6816 - Weekly Reading #10

How does the project detailed in the video support research process that consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace.

It uses the workplace to resolve real issues and helps the people work together and help each other.  They also used technologies that help with the 21st century skills that are very important.  They ended up using the local people for help which is great and this supports research processes.  Within this project, there were able to observe things, collect different sorts of data, and they used the data collected to solve the problem at hand.

How does this project support new literacies?

This project supports new literacies by using the technology that is used within Web 2.0 tools and the technology that engages students to learn.  These new literacies were used to help the students become engaged and work together to learn the 21st century skills.  They used observations, collection of data, and usage of the data to solve problems.  This is the literacy our students need to learn.

Sources:

Jenkins, Henry. (2008). Educause Learning Initiative. What can Wikipedia Teach Us About the New Media Literacies. http://hosted4.mediasite.com/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=a3224ae765a64c70a8e33ee164992f511d

International Reading Association. (2009). New Literacies and 21st Century Technologies. http://www.reading.org/Libraries/position-statements-and-resolutions/ps1067_NewLiteracies21stCentury.pdf

International Society for Technology in Education. (2012). ISTE 2012 Wednesday Keynote Dr. Willie Smits with Christopher Gauthier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7-qjllPCOo

6809 - Week #10 Reading

1. What is the main argument being made by the speaker?

I feel that the main argument in this video is that educational reform is a good thing; however, it needs to be done in different ways other than testing.  I feel that we need to go in the right direction of the students' needs.

2. Do agree or disagree with his argument?

I agree with the argument.  The educational world is an ever changing place.  We do; however, need to understand how to measure the success of our students.  Students need to learn on their own and us as educators need to make sure that this happens.

3. Make connections between the ideas presented in this Keynote and concepts explored in this course. Be specific, use quotes from at least 5 course readings, your response should be around 500 - 800 words.

One quote that I really enjoyed from the Keynote speaker was, “If you chose the wrong goal to measure yourself, if you chose the wrong objective to go after, no matter how good, how efficient you are, you are not going to get where you want to go” (ISTE Videos, 2012). I feel that this means that we need to make sure that our goals are correct and our objectives are exactly where they need to be. This means that we can use as many of the technological updates and Web 2.0 tools that we want; however, in our classroom – our goals need to go hand in hand with our curriculum as well as 21st Century skills.

According to another article we read in class, even if we have ideas for our classes – we need to make sure that the ones that enjoy it are enjoying it; however, the ones that are struggling, we cannot leave behind. "Given our own experience, we can predict that some students in multimodal classrooms will complete assignments with ease, enjoying the opportunity to use their creativity an incorporate media that they often use for ‘fun’ in a more formal academic setting" (Borton, Huot). Even though there are very many students out there that enjoy being engaged with all of the Web 2.0 tools, there are many that still struggle and we need to make sure our goals are set for these students.

Along with the tools that are mentioned within the classroom, we learned in this course that IMing can also help with literacy skills. "I can recall my first IM experience. I felt anxious and rushed, unable to keep up with the lightening fast keyboard skills…” (Carey). IMing can be a great way to make sure goals are being met.

Reaching out to all of our students is the best way to make sure that we are meeting the goals that need met and we are helping these students achieve what needs achieved. "A closer examination of Patty’s designing of her Webkinz site entails an understanding of a number of roles, such as pet owner, shopper, and interior decorator, and the earning of virtual money through games of chance and various jobs, which allows her to care for her five pets" (Rowsell, Burke). This is an example of how even the toys of the students can help them with their literacy skills. All we need to do is engage our lessons around their likes.

Along with reaching out to the students’ interests and favorite toys, we need to reach out with their favorite movies or popular cultures. “Movies are promoted everywhere from television advertisements and children’s shows to websites, and accompanying merchandise is unashamedly unrestricted in its breadth. No longer is this paraphernalia limited to lunchbox lids. Popular cartoon icons, such as Dora the Explorer, can be found on linen, clothing, stationery, camping equipment, children’s furniture and even toilet seat inserts for toddlers." (Adlington, Hansford,). This quote is a way to make sure that we as educators can relate to the students.

"For educators and students, it's here - technology and the desire to create and read multimedia and multimodal texts" (Sanders, Albers). This quote completes this whole course. Educators need to realize just as much as students that technology is taking over and we need to learn to incorporate it within our curriculum while completing the correct goals and objectives.

