Raised right, Living left

Throughout my graduate studies, I have been confronted with the desire of the educational system to support the status quo.  Nowhere does this seem more true than in the case of technology.    As Albers and Harste state, “New technologies are supporting literate social practices while altering as well as making less necessary or valuable older literate social practices.” Abandoning or altering the old ways is terrifying for the old guard and even some of the young parents with whom I spoke at Open House.  A desire for students to experience school in the same way that their parents did still exists.  Some parents and other educators require convincing that technology isn’t just playing and that real and that authentic learning can take place through the use of technologies.

In that same vein, I’m not sure if the connection with the arts will help or hurt this perception.  I understand the value of art as text, but that is another area where students and parents occasionally view the breaking from the traditional textbook/lecture as a waste of time.  I know that this is a less-than-sunshine-and-roses view, but it is a concern that has been conveyed to me through parents and administration in my “We’re all headed to the Ivy League” high school.  Though I desperately hope that “education is a process of enabling a person to become different, breaking with taken-for-granted, what is normal and natural, and looking through the lenses of various ways of knowing, seeing, and feeling in a conscious endeavor to change perspective on the world” as Albers and Harste say, I don’t know if I completely believe that this is the belief of the system.  I am completely willing to fight the good fight however.  I’m not used to living within the lines anyway. 

I did find it interesting that the connection to art ties in with the Studio Approach that we were introduced to over the summer, and I had to really wrestle with ideas on how to improve my inclusion of technology in production.  I guess that this will just expand the choices for individuals and groups as they create products.  I am also still mulling over how to help students with limited or no access to technology at home.  The technology at school is unreliable and often unavailable.  We have a new wireless lab for our classroom, but our technology specialist can’t seem to find it. 

The set up for Literacy in the 21st century was very impressive.  I try to integrate some of the questions and strategies already, so it was nice to know that I am on the right track.  The side-by-side comparision of 19th/20th century schools and 21st century schools was also very interesting.  Preparing students to participate in the world thoughtfully is a major goal of mine.  With the deluge of political ads currently in the media, I want the students to be able to wade through to what is true.  The most difficult aspect for me in regards to analyzing media is trying to remain neutral.  I have tried to follow my Mama’s advice and hold my tongue when I don’t have something constructive to say in regards to the subject or approach of an ad, television show, or movie, but in those cases, my lack of comment is seen as condemnation, which in some cases it is.