Module #5- Digital Identity- Week #2 Reading Responses

I found Lam’s article about ESOL students to be interesting since I have had many students in the EL program.  In my classroom this year students are “serviced” two times per week.  They receive pull out instruction and work in a small group with other Kindergarten students.  Over my past nine years of teaching I have NO IDEA what goes on in those groups. 

This year students are bringing home books in their native language in hopes that their parent will feel comfortable reading with them.  I think it is a good way to bring our non-English parents because I have found them to be intimidated when they try to talk to me.  I took Latin in high school and besides the SATs it’s not something I use everyday.  My dad who is 70 tried to take an introduction to Spanish at the local night school but there was no interest instead he is starting the Rosetta Stone program.  I’m thinking that when he is done that I might need to borrow it.

As I read the Lam article I had my experience with EL students, my experience with their parents, my life experience and other peoples experiences in my head.  The part I found to be most interesting was Kress’s (2000) concept of design, which refers to the transformative use of available representational resources in the production of new Meaning (Lam, 2008).  The article highlights that there is a complex nature of articulating one’s voice through multiple modalities especially for ESOL students (Lam, 2008), I couldn’t agree with Lam more.  Instead of just ESOL students I think that goes for all people.  Each person has different varying backgrounds especially using different forms of technology.  As teachers and learners we need to remember that…sometimes it can be tricky though!

When I was reading Lewis and Fabos article about Instant Messaging I thought how it was the original text messaging for me when I was in college!  You couldn’t walk down a dorm hallway without that “bing!” for all to hear.  I thought I was crafty when I changed mine to the cash register sound so I wouldn’t confuse mine with the roommates.  Those were the days!  I’m glad that no one was data analyzed my instant messages.

The part I found most interesting was Sam saying that instant messaging wasn’t technology it was just normal (Lewis and Fabos, 2005).  That statement can be used for many pieces of technology!  This past week my elementary school celebrated their “60^th Birthday” with a party of sorts.  Current students and their families were invited past and present teachers and other people from the community.  My mom taught at my elementary school so my friends and I decided to represent the class of 1993.  It was so strange to walk into that gym that I had many a gym class, talent show, assembly, summer camp and see a laptop projecting a slideshow of the past sixty years.  I saw my fifth grade teacher who was always into the latest and greatest technology in the early nineties.  I remember sitting in her classroom and having her project the Apple IIe onto the board.  It was so cool!  Little did I know twenty years later I would be in a classroom teaching with a smart board, four desktop computers, six iPads, Wi-Fi, a document camera, INTERNET and so much more!  That is the “new technology” that is normal for my students and becoming my new normal.  What’s going to happen in the next twenty years!?!

Donna Alvermann reviewed the Lewis and Fabos with a lot of positive statements.  She really gave them a lot of credit for exploring the territory of technology as well providing positive feedback.  As a teacher and an educator I think those are two pretty important things.

This work by Anne Marie Lanning is licensed under 
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