Where's the Focus

As I have been preparing a curriculum for my new class on digital learning, I have become increasingly disconcerted over the focus of education in general.  There is so much students need to understand about the ecology of the digital landscape--it has been overwhelming to me.  Of course, adults like to believe that young people have the internet and digital technology down cold.  But a growing body of research and anecdotal evidence disputes this view.  Check out this piece by Brian Proffitt from ReadWriteWeb for a compelling perspective.  Yes, young people spend a considerable amount of time online.  However, they are also lacking in the necessary critical thinking skills for navigating through the info rich environment. 

Yet, what am I instructed to spend my time on in the classroom?  College Readiness Standards:  do students know how to "Make sophisticated distinctions concerning the logical use of conjunctive adverbs or phrases, particularly when signaling a shift between paragraphs."  What?  Without a doubt I want my students to be confident, clear, and compelling writers.  This is not an issue of not wanting to invest time in helping students to achieve mastery when it comes to their use of language.  It remains a crucial part of the curriculum.

Although much has been made about our culture's switch from print to image, any time spent online illustrates the importance of writing.  Of course, there are many kinds of writing employed when it comes to the internet and digital technology.  Whether updating status, leaving a comment on a discussion thread, emailing a boss, blogging about an interest, or collaborating with colleagues in a Google Doc, writing is important.  But not when it is taught ACT-editing style or when it focuses solely on the "thesis driven, 5 paragraph essay."

I want to teach writing in the context of how to be a 21st century digital learner.  This means not just teaching how to write with text.  As writing becomes increasingly multimedia, it is imperative that this becomes a part of a student's education.  And I want to feel I have time to help foster the other skills my students need: the ability to "detect crap," as Howard Rheingold puts it, the ability to think divergently and convergently, the ability to shape new ideas by using the information they find on the internet along with digital tools.  This must become our focus.