Theories of Critical Thinking
Kaylee Howard
The modern educational setting requires an
advancement of pedagogical practices and technology integration to meet the
needs of all learners and equip them with necessary skills for their future
endeavors. My experience as a first-grade educator has proven this perspective
through the need of an advancement of digital tools used in daily lessons. Furthermore,
as I prepare for my future role as a school librarian, I have become more aware
of new resources that provide enhanced digital literacy tactics for everyday
application across the educational setting. Including these connected foundations
across education itself provides for more apt learners who are equipped with necessary
skills for engaging in today’s digital world (Kuhn, 2018). After reading the
five assigned articles, support and resources calling for the implementation of
a connected, digitally supported environment was presented.
Within today’s educational realm, an onslaught of “new pedagogies” have
emerged from the influx of enhanced digital tools and resources (Fullan & Langworthy,
2014, pp.14). These changes have included new methodologies of how instruction is
presented and assessed throughout the educational setting. Many of these
methods have been learned and implemented in my own classroom as I have taken required
courses and trainings to prepare for implementing sufficient instruction for my
first-grade students. This new model of digitally focused education is
formatted on a large scale move towards providing abilities and tools for
increased digital access to students. Because much of modern citizenship across
the world requires fluency and literacy in utilizing digital tools, an
education in digital literacy is now fundamentally required to provide success
for students in the world around them (Hobbs, 2011). This digital literacy
requirement has even been shown in lower elementary, where students are
required to take state-mandated tests on a digital device. This requirement
leads to the need for digital instruction in order to prepare students for the
ever-digital world they live in.
While this ever-changing format of instructional tactics is poised at
meeting the needs of all learners, it comes with different challenges and questions,
too. An analysis of Bloom’s Taxonomy presents the need for engaging all levels
of thought processing throughout instruction (Huitt, 2011). Traditional teaching
methods generally assessed learners at the lower levels of the Taxonomy, focusing
on knowledge and comprehension. Newer methods of digital instruction have shown
in influx of learning that reaches the more advanced levels of learning. The creation
of a multitude of new digital resources has allowed educators to meet the needs
of all learning styles with technology infused in instruction. In today’s
educational environment, a support provided for multiple taxonomies has been
allowed and prepared for throughout planning of instruction and implementation
of digital tools (Kuhn, 2008). This has been observed in my own educational
career. While conducting weekly lesson plans and implementing instructional
tactics, a thoughtful and intentional use of digital tools has been included in
my pedagogical practices. These tools have allowed me to meet needs of learners
who may be missed through traditional methods of instruction.
In the modern classroom, technology is not optional. The implementation
of these resources may vary from educator to educator (Rogers, 1963), but the requirement
of their use still stands. To best prepare our learners for the increasingly
digital world around them, digital literacy must be fundamental in daily
instructional practices.
References:
Fullan, M. & Langworthy, M. (2014). A Rich Seam: How New Pedagogies Find Deep Learning. London: Pearson. Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/global/Files/about-pearson/innovation/open-ideas/ARichSeamEnglish.pdf
Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering Learners with Digital and Media Literacy. Knowledge Quest, 39(5), 12-17. Retrieved from Alabama Search Premiere Database.
Huitt, W. (2011). Bloom et al.'s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/bloom.pdf
Kuhn, M. S. (2008). Connecting Depth and Balance in Class. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(1), 18-21. Retrieved from Academic Search
Rogers, E. M. (1963). The Adoption Process II. Journal of Cooperative Extension, 1(2), 69-75. Retrieved from https://archives.joe.org/joe/1963summer/1963-2-a2.pdf
This post does a great job of highlighting the critical role that digital literacy and evolving pedagogy play in modern education. I really appreciated the practical perspective from a first-grade educator, seeing how digital tools are not just a high school or college necessity but important even in early elementary classrooms. The emphasis on using technology to meet various learning styles stood out, because it reinforces the idea that equity in education also means accessibility through innovation. It's also encouraging to see how Bloom’s Taxonomy was applied to show the depth digital tools can bring to student learning. Overall, the post affirms the importance of intentional, future-focused instruction that prepares students for real-world digital demands.
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