Multimedia mediums have been
broadening the term of literacy that we used to define as solely reading and
writing. However, now with the 21st century incorporating technology
into everyday life, multimedia mediums have started to broaden what it is that
we define as “literacy”. Although most of the courses in high school and
college are starting to require multimedia projects as a required aspect of the
course, not everyone is educated properly with the proper tools and resources
that is needed in order to sufficiently use these multimedia mediums
effectively. As Elizabeth Daley (2003) mentions in her article, young people in
the 21st century “need to be taught to write for the screen and
analyze multimedia just as much as, if not more than, they need to be taught to
write and analyze any specific genre in text […] they have had instruction in
text at the secondary level, but rarely have they received similar instruction
for multimedia” (p.37). When I came across this section of the article I took
time to think about the educational world today. I am shocked that students as
low as Kindergarten are enforced to use computers throughout the day, but yet
the school districts have eliminated computer classes from the curriculum, which,
would help to assist students on how to properly use the computers and integrate media into the classroom.
In spending my time during student
teaching in a 2nd and 5th grade classroom I noticed how
incapable students in both age groups were in using the computers. Throughout the
21st century we have been exposed to many advanced and useful
programs in technology, however, when students are inefficiently using them the
technology tools become a waste of time, as well as, useless to them and
their education. During my student teaching a huge factor I came to understand which
helped to explain why technology was not being greatly integrated into the
classroom was for the fact that teachers knew very little about technology and
what it had to offer. Since teachers are not highly advanced with the various
technology/multimedia tools that are available to them in the classroom, I
found that many of them steered away from integrating them into their classrooms.
My 5th grade cooperating teacher that I was working with during my
student teaching was unskilled with different multimedia tools until I offered
to help her in getting to know them. After showing her different multimedia
tools and what her students could gain from implementing them into their
learning she was willing to give it a try on their next classroom project.
Although I personally am not concerned about not knowing enough about multimedia
project development to instruct my students,
Multimedia analysis could
potentially create an issue for my future students merely because it is
understood in this time period that most, if not all, student’s own technology
devices at home and are able to use them frequently, which is not the case. The
21st century creates this image that because technology is advancing
younger people are more aware and knowledgeable on how to use these devices, however,
Elizabeth Daley (2003) informs us that, “young people today have less fear of
the computer and more technical ability with software for rich media;
multimedia is indeed their everyday language. However, they have no more
critical ability with this language than do their elders – perhaps less” (p.37).
although students are more willing to explore and utilize these different technology devices it should not be understood that they are able to analyze or deconstruct these multimedia tools as efficiently as we would anticipate.
References
Daley, E.
(2003). Expanding the concept of literacy. EDUCAUSEreview,
33-40.
I think you touched upon a point that is very important in the world of education...time and fear. I completely agree with you when you said many teachers lack their own training in using multimedia in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI work in a high school setting and there are 24 teachers in my science department. Half of us are in the late 20s to late 30s range and then it jumps to those in the late 40s and 50s range. The younger cohort has accepted and embraced technology in their classrooms. The older cohort of teachers are hesitant due to two major factors, fear and time.
We can't properly train our students on using these means if we don't feel comfortable ourselves. I see you did your student teaching and I would now assume you would agree, our job is exhausting. Adding the additional task of taking time to learn, develop, and implement technology into course is overwhelming, even for a seasoned educator.
Administrators fight a different battle. They are up against budget that may not allow for computers/technology, training, and other related elements. They also face parental concern that may not understand the shift in education as they only reflect on their own learning and their own experience.
So until all parties are able to come together, the use of multimedia may be under utilized or use ineffectively. As there are more educators entering the profession that are technologically proficient, we should start seeing a shift toward the picture Daley is painting.