special interest group technology in literacy education (tile) international reading association,...

Special Interest GroupSpecial Interest Group

Technology in Literacy Technology in Literacy Education (TILE) Education (TILE)

International Reading Association, 2004International Reading Association, 2004

Thoughts about Technology, Thoughts about Technology, Literacy, and Research in New Literacy, and Research in New

EnvironmentsEnvironments

International Reading AssociationInternational Reading Association

May 4, 2004May 4, 2004

Charles K. KinzerCharles K. Kinzer

Teachers College, Columbia UniversityTeachers College, Columbia University

[email protected]@tc.columbia.edu

Overview / GoalsOverview / Goals

Make some central points using images as a Make some central points using images as a reflection of on- and off-line views in society reflection of on- and off-line views in society and in classrooms;and in classrooms;

Raise issues and questions about research in an Raise issues and questions about research in an increasingly complex environment;increasingly complex environment;

Present challenges for a reflective discussion Present challenges for a reflective discussion about the appropriateness of “old paradigms” about the appropriateness of “old paradigms” in “new environments.”in “new environments.”

Educational stereotypesEducational stereotypes Society has stereotyped schools and classrooms as Society has stereotyped schools and classrooms as

places where little technology is available to the places where little technology is available to the general teaching faculty and student body (certainly general teaching faculty and student body (certainly not the one-to-one ratio that exists in business or even not the one-to-one ratio that exists in business or even in a large percentage of homes)in a large percentage of homes)

Stereotypes also see schools as having obsolete Stereotypes also see schools as having obsolete technology and issues of maintenance and repair, technology and issues of maintenance and repair, with faculty who know little about its workings;with faculty who know little about its workings;

These stereotypes are seen in cartoons, film and These stereotypes are seen in cartoons, film and generally in popular culture generally in popular culture (note: the live presentation showed (note: the live presentation showed

examples that have been deleted for copyright reasons)examples that have been deleted for copyright reasons)..

Why technology in teaching?Why technology in teaching?- Educational goals- Educational goals

Developing subject matter knowledgeDeveloping subject matter knowledge Developing procedural knowledgeDeveloping procedural knowledge Developing analytical skillsDeveloping analytical skills Developing lifelong learning skillsDeveloping lifelong learning skills Facilitating knowledge useFacilitating knowledge use Facilitating knowledge transferFacilitating knowledge transfer


Developing subject matter knowledgeDeveloping subject matter knowledge Developing procedural knowledgeDeveloping procedural knowledge Developing analytical skillsDeveloping analytical skills Developing lifelong learning skillsDeveloping lifelong learning skills Facilitating knowledge useFacilitating knowledge use Facilitating knowledge transferFacilitating knowledge transfer Developing expertiseDeveloping expertise


Reminders about ExpertiseReminders about Expertise

Here, the live presentation showed examples that demonstrated expertise: a houseboat expert, a chess expert). The point made was that expertise includes aspects of subject-matter knowledge, pattern recognition and fluency. The actual items shown have been removed for copyright/permission reasons.

Pitfalls &Pitfalls &BarriersBarriers

• Can we hope to keep current in this changing world?• Is it worth doing

when things change so fast?

• Where will it end?

Cartoons from popular culture that illustrate the points shown to the right have been removed for copyright/permission reasons. The cartoons illustrated the questions I often hear asked by teachers (and others) who wonder if they can meet expectations for using technology, or where money should be spent in this rapidly changing area.


• Technical support and faculty development.• Who can help me

NOW?• What if my class falls

apart if it doesn’t work?

Cartoons from popular culture that illustrate the points shown to the right have been removed for copyright/permission reasons. The cartoons illustrated the questions I often hear asked by teachers (and others) who worry about embarrassing themselves or that a class will not be functional if issues arise with regard to technology in use.


• Issues of learning can be subsumed and “procedural display” becomes a goal unto itself.

• Do we really need the technology anyway?• How is this helping our students learn?

Cartoons from popular culture that illustrate the points shown below have been removed for copyright/permission reasons. The cartoons illustrated the questions I often hear asked by teachers (and others) who wonder if students will use technology just for its "bells and whistles" rather than for "real" learning.

Looking in Classrooms: Finding ExpertiseLooking in Classrooms: Finding Expertise

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

These videos of a second-grader describing her project and answering questions about writing her report illustrate the nature of expertise in technology and learning by young children and demonstrate possibilities. The actual videos shown have been replaced by stills in this summary.

Social and communicative aspects of learningSocial and communicative aspects of learning Inductive / deductive approachesInductive / deductive approaches ““Just in time” approachesJust in time” approaches Cognitive aspects of learning and apprenticeship modelsCognitive aspects of learning and apprenticeship models

Looking in Classrooms: Multilitercies and Moving Looking in Classrooms: Multilitercies and Moving Beyond StereotypesBeyond Stereotypes

These videos of a 3rd-grade classroom show the interaction between print and technology, show applications such as a Smartboard used for group editing and discussion purposes, and show social interactions and how discovery of concepts by one student quickly is taken by others in the class, even at some distance from the original station. These videos also serve to counter the stereotypical classrooms of desks in rows and that don't have much technology. The actual videos shown have been replaced by stills in this summary.

Looking in Classrooms: Multilitercies and Moving Looking in Classrooms: Multilitercies and Moving Beyond Stereotypes (cont.)Beyond Stereotypes (cont.)

These videos of a 2nd-grade classroom show the interaction between print and technology, show applications such as a Smartboard used for group problem-solving and group interaction with another, distant classroom. They also show (through discussion by a student, decisions about the integration of pictures, sound and text into students' writing and how students are acquiring multiple representational systems that are appropriately merged into their work. The actual videos shown have been replaced by stills in this summary.

