The Digital Edge Project

The Digital Edge Project is an online library featuring teachers who are National Board Certified sharing their teaching strategies. Topics range from teaching an integration lesson about Mexico to political cartoons in the classroom. Many resources on this site are videos, but it also includes podcasts and articles on topics such as leadership and professional development.

I chose to review a project from the Apple Learning Interchange called, "An Immigrants Journey". This project is highly interactive and creative for students and gives students a very deep understanding of what it might have been like to emigrate to America in 1907. Students begin the project by researching using books, research CDs and the internet to find out more about this time. Then, students are assigned one aspect of immigration to write about (the decision to immigrate, the voyage, Ellis Island and the search for housing and a job in the U.S) as a fictitious immigrant during this time. Then, the students share and edit their journals to make them sound as authentic as they can. Finally, the students create an iMovie using their journals and photos from their research. These movies then can be shown to other classes to share what the students know about immigration in 1907.

This project not only allows students to be highly creative, but it also uses technology to promote this creativity and to enhance learning. Technology plays a large role in this project as it allows the students opportunities to research and create using computers. The role of the computer in this project is substantial as it allows the children first to compile information and then to organize it in a visually appealing way. This not only allows other students to be visually engaged, but also gives students a deeper understanding of what it might have been like to live in that time period. This project shows how easily and effectively teachers can use digital technology to teach about many topics, especially History.

Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age by Mr. Mitchel Resnik

This article is largely about what Resnik refers to as the "learning revolution" in education. According to Resnik, this term refers to the advancement of education and learning through the use of digital technologies, which are being more affordable and common-place every day. Though Resnik believes changes in education and learning can occur, thus far these new technologies have not shown to directly relate to a more efficient way of educating as the focus has remained primarily on the transfer of information from teacher to student. A shift from the view of computers and the learning process as being purely informative must change to a view and focus on the highly creative and expressive nature of learning and utilizing technology. One of the challenges that lies ahead is the so-called "fluency-gap" that is present today. In order for a revolution to occur, teaching and education in digital fluency must be a focus in our schools and beyond. In the years to come, it is very likely that digital fluency will become a prerequisite for many occupations. Lately, centers for digital learning called Community Clubhouses have begun to sprout up in many places where people have limited access to computers and other technologies. These centers not only provide skill education but also provide a creative outlet for many people. Resnik also brings up an interesting point of discussion that the changes in learning and education can be aided if a focus is placed on creating new technologies specifically aimed at the youth population. Advocating for educational reform, Resnik suggests we rethink people learn by moving towards a more active and independent curriculum for our students and promoting collaboration across grade and age levels. Resnik also suggests modification is the way we think about what people learn by preparing students with the skills required in a digital society, as well as the strategies for learning what they need to know. Resnik ends the piece by reiterated his main point: that our society must become a more creative one that invents and explores all possibilities and options.

As I read this article, many thoughts and ideas came to mind. I was initially struck by the idea of a creative learning revolution. This is a concept and idea that I very much support, as I know first-hand the benefits of having freedom in one's education. I also found myself in agreement with Resnik's notion that digital fluency is ever more a necessity for success in many societies. As a person who is digitally fluent, I have seen the many benefits and advantages that are related. Therefore, I believe that a large focus must be placed on digital education in the schools today. If we use computers and other technologies as tools for learning and educating, our students can benefit greatly. Though Resnik called for a move away from information-centric learning that computers can provide, I feel that computers can both be a great source of information and a creative outlet. With such a wealth of information and creative possibilities, we as teachers can find a great ways to teach with digital technology-this is our challenge.