Networked Publics

 I have had my cell phone attached to my hip for the past fifteen years. Throughout those fifteen years I have occasionally thought about how this device effects me socially. Every once in a while when I was at dinner with a group of friends I would notice someone sitting on their cell phone while everyone else was talking. I would become annoyed and think that this type of behavior was incredibly rude (which it is). However, I would then catch myself doing the same thing while I was at the dinner table with my parents. I was no different then the people I had once considered rude. It was clear to me that cell phones were effecting peoples lives by the way they were interacting and communicating with people that are in their presence. As I have become older I have tried to recognize this type of behavior and stop myself. I will, however, still periodically catch myself paying attention more to my cell phone than to my loved ones around me. I am glad that I started to recognize this issue because I do feel that it is a problem. I do not want to be so engulfed in social media, games, or surfing the internet that I miss precious time with those that I love. This reading helped open my eyes to just how much cell phones are effecting all of us as a society. Varnelis and Friedburg described this perfectly when they stated, "With connection there is also disconnection, and networks can consolidate power in the very act of dispersing it." (Varnelis, Friedburgh, Pp.16)

The tools that are being put into practice are technological advances, such as cell phones, that are changing social interactions in our society. I feel that this issue would be in the critical dimension of Green's approach to literacy because when considering the issues pertaining to cell phones we are thinking of how it effects people socially and on a deep level. In Chapter 1, Varnelis and Friedburgh begin showing us the effects that cell phones have on social interactions by talking about how public places look now compared to before the cell phone. "Public space became increasingly privatized and virtualized, with networks of individuals being replaced by television broadcast networks, and individuals becoming less and less citizens and more and more consumers." (Varnelis, Freidburg. Pp. 18) This quote made me think back to times that I have been in public alone. Did I begin a conversation with a stranger? Did I notice my surroundings? The answer in most cases was no. Instead of engaging in a conversation with someone I took out my cell phone and got on Facebook or played Candy Crush. Then I started to wonder what kinds of experiences I have missed out on because I was too zoned into my phone to notice anything or anyone else. 

I felt strongly about this topic because it was one that I could really relate to on a personal level. I really enjoyed this chapter because not only did it open my eyes to the issues in our society, and in my personal life, but it made me want to make changes. Being aware of these issues is incredibly important. I have always felt that living my life to the fullest is key to a happy life. Part of living my life to the fullest means gaining as many experiences as I can, spending quality time with the people I love and appreciating my surroundings. All of these things that are so important to me I have let be negatively effected by my cell phone. I do feel that cell phones were a wonderful technological advance and they have had many positive impacts on peoples lives. It is important for people to be aware of the issues that can consume their lives without them noticing. It is so important for our society to get their noses out of their cell phones and interact with their surroundings. We would all benefit because we would build more relationships and gain more personal experiences. 

Reference:

Varnelis, K. (Ed.).(2008). Networked Publics. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

 

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).

      Since I was a young child, to me, literacy  meant learning how to read a text and learning how to write. I knew it was important to be able to read and write well because that is what was driven into me as  a student. I believed I would not be able to succeed in life without these skills. It never occurred to me that literacy may mean much more than knowing how to read a book and write a "good" essay or piece of writing. It was always clear who the students were that struggled with these skills. These students would either not want to read in front of the class, leave the classroom for extra help, or struggle when reading. (I cannot imagine how this effected the children's self esteem and motivation.)  I was not aware of the fact, until I began my teaching education, that there are many influences that have impacted these students to have these difficulties with literacy and other skills. I had never considered this because I came from a family who always encouraged my reading and it was something that I was lucky to have never struggled with. The readings this week have opened my eyes to literacy and the different social impacts it has on people. 
     I feel that the quote above is stating that the way we present and/or teach literacy will have an impact on the "active citizen". That social impact will depend on the way these skills are shown to these "citizens'. I interpreted this as meaning the ways in which these skills are taught. Literacy must be taught in a way that will help the "citizen" grow in their own lives. Meaning that these literacy skills will not only help them grow academically (become better readers) but will also help them grow socially. I have seen many changes throughout my educational career in the way literacy is taught in classrooms. As a fourth grade teacher, I know that it is crucial to provide these students with different strategies for learning.  By having different learning techniques it allows all the students the opportunity to grow in their "learning lives". Having the students be able to read the story is an important part. However, that is just a small piece to a much bigger puzzle. We dig in to each story and dissect different parts of it. It is crucial that they are able to make connections with their own lives to situations that are happening in the story. This area is where I see some of my students struggle. I related to Lankshear and Knobel in Chapter 1 when they were discussing social classes often struggling with literacy. The majority of my students who struggle with understanding the deeper meanings of stories are my students who lack the experiences necessary to be able to connect with these characters and these situations. It is hard because, as a teacher, I cannot make these experiences for them outside of school. I think having students work in groups may have some positive impact on the situation. The students who do not have those experiences can hear the experiences of their fellow classmates. Although this isn't as effective as their own experiences it could still help the students relate to the characters and situations in the story. 
   Incorporating technology into the classroom is of high importance in my school district. Throughout my college classes, substitute teaching experiences, student teaching experiences, and my professional teaching experiences I have come to see many of the positive impacts that technology has on students. Technology allows the students to interact in a positive and fun way. Almost every student I have had loves using computer programs, iPad's and/or Kindle's. The students have so much fun using this equipment that they do not even realize they are learning. They are able to learn in an environment that is fun for them. When they are interested and engaged in the learning process it creates lasting knowledge. The more familiar the students become with these types of equipment the more technologically savvy they will become. I was hired a little over year ago for my position. Part of the requirement for my job was to be technologically educated. It was important that I was comfortable and efficient with computers and other types of technology. Being comfortable and familiar with these types of technology are so crucial for the students success in the future. By incorporating these technologies into literacy education it benefits the students in their educational lives and their in their social lives as well. I feel that the more professional development and training courses teachers receive on new technology and new literacies the more effective the classroom will be in giving these students knowledge they will use their entire lives.


References

Lankshear, C & Knobel, M. 2011. Literacies: Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives. New York. Peter Lang Publishing.