Reflection

With the current young generation being dubbed as “digital natives,” school students increasingly expect education to be rich in digital technologies; the non-schooling aspect of their lives is technology-laden, and they expect schools to be comparable (Howell, 2012, pp. 55-57). As outlined by Howell (2012, p.57), students now carry the internet in their pockets via mobile devices, and have had life-long use of mobile phones, tablets, the World Wide Web, computers in general, and advanced gaming consoles. Classroom technological integration is an effective method to connect with students of varying learning styles (Mareco, 2017).

During my schooling era, Microsoft PowerPoint was the default program for devising visual presentations, but now the likes of Powtoon, Prezi, Wakelet, Sway and NearPod provide students with the opportunity to create more high-tech, visually striking presentations than ever, with relative ease. Engaging with Powtoon enhanced my understanding of the possibilities of digital tools for educational purposes. This software allow students to devise visual presentations, on top of providing teachers with the tools to produce lessons and lectures to potentially appeal to “digital natives.” Furthermore, rather than simply delivering a presentation and directing students to take notes, a presentation can be published on Google Docs and shared with students to allow them to navigate at their own pace, either at home or in the classroom (Knowles, 2018).

Although unfamiliar with SoundCloud prior to this assignment, recording and editing the speech, as well as adding music, drew upon skills from my prior degree and filmmaking background. Recording and uploading lessons is a staple of online learning. Furthermore, lecture recordings allow students to listen more than once, permitting them the opportunity to better comprehend the material or take more comprehensive notes (Crook, 2015).

It is crucial for modern teachers to discover and master new digital tools to keep pace with current trends, effectively integrating technology into the classroom to aid teaching and learning (Rooheart, 2017).

Reference List

Banmiller, B. (2016, September 14). Digital Natives [Image file]. Retrieved from http://www.banmilleronbusiness.com/cbs-radio-reports/digital-natives/

Crook, C. (2015, April 8). Should all university lectures be automatically recorded?. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/should-all-university-lectures-be-automatically-recorded-39158

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Knowles, J. (2018, February 13). How to Help Your Students Build Digital Fluency. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/how-to-help-your-students-build-digital-fluency

Mareco, D. (2017, July 28). 10 Reasons Today’s Students NEED Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/10-reasons-today-s-students-need-technology-in-the-classroom

Menon, A. The Ultimate Guide to Google Docs [Image file]. Retrieved from https://hiverhq.com/blog/ultimate-guide-google-docs/

Rooheart, J. (2017, April 27). 7 Tools For Your Digital Classroom. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/7-tools-for-your-digital-classroom

Digital Fluency

Reference List
Digital fluency. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Digital-fluency

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Knowles, J. (2018, February 13). How to Help Your Students Build Digital Fluency. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/how-to-help-your-students-build-digital-fluency

Manus, S. (2013, August 2). Getting young people fluent in digital. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/social-enterprise-network/2013/aug/02/young-people-fluent-digital

Spencer, K. (2015). What is digital fluency?. Retrieved from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2015/10/what-is-digital-fluency.html

Digital Identities and Digital Security

Reference List
Badshah, N. (2018, April 9). Facebook to contact 87 million users affected by data breach. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/08/facebook-to-contact-the-87-million-users-affected-by-data-breach

Gorodyansky, D. (2013). Internet Privacy and Security: A Shared Responsibility. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/10/internet-privacy-and-security-a-shared-responsibility/

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Jutt, J. (2010). Common Sense Media: Digital Footprint Intro [Video file]. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/6709512

Macleod, K. Eighties Action [Music file]. Retrieved from https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100243

Tranberg, P. (2013). Fake It – to control your digital identity: Pernille Tranberg at TEDxOxford [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/cRrgD-4-D8s

What is Digital Security?. (n.d.) [Image file]. Retrieved from https://www.justaskgemalto.com/en/what-is-digital-security/

Participation and the Digital Divide

Despite the recent increase in affordable technological hardware, reliable broadband internet access still eludes a significant portion of society (Bentley, 2014). As of 2014, one in five Australians do not access the internet (Bentley, 2014). This inequality is known as “digital exclusion,” constituting one aspect of the “digital divide,” and it leaves various groups endeavouring to close the gap (Bentley, 2014). According to Thomas, Wilson & Park (2018), age is a critical factor influencing the digital divide; only six out of ten of older citizens have an internet connection. Furthermore, Australians with higher incomes are more likely to have internet access, and households in outer regional or remote areas are less likely to have internet at home (Thomas, et al, 2018). Society is increasingly moving online, and, as outlined by Bentley (2014), people without internet will be unable to access government services, job advertisements or home education. David Spriggs, CEO of Infoxchange, seeks to rectify the digital divide, and has stated that in Europe, “access to the internet is now deemed a human right and there’s quite a groundswell of support for that to be adopted more globally” (cited by Bentley, 2014).

In addition to internet access, the digital divide exists pertaining to technologies in general. Lower socio-economic households do not access the same technologies as their middle and upper socio-economic counterparts (Howell, 2012, p. 57). Parents, employers and the wider community increasingly expect the education system to generate technologically fluent students capable of operating assorted technologies and adapting to emerging technologies (Howell, 2012, p. 55). It is a vital skill-set to set children up for the future, particularly since employers are digitally expectant (Howell, 2012, p. 55). In this sense, schooling institutions are expected to bridge the divide between what parents can afford and what children should be fluent in, to prepare them for our technologically reliant contemporary society (Howell, 2012, p. 55).

Reference List
Bentley, P. (2014, July 3). Lack of affordable broadcast creating ‘digital divide’. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/bridging-the-digital-divide/5566644

Digital Technologies Curriculum. (n.d.) [Image file]. Retrieved from http://www.digipubs.vic.edu.au/curriculum/digitaltechnologies/digital-technologies-curriculum

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity. South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

Thomas, J., Wilson, C., Park, S. (2018, March 29). Australia’s digital divide is not going away. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/australias-digital-divide-is-not-going-away-91834