intuitive, and it takes time for students to be comfortable. A bonus: meeting with other classes in hangouts or with Skype Classroom is a nice way to put a face to voices on the internet. It is easier to dissuade students from the temptation to say inappropriate things on blogs or social media when they realize that those people are not just names or handles. They are real. We've met them.

    ReplyDelete
  15. 1. Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
    In the fall, my students were most definitely “Developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology.” I introduced the students to Google Docs as our main method of communication about assignments, lessons, and homework submission. Students became familiar with accessing my website on their phones and computers to locate homework assignments. We learned Web 2.0 tools for teaching and presenting lessons, such as Popplet, Prezi, and Padlet, to name a few. We also integrated the 5th bullet point, “Create, critique, analyze and evaluate multimedia texts.” If I’m understanding what ‘multimedia texts’ are - students evaluated education websites. After researching multiple children’s books, they also wrote and illustrated their own self-esteem books, uploaded to a software site and created ‘published’ books.
    2. Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list? I think they have addressed the 4 C’s of 21st century learners - Creativity, Collaboration, Communication and Critical Thinking. If anything might need more attention it could deal with “Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career, and personal and social responsibility.” from the Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills website. http://atc21s.org/index.php/about/what-are-21st-century-skills/

    ReplyDelete
  16. 1. As sixth graders, my students most definitely worked on developing fluency and proficiency with the tools of technology. Some were more fluent and proficient than others, so thankfully they became my helpers in the classroom. The third bullet--design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes--is something I struggled with this year. For example, I really wanted to have my students respond to blog questions and have those assignments be purposeful. It started with a bang and then fizzled out. I think both me and my students need to develop blogging stamina!

    2. Honestly, there is need to add anything else to the list of six bullet points included above. My plate is full enough with teaching 21st century skills and TPACK quality lessons.

    ReplyDelete
  17. For my students this fall, I feel that they and I have focused the most on "Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information." This has been something that we are working on school-wide. We have focused a lot on the "big questions." In order to this we have looked at many different pieces of information and also to the opinions of others in our class to form our own opinions and answer the in depth questions with details from multiple resources to support our opinions.

    2. I think the analyzing and synthesizing of information is an essential skill for 21st century learners. However, it is an extremely difficult one to teach. I don't think that there should be anything else added to the list. I feel that the problem solving bullet might be one of the more important bullets on the list as this covers a large span of what working and learning are all about.

    ReplyDelete

  18. From Kelly Almer:
    1) Which of the six bullet points in the NCTE definition aligns the most with what your students have been doing/working on this fall?
    My students have used these points the most this academic year:
    •Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;
    •Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;
    •Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts.

    As I looked at the 6 bullet points, I noticed the ones we focused on as a grade level (5th at Centennial), we focused on those which were more classroom driven and classroom focused. We didn't "travel" too much outside the classroom to other groups. That caught my attention. Maybe next year I will try to venture out more beyond the walls of my class and building.
    First bullet: develop proficiency with tech: WOW! Did we ever! Electronic portfolios, MANY online apps to connect and demonstrate our learning almost daily. My 5th graders were constantly online to prove their learning, both as individuals, small groups, whole class, with other classes.
    Second bullet: manage multiple streams of tech info: YES! We have become capable of using video, docs, online texts, apps: all at the same time! This seems to come easily to these 10 and 11 year olds. Is this a scary thought? I don't know. Can they take all this information in at one time? yes!
    THIRD bullet: Create and analyze multimedia: I connect this tot he second bullet and the answer is still a resounding YES! This is a 21st century skill and my 5th graders are right there in the middle of it, daily.

    2) Why? Is there something else that you feel should be in the list?
    YEs, but not sure if it goes here or not:
    The ability to interact and communicate effectively with others, to problem-solve.
    Tech is wonderful and a vital part of our world, whether we like it or not (I happen to like it myself), but the human interaction part is equally critical.

    ReplyDelete