Sources:

ISTE Videos. (Producer). (2012, July 9). ISTE 2012 Tuesday keynote featuring Yong Zhao. [You Tube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXeNKsjoMI

Borton, S. C., & Huot, B. (n.d.). Chapter 8: Responding and Assessing. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DFAmexYq7veC02bzZxTGVZT1k/edit

Carey, J. (n.d.). Instant Messaging: A Literacy Event. Retrieved June 25, 2013, from Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DFAmexYq7vYWdXV2RacF9EVXc/edit

Rowsell, J., & Burke, A. (2009, October). Reading by Design: Two Case Studies of Digital Reading Practices. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(2), pp. 106-118. doi:10.1598/JAAL.53.2.2

Adlington, R., & Hansford, D. (2008, July 6). Digital spaces and young people’s online authoring: Challenges for teachers. Retrieved June 10, 2013, from National Conference for Teachers of English and Literacy: http://www.englishliteracyconference.com.au/files/documents/AdlingtonHansford-Digital%20spaces.pdf

Sanders, Jennifer and Albers, Peggy. Multimodal Literacies: An Introduction. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:ZnRBedCgj_IJ:https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Books/Sample/32142Intro_x.pdf+are+literacies+and+Discourses+used+interchanably&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjE9pBd2JmN_g_xuDVosAj01ImYkr6u-oyjriG0tREXG8fzwbyeuhcmDw0rrbTA1rug-bgizHwuiUlocJcQwdvcCiPOxZYWVExNgQ8BmulksyeRUcUX4LJmfxLlw7e8UTdG2TuT&sig=AHIEtbSZ7RHTNL_Rfe2bglUQRg9zzCD2JA

6816 - Week 10 Final

TrackStar

6809 - Week 10 Rubric

Rubric

6809 - Rough Draft of News Report

This is a VERY ROUGH draft!

6809 - Week 9 Activity #1

A preview of what I would have my students do.

Basically what I did was use PowerPoint to create a digital picture image of a few choice mathematical vocabulary words.  Instead of having students write out the definition of vocab words - and instead of what I have done in the past (have students draw and color pictures) - I would have them use digital media tools to create their own images that relate to the definition.  I have provided the definition - because some students may enjoy having the word definition as well as a picture.  My students would have the choice to use Microsoft PowerPoint, Paint, Microsoft Word, PhotoStory, etc.  Anything useful for the students can be used.  Not only would my students be learning their vocabulary in a somewhat 'fun' atmosphere - they will also be tuning their digital media skills for other projects and assignments.

6809 - Weekly Reading #9

"Given our own experience, we can predict that some students in multimodal classrooms will complete assignments with ease, enjoying the opportunity to use their creativity an incorporate media that they often use for ‘fun’ in a more formal academic setting" (Borton, Huot).

I chose this quote because I am a lot like this.  I like to use different tools for 'fun' like PowerPoint, Photo Story - however, I find it exciting when I am allowed to use this for academic reasons.  I do enjoy being able to use my creativity an incorporate things that are close to me.  Therefore, I feel this type of student would be me.  However, the article continues on to talk about the student that does not enjoy this and they get nervous about having to do these assignments.  Therefore, us as educators need to help them to actually enjoy this type of tool.

Retrieved from: https://www.ccsf.edu/NEW/en/educational-programs/school-and-departments/school-of-science-and-mathematics/astronomy/slo_assessment_astr.html

I chose this image because it is an obvious image that is dedicated to student learning.  Student learning is the center of the assessment; therefore, we need to follow this cycle.

1. What should the assessments of multimodal text provide for students?

The assessments for multimodal text should provide the students with the precise product that is expected from the instructor.  Also, it should help the student and guide the student through the project.  The assessments should also be on going - therefore, the instructor should not wait until the final product to assess - they need feedback.

2. What are the benefits to using formative assessment when asking students to compose multimodal texts?

There are many benefits to using formative assessment when asking students to compose multimodal texts.  As I stated before, this is great for students to have feedback before the final product is due.  This helps them with learning from their mistakes and not making the same mistakes.  ALso, it helps them realize how to continue on with their product.  Therefore, in the end - the summative assessment will in return be better than without the formative assessment.

3. How do you feel about collaboratively constructing rubrics or assessment criteria with students?

I think that is is a great idea.  I know from a student standpoint that I enjoy knowing exactly what is expected of me, as well as, asking questions about what is allowed and what is not.  As an educator - I feel that the students opinions mean everything.  Also, if students are involved - they will know what the expectations are before they even receive the project; therefore, there are no high expectations to be discussed. 

4. Find a rubric or modify this Digital Composing Rubric to assess the multimodal product students will creating as a result of their Multimodal Learning Adventure and link to it from your Blog. You can use RubiStar to find, create, or modify your rubric.

My Rubric - Digital Media Math Vocabulary

Source:

Borton, S. C., & Huot, B. (n.d.). Chapter 8: Responding and Assessing. Retrieved July 16, 2013, from Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6DFAmexYq7veC02bzZxTGVZT1k/edit

6816 - Weekly Reading #9

"Wikis support composing in a multimodal manner by supporting images and videos that 

can be incorporated into the writing. When options to hyperlink images, video, and other 

material become easily available, the likeliness of using content belonging to others increases. 

