21st Century Literacies
Using web tools for new literacies
NCTE Framework
Based off the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) framework, students will be learning many new skills. This can be accomplished through the use of web tools that can help enhance learning while making the student feel successful.
Below you will find 5 web based tools that can be used for new literacies. Enjoy!
Edmodo
This tool looks a lot like social media that students are already familiar with. This is an educational website where teachers, students, and parents can connect and share ideas. Teachers can create different groups that allow for differentiation. The creator has the power to delete responses that may be inappropriate. This tool addresses some of the elements of the NCTE framework. Through this tool, students are developing proficient and fluency with the tools of technology, they are building international cross-cultural connections, creating and analyzing multimedia text, and attending to ethical responsibilities. The teacher and students can share videos, images, and text to share with their peers. It's a great place for students to collaborate, problem solve, and share findings and work.
Mindmeister
This web based tool is a great mind mapping tool. Students can work together and see work in real-time. Based on the NCTE framework, students will develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology as they communicate, research, and create work. They also build international cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought. They are learning from each other through this tools and developing problem-solving skills. Through this tool they can gain new understandings by being part of a group. They can feed off each other's bubbles and share different ideas with each other. The students are also managing, analyzing, and synthesizing multiple streams of simultaneous information. The students collaborate with each other and are using new ideas from the knowledge gained. Mindmeister is meant for taking the information and knowledge gained and creating together.
Thinglink
This is a great tool for making images interactive. Students can add different text throughout the images. Students can incorporate many of the 21st century skills within this tool. They can research and then create their story. Every image tells a story. The students develop proficiency and fluency with tools of technology, manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneously presented information, and create, critique, and evaluate multimedia text. The images created using this tool can easily be shared with peers where students can gain an understanding of the information presented. The students can research topics and then plan for what will be included in the interactive image.
My Story
This is a great tool for digital storytelling. Through this tool, students can start to see how to create digital stories. This is good for researching, practicing writing skills, collaboration, and creative expression. This tool could be worked on collaboratively where each group member is responsible for a page or so. Some of the elements in the NCTE framework that are addressed through this tool is developing proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology, design and share information for global communities that have a variety of purposes, and attend to the ethical responsibilities required by complex environments. Through this tool, students are learning through technology and enhancing their stories. They are also creating products that are informative and ethical that can be shared with peers. Students could also use a variety of the tools within this tool to match their audience.
Basecamp
This is a great tool for managing projects and staying connected. Students can collaborate together on projects or just stay connected with tasks the teacher puts out. There could be daily vocabulary or critical thinking questions posed that students are responsible for answering. Students could research and present their findings to different topics within this tool. It's a great way for everyone to stay connected while researching and problem solving. Students are building proficiency and fluency with technology, building intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others, designing and sharing information, managing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. There are so many elements of the framework that are addressed through this tool because there is so much you can do with this tool.
The 5 tools
These 5 web based tools all address elements of the NCTE framework. Students are collaborating, creating, inquiring, analyzing, managing, problem solving and so much more. The elements of the framework allow students to work on 21st century skills that are going to help them later in life. These tools can help enhance their learning and make them accountable.