ENG 361 0972 Literacy in the Digital Age…Wow!! Seriously, this class has been so much better than I thought it would be!
Honestly, I was kind of irritated at the thought of taking this class. Students that had taken this before me said it was “just a bunch of tweeting”. I thought that sounded ridiculous and like a waste of my time.
20 tweets per week seems like a lot! Maybe because I have never done this and I don't know what to tweet
#diglitclass
— Lindsey Sharp (@SharpLinds) August 22, 2017
Now I wonder if they had a different instructor!
I have learned so much already from this class. All the information has been extremely valuable to me. It’s NOT just tweeting! From the amazing TED Talks and articles (most of which have resonated with me on a deep level and impacted my life as an individual as well as a future educator), to the PLN and ILP!
I expected to have to get a Twitter account. I thought it was just going to be about tweeting (a bunch of tweeting!). The thought of getting a Twitter account made me cringe! Nobody said anything about the other assignments. I figured it would be easy but time consuming and kind of pointless.
This class has EXCEEDED my expectations! Not only have I realized what a great resource Twitter can be, I have learned what a PLN is and why it will benefit me as an educator. I have read many blogs and I never thought twice about how a blog was created or what went into it. Now I know, they are a lot of work however, they are valuable. The information and references are right at your fingertips! Plus, I like to (sometimes) travel down the rabbit hole when I am doing research so, when a link is added to a blog (highlighting a specific word), it takes me to a different page with another article or video and then from there I can check out another blog or video or article (as I am typing this I am recalling the Bud Hunt article we read and how from that blog, I wanted to read more from him, and I did and then I found him on Twitter and followed him!).
I learned about passion-based learning, an amazing definition of play (along with “make” and “hack” in education), and I learned about being an innovator and a hacker!
Module one and module two have been the most interesting so far because, Bud Hunt and Sir Ken Robinson both impacted me on so many levels! I was moved and inspired to stop and rethink some things because of a few sentences each of these men wrote or said. In fact, these sentences are still with me today and I think of them and write about them in my own blogs. They will probably be with me forever.
From Bud Hunt:
“I feel like folks forget they are the agents of their experiences.”
“Folks are supposed to own their actions and habits and the way they spend their time.”
“…along the way, you might rediscover the parts of yourself that have gone to sleep or have never been awake”.
“Students learn more and better and fuller and richer when they are making something to demonstrate their learning.”
“How you see is shaped by how you look.”
From Sir Ken Robinson:
“We grow out of creativity.”
“Kids are not afraid of being wrong – adults are.”
“Our children spread their dreams beneath our feet. We should tread lightly”.
The most challenging module for me is number 7. I just can’t seem to start the daily create for some reason. I think it is fear of…being creative…stepping out of my comfort zone… I bet I’m making it scarier than it actually is! I usually do that!!
I could not even begin to think about what I hope to learn more about in the second half of the semester. I have been pleasantly and enjoyably surprised throughout the first half! I do however wonder, what is in store and I am excited to see what the second half has to offer!
References! Quick Links!
Bud Hunt Centering on Essential Lenses
Wonders and Thoughts 
I must say I thought this class seemed like a lot of tweeting at the beginning too but after learning more and seeing what else twitter can be used for I have more of an appreciation for this class! I also enjoy the projects like doing our independent learning or our daily creates! It has been a challenging class but a fun one for sure!
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Alex,
Yep! Twitter is pretty awesome! I would have never thought that, or said it out loud, had it not been for this class! I agree, challenging but fun and so informative and inspiring! Thanks for your comments!
Lindsey
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I can hear the excitement in your voice as I read your blog! It’s amazing. I’m in the same boat as you, I really like this class, the tweeting is great, I wish more classes integrated tweeting. This is definitely a class that will stick with me. On a side note I really like the picture you included.
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Whitney,
Haha! Yep, there was excitement in there! For sure this class will stick with me! I am so amazed!
The picture was taken in the High Unitas in Utah! It was a great backpacking trip…a time for reflection!
Thank you for your comments!
Lindsey
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This post was so good! I loved how detailed you made it and how it was so positive! For me it’s hard to look back and remember everything that we’ve done thus far, and I think you did a great job summarizing it. I agree that this class has been so helpful and worth it, and I’m so glad I have to take it as a part of my major! I don’t know if I would’ve considered it if it wasn’t a requirement.
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Jalynn,
Awww thanks for your comments! I am pretty sure I would not have taken it if it was not required! I too am glad that it is required!
Thanks for your comments!
Lindsey
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