DML2015 Ignite Talks - Rudy Blanco
9"Are our 21st Century kids truly 21st century learners?
In exploring this question and attempting to roll out Digital Learning Portfolios, I discovered that Exponential Learning is the single most powerful tool for teaching and spreading digital literacy to a large community.
Dreamyard Preparatory HS (DYP) is a small underserved school located in the Bronx, NYC. DYP teamed up with Parsons School of Design to collaborate on a Digital Learning Portfolio Project with hopes of changing the way our students document their learning process.
As we rolled out our limited tech into classrooms for the creation of digital content, we learned that there existed a significant lapse in digital literacy skills among students and staff!
We saw a need and established a goal: to increase the amount of our students and staff that are creating academic content digitally.
We identified our greatest obstacle: so many skills and not enough time, money or tech.
I realized that we had a powerful tool at our disposal: Mouse Squad (a group of students dedicated to learning and resolving tech issues in our community). These students can funnel digital skills into our curriculum across the entire school. Acquiring and teaching digital literacy skills needed to go viral.
Exponential learning was born; this is where we teach two kids a skill those two teach two more and those two teach two more and so on. Kids follow up with their students and make sure that learning is happening. This creates an intricate exponential learning network that has proven to thrive on numerous occasions.
Receiving appreciation and professional recognition from peers and staff, students in Mouse Squad were empowered to pursue their passions in technology all while developing a genuine desire to teach what they've learned to others
When students CREATE digital content instead of just consuming it, we truly created a 21st century learner. Passion begets passion and these students are passionate about what they are creating."