Visual Literacy in our lives...

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After reading Hattwig et al.s article, ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards For Higher Education , I was not sure if visual literacy was now clear to me or if I was a bit more confuse. To be honest, I have always considered myself visual in many ways. I am good at remembering faces, but sometimes I forget names. I am terrible at remembering songs, but if a see the lyrics its easier for me to learn them. When given an instruction on how to do something, if I see how it is done I can do exactly the same as if the instructions are written or said it is difficult for me to accomplish the task. But is this ability of mine considered being visual literate? Hattwig defines visual literacy as “a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media”, and as I read this definition over and over again it makes me believe that I lack some skills. I know that maybe, as a kindergarten teacher, I try to find many images and visual aids that will help me support a topic I am teaching, but do I do this effectively??? I think not anymore. I believe sometimes, because we are use to having no time for things, we use what we first see and convinces our eye, instead of taking the time to see if the image we have will reproduce the idea we intend to teach.

A few years back, I remember watching a movie called “What the bleep do we know” released on 2004, and it mentions how there is a moment in our lives that we are so saturated with all the information (ads) we see on TV, billboards, flyers, newspapers, magazines and internet, that instead of having a personal point of view of things we have a manipulated opinion, the same as everyone else. This stuck to me all of this years because its true, I sometimes believe in things I see without taking my time to interpret the information or take the time to investigate its purpose.

I believe that almost every individual has been exposed to visual media, in many ways, and it is not how much we see but how it affects our lives, our learning, our behavior and our knowledge. Younger generations are exposed to this in a much greater way than my generation did 30 years ago but I do believe, that born into a digital era, I was definitely taught certain skills in interpreting visual media.

At the ECC, kindergarten teachers constantly expose children to visual media; posters everywhere, pictures and drawings, and now that some schools have integrated mobile devices, this opens a whole new world of possibilities. Our role as teachers is not to expose them to even more media but to teach them how to develop skills that will help them interpret the information, to use it correctly and also to be able to create their own. Lets not forget that visual literacy "is a collaborative endeavor, involving faculty, librarians, visual resources professionals, and learning technologies."

Is a common curriculum possible in any country?

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Yong Zhaos chapter , The Wrong Bet, Why Common Curriculum Standars Won't Help from his book "World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Learners" tells us how there is two educational systems in the world. One where the government is in charge of deciding what students should be learning and another where there is no control of what students are learning mostly because that education is decided by the state or even the school.  Every child is different as every country is different. I understand the importance to set common standards because it is important for all children to be prepared for a competitive world but world wide standards are impossible when its almost impossible to set them in a same country, even the same city. We need to respect students styles of learning, the way they process information and the environment where they are growing up in. Government needs to understand that education in not only teaching math and spelling and maybe science. Educating a child is teaching them skills that will help them solve problems, be critical thinkers and also global citizens. Every child that we teach will develop a style, a need and a belief of what the world is and how they want to form part of it.

Working for an international school in Mexico City has also taught me the importance of giving children tools to enhance their learning experience. Unfortunately in Mexico, education, good education, costs, and even if Mexico has common curriculum standards for primary years in school (Secretaria de Educacion Publica), not every child has the opportunity to go to school and learn. In Mexico, most children will grow, abandon school, find a job that pays them little and live day by day.

As for me, the challenge I face in my class is to teach my children to be global citizens. To be humble enough to help others. To teach them values that will help them be prepared for a competitive world.

Taking Notes

In class we had to watch a video and takes notes on our mobile devices. We were given the option to use different apps to take notes such as Evernote, Skitch, LucidChart or Conceptboard.
I used my ipad and downloaded Skitch. It was slightly complicated, considering that I have 5 year olds in my classroom. The good thing about this app is that you can draw and scribble instead of actually typing the notes.  By using a mobil devices children with be able to save the information they created and share with others. Its very important as a teacher to investigate the difference between apps, some might be easier for the children to use, and if its easy for them to manipulate the app and understand the information they are given it will be easier for them to collaborate in different activities.

Thinking of 2020

As soon as I started reading Future Working Skills 2020 I wanted to be part of the research group at the Institute for the Future (IFTF). I mean, how cool is that!!! I find amazing how in 2012 the necessity of learning what jobs will be available or needed in 2020, conducts mayor research. What really calls my attention is that its not as  important what jobs will be available but what skills will be needed for future positions. The six drivers of change makes it easier for this grkup to forecast and predict what will be future requirements and necessities. So for those requirements and necessities its important to focus on the 10 skills for the future workforce. This is what makes it challenging for us teachers. How are we going to start developing this skills in the classroom. Have we, as adults and teachers, developed this skills? I guess, we are developing this skills ourselves and learning how to teach them. We are experimenting in the classroom and letting the children experiment so they can surely acquire this knowledge. The key is not to fear, not to stop and to keep learning and practicing, because if we let ourselves fall behind we will no longer be needed.

