The relationship between literacy and technology, collaborative content, and new forms of knowledge are just a few of the central principles of the New Literacies Perspective. With new literacies, come new skills and knowledge that are central to a global community in an information age. Futhermore, students who enter the workforce with such skills as collaboration, critical thinking, and publishing will be able to successfully navigate their way in an often digital environment Teachers also are important because our role changes from expert to facilitator and colleague. We work with our students to become active consumers of information as well as teach students that their voices matter and people are listening and responding through the use of ICT technologies. Moreover, students are able to connect with other learners around the world to share knowledge and break down the traditional four-walled classroom. New literacies are constantly changing and the need for up-to-date information regarding current literacy practices is one responsibilty of a literacy coach. The change is happening just as the world turns on its axis.
Personally, I like the idea of becoming active consumers of information rather than just accepting what is in front of them. Explicitly explaining and modeling critical thinking strategies through the use of visuals is one instructional technique I would use to introduce my students to thinking critically. Often times I find that most students do what is asked of them and nothing more, but if I can provide the motivation to dig deeper and exercise the neurons in the brain (as I have experienced during graduate school) they may begin to see the world from a different perspective (which can be hard for most middle school students).
As for our virtual showcase, I had a discussion with Frank about his Civil Rights Movement project and the use of visuals to introduce critical thinking skills. The images from that time period would be wonderful to use for journal prompts, creative writing, and digital storytelling(as used in his lesson plan). Similarly, Jenn R. created The Secret Life of Bee's Webquest (love the book) which is another time period rich in history and turmoil often caught in photographs. Meg's Holocaust Prezi caught my eye because I do a unit on Anne Frank and her project would help students develop background knowledge outside of Anne Frank. So much more happened during that time in Germany, yet students tend to associate Anne Frank with the Holocaust because of how it was taught. All the projects were wonderful and skillfully done.
