Digidemic Assignments - SI 2010 Group Project
Kristin Runyon, Meggyn Sytar, Dannette Williamson, Ruth-Anne Yang
Background:
Teachers and school districts have varying technology available for use and varying amounts of
training and experience with the technology. A packet of resources, especially ones that are
free and that teachers are currently using, helps to provide some training to teachers, as well as
support for the inclusion of technology in the content-area curricula.
A student of Cathy McDonald’s and Amanda Hill’s coined the term “digidemic” to reflect the
“cross-breed between digital and academic genres” to make the “point that digital writing is
often intellectual discourse even though it may not look like traditional” writing.
Rationale:
According to Lorna Collier, both students and teachers need to learn 21 st century technology
skills: “Students still need teachers to show them how to navigate the digital age, how to mine
the information overload for meaning, and how to make wise connections through social
networks. But teachers, to be effective, need to know how to do this themselves first” (7).
Collier also points out that not all technological “bling” is effective and that teachers “need to
figure out which of many available tools best fit the lessons being taught” (8).
Additionally, Ernest Morrell, associate professor at UCLA, points out that “[p]art of the problem
with engagement is that [students] don’t see themselves as having any skills that are valuable [.
. .] Part of the learning process is having them see the sophisticated intellect that’s required to
engage in activities that they do on a day-to-day basis” such as Facebooking or instant
messaging (Collier 9).
Finally, according to the CDW-G 2010 21st-Century Classroom Report, 84% of students say
technology is important to their ability to study/work on class assignments in high school and
94% anticipate using technology to complete assignments in college. HOWEVER, 60% of
students say faculty members regularly use technology to teach and only 26% of students say
they are encouraged to use technology throughout the day.
Resources:
“The 2010 CDW-G 21st-Century Classroom Report: Preparing Students for the Future or the
Past?” CDW-G. 28 June 2010. Web. 13 July 2010.
Collier, Lorna. “The ‘C’s of Change’: Students—and Teachers—Learn 21st Century Skills.” The
Council Chronicle. (November 2008): 6-9. Web. 13 July 2010.
McDonald, Catherine. “Making a Way: Bridging Academic and Professional Lives Spotlight on
Faculty-Student Projects.” English Alumni News. Winter 2010. Western Washington
University. Web. 7 July 2010.
Digidemic: Digital Academic Assignments for the Web 2.0 Classroom
Title of Strategy/Assignment:
Category:
Online Template
Social Networking
Digital Writing
Online Classroom/Classroom Resources
Accessibility: Website
Free
Download
Cost
Tools Needed: Computer
Pen/Paper
Printer
Description or Steps:
Example:
Extension:
Resources:
Template
Color Printer
Interactive Whiteboard
Document Camera