Kinnaird,+Matthew+Adam

Matt Kinnaird 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 came in with a good understanding of the direction schools are taking in the future. I discovered the meaning of "new literacies", however it just put a name on something that I knew already existed. But, I really did get some more new great ideas.**

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?


 * The general use of cell phones in the classroom. The "poll everywhere" was fun to learn about, and the speech from June Atkinson was eye opening when she talked about BYOD.**

3. In what ways are the new literacies prompted by technology? How do they affect one another?


 * New literacies rides on the back of technology. Without technology we would not be talking about new literacy.**

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).


 * It can open new doors of understanding in scientific concepts. It can help with communicating leaning and understanding for the scientific concepts.**

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? New literacies affects the way I think about all aspects of teaching.


 * New literacies are going to change all teaching practices eventually. I used to think that teachers were behind in technology compared to students. But I believe that we are stay up with it after leaving this workshop. Not all teachers are staying up with it but the top teachers are. And if we keep pushing we will keep up with the changing times, during every new evolution of education.**

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.


 * PBI is an awesome way for students to develop understandings of new concepts, it is something that science teachers have done for years and is finally being accepted by other departments.**

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?


 * Creativity is the essence of comprehension. I believe that the more the students can be involved with the process of learning the more retention they have.**

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?


 * I googled my 7 month old son to see what images came up, and I had 3 pages of pictures of him on the page. It really made me think that these images were going to be there forever. I thought just how different it was going to be for students and young kids in the next generation to remain anonymous and keep their professional lives separate from their personal.**

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 about what individual successful teachers are doing in their classroom.**