NMC Horizon Report

The NMC Horizon Report 2011 K-12 Edition is a very interesting document where I was albe to understand a little bit more how exposed we are to emerging technologies. This are having a very big and positive impact in education. Each generation is being taught digital literacy skills but every time with many and more advanced mobile devices.

In Africa, mobile devices are changing the way students and teachers learn. By sendijg SMS teachers and students communicate with each other and get the information they need to complete their tasks.  In many countries in Africa, the challenge is not only owning a mobile device, but being able to have an Internet connection. Yet, they understand the importance of being able to prepare themselves and learn how to use the different variety of mobile devices, thay understand that this will, sooner than later, help them get better opportunity of getting a good job. (http://www.elearning-africa.com/)

In Mexico, many school are trying to implement mobile learning in their classrooms, expecting children to develop technological skills and become digital literate at a much younger age. The problem can sometimes be, not the children, but the teachers, having the be open and willing to learn and teach this skills and also be able to use different devices and programs within thair lesson plans. Game-based Learning or Digital Educational Games is good way to have children practice their digital skills by being creative and collaborative by communicating and solving problems and also an easy way to introduce digital learning to students and teachers.
(http://www.ruv.itesm.mx/convenio/catedra/recursos/material/ci_39.pdf)

Creating a PLN for yourself as a teacher and a PLE for the children inside the classroom is very important for success. Helping your students not only develop this skills but polish and master the way they use them in their life will be a good way to prepare them for the future (even though it changes every minute, and we never know what is going to be new and happening or out and old!).

I wasn't aware but I am impressed...

It was the first thought that came to my mind after watching Did You Know? (http://youtu.be/FjrWRLWnZaI)   on youtube.com. I have this overwhelming feeling, because even though I am drenched in technology, I am surrounded by it every single day I was not aware of things such as it took the ipod 3 years to reach 50 million people when it took radio 38 years! As a kindergarten teacher and being 29 years old I can say I am "in" with technology, I do own an ipad and a Mac and I was born in the digital era but I feel a complete digital immigrant. Every day something changes, something is new and something is old and out. I sometimes feel that I can not keep up with the rapid change in technology and sometimes I feel I can conquer the world with my ipad. Working with small children in an international school I see how mobile learning is just one of the best things that is happening in the classrooms. Teachers will have to keep up with the rapid changes, we will have to sit down and learn and learn and then learn some more. It is not about how much you know of this changes but as how to apply them in an every day lesson plan. Teachers have to be committed yet willing to open their eyes and make changes inside their classrooms. Children will soon know much more than we can think of  (the are A.G=after google) and we still need to direct that learning into positive ways. I also think that even though we are surrounded by ultimate wonderful devices and apps and mobile learning ways we have to stop and make sure, every single day in class, at home, in the world, to teach children to think and to be creative. They will have so much more tools than we did years ago and so many more possibilities than we did but also they have the power to become complete idiots if we don't teach them how to explore, investigate and read! I think that the video Above and Beyond (http://youtu.be/7KMM387HNQk) makes it clear that we want children to go out of their way to be creative and to go old school and have fun investigating and making mistakes and putting things together. I promise to always have this in mind, and as important it is to teach my young kids in class the wonderful things we can do with and ipad I will also make sure they always find themselves putting together puzzles and experiencing boardgames!

mobile learning...is that what I need?

"People are desiring new things when they are moving to new technologies". This is my favorite part of Bill Rankins Mobile Learning presentation. It makes me think of myself. Technologies have changed over time, and I never imagined myself being part of those changes. We think technology and communication and social networks are difficult and complicated but they aren't. Technology is here to solve problems, make our lives easier, and to help us be less complicated and more accurate. But why are we needing to change constantly if technology is solving problems. Is it not enough?
Well, Bill Rankin says that what people have always wanted is to have the ability of carrying stuff with them and get to what they want ,when they want it, wherever they are and I take some time to reflect upon this, and guess what I came up with?! IT SO TRUE! I bought myself an Ipad, thinking it would be a very good tool for me to use in my afternoon classes. Believe me, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought, simple and light. I got amazing and remarkable. I can do everything with it. I have downloaded tons of apps, educational and for entertainment. It has become my new best friend. It knows everything I don't. It helps me with everything I need. It has never let me down, maybe once, but it was my fault, I did not charge it and did not carry a charger with me. What I mean with all of this is that Rankin is right, mobile learning is necessary. Not only with children, but with adults. It does solve problems, it creates a new culture around the successful technology and it will also, eventually, create a new problem, mostly because what was new yesterday, today is old. But I don't care, I am ready for it, I have an Ipad and a lot of credit on my itunes store account. Bring it on!!!
http://youtu.be/sSPA641oc5Q