The Flying Chair SyndromeThe future of digital literacy

Prepared by:

Willard Van De Bogart - Language Institute, Bangkok, University

For

Culi’s International Seminar 2013 – November 21-22

Revolutionizing

English Language

Teaching

For the ASEAN Integration

Revolutionizing English Language Teaching For The ASEAN Integration

Learning methodologies for the digital classroom

Do we need ESL teachers?

IconicInstruction

Introduction

BANGKOK: -- In a 60-nation ranking released last week, the Education First Institute put

Thailand 55th on the English Proficiency Index

BU DNA Professor Award - New breed of teacher

.

Students flying in their chairs

100% of all my students use smart phones or tablet computers

The flying chair syndrome

Where are the students going?

A student’s world, a teacher’s nightmare

A Universe of Cognitive Enhancers

More places than I can imagine

Exercise 1: Teaching in cyber space

Your first class

Step 1. The clean slate

The set up

Comfort zone

Step 2. Symbol construction

Trigger cognitive activity

Instill curiosity

Step 3. Definition construction

Insert a visual cue

I have noIdea whatthoughts aregoing onin the

Student’s mind.

Step 4. Identity construction

Provide for realistic imagination

Open resources for ideation

Step 5. Provide a realistic setting

Bridge the two worlds: Virtual and Real

Step 6. Mirror the setting

Mirrored realities - static

Step 6. Mirror the setting

Mirrored realities - active

Exercise 2: The era of Digital Literacy

Where are we going with digital literacy?

Definition of digital literacy

• “Digital literacy is the ability to understandinformation – more important – to evaluateand integrate information in multipleformats that the computer (digital assistant) can deliver. Being

able to evaluate andinterpret information is critical. You can’tunderstand on the internet without evaluating its sources and

placing it in context”. Paul Gilister

Culturally different digital competencies – concept approaches, attitudesDigital usage – application of digital competenciesDigital transformation – creative involvement in the digital domain.

Basics of digital literacy?

1. Be proficient with tools2. Cross cultural connections3. Collaborative problem solving4. Strengthen independent thinking5. Manage, analyze, synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous info.6. Create, critique, analyze and evaluate multimedia texts.7. Share information within global communities.

The Learning Cycle for digital literacy

Digital literacy for in-service teachers is the ability to use digital artefacts as an integrated part of their pedagogical content knowledge and be aware of what implications this has for teaching, learning strategies. Krumsvik, Norway

Taxonomy of Learning

Digital literacy and cognitive enhancement?

A game or not a game?

Digital literacy and Cognitive Interoperability

Teaching scenario:

1.You walk intothe classroom.

2. Every studentis text messaging.

3.You are anotherfish in the sea.

Welcome to decentralized asynchronous learning?

Digital Literacy and Connectivism

Complex learning in a rapidly changing social digital world.

Conclusion to Connectivism chart

Relative diversity of the group was a source of growth, enrichment and cognitive dissonance – in short, each person was important to the learning environment.The idea that learning occurred as a result of this diversity is in line with network theory and specifically the theory of interpersonal ties, which postulates that “weak ties” between individuals are more likely to facilitate the flow of new information than “strong ties”.

Exercise 3: Multiple Literacy

From Boston to Thailand

This is what they are sayingKeys to 21st Century Learning

• To learn collaboration, work in teams.

• To learn critical thinking, take on complex problems.

• To learn oral communication, present.

• To learn written communication, write.

• To learn technology, use technology.

• To develop citizenship, take on civic and global issues.

• To learn about careers, do internships.

• To learn content, research and do all of the above.

Digital Literacy is less about tools and more about thinking.

• Lets Re-mix this idea:1. Language – print and texting, as well as visual, and

multimedia.

2. Information – searching, tagging, critical thinking

and filtering.

3. Connections – social skills and networking,

collaboration, digital safety and intercultural awareness.

4. (RE)Design – remix literacy, copyright awareness

What is cognitive enhancement?

• Impacting both the task and the learner using cognitive strategies is referred to as Cognitive enhancement.

• From a teachers perspective:

1. Evaluate the content

2. Determine the necessary approaches to learning for student success.

3. Using instructional supports to help students apply techniques and strategies

Exercise 4: Iconic Teaching Techniques

• The main objective behind this technique is to find a way in which a student can quickly grasp an idea related to any subject and at the same time allowing the student to apply that understanding to the subject they are studying and help them learn more about it. Iconic Teaching Technique incorporates a multi tasking approach as well as a multiple stimulus approach by offering many different ways for a student to relate to a subject

Cognitive stimulation techniques

Developing higher order functions

ITT Example

• "Green technology is a continuous evolving group of methods and materials from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic products."

Color association with objects for Green Technology

What is cognitive development?

• Sorting objects by one characteristic – by color

• Classifying - architecture and ecology

• Understanding the objects can be changed or regrouped

• Following a pattern

• Sequencing pictures to tell a story

• Putting together a puzzle

Scaffolding – solving the learning puzzle

Lev Vygotsky defines scaffolding instruction as the “role of teachers and others in supporting the learner’s development and providing support structures to get to that next stage or level”.

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2.

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How will we adjust to digital literacy?

WolframAlpha’s New Computational Knowledge Engine

In most languages there’s a sharp distinction between programs, and data, and the output of programs. Not so in the Wolfram Language. It’s all completely fluid. Data becomes algorithmic. Algorithms become data. There’s no distinction needed between code and data. And everything becomes both intrinsically scriptable, and intrinsically interactive. And there’s both a new level of interoperability, and a new level of modularity.

Cognitive development - Classification

WolframAlpha app

Students must learnHow to combine informationfrom different disciplines

The next generation of digital processing

Google Glass

Preparing for Literacy

A new era of education is before us

Thank you