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Friday Institute visits China for
2007 US-China Conference on Literacy
View the Daily Online Journal here.
Friday Institute and College of Education faculty, staff and students will participate in the China-U.S. Conference on Literacy, July 23-26 in Beijing.
The conference offers education professionals the opportunity to learn from their Chinese counterparts and promote understanding. Attendees will learn how the Chinese are addressing their education needs, promoting literacy, and preparing teachers and youth to live and work in a global society.
The trip to Beijing is supported in part by the Confucius Institute at NC State University, which is dedicated to expanding understanding of Chinese language and culture. The Institute is particularly interested in assisting North Carolina teachers and schools to develop expertise and resources to expand students' knowledge of China.
"Participation in the Literacy Conference in Beijing by NC State faculty and students provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate learning about China into pre-service and in-service programs for teachers, as well as to collaborate on educational research," said Dr. Betsy Brown, special assistant to the provost and director of the Confucius Institute.
College of Education presenters are: Dr. Hiller Spires, professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and senior research fellow at the Friday Institute; Lodge McCammon, doctoral student and specialist in curriculum and contemporary media; and graduate student Brian Bouterse, computer networking specialist. Also representing the College of Education are: Dr. Jennifer Mangrum, assistant professor in the Elementary Education department; David Frye, doctoral student and assistant director for special projects; and Kimberly Turner, graduate research assistant.
China has more children attending school than there are people living in the United States and educates 20 percent of the world's young people. "Our intent is to establish a partnership with educational counterparts in Beijing to continue exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and collaborating on research projects related to literacy and technology," Spires said.
The group's presentation, "21st Century Literacies in the Classroom: Using Cell Phones and Web 2.0 to Create Digital Stories," provides an overview of the current research and practice on the use of these technologies for educational purposes and describes the pilot study with sixth-grade students.
Students learn in different ways than those of previous generations, and much of the change is due to advancements in information and communication technologies. The way students use technologies outside school, from instant messaging, mobile phones, and handheld games to digital music players and video game consoles, is similar to how today's knowledge workers use technology in their professional careers - fast-paced and constantly multi-tasking.
One technology tool that has not been tapped broadly for in school use is the cell phone. Recent reports suggest that more than 50 percent of school-age students own cell phones in the United States. The focus of technology developers has shifted to cell phones that combine multiple functions - camera, video, personal digital assistance, geopositioning and communication. Because of the many potential misuses, educational applications for using cell phones as learning tools in schools have been slow to develop.
"Only now, are we beginning to examine the possibilities for using this technology for education," McCammon said. "Today's students know more about technology than ever before, and we need to find better ways to incorporate the tools they use every day into the classroom setting. That is why this research is important."
While in China, the College of Education team will document their experiences through video and other media to share the journey with others.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAVELS TO CHINA
To read more about the trip in our Daily Online Journal, please click here.
To view the presentation, "21st Century Literacies in the Classroom: Using Cell Phones and Web 2.0 to Create Digital Stories," click here.
To view the wrap-up video "China Experience Insights" click here.
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