ICT in English Teaching Group 1
The Blog Post
Children and digital
technology
Information or knowledge?
An increasing number of schools are investing in
so-called "one-to- one " projects of various kinds where every
student has a computer, Tablet or smart phone as a personal tool. Lisa Adamson,
a teacher of languages and social studies ( grades
4-9 ) and researcher at the Department
of Applied Information Technology at the IT Faculty , University of Gothenburg
, which is linked to the Center for School Improvement in Gothenburg. Her
research focuses on studying the literate activities that take place when 13 to
16 year olds use their mobile digital tools in schools and the reading
processes that then takes shape.
Lisa Adamson is interested in how this constant
accessibility to texts of various kinds affects the reading that takes place.
During a lecture in Malmö Lisa Adamson says that she has noticed that the
development of technology has contributed to a new approach to learning. All
impression we get from the media lies as an area of information, rather than
processed into new knowledge. In the new media landscape it is more important
to be able to construct sentences than the ability to just remember, which was
highly regarded in the old days. When the construction of sentences is central the
need for and willingness to participate also increases.
The new media and media tools have developed a
convergence culture. While different media are mixed with each other, various
forms of 'text' converges and the consumers and producers opportunities for
interaction lead to the border between the transmitter and receiver being
erased. User Culture mixes with mass culture and everyone becomes involved in a
digital stream that flows between web magazines, blogs, and social media.
Questions like: ”What do we do with the media? ”
and ”What do the media do with us?” becomes highly relevant.
(Att skriva sig till läsning, ASL), can be translated
as (Write to read). Using computers is a method that spreads rapidly in the
Nordic countries. Researchers Arne Trageton from Norway was the first to
present a model for this method. ”Writing is easier than reading”, claims Arne
Trageton (2005). With the computer as a writing tool, reading and writing can
be converted into writing and reading skills with the student as a producer
instead of a consumer. Children learn to read through their own writing. Role
of the teacher goes from pure teaching to stimulate processing and learning.
In the
traditional system the students' create texts exclusively with pen and paper as
an individual work. The change and
improvement of handwritten text, is a more laborious process, especially for
those students who have difficulty with writing. With the computer as a writing
tool however, improving and correcting text becomes a less arduous matter. The
digital text moves nicely when you make changes and gives way to more and
longer words, according to Erica Lövgren (2009). Write to read means that by
using the computer the students are required to create text everyday together
with a writing buddy. When the student writes both hands are active on the
keyboard. The Right Hand handles the right side of the keyboard and the left
hand handles the left side. The thumbs manage the space bar. A line is drawn in
the center of the keyboard to mark the border between the two sides. The text
forms the basis for further language and reading development. Students do not
start using the pen until the second grade.
Charlotta Anell-Lundkvist
END6