Understanding the Digital Native

Understanding the Digital Native is an active learning unit that my W531 has created.  Check it out:

http://understandingdigitalnative.blogspot.com/

Flip Your Classroom Book Review

Apps for ELA Educators

APPs for ELA Educators

eSportsmanship

After doing readings this week about digital citizenship and the ethics behind all of it, I turned my attention to a current problem in my own school.  That is the lack of digital, formal expectations for my eSports club.  I plan to show this to the club on the first meeting. This is what I came up with:

 

eSportsmanship

Rationale:

In the current digital age communication is essential.  Unfortunately, as communication around the globe and amongst digital landscape expands, humanism and attachment have partially diminished.  It is important for all peoples of the future to become proper digital citizens.  Citizens that not only know but respect the technology used as well as the people connected.

E-sports (or eSports) is a new phenomenon in American culture.  It is the celebration and acknowledgement of the competition of sport within the video gaming realm.  With this new sporting format we cannot forget the essential human aspect of it all.  Sportsmanship must not dwindle in the coming age.

Goals/Expectations:

The goal for these exercises will be to define sportsmanship in sports as well as its new place in eSports.   Through this, students will have an understanding of why it is important to become a proper digital citizen in relation to the school policies and eSports club—emphasis on StarCraft II.

The following steps would be presented to the club at one of the first meetings:

Steps:

Firstly, introduce or reintroduce students to the Options Charter High School student handbook.  Particularly these points from the student expectations:

6. Show respect for the building, grounds and your personal space.

7. Do not engage in verbal disrespect toward teachers, staff, or students;
agree to disagree in an appropriate manner.

8. Do not engage in verbal or physical violence of any kind.

Suggest how that these rules are no different on the digital landscape and need to be followed completely.

Secondly, I will introduce the students to idea of sportsmanship with a Merriam Webster definition:

Sportsmanship: conduct (as fairness, respect for one's opponent, and graciousness in winning or losing) becoming to one participating in a sport.

Pose the questions: Why should someone be a good sport?

Display why we will be good sports:

1.    The human factor – these are people we are playing, emotions can be high.  We do not want to hurt anyone.

2.    Self-representation – you are representing yourself in every game you play. You do not want to showcase your inability to deal with your feelings whether winning or losing.

3.    Team representation – you may be representing a team or clan that you are playing for—in this case Team OCHS (Options Charter High School).  Showing disrespect may cause generalizations of your other teammates.

4.    School representation – you are not only representing yourself and team but the school as well.  Show that we are above the hate.

5.    The game factor – although suggesting this may seem cliché, this still is just a game.  This is not a real battle.  Do not let your emotions get the best of you.

Thirdly, introduce the students to the Liquipedia’s gamer etiquette: 

http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Gamer_Etiquette

(Liquipedia is a wiki created by the prestigious, pro-related Team Liquid StarCraft community.)

Fourthly, show a video involving StarCraft professions demonstrating good sportsmanship as well as someone showcasing poor sportsmanship and the consequences in a certain situation:

            Good Sportsmanship (@1:43):

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVgr9juKtTY

The Rage Quit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-kBxbbtYZc

Finally, show the students the phrases that will be expected pre-game and post-game.

            Expected Acronyms and Behavior:

            Starts of Game

            GL HF (Good Luck Have Fun) or GL GG (Good Luck Good Game)

            End of Game

            GG (Good Game) or GG WP (Good Game Well Played)

            During/Throughout Game

No offense gameplay/language as laid out by Team Liquid

Last Rule:

Have Fun!

Conclusion:

With the emphasis on relationships of digital citizenships I think the presentation will demonstrate our schools intent on maintaining a positive environment on the physical and digital campus.  The eSports arena should be no different than a soccer, football, basketball, or baseball field/court when it comes to respect and expectation we have for our students.

Resources:

Gamer Etiquette - Liquipedia - The StarCraft II Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Liquipedia. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Gamer_Etiquette

IdrA Rage Quits a won game Vs MMA @ MLG Columbus - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-kBxbbtYZc

ShoutCraft America - Finals - ROOTKane vs. State - BO7 - YouTube. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVgr9juKtTY

Sportsmanship - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved July 21, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sportsmanship

Daniel H. Pink's To Sell is Human Review

Future of Indiana Assessment: PARCC

Digital Divide Voice Thread.

21st Century Literacy

Intro:

21^st century literacy is the sum of all the current literacies students and youth must own and acquire to have a full understanding of learning in the social and educational world.  The graphic and the writings below should further develop and define 21^st century literacy and show how the subcategories work and are closely related.

Graphic 1  Showcases the relationship between key 21^st century literacy terminology.  It displays how certain literacies are interconnected while also showing the potential order of operational accomplishment.  Each level displays a more specific category 21^st century literacy all the while being interrelated. (created with Popplet)

 Definitions:

Visual Literacy – is very simply what a learner sees and how they interpret that sight and or image.  It is one of the most essential parts of 21^st century literacy and learning.  Without the ability to recognize visual resources and images many of the other parts of 21^st century literacy become more difficult.

Example: An English Language Arts teacher displays a picture to the classroom.  It is a man looking out into the ocean.  The teacher then asks the class to write a short narrative about what the man sees.

Information Literacy – the ability to simply process and understand information.  This is a skill that has been taught for centuries and remains an essential part of all skills for youth.  Without the skill to process, understand, relate, and provide information one would not be able to move onto the more complicated skill sets in 21^st century literacy.