The remaining two section of the presentation argued first for looking in classrooms through a set of expanded lenses; that technology has not only required redefinitions of literacy, but also of time, space, identity and research methods. It did so by presenting some works on these subjects and by making a case that research terms and methods must be reconsidered.

Issues of Defining Literacy

Work by: Donna Alvermann, Chuck Kinzer, Michelle Knobel, Colin Lankshear, Don Leu, Jay Lempke, David Reinking, Brian Street, and many others. . .

Issues of Space and Time

Latour, B. 1992. Where are the missing masses? The sociology of a few mundane artifacts. In W. E. Bijker & J. Law (Eds.), Shaping technology/building society: Studies in sociotechnical change, Cambridge, MA and London: MIT Press

Latour, B. (1993). We have never been modern . Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

Lefebvre, H. (Nicholsohn-Smith, trans.). (1991). The Production of Space. Blackwell Publishers.

Issues of Identity

Castells, M. (2004). The Power of Identity: The Information Age. Blackwell Publishers.

Castells, M. (2000). The Rise of the Network Society. Blackwell Publishers.

Issues of Literacy/Technology Environments: Games, Blogs, Wikis, etc.

The group at Room 130, The University of Wisconsin: Rebecca Black, Katie Clinton, Jim Gee, Deborah McCarthy, Alice Robinson, Kurt Squire, Constance Steinkuehler, and others.

The Gaming/Literacy-Theory Listserv and Interest Group in the Grotto: Teachers College, Columbia University: Gillian (Gus) Andrews, John Black, Jon Bressman, Bill Crosbie, Jess Hammer, Chuck Kinzer, and others.

Issues of Networks and Theories of Action and Decision-making

Bijker, W., & Law, J. (1994). Shaping Technology / Building Society: Studies in Sociotechnical Change (Inside Technology). MIT Press.

Crang, M., & Thrift, N. J. (2000). Thinking Space: Critical Geographies. Routledge.

Law, J., & Hassarad, J. (1999). Actor Network Theory and After (Sociological Review Monograph Series). Blackwell Publishers.

Issues of Research in Technological Environments

Hine, C. (2000). Virtual Ethnography. Sage Publications.

Markham. A. (1998). Life Online: Researching Real Experience in Virtual Space. Rowman & Littlefield.

Delineating "the question:"Delineating "the question:"Populations, environments, focus. . .Populations, environments, focus. . .

What populations/situations/entities do we What populations/situations/entities do we study?study?

In what environments?In what environments? For what reason(s)?For what reason(s)? Through what paradigm?Through what paradigm?

Evolution? Devolution?or

Where (in research terms) do we cut the curve?

Paradigms

Here, the presentation showed a cartoon that has Here, the presentation showed a cartoon that has been deleted for copyright reasons.been deleted for copyright reasons.



Delineating the question:Delineating the question:Populations, environments, focus. . .Populations, environments, focus. . .

Delineating the question:Delineating the question:Populations, environments, focus. . .Populations, environments, focus. . .



WhenWhen did these terms come from? did these terms come from?

When did these terms come When did these terms come from?from?

The popular, “traditional” paradigms were The popular, “traditional” paradigms were developed to meet issues and problems in a developed to meet issues and problems in a typographic world. [But it’s a post-typographic typographic world. [But it’s a post-typographic world.]world.]

When did these terms come When did these terms come from?from?

The popular, “traditional” paradigms were The popular, “traditional” paradigms were developed to meet issues and problems in a developed to meet issues and problems in a typographic world. [But it’s a post-typographic typographic world. [But it’s a post-typographic world.]world.]

So how do we deal with:So how do we deal with:– population, sample, distribution, generalizability, population, sample, distribution, generalizability,

randomizationrandomization– participant observer, environment, conversation, participant observer, environment, conversation,

thick description, member checkingthick description, member checking

A need for new definitions in A need for new definitions in literacy and literacy research. . .literacy and literacy research. . .

We need to acknowledge the technology and the We need to acknowledge the technology and the software in our descriptionssoftware in our descriptions

We need to reconsider generalization and We need to reconsider generalization and environment in ethnographies and observational environment in ethnographies and observational methodsmethods

We need to wonder about the usefulness of We need to wonder about the usefulness of statistical assumptions when randomization means statistical assumptions when randomization means something different in online studiessomething different in online studies

New tools? Emerging tools?New tools? Emerging tools?

Closing thoughts about Closing thoughts about stereotypes, pitfalls and barriersstereotypes, pitfalls and barriers

A better match between learning theory and A better match between learning theory and instructional practiceinstructional practice

A sense of professionalism and currencyA sense of professionalism and currency A greater connection with studentsA greater connection with students A better match between educational A better match between educational

outcomes and educational goals outcomes and educational goals Addressing a public perception of Addressing a public perception of

implementing “modern practice”implementing “modern practice”The point on this and the next slide is that we must incorporate technology into classrooms, from the earliest grades, because of these and other reasons.

Closing thoughts about Closing thoughts about stereotypes, pitfalls and barriersstereotypes, pitfalls and barriers

Technology allows us to do things that we have not been able to do without it to implement what we know about effective teaching and learning.

Technology, appropriately implemented, addresses a public and personal perception that we can do better.

The point on this and the last slide is that we must incorporate technology into classrooms, from the earliest grades, because of these and other reasons.

Charles (Chuck) KinzerCharles (Chuck) Kinzer

Teachers College, Columbia UniversityTeachers College, Columbia University

e-mail:e-mail:

[email protected]@tc.columbia.edu

Presentation summary:

www:columbia.edu/~ck2117/conf_presentations.html

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