Final Reflection

1. Before Digital Literacy Class
Technology + Ayse = Chaos
2. During Digital Literacy Class
Technology + Ayse = Fight
3. After Digital Literacy Class
Technology + Ayse = Beginning Of a Love Story


In Fall 2010 I have started this masters program. Professors told me about Blackboard and Blogs. It was very tough to follow the writing assignments because I did not know even that a Blog is something “online”. Finally, I understood how blogging works and I could do my writing assignments. Of course, I lost some points but I learned. During the first semester I could not understand the purpose of blogging and thought that I will never use this for my curriculum. But, never say never. During the Spring Semester I understood the purpose of blogging and could think about to include this to my own curriculum.

Through the Digital Literacy Class I have recognized that I have to deal with these new tools and also saw the benefits for teaching Literacy. Students love to use technology and as a teacher we should use this love for our teaching methods. The effects of sparkly letters, which plays music, or to think about how is an essay different from a photo story might be an interesting discussion topic for teenagers. Also to talk about the experience to use a program where they can read online which writes directly into the screen is a new thinking and different writing practice for teenagers. With these new tools teaching Literacy takes a new dimension.

Nevertheless, we have to teach them technology awareness so they learn how to use technology. Maybe we can speak about “Moral of Technology Usage”. Danah Boyds articles helped me to understand the problematic of the usage of the new media (Facebook, texting, Myspace and more) by teenagers. I think as a teacher it is our duty to teach the benefits of technology and also the “risks” of technology. Posting a comment or a picture is not anymore for a certain time, it can follow you your whole life. On the same time I think that we learn right now as a society to deal with the problematic of the new technology. We need time to figure out how to deal with it and how it is changing our lives and relationship with our family, relatives and friends. The Digital Literacy Class made me think about this question: Do we control online technology or does it control us? Time will answer this question and it will be not a clear “yes” or “not”.

Through the Digital Literacy Class I have learned to deal with the new technology and not to give up. Of course, my grade depends on my performance but after the first week I have discovered that all these tools will help me to improve my teaching skills and this acknowledgment pushed me harder to discover the new tools and to learn how to apply them. For sure, I was a stupid consumer but after this class I have developed myself also as a producer. I know exactly how to fight to learn new tools. All the tutorials on YouTube will help me to understand and improve my knowledge and I think this is the beginning of a love story.