Synthesis Reflection

Transitioning from Knowledge to Synthesis: Reflection
When beginning this course and previewing our course materials, I thought that there was no practical way to introduce my own students to the new literacy content and have them effectively and efficiently implement that material into their own work. I have since learned that through quality planning, like in any other adaptation, 21st century literacy skills can be implemented into any lesson effectively and efficiently. I think that my biggest worry was a concern over time. Not only would I have to teach my students the new literacy skills, but also teach them how to use those skills with their work. Once I had a better understanding of what real skills were involved with the new literacies, I felt more at ease with putting them into my own classes. I was very happy to see that while my students did not necessarily know they had already acquired many of these skills, they had at least been introduced to many of the concepts previously in their school work. That fact made my own job quite a bit easier than I had previously anticipated. Modern students already know so much about technology and how it can be used to help them with their studies, they just need those tools and ideas focused so that they can make the most of their available resources.
As I move forward with my own teaching practice, I now know that I cannot let fear of time or resource constraints hold me back. There are plenty of ways to overcome any perceived issues and develop lessons for students that involve 21st century skills and information literacy. Whether my students develop essential questions, search effectively, use multimedia tools, or collaborate on projects, they have access to enough quality resources that they can make their learning experiences truly meaningful. This course has allowed me to see that my students can quickly learn and adapt to any new ideas and concepts, and that I do not need to fear the introduction of new literacy skills. As I have previously mentioned, my high school students have a great ability to adapt and overcome any difficulties new literacy skills present. They just need the knowledge and chance to take on the new challenges.
As I move forward through the remainder of this school year, I would like to implement a new literacy skill into each unit of study that we cover. While I may not dedicate an entire unit project to new literacy content and skills, I would like to implement at least one activity that involves this knowledge in some facet. Not only will this be beneficial to my own teaching practice, but it will help my students continue to grow as 21st century learners. This will involve me breaking down my lesson plans so that I can identify areas where new literacy skills can be easily implemented. I will have to change the ways in which I have covered things in the past, but the long-term benefits should be substantial. As my students gain more familiarity with the new literacy skills, I can implement each to a greater degree. This should allow my lessons to grow and offer my students a great chance to expand their own learning. I am looking forward to seeing how far they can take the ideas and concepts.