M3: Blog Post 3

As educators, it is important that we implement digital literacy within our classrooms. In a time where we are all surrounded by various modes of digital resources and media, our students need exposure as well to prepare them with skills required to critically think and analyze the world around them. Students must "be able to consider how technologies behind the screen shape how we experience the digital world." (Aguilera, 2017). By implementing various forms of digital literacy within the classroom, students are building skills that they will carry with them far beyond the classroom. 

Within my classroom, I try to balance the use of technology and traditional pen and paper. We must remember that technology should be used within the classroom as an additional tool, rather than a "quick fix to educational issues" (Philip & Garcia, 2013). Within the science realm, there are many topics that are challenging to bring into the classroom due to their scale. This is where digital resources can truly elevate lessons and bring different perspectives to students to deepen their understanding and experience. Incorporating digital literacy within the classroom is necessary as "social media and the Internet have become increasingly enmeshed in our daily lives, such that successful participation in a variety of spheres now requires multiple aspects of literacy, including textual and multimodal composition, technical skill, genre awareness and social knowledge." (Magnifico et al., 2018). 

One lesson that I immediately thought of was within our Human Sustainability Unit. Because this unit can be rather negative, as we focus on learning how we are negatively impacting the Earth, I wanted to make an effort for students to create positive outcomes. Towards the end of our unit, students imagined they lived to be 100. They had to write a letter to themselves as if the issue of climate change had been solved. They had to discuss three things that they did to help make the world better, as well as three things/changes they've seen happen in their life. Students enjoyed this activity as we don't always get the chance to creatively write in Earth and Space Science, as we often write from a scientific standpoint. To further this lesson, it could have incorporated an affinity space, as affinity spaces "focus on processes of developing users' creations and sharing the products with an audience." (Magnifico et al., 2018). In this case, students could have used an online platform to share their work. By incorporating an affinity space, students would have been able to share their work. Additionally, we could have explored other work that students created to allow for students to view different perspectives. 

However, when incorporating online resources that are public, such as affinity spaces, we must keep in mind that possible tensions can arise. For example, many students would not be comfortable sharing their work on an online public platform, which is understandable. We must "consider this range of perspectives, from the available possibilities to the inconsistent quality and potential reluctance by students asked to contribute to these online spaces." (Magnifico et al., 2018). First, we could explore the affinity space together and students could comment on various works to become familiar with the website. Then, students could draft their work. Students would then be encouraged to share their work to the affinity space for educational purposes. I think most of my students would be open to posting on a space such as this, but if not, they could work in partners to collaborate and share a post together. I wouldn't want students to feel forced to post if they truly weren't comfortable, so it is all about knowing your students within your classroom. 

References:

Aguilera, E. (2017) More than bits and bytes. Literacy Today, 35(3), 12-13. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1966006470?accountid=8067&parentSessionId=SC8kLvDyx0PVkXRaGQWLSCF4gpCr%2Fx7OctdaQ8EG1Vg%3D&sourcetype=Trade%20Journals

Magnifico, A. M., Lammers, J. C., & Fields, D. A. (2018). Affinity spaces, literacies and classrooms: tensions and opportunities. Literacy, 52(3), 145–152. https://doiorg.sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/lit.12133 

Philip, T. M., & Garcia, A. D. (2013). The importance of still teaching the iGeneration: new technologies and the centrality of pedagogy. Harvard Educational Review, 83(2), 300-319,400-401. https://sunyempire.idm.oclc.org/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Fimportance-still-teaching-igeneration-new%2Fdocview%2F1399327199%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8067

Comments

  1. Melissa RyanMay 31, 2025 at 1:33 AM

    Hi Carolyn,

    I like how you discussed the importance of including digital literacy in our classrooms and how you work to balance pen and paper tasks with digital tasks. I love how you were able to put a positive spin on the topic of how we are negatively impacting the Earth. Allowing the students to write a letter to themselves in the future is so neat. I think the lesson is twofold, they are learning what impacts our Earth, but also they're learning they can be a change maker. They might actually do the things they say in their letter or at least make a conscious effort to help! I think the way you could use an infinity space to add to your project is great. I like how you discussed that students might not feel comfortable posting in an online space, but with some modeling and scaffolding a safe environment with their peers they can become familiar and eventually post their work.

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  2. Jessica CardelloJune 1, 2025 at 9:15 AM

    Hi Carolyn, what an engaging and enlightening project you have designed for your students. As Melissa mentioned you were able to put a positive spin on how students can think about the impact that they are making on the earth. This is such an empowering and eye opening idea and it allows them to be reflective and to think critically. This is also a great way to incorporate writing into your science class. I have found that many students do not know how to properly format a letter so this is also a great skill to introduce!

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  3. Mrs. SchindlerJune 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM

    You highlight interesting tensions here about writing publicly. One thing that might have changed a bit since Magnifico's piece was written in 2018 is that we are now living in a world where participating in online discourse, in some manner (even through consumption you discuss later in real life, share privately, or merely comment upon or react to), is part of civic engagement. So, although we can account for and support student reluctance for literate engagement in public, we can't remove the expectation all-together and still prepare them for to confront the challenges of the 21st century information landscape. I know this is difficult though, as we are still in the midst of that transition at scale.

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