Pyrkowski,+Monica+-+Closing+Reflection


 * 1. Now that you’ve had this professional development experience, how are you defining “new literacies?” How do you think your definition has changed or evolved this week? **

I didn’t have much of a definition of new literacies when I first arrived to the institute which I believe helped me develop a definition. I believe new literacies is the new age of education. It is the concept of incorporating a way of teaching, learning, expressing, reading, writing, etc. It is a new way to use technology in favor of the teacher and student. New literacies is a new perspective on researching. Overall, new literacies is what I believe a new positive direction in education. **2. Describe some new literacies that you learned about this week? What did you know about these topics before the week began and how has your experience this week contributed to your understanding of these new literacies?** I believe the concept of PBI really expressed my interest. It is putting the learning emphasis on the students. I believe that some students will struggle with this concept because they have been used to the old ways of teaching where the instructor tells the student what they need to learn. If a student has more control on the learning they will be able to take more away from the experience then just a grade. **3. In what ways are the new literacies prompted by technology? How do they affect one another?** Technology is great backbone to these new literacies. It is a great way to express ideas and concepts. There are numerous tools that can be used to promote new literacies. Having a numerous amount with help each teacher be able to pick a tool/aspect to represent material and for students to express their learning. **4. How do new literacies affect the way we think about #|academic content? Describe an examples of how some specific academic content is affected by changes in the ways we reading write and thinking (i.e. new literacies).** When thinking about content and new literacies one must find the combination of both. Education is constantly changing with the new times. I believe that new literacies is a new transition of thinking and expressing ideas. Reading and writing needs to be incorporated in each content because I believe that if there is a continuous stress on reading, writing, and thinking across the curriculum each student will better themselves in the education spectrum and as an individual. New literacies is also a way for teaching to approach their content with out the mindset of end of the year test focus. **5. How do new literacies affect the way we think about our teaching practices? How do they affect the development of new teaching practices or approaches to teaching?** I believe that new literacies opens a new way of teaching. Now technology will be a gateway through teaching. We will be using technology to develop the concepts and students will use technology to express their learning. New literacies will also be putting the learning in the student’s hands so they will need to research and have a better understanding of the concepts. New literacies is the new age of teaching. **6. During the week, you learning about several conceptual / theoretical frameworks for understanding the new literacies including, project-based inquiry, TPACK, Bloom’s revised cognitive theory, online identity, and #|global literacies (i.e. cultural competence, cultural awareness, cosmopolitanism). Describe your personal perspective on new literacies as it is informed by these conceptual and theoretical ideas.** As a teacher we need to realize that we need to stay on top of the new direction in education. The fact that there is now a revised cognitive theory we need to change the way we approach teaching. Instead of the old way on giving students the information and expect them to reiterate it back to us we need to give the students the opportunity to explore these concepts and draw their own conclusions. We as teachers also need to look at the global aspect and open our classroom doors to the world around us and allow our students to think globally. We also need to allow students to think creatively and be able to creative an online identity that they will be able to build off from. **7. How does the design process you learned about in your design studio work and the video digging deeper session support your understanding of the creative process?**

The design process for the digging deeper session will be a fun way for students to conclude on their learning. I believe students would have a great time with this and they would be great way to review each chapter/concept and use these at the end of the year. This is something that I would really like to bring into my classroom and I believe students would have fun and you would see a creative technology growth as the year grows if you were to use these to review each concept. **8. You learned this week about how to manage, and in some cases create, your online identity. What action steps will you take (are you taking) to manage and further extend your online identity?** Creating an online identity is a creative way to express you. Also, one must realize that creating an online identity must be done in a professional manner. I have already created wikis for my classes but I will use them to my full advantage now. I will be trying to incorporate social media sites for class. I will have students use google docs to create, edit, and submit documents. At this point the options seem endless. **9. If you had one more day in the Institute, what would you like to learn more about and why?** I would like to learn more on implementation for professional development. I have noticed that we still have hesitation from some teachers and I would like to address the issues on how to address the teachers that are in the “retirement mode” and the teachers that believe this is just another phase. I have an easier time taking what I have been exposed to and trying this is my classroom but I am more subject to change and feel comfortable with change.