Literacy Research

Education needs to be more dynamic and adjusted to future generations in a world where one must have to land securely in order to be productive and successful. For many decades education gurus have suggested different approaches to learning. For example, John Dewey, known as the father of American Progressive Education, said “the world is moving at the tremendous rate, no want know where, we must prepare our children. Not for the world of the pass, not for our world, but for their world. The world of the future.”  The progressive education promoted a collaborative and authentic learning experience, instead of a traditional education. Eighty years later we continue hearing how important it is to develop and implement a creative curriculum with technology embedded in order to achieve the expectation of a very competitive, technological, and globalized world.

 

Technology has the potential to help in the transformation of our education system to a more personalized learning environment with effective mechanisms. Students already possess strong positive orientations toward technology and own many, if not at least one digital device to grow academically. From 2015 to 2016, college classes’ smartphone and laptop more than doubled (4).

 

We need to understand what students are thinking and how students are utilizing technology towards their academic performance (2)  For instance, the majority of students prefer courses that have some blended aspects with some online components (58%)(4). Barbara Means and her colleagues found that blended learning is as effective as classroom instruction but no better. However, on average, had stronger learning outcomes that face-to-face instruction alone (4).

 

Furthermore, students see technology as a powerful mechanism to increase their levels of engagement in any interaction such as student-faculty (61%-79%); student-student (38%-46%); and student-content. Over 80% of them said technology helped conduct research for class assignments, class work, or projects (4). Collaborative assignments, opportunities to teach each other, leading research and investigating topics, reflecting on course materials, analyzing data, and open lines of communication contribute to an increase in engagement, classroom effectiveness (4), academic experiences, and efficiency over 70% (4). All critical for academic performance.

 

To illustrate this success, technology has enhanced the availability and the real dream for limitless opportunities to minorities, such as Hispanics, African Americans, and first generation college students. This success would enrich their learning experience, engagement in the learning process, and empowerment in their goal to succeed academically. (2) (4) The youth of America needs advanced technological training on web security, ethics, and usage for all students, whether they are in middle school, high school, or college in order to be less distracted in class/outside.

 

However, students desire sophisticated and functional technologies in the classroom, yet this does not always result in meaningful adoption of those technologies (2). All this becoming a more frequent pattern in underprivileged communities who struggle on standardized exams. Teachers are pressured to spend more time on testing and less on instruction, especially our core classes like math and language arts. Meanwhile students lose precious time to develop curiosity, creativity, and the necessary technological skills to thrive in authentic learning experiences.

 

As a school with 88% of Hispanic students and 82% being from economically disadvantage families, 78% of them are at risk, and 42% of them struggle daily with limited English proficiency. Our school must be proactive and offer more academic opportunities for students to prepare for their future (2). Under these circumstances it is imperative to promote extracurricular clubs with the “Free Libre Open Sources” (FLOS) movement for computer science, coding, robotics, design mobile apps prototype, and digital drawing education to allow students a chance to discover and pursue ideas that follow their calling.

 

Coding or programming is a skill set that students could potentially use for a future career by improving soft skills like teamwork, leadership, adaptability, perseverance, and problem solving. Extremely beneficial to students who struggle with reading, writing, and math. Students can create digital media instead of just being a consumer of digital media. (5) Mitch Resnick (2013) and his team at MIT discovered that students learned far more than only coding. Coding allowed them to discover a new world that included sequencing, variables, techniques for solving problems, breaking down big ideas to specific tasks, collaboration, identifying and fixing errors, and taking risks.(5) Coding will become part of our lifestyle and the future. The United States is far behind in having a robust technical workforce and relies on coders in countries like China, India, and many others. This is only one of the reasons why schools should incorporate computer programming into the core curriculum or risk getting left behind in an evolving world(8)

 

The creation of mobile app prototypes stimulates curiosity, creativity, and innovation. Some U.S. school are ahead and integrate technology and science into their curriculum. Creating app prototypes is a way to contribute to the school community by finding problems and attempting to solve them; allowing students to engage in authentic research experiences. Moreover, learning to help between each other through the improvement of imperfect solutions in a collaborative and experimental workspace (10).  Middle school is the perfect time to introduce new ideas into students’ lives, while presenting an opportunity to practice problem solving, and creative thinking.

 

In short, promoting technological clubs would allow students - especially minorities – to achieve their full potential and ultimately help them rise above their academic setting. All while reducing the gap in programming literacy and preparing them for future jobs and financial stability.                                                                                                                                          

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References:

1)https://openeducation.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContnt.jsp?course_id=_2810_1&content_id=_196677_1

2)https://nsee.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/KnowledgeCenter/BuildingExpEduc/BooksReports/10.%20democracy%20and%20education%20by%20dewey.pdf

3)https://www.theepochtimes.com/chapter-twelve-sabotaging-education-part-ii_2657473.html

4)2016 Students and Technology Research Study  Published:  Friday, July 1, 2016   Briefs, Case Studies, Papers, Reports Author(s) and Contributors: Author(s): D. Christopher Brooks  Jeff Pomerantz  Jamie Reeves

5)http://www.txblc.org/research/the-truth-about-standardized-testing-in-texas/  

6)https://catapultlearning.com/2016/09/29/students-learn-code-elementary-school/

7)https://www.tynker.com/blog/articles/ideas-and-tips/10-reasons-kids-should-learn-to-code/

8)https://time.com/2881453/programming-in-schools/

9)https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/javascript-class-learn/

10) https://www.justinmind.com/customers/school-from-science-projects-to-app-prototyping/