As I look back on my experiences over the course of the past six weeks, they can be divided into two distinct categories: my growth as a digital citizen and the subsequent evolution of my inquiry question. Let’s start by discussing my growth as a digital citizen. To be quite honest, at the outset of this course I had never even heard the term “digital citizen,” so I certainly didn’t consider myself to be a digital citizen. The authors of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds, Lindsay and Davis (2012), posit that we must understand that digital citizenship is not a one dimensional concept, therefore it “cannot be limited to a definition that includes the word computer” (p. 99). Rather, the authors of our text describe digital citizenship as a series of intertwined areas of awareness which start with access to technology and include technical, individual, social, cultural, and global awareness. Woven among these areas of awareness are concepts of understanding which include etiquette and respect, safety and privacy, habits of learning, and literacy and fluency.
Then came the time for me to post my first blog entry. I quickly discovered that understanding the definition of a global citizen does not a global citizen make! I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, and disheartened as I attempted to navigate and format my blog post. I had little to no experience in this realm. However, it was a comfort to know that many of my classmates expressed the same feelings. I consulted their polished looking blogs and resolved that if they could do it, I could too. I realized that a blog is not simply an online journal entry and began to think of blogging as a resource for educators and students. I’ll be the first to admit that the first version of Blog Post 1 was uninspiring and uninteresting at best. I had several moments of panic and frustration before I discovered the "save" button. Lesson learned ... the hard way.
It was time for Blog Post 2, and I was gaining confidence. I felt more familiar with the Weebly platform after researching mentor blogs and watching some helpful how to videos, such as this one. I feel that my second blog post was much improved, and I received positive and helpful feedback from my classmates. I encountered and overcame several obstacles. As I tried to embed my digital story on my page, I realized that the page I created didn’t have a link for my classmates to comment, which was a requirement of the assignment. I realized that if I created an additional blog page, then a comment button appeared. Problem solved! Then came the “eureka moment”! I began to actually enjoy (gasp!) working on my page. As I explored, I discovered that I could create a Twitter widget and embed my Twitter feed on my page. I felt like a rock star! I embedded code. I was very pleased with how my page was coming together and glad that my classmates would have a user-friendly link to follow me on Twitter (@sprengl4). For those of you who are interested, click on the YouTube video to learn how to create a Twitter widget and embed it on your Weebly page.
Now to the second phase of my reflection: the evolution of my inquiry question. Since I felt more comfortable with the actual process of formatting, this freed me to really dig into the topic of technology and urban education. I felt my thinking on the topic shift as I wrote my second blog post. I stopped focusing so much on the fact that all students should have the same opportunities, because, in fact, not all students are the same. Students in urban environments are, quite literally, wired differently.
It was interesting to be able to seek out the writers of the scholarly articles I’d found on Twitter. As I built my Twitter account, I realized the vast potential that the site holds for educators and students alike. I had direct access to the researchers whose work I had been reading and watching. Additionally, my classmates have proven to be extremely helpful in suggesting additional resources. I truly feel that our cohort has become its own online community through our interactions in 21st Century Digital Literacy. We have supported each other in discovery of online resources and creation of our individual platforms built to share and explore our inquiries. My page has become what Beth Holland referred to in her blog as a digital portfolio. Through creation and publication of our blogs, we are engaging in a process of gathering and disseminating resources. The resulting blog naturally lends itself to the process of reflection, since we have a timeline of our process and posts.
It was interesting to be able to seek out the writers of the scholarly articles I’d found on Twitter. As I built my Twitter account, I realized the vast potential that the site holds for educators and students alike. I had direct access to the researchers whose work I had been reading and watching. Additionally, my classmates have proven to be extremely helpful in suggesting additional resources. I truly feel that our cohort has become its own online community through our interactions in 21st Century Digital Literacy. We have supported each other in discovery of online resources and creation of our individual platforms built to share and explore our inquiries. My page has become what Beth Holland referred to in her blog as a digital portfolio. Through creation and publication of our blogs, we are engaging in a process of gathering and disseminating resources. The resulting blog naturally lends itself to the process of reflection, since we have a timeline of our process and posts.
References
Lindsay, J. & Davis V. (2015). Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time. Pearson: New York.
Holland, B. (2015) Digital Portfolios: The Art of Reflection. Web log post. Retrieved August 7, 2015 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-portfolios-art-of-reflection-beth-holland.
Weebly. (2014, November 8), Beginners Guide to Weebly. [Video file]. Retrieved August 3, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu50A7sZPCQ
Lindsay, J. & Davis V. (2015). Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time. Pearson: New York.
Holland, B. (2015) Digital Portfolios: The Art of Reflection. Web log post. Retrieved August 7, 2015 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-portfolios-art-of-reflection-beth-holland.
Weebly. (2014, November 8), Beginners Guide to Weebly. [Video file]. Retrieved August 3, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu50A7sZPCQ