Current research and professional practices in 21st century literacies

In the article linked below, Alm (2006) discusses the human needs of relatedness, competence and autonomy and their fulfillment through Web 2.0 technologies. It is this fulfillment that leads to greater motivation and, consequently greater learning. It is my experience that language learners outside of their home country experience greater challenges to finding ways to meet these needs. Students are "out of their element." In students' first experience in school in the United States, they experience culture shock. Most come from a sociocultural situation rich in human connections, close family and friends are a regular presence in their home and school environments. Upon arrival here they may have a community of same language speakers, but that community is lacking in the sense of the long time familiarity. As Alm (2006) discusses, the relatedness and social connections that the Web 2.0 world provides serves to aliviate the culture shock newcomers feel. The lack of cultural and linguistic competence also create a destablizing sense within students. While it is not an equal substitution, students feel like they are on more even ground when they are able to participate in a digital environment where they have contact with like language and ethnic groups. Using these tools, as time goes on and we, as teachers, engage ELL students in learning through web 2.0 environments we will see a corresponding increase in learning.
http://jaltcall.org/journal/articles/2_3_Alm.pdf

In addition, research points to the ability of Web 2.0 tools to documenting and assessing writing in language learning. These tools are like permanent files of student work. They have the ability to serve in place of the "hard copy" portfolio to demonstrate progress over time. Godwin-Jones (2008) notes that many online writing tools offer immediate feedback, necessary for improvement. It is often the case that teachers, with increasing class sizes and teaching loads, delay in returning extended writing samples. 21st century is increasingly providing tools to allow students to learn from their own product. The digital tools available for language learning are ever increasing and improving. As was noted throughout the 21st Literacy Institute, it is important to start slow and explore the possibilities and practicalities for our particular teaching situation.
http://llt.msu.edu/vol12num2/emerging.pdf

My teaching situation and 21st century literacies

In my current teaching assignment there is great access to technology. It seems like there is a lot of equipment to physically manage. Technology in my classroom represents a significant investment, as well. As a teacher, the 21st century tools are a great addition to the classroom. Students have to put more of themselves in the process and they are contained to an online environment (a computer with internet access is all that's needed). In using this technology there are some aspects of my situation that require careful consideration and planning.

These tools allow for greater differentiation of instruction but also represent one more level of "differentness" among learners (and among the teachers that teach them). I witnessed this as I was working with students to create their wikis. Some students were sailing through the process, patiently wanting to know what to do next while others needed one on one guidance throughout. Many of the students forgot their passwords, did not have email addresses, and did not understand the language of the tools, themselves. In addition, the teachers present to assist also had digital difficulties and were not able to be of much assistance to the students. In reflecting on the process, I realize that 21st century digital tools are different and require a different set of background knowledge. This is all part of the digital literacy schools, faculty and students must develop.

My own experiences with 21st century literacies

In the past few years of my teaching, I have traditionally utilized online texts, video and audio podcasts, games, and presentations: Web 1.0 tools. As a result, students demonstrate striking improvements in passive language tasks, reading and listening. They have also demonstrated a striking lack of improvement in production tasks, writing and speaking. It is my goal to now move to creating a balance in the classroom of learning activities that will address both active and passive competencies in students' new language.

To this end, I worked with students (see Participants link) to create their own wikis and link them to the class wiki. The students that will be in my classes next school year, took part in an intensive summer writing program at my school. I worked with the teachers to incorporate the "wiki lesson" into their program. As with anything new, there were successes and difficulties and some suprises. The students were to join http://www.wikispaces.com/, create their own wiki and link to the class wiki. Then they were to work collaboratively on a new page with class tasks. In the two class periods (one hour each) students only got as far as creating and linking their wiki.
Observations
Students in lower level ELL class engaged in the process more successfully. There was a greater number of students that completed all or most of the task of creating their own wiki and linking it to the class wiki. The group with greater skills in English seemed to see this task as simply more "school work." They said as much at the beginning of our time together. Once they realized they were being encouraged to use this space and their language skills to show who they were and that information would be able to viewed any time or anywhere, they showed greater enthusiasm and motivation to participate. In contrast, the group less competent in English showed skill in the tasks and seemed to enjoy the process from the start.
Difficulties
Students are accustomed to not being a creative part of their own learning process. They anticipated (in the 2nd group) an assignment similar to what they usually are told to do. It was hard to get them to focus on the task of creating their own space on the internet. The more advanced group also had a broader knowledge base of the Web 2.0 sites (the social networking ones). They only knew one purpose for using these technologies (which they believed could not be used in school) and, for them, it was going to be boring and "not cool at all" to have to use these digital tools in their class.
Successes
Many students now have their own space on the web, that has multiple purposes. The members of their wikis can not only view their information but also be an active participant in the creation of it. They also realize the potential of the wiki to be something people from their home countries could view and join in participation. Additionally, the wikis seem to have no problem being accessed from school. Many of the other digital tools are restricted by my school's internet filter.

The Plan

It's amazing how quickly teachers jump into "survival" mode. For me, it usually happens right after the first set of tests are administered: NJHSPA, Supera, IPT, my own diagnostic to determine how to adapt my teaching. Then there are new students and changes in schedules and then a vacation. That is when it happens, I lose my rhythm. It is always my goal to establish "The Plan" ahead of time. The advantage to these tools, in my instruction, is that almost all of the web 2.0 tools provide an online record: a file, a posting, a document, etc. Regardless of what happens to break the flow, these tools offer a space to keep student products (even if they are not completed). The other advantage is that these tools are an environment or space for engaging in the educational tasks. The user guides content. If there is an interruption in class meetings, the student simply returns to (or reviews) what he or she started. In contrast, Web 1.0 does not consider the participant's competency. The plan is to start slowly, provide students with the metatools for using the technology, and build on what they create. Students will also be exploring and developing their skills in evaluation of information resources through guided practice. Through the development of this digital portfolio I have come to realize that this is just the beginning of my own digital literacy. As a class, students and teacher will be embarking upon this journey in digital literacy.

• Step 1 - Class and individual student wikis
• Step 2 - Interact with wikis (design, student information, links)
• Step 3 - Build on wikis - engage in collaborative tasks, post student work, add links to information, improve on overall wiki environment
• Step 4 - Begin to use digital tools for short tasks (gcast, etherpad, phrasr, writing pad)
• Step 5 - Continue to explore additional Web 2.0 tools to use in class - add to wiki - Web 2.0 tools

Attraction of digital writing for ELLs in high school

New language learners are a unique set of people. They've got their own tools and experiences - ones that don't necessarily fit with the standards put forth by public school systems here in the United States. What seems to bring the two entities closer - the learners and their new learning environments - is the digital medium for engaging in classroom tasks. The question remains how to hone their digital skills (or lack their of) to enable them to meet the stardards - or to find their distinct path to demonstrate progress along their learning continuum.