Entry #12

Now being able to look back on this semester, I can say I have gained a great deal of new understandings towards digital  reading and writing. Some new understandings I've developed have been ways to communicate with groups of people, conferencing with parents and students, recording and documenting important information, and being able to go back and revise and edit, without losing everything. All of these new understandings have contributed to me becoming a better reader and writer. This was the first experience I had with writing a weekly blog entry, and it helped tremendously to reach the course learning outcomes, through digital writing. The knowledge I have gained through writing a blog and using digital writing, has allowed me to think about how I want to implement digital writing in my classroom some day. I think being exposed to technology, allows students to experience many new forms of writing, and communicating. Literacy is ever changing, as well as technology. If we expose students to new ways of thinking, they can start to develop higher order writing and reading skills, which can strengthen their learning.

Through this course, I was able to learn about the variety of genres there are, and how each one can be taught within the classroom. Just from learning about these genres more in depth, I have understood how they can relate to digital writing, and creative writing. Students are able to post poems, or letters, or descriptive writing pieces onto a blog or website, where their peers can see their masterpiece. I have learned that this is a worthwhile approach to writing. When students are able to view other students' work, they can give constructive criticism, areas of strength, recommendations, and positive feedback. Digital writing has created a community of learners. It allows for communication to go beyond face to face interactions. Even just writing a weekly blog, allows for my classmates and I to communicate without having to meet. We can collaborate on ideas, and reflect on one another's work.

Another important aspect that I have learned throughout this course, is that reading and writing form a very close relationship. Before entering this course, I new reading and writing needed each other to work as one, but I have begun to learn that we can go beyond just regular pen to paper writing, and page reading. Technology has enhanced so many aspects of literacy, and it continues to grow throughout this information age. Students are now developing higher order thinking skills through the use of technology and digital writing. This advancement is only going to increase, and we want to expose our students to this new era of reading and writing.

Overall, I can go away from this course with many new understandings, and concepts. I have learned a great deal through digital reading and writing, and can reflect on how I have grow throughout this process. This reading and writing blog has been most beneficial for asking questions and trying to comprehend what is so important about writing. I have been able to see my progression and also read how others have been working through the writing process. I think students would really benefit from a reading/writing blog, because they can write whatever is on their mind, and can also go back and review what they have written. It is also a great way for teachers to see how students are discovering new ways of writing. I am confident I will continue to use a reading/writing blog, and incorporate it into my teaching.