Putting it all together

A response to the It’s Alive! Activity
created by Lorinda Seward (@Lorinda)

Number of views: 144

As I am not (yet) a teacher, I adapted this activity slightly. I chose the Google Docs as the technology enabled solution for learners like my son who has learning disabilities and cognitive delays.  Though he did manage, with a lot of support, to graduate highschool, he continues to express an absolute unwillingness to consider post-secondary education.  

To me, digital literacy speaks to the ability to use technology to research, curate, and communicate information through digital technologies.  For most younger learners their devices are an extension of self, so why not leverage that technology to teach research, collaboration, and adaptation in an academic environment where they can experiment and practice these skills. 

Building upon the empathy map activity, I identified the challenge as my son lacking the self confidence to even start exploring post-secondary options. Technology such as virtual tours and meetings will let him explore options without having to leave the house, which is a great first step! He and I came up with a list of questions that are important to him when considering post-secondary institutions and based on those questions, I designed an activity that allows learners to use Google Docs to do collaborative research.