Example: Students in an English class are given an article about the recent attempts to clone the woolly mammoth.  They are then asked to relate this information to their current novel assignment:  Jurassic Park.

Media Literacy – after one has mastered or understood visual and information literacy it could be time to move on to the more developed media literacy.  Media literacy is an all-encompassing literacy that showcases an understanding of how to process multiple medias such as television, radio, web, and written text.  Not only this, but one that has a mastery of such literacy would also demonstrate an ability to create in said medias.

Example: Students develop a school news program to show the current events and advancements of school classes and social attractions.

Computer Literacy – a category under the umbrella of media literacy, computer literacy is simply the skillset involved for ascertaining and creating information dealing with computers and their simple components—not necessarily their inner working parts.  It also involves simply being able to use a computer in a functional and efficient way.

Example: A student is asked to use the word processor on the school computer to type their technical paper.  They are also asked to use images they have stored on their USB drive to add to the document.  After they are done they must store the paper on their school work space.

Digital Literacy – another literacy under the umbrella of media literacy, digital literacy is the ability to use, communicate, and create with digital technologies involving such things as networks and unseen digital space.

Example: A student is asked to show understanding of current scientific theory.  The student uses YouTube and Sony Vegas to create an outstanding video.  It is published and shared with the classroom and school via the high school’s personal website.

Social Media Literacy – a category of digital literacy, social media literacy is the ability to use, understand, and decipher importance of social media such as social networks.

Example: A health class is asked to develop a wiki based on common effects of continual drug use and abuse with pictures, drawings, and graphs displaying outcomes.

Further Research/Reading:

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills – a terrific site dedicated for the advancement of the educator for developing 21^st century skills in the classroom.  It has many resources and readings for continued study.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Retrieved July 4, 2013, from http://www.p21.org/

DigitalLiteracy.gov – a site associated with Obama administration that deals with educating not only teachers and students but the general public about new digital literacies.  It has links to understand and learn new skills as well as educator tools.

            Digitalliteracy.gov. (n.d.).  Digitalliteracy.gov. Retrieved July 4, 2013, from

                         http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/

Popplet – website used to create idea bubble image at beginning of document.

 Popplet. (n.d.). Popplet. Retrieved July 4, 2013, from http://popplet.com/

 

Robert Stewart

Here is the whole document in PDF form:

21st Century Literacy Document and Graphic

Digital Native vs. Digital Immigrant

Here is a little video I made Xtranormal.  It’s a hypothetical situation between a student and his teacher set in the student’s hyperactive mind.

Digital Native vs. Digital Immigrant
by: roestewa

Digital Variance

The digital native.  A new way to describe those that have been raised and exposed to social and connective technologies first hand.  Those that have seen them not only as a typical part of life but also a language of life.  So that makes me an immigrant?

I have tried to wrap my head around the idea that I might have been passed finally generationally.  It is difficult for myself to believe that I have now handed the torch to this new digital native.  I am now, and forever will be a digital immigrant. The social abilities and infrastructures were simply not around when I was growing up.  I didn’t even own a cell phone in high school.  How can I be surprised that I am no longer in the front running for tech savviness?

I think the hardest pill to swallow—and what typically separates any adolescent and adult—is absents of time.  Time is what, for the most part, gives teens the ability to not only understand a certain technology but to own it as well.  Many teens have endless amounts of time for many technologies and they devour them.  Whereas I simply try to entertain myself with coming technologies while never having the ability to master them because of my now boring adult responsibilities.  How awful.

I tend to notice this trend many times with one specific technological realm:  gaming.  I have decided no matter how hard I try I can never be any better than that nine-year-old boy that not only plays StrarCraft II but lives StarCraft II.  I cannot compete.  I can no longer master things as the younger generation can.  I do not have the time. 

Also, it’s important to note that the stepping stone for the coming generation is not Super Mario, its Call of Duty—the sheer difference in hand eye coordination and virtual realm awareness is shocking.  And it doesn’t end with just video games; it’s all technologies.  Johnny’s first phone was an iPhone.  My first phone was a Sport Illustrated football phone.   Because of this Johnny has a head start in digital knowledge.  I cannot expect to compete with the adolescent giants of technologies.  I can only hope to utilize their new hyper-multitasking and creative abilities to cypher through new information. 

I hope that I am game.


Robert Stewart

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Robert Stewart.  I am an English Specialist at Options Charter School Noblesville.  My line of work requires me to manage, assess, and understand the students in my classroom.  To be successful in this field one requires patience and perseverance.  I work with mostly underprivileged or conflicted teenagers.  It can be troubling but it is fulfilling.

Before teaching I viewed technology as a great new tool that could help reach the minds and spirits of younger folk.  Perhaps it would bring certain students along that would never have been able to maintain the monotonous pace of standardized teaching.  I even viewed the thought of new technology as fun!

Now after teaching for roughly two years I have become a little more hesitant to push new technologies into the classroom until they are more full proof.  Every new technology brings challenges.  The risk/reward for every new implementation needs to be measured carefully.  I, frankly, have had some bad experiences.

All of this aside, I still do love to see technology work in the classroom.  So many elements of these new electronics can help students advance in ways we had never thought possible. The potential for education with new techs is endless, and  I still want to be along for the ride.

Robert Stewart