Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Blog 10 - Lesson Plan and The Digital Divide

Link to my lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XFrHT9I0Y7mCYpClLHnwAFADvEvyvOLHWKQjCXEZcGQ/edit

I see the digital as a real issue, which could be better addressed in schools. For example, at UNL, the primary mode of online content is through the "BlackBoard" system. While this does expose students to digital forms of learning, it is very limited. I didn't really notice this until the beginning of this Instructional Technology class. We've discussed a multitude of online resources for teaching and learning, most of which I have never used or possible even heard of. Before the class, I would have considered myself at least somewhat digitally literate, but the further we progress through the content, I realize that I was not. This is potentially the case with many college students, both present and future. This could be addressed by incorporating more of these resources into the other classrooms of UNL or even possibly including a orientation course for first year students on these resources as they will pertain to classes down the road.
My goal as a possible future educator would be to weaken this divide simply by including digital resources at least as an option for students, and orienting them on how to use these. However, not all classrooms will have the means to do so. In response, the lesson plan I created is tailored to meet those availabilities. It includes activities and assignments which can be done without digital aid, should that be the case. It also includes ideas for how any available technology could be used within the plan. The goal is to capitalize on any opportunities to expose students to digital forms of learning, while still providing outlets for if the technology is not available and sources of the invaluable face to face interaction with students. Hopefully this lesson plan can fully meet these goals in a way that will weaken the digital divide and help students to grow both in knowledge of the material and how to approach it in todays digital world.

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