New Literacy

Will Richardson brings up some good points in his books, "Bolgs, Wiki's. Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms". His list of the Big Shifts are dead on. The idea of a traditional classroom needs to change. This in itself is the challenge. Teachers who are not comfortable with technology need the training and mentoring to start incorporating it into their classrooms. The second challenge is providing the hardware necessary to utilize 21st century skills. Many schools, like mine, are having trouble funding new technology. It is going to take a shift in thinking from the ground up. In Akron we are making the commitment and are working on a computer replacement strategy. But, that is just the beginning. We will need to develop a network of teachers using technology and mentor those who are not. We need to show other teachers how technology integration can foster student engagement, increased test scores, and an increase in critical thinking.