In the wikis we observed, the images and videos that were linked to the student-created text 

were taken from sources off the internet. Often these sources were not cited, bringing up 

important issues of copyright and plagiarism" (Asselin, Moayer, 2011).

I chose this quote because it shows that, yes - using Wikis are incredible for the classroom setting.  Educators can make websites for their students and they can create it however they please.  However, there are so many obstacles to overcome when it comes to using things on the internet.  One must site every source; therefore, they need to make sure they know where they are getting all of the images, quotes, and the information.  This tends to be one huge problem when it comes to these types of things.

Retrieved from: http://bloomingtonblogs.wikispaces.com/

I chose this image because I enjoyed the fact that there are so many tools on Web 2.0 that are available to our students - that sometimes they do not even know what all is out there.  It is important that we teach them this - however, it is important that we teach them the ethical and correct way to use it.

1. What makes a literacy practice a "new literacy"?

"New literacies are not merely technical or ‘operational’ competencies but are situated within
a new mindset about knowledge" (Asselin, Moayeri, 2011).  When using the Web 2.0, we are constantly reaching new practices; therefore, "new literacies".

2. How does might Citizen Journalism support the development of "new literacies"?

This supports because it is letting students research a topic close to home with them.  They are using TrackStar to help with annotations and they are using new technologies.  It is much better than writing something on paper - it is interactive within the students themselves.

3. What is critical literacy and how does your Citizen Journalism project encourage critical literacy? How might you change your project to encourage critical literacy?

Critical Literacy shows information through political, social, and economic lenses.  The citizen journalism project encourages critical literacy because they are viewing a topic that is close to them within their community.  "Teachers of critical literacy encourage their students to deconstruct the text by understanding 

the foundation and conflicts that lie beneath the surface content and the relationship that 

the text holds with other text(s)" (Asselin, Moayeri, 2011). 

4. What problems may arise when students use Web 2.0 tools for learning in school and how might teachers capitalize on these opportunities to promote information literacy?

There may be controversial issues within the Web 2.0 tools that they are using.  They need to learn how to evaluate this.  Also, the teachers may use the Web 2.0 tools - however, are they actually using the tools for the topic at hand - or are they just using the tools too much and not getting enough of the curriculum. 

Source:

Asselin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years 19(2).

6816 - Story Board

This is my story board for my news story:

I made the actual story board through PowerPoint.  However, along with PowerPoint, the other digital media tools are Jing and Paint.  These two will allow to me to cut and paste things I need and also, make comments about websites that I have found for my news story.

6816 -Weekly Reading #8

"Understood this way, IL – as opposed to library or BI – is not restricted to library instruction resources or holdings; it presupposes the acquisition of the technical skills needed to access digital information, and , crucially, it extends beyond the ability to locate information simply to include the ability to understand it, evaluate it, and use it appropriately" (Grafstein, 2002).

I chose this quote because I feel very strongly about it.  I agree with everything within this statement.  BI is really restricted to only library and librarians.  IL can be opened up to absolutely anything that can be found in a library, on the internet, and anywhere else that people can find research.  There is so much information on the internet - text, images, videos, etc. people use IL much more than BI.

Retrieved from: http://nirak.net/2007/09/information-media-and-digital-literacy/

I chose this image for obvious reasons.  I believe that this should be in every classroom faculty's classroom.  This is perfect for this entire article - it really sums it up in a nut shell.

1. What is the difference between IL and BI and why is this distinction important?

The difference in IL (Information Literacy) and BI (Bibliographic Instruction) is that BI refers to instruction in traditional library sources such as print compared to IL which is a more inclusive concept.  This is important because they are used interchangeably; however, IL is a more broad definition.

2. Why should classroom faculty teach IL?

Classroom faculty needs to teach IL because it is ever-changing.  It changes all the time; therefore we need to keep up with the up-to-date topics.  As stated in the article - teaching needs to be based on process.

3. What is the role of classroom faculty in developing information literacy?

The role of the classroom faculty in developing information literacy is to impart those IL skills that are embedded within research paradigms and procedures of their discipline.  

Source:

Grafstein, A. (2002). A Discipline-Based Approach to Information Literacy. Retrieved from: http://westmont.edu/_offices/provost/documents/Senate/Full/2009-2010/Discipline-Based%20Approach%20to%20Information%20Literacy.pdf 

6809 - Weekly Reading #8

"Along with his affinity for sports, Ned loved rap music. A self-styled rapper, Ned had formed his own rap group and had created a home page for it on the Internet (which, to preserve Ned’s privacy, is not linked here). Known as the M-L-P Boyz (Major League Player Boys), the group consisted of Man (aka Ned), L’il Thug, Tron, and G-money. Together, they composed raps that they subsequently committed to memory and performed for special occasions. But Ned’s major interest in rap centered on the Atlanta-based group Goodie MOb, an acronym for “The Good Die Mostly Over Bull,” whose members include Big Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo, and Cee-lo " (Alvermann, Hagood, & Williams, 2001).

