In Your Own Words: Digital Literacy

1.      1.  I believe that the lower level schools (elementary, middle and high school) didn’t do enough to prepare us for college technology. The jump from high school to college is far too great. In high school, teachers have you turn in all your work in person. In college, all the papers need to be turned online to even be considered acceptable.  If I were to send an e-mail, I would say that every class needs to at least introduce some online participation grade. Kids in high school need to learn how to do things via internet compared to printed out papers. 

2.       2.  The career field that I am in right now is Math & Science Undecided.  Technology is really important to science because scientists do a lot of experiments and such involving technology. If there was no technology, science would almost cease to exist. At this rate, Oakland will overall do a good job preparing me for my career field. 

3.       3.  I would say I write better in a blog because I feel I have more freedom. Usually, blogs are shorter than essays. I’m better at one page of really good information than dragging out a 4 page paper. 

4.       4.  If I were a teacher, I would attempt to do more activities online. The world we live in has become much more technologically based. Young kids need to learn how to use all this new technology without becoming an addict to it. 

5.       5.  In her writing, she says “we can’t keep preparing students for a world that doesn’t exist.” In those words, they are the most brilliant said words I have ever heard on this topic. If, and it is, the world is really changing, we need to prepare our students differently. School systems are sending off way too many unprepared students.  

Literacy Timeline

• ·         Thomas the Tank Engine was the first book I read
• ·         Mary Poppins was my favorite movie
• ·         The American/Michigan Chillers series was the first real books I got into
• ·         Autobiography and Biography books interest me a lot
• ·         I read The Outsiders and The Giver in 8^th grade, and they are my favorite books of all time.
• ·         Somewhere in High School, I lost my interest in reading
• ·         My ADHD does make it harder to sit down and focus on a certain book, article, etc…

Blog Post: Summary & Response

Superman & Me

In a way, Sherman Alexie is telling us not to worry about being yourself.  He was always comfortable in his own skin and that is what made him who he is today. Even though the kids would bully and pick on him, he would always stick to his guns. Also, in a way, he explains that he sort of taught himself how to read.  He went at his own pace, and the pace he felt comfortable with. Lastly, he explains that everyone views the world in a different way. 

Literacy is important to Alexie is because he grew up around it. Literally, around it. Coming from the poor family that he did, there was not much to do other than read. His first book he remembers reading was a Superman comic book. This shows that any reading level, even a comic book, is a good place to start for people. I do not think reading is as essential to me as it was to him. Technology is so great now-a-days that kids do not read as much. We don’t value books as much as we should. I agree with the fact that he believes everyone should learn their own way. They shouldn’t be forced into something that is too hard for them to read and comprehend.

Why Writing Is Important

I tend to be misunderstood quite often. Not really in the sense of not making sense, but not enunciating my words. I have a stutter at times, and it occasionally causes me to slur my words. I get the questions, “what was that?” or “Can you repeat that?” a lot. When people ask me questions, at times, I freeze up, and my stutter kicks in. Sometimes, it is hard for me to explain things. Writing is an easier way to convey one’s idea. That is how writing is important to me. Writing can help me express more clearly what I am trying to convey.