New Media & New Literacies

Case Study 1: Google Classroom Overview Google Classroom is a free online platform created by Google for educational organizations. It aims to simplify creating, distributing, and grading assignments. Google Classroom works with other Google services, like Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail, providing a unified experience for teachers and students. User Engagement Google Classroom encourages engagement among students, teachers, and parents by providing a single platform for all classroom activities. Students submit assignments, receive feedback, and communicate with their peers and teachers. Teachers post announcements, create and grade assignments, and provide resources. Parents can receive summaries of their child’s activities, keeping them informed about their progress. Influence on Communication Google Classroom changes communication in education by promoting digital communication over traditional methods. Teachers and students interact through comments on assignments and posts, ...

 As I started to think about my final project, the topic of AI use in education immediately came to mind as a topic I would want to research. An initial research question was “In what ways can AI tools be used to personalize learning experiences for students with diverse learning needs and preferences? As a 4th grade teacher, I am always looking for ways to enhance creativity and learning for my students. I even had the opportunity this year to pilot MagicSchool AI in my district. This is a fascinating and growing topic that could offer practical and transformative applications for my teaching practices.  Generative AI uses algorithms to create new content such as text and art. It is an emerging technology that shows great promise for its use in education. This topic can engage students’ imagination and creativity by providing tools that for example can help students create stories by providing suggestions for plot and character development. This can increase student engagemen...

According to Philip and Garcia (2013) in "The Importance of Still Teaching the iGeneration: New Technologies and the Centrality of Pedagogy," teachers can leverage texts, tools, and talks to create engaging learning spaces that incorporate digital literacies while still maintaining effective teaching methods. With the emergence of new technologies and the increasing use of these technologies in the classroom, discussions surrounding their uses have become even more prevalent among educators. The integration of digital tools and digital literacy in the classroom, especially for younger learners like those in my 4th-grade class, poses both opportunities and tensions. With standardized testing and benchmark assessments shifting to digital platforms, there is a need for a balanced approach to the use of technology. While digital tools offer potential benefits for instruction and assessment, such as immediate feedback and engagement (Hsu & Wang, 2017), there can be an overreli...