I chose this quote because it touches home for me.  I am from a small town - Glen Dale, WV - which is ten minutes from Wheeling.  I have a friend who has been into rapping for as long as I have known him.  He was never the greatest in school - but boy did he love his rap and his popular culture.  I feel that if he would have had an opportunity like Ned - reading and writing all about his favorite rap group - he would have loved it.  He is now making it bigger than I thought he would; however, he always had his school work come first.

Retrieved from http://forum.purseblog.com/television-and-cinema/the-best-and-worst-pop-culture-high-schools-282739.html

I chose this image because I thought it was a little funny at first.  However, looking at it now makes me think - what if I had a teacher who came in dressed as someone we all were familiar with just to teach us that lesson that day? I feel that if teachers are involved with the popular culture that students are today - they can really motivate the students.

1. What is your stance on using popular culture texts in school?

I feel that it is a great idea.  This way the educators can be involved with the same popular culture as the students.  This can really motivate our students to read and to write.  Also, they can continue to learn how to gather information that is needed - however, they will not even realize how fun it can actually be.

2. What are your concerns about using popular culture texts in school?

Two concerns - I would never want to be involved with popular culture that is inappropriate, or bad for the students.  Some of the students are interested in inappropriate things and this cannot be the type of popular culture that we should use in schools.  Also, I feel that we need to make sure that we are using popular culture as a crutch for our curriculum as opposed to in place of our curriculum. 

3. How can popular cultural texts support school-based writing?

Well, if we use these popular culture texts while teaching school-based writing, students will enjoy it more.  If we are using something interesting to students as a way of teaching them the school-based writing they will be motivated and they will want to continue writing for school assignments. 

4. Find and link to a web-based popular culture text you might use to support writing in your teaching context.

Survivor Math

This is based on calculus; however, I think that it would be interesting.  It is based on the TV show Survivor. It is used for calculus problems; therefore, I may not use it in my 6th grade - but it would be neat to use someday.

Source:

D.E. Alvermann, M.C. Hagood, & K.B. Williams (2001, June). Image, language, and sound: Making meaning with popular culture texts. Reading Online, 4(11). Available: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/action/alvermann/index.html

6809 - Week 8 - Activity #2

Math Vocabulary

Basically this site is an animated vocabulary site.  Personally, I feel that having the student write down the vocabulary words for the upcoming section, look in the glossary in the back of the book, write the definition down, and then study it - is BORING! I also feel that it does not help them at all.  Majority of students, at least students I have had in the past (based on a learning type survey) are visual or tactile learners.  Therefore, simply reading a definition - especially to a math term! - is not as effective as this learning adventure.

Basically the site has a list of vocabulary words - A-Z - and when you click on the word - it shows a picture (some are animated) that defines the word.  Not only does it have the picture but it also has the definition to go along with it.  I have actually done this with previous classes; however, it was never done through the computer.  I have them make vocabulary cards - they were index cards that they wrote the word on one side and then instead of writing the definition (they could if they wanted to) but they would draw a picture that made sense to them so that they could remember the words.  I feel that if I can use a program like PowerPoint or even Paint that I could have my students do this their own ways.

Not only would it help them with digital literacies - but it would help them with vocabulary terms.  Now, there may be some lesson topics that may be difficult for the students to do this with; therefore, I may not use it for every section - I may use it to open up the beginning of the year and then for definitions that are important for them to remember.

6809 - Week 8 - Activity #1

After reading my peers' Media Ecology cases, I have made a few generalizations about students in the Appalachian region. Majority of the students use their spare time on computers for gaming purposes. Whether they are using their Xbox, Play Station, Computer, or Smart Phone - they are playing some sort of game. One main thing; however, that most students say is that they cannot play games in their classrooms because the teacher claims that they are un-educational. Also, they are very into social networks. There are a lot of children that use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any kinds of social media sites. Students do not feel that they are allowed to use this in schools because a lot of schools have these sites blocked. I feel that teachers need to use this knowledge of what the students do in their spare time to engage and motivate their students' learning in their classroom. Make games specifically for their lesson topic - or have your own social media for the classrooms.

6816 - Rough Draft Track Star

Track Star Rough Draft:

Is Cyber Bullying Worse Than Traditional Bullying?

6809 - Media Ecology Case Study

Media Ecology Case Study