English 2.0: Integrating Technology to

Increase the Relevance and Authenticity of English Language Arts

Abstract

According to Prensky (2001), “the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.”  As English teachers, we are dedicated to teaching literacy, but not always prepared to teach students to navigate, create, and critically evaluate both traditional and new media.  While our students are sometimes reluctant learners when it comes to ELA content standards, as Digital Natives, they are enthusiastic learners when it comes to reading and writing with social media.  By largely omitting this literacy from our classrooms, we have missed opportunities to help students apply ELA skills and critical analysis to their consumption and creation of new media.  With this grant, we hope to sharpen our own understanding and use of social media and new trends in technology.  We will work within an action research framework:  We will learn from teachers and other educators, reflect on our learning, design learning opportunities for our students, assess our success, and start over again with the next project and ELA unit.  We will share this learning with our department, our school and the larger community by presenting at meetings and conferences, and creating an online presence to document our learning.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(15).