Technology and Media Literacy Archives - Page 2 of 4

Mar 16 2020

7 Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Online Teaching

By John Spencer Creativity, Technology and Media Literacy 96 Comments

A few days ago, we found out that all of the schools here in Oregon will be off until the start of April. Many of the universities have asked professors to switch their courses from face-to-face to online. This is a move that school districts…

Feb 11 2017

We Need Librarians More Than Ever Before

By John Spencer Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy 7 Comments

It was about five years ago when a boy walked up to me and asked, "Hey Mr. Spencer, can you talk to the district and see if they'll open up the library over the summer?" "I don't think they can," I answered. "But the city…

Dec 08 2016

Fake News is a Real Problem. Here’s How Students Can Solve It.

By John Spencer Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy 4 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/embed/xf8mjbVRqao Subscribe to YouTube Channel I used to teach a class called photojournalism. I usually referred to it as "digital journalism," because people assumed we were a photography class. Students created videos, podcasts, documentaries, and blogs with the goal of sharing their work with an…

Sep 22 2016

Critical Questions for Making Sense Out of a Connected World

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy No Comments

A few days ago, I noticed people sharing a few random articles from Atlas Obscura. I noticed a few of their tweets rising to the top of my Twitter feed as well. As I drove to work, I caught a part of an NPR story with one…

Mar 20 2016

Is this the new digital divide?

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy 10 Comments

"Hey dad, can I have a YouTube channel?" my son asked."What kind of a channel would you create?" I asked."Maybe a channel showing how to create things in Minecraft. But there's already a lot out there. What if I had a channel showing kids how…

Mar 10 2016

The Real Issue in Tech Integration Is Self-Efficacy

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy 3 Comments

Seven years ago, I did a research project on blended and personalized professional development. There were a few big take-homes that I hadn't considered before. For example, I learned that "personalized" only works when there is a collaborative and creative component. I also learned that…

Mar 01 2016

Can Technology Transform Learning?

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy One Comment

When I was a kid, I remember hearing that computers would replace teachers. I didn't like this idea, unless they could guarantee that my teacher would be like Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, technologists promised us that computers would radically transform our…

Jan 08 2016

What is the best type of technology training?

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy 4 Comments

I'm sitting at a technology training learning about a new app. This is the kind of training I've seen people mock. I've heard folks say, "You should focus on pedagogy and not technology." Or people say, "Professional development should be job-embedded." Or even, "If you're…

Nov 05 2015

Missing the Connective Power of Technology

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy One Comment

You've seen the videos imploring people to "look up" and abandon their devices. It's easy to look into a crowd and say, "They're not interacting with each other." But I've always had a hard time with these complaints. The problem isn't the device. It's the…

Nov 04 2015

Check Out My 2-Minute Illustrated Video on the SAMR Model

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy No Comments

Here’s a sketchy video I created for my technology pedagogy course. I have mixed feelings about SAMR, because it often implies that “lower levels” are not as good when often substitution works well. Royan Lee picked this apart well. I also think there are times…