Educ 6810 - Week Ten Activities 1&2

Activity#1

Element #1: Take a look at the two examples and see if you can identify the purpose behind each story. What is the point of view in each? Whose voice do you hear?

Video #1 shows the audience how to make salt. There are children talking in this video. 

Video #2 shows that solar power can make energy. The voice sounds to be a male; however, we hear music as we'll. 

Element #2: See if you can find a dramatic question in the examples for this section. Is the question resolved in each movie or are you left without a resolution?

Video #1 Why are they making a beautiful island ugly? It isn't resolved. 
Video #2 This is about wasting food. The solution is a water pool. 

Element #3: See if you can identify the emotional paradigms behind these stories.

Video #1 Teenage depression and suicide. 
Video #2 Loss of a grandparent. 
Video #3 Danger of strangers to children. 

Element #4: What impact that the voice plays on the overall effect of the story.

Video #1 a woman's voice is answering a question. 
Video #2 beautiful voices of little children. 


Element #5: What impact does the music have on the emotional content or purpose of the story? 

Video #1 Sounds to be some sort of chanting from their culture.

Element #6: Look at the examples in this section and consider the decisions the authors made about length of clips, types of transitions and sequence of events. Are you able (as a viewer) to fill in the missing pieces? Give an example?

The videos had the same purpose. 

Video #1 It is short; however , we can fill I the blanks that the child got a room. 

Video #2. This is longer but we now know it's because of an uncle. We transition better. 

Video #3 much longer. This May have lasted too long. Some pictures did not add to the story. 

Element #7: How does the narrator use their voice to pace the story? Give a specific example.

Video #1 was a bit too fast. If I needed answers in this bit of information i would have to watch it many times. 

Video #2 this one hay a better pace. I enjoyed the humor of it. 

Activity #2

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9X6brtJBMCs


Point of view:
The point of view is the granddaughter. This young woman is Karen Haney. This is in first person because she is describing points of her own experience with her grandmother.

Dramatic Question:
I feel that the dramatic question is when she says that her grandmother moves to Kansas City. However, they do not live together like she wanted them to.

Emotional Content:
The emotional content is that the speaker loves her grandmother and always wanted to hear her exciting stories. However, it tug on our heart strings when we hear about her Alzheimer's Disease. We realize that Karen can no longer have those conversations with her grandmother.

Educ 6810 - Week Ten Reading

How has social media changed reading and writing processes in the digital age?

When it comes to social media we are forced to read, write, hear, see and create text. We are reading and writing and the importance of theses skills is equally important. With social media it makes it much easier to converse with others by commenting and even clicking simple links. Also, with using digital media, it is easy to edit text, comment on text, and share text. 


Explain "cosmopolitan practice" in relation to digital literacies and it means for learning in school.

We need to be citizens in this new digital world. We must take part in world wide issues via digital media and social.media. Being digitally literate is a key component o living in this digital world. It helps to get better involved. Students may never leave this area, but they can talk to anyone around the world.


How did the cosmopolitan conversation video challenge support critical media literacy?

Students were able to communicate by voicing their own opinions. They were able to talk to others and get their information and opinions the same topics. They. Eed


4. How does this quote from the text, "In this digital age, traditional content creation such as book reports, unit projects and essays, cannot be merely digitized and regulated to the end of the unit as capstone demonstrations of content mastery," make you think about how digital technologies should 

be used to support learning in school?

Because of the 21st century skills, students need to master so much more than the projects and essays provided by and expected by teachers.  We need to do more than just type and view pictures on the computer. There is so much more that we can utilize in the classroom and we need to use it to its full potential. It is available to us. It is necessary to use it and teach it.

How do the digital stories you watch this week support the concept of cosmopolitanism?

Watching the digital stories this week support the concept of cosmopolitanism by letting me watch other people at I did not even know. This made it easy to watch videos dealing with issues around the world form around the world. Anyone can upload these videos and comment on them as well. 





6.  In a blog posting, copy and paste a quote from the text that have moved you in some way (i.e. surprised, confused, disagree, strongly agree) and in about 100-150 words state why you have selected the quote. Then find an article, video, podcast, blog posting, image related to what you have read and link to it or embed it in your Blog. Describe the resources and a brief explanation of how it is connected to the reading. 

"Through social media outlets, more people of diverse ages, nationalities, genders, and socioeconomic positions produce news, comment on social issues, and even stage revolutions."

I chose this quote because social media has become the most insane thing to hit peoples'


entertainment. With Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.  it has become the greatest thing for people.  So many people around the world can talk to anyone.  It is amazing the friends people can make through these sites.



Retrieved from
http://www.edudemic.com/teach-students-about-social-media/

I feel that this shows that social media can be seen and felt around the world. People are creating media, stories, and moments all around the world and it is bringing people together.


Avila, J. , Pandya ,J.(2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. NY, New York: Peter Lang.

Educ 6810 - Reading #9

"The tools of digital storytelling, as well as the social relations that this type of activity promoted, provided the space and opportunity for youth to engage in meaningful practices to represent and extend their understandings of complex issues with which they grappled personally and intellectually." (Nixon, 57)

I chose this text because this is how I felt about the digital story that I watched on Reel.  I agree whole heartedly with this quote.  Digital storytelling is definitely a way for youth to let out their personal problems and feelings.  They also have a great opportunity to speak out for others.  These tools let them  spill out their hearts and souls and tell their story - through media.  It is a great way for youth to not only allow their inner selves to come through, but it also lets them use the same tools that they enjoy to use.

I chose this image because it is everything that digital storytelling is.  I love that it shows that digital learning is student engagement.  It is engaging students in so much more than they even know.  Also, they are able to reflect on their thoughts and feelings.  The technology integration is an obvious part; however, it is a great way to bring technology instruction into the classroom.  This is a must.  Lastly, the Project-Based Learning.  This is a great way to assess project based learning activities.

Source:
Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

Image retrieved Borchardt Elementary Library - from http://borchardtlibrary.edublogs.org/digital-storytelling/

Educ 6810 - Digital Story and Reel Works

No Cinderella Story

1.What do you like about the digital story?

At first, I saw that it was called No Cinderella Story - so I was interest.  Then I realized it was all about sex so I almost turned it off.  But then I realized that it was so true.  Sex to young people is nothing anymore and there are more and more middle school and high school girls that become pregnant and are usually unfit for the pregnancy of motherhood. 

Another part of this video talks about how instead of just hanging out, kids are drinking, smoking, and then having sex.  

2.What did you learn from the digital story?

I have learned that they have sex because they are bored.  Also - they drink and smoke; therefore, they want to have sex.  Another great thing that these kids said was that because their parents were divorced.  They feel that that has an influence on their decisions. 

3.What surprised you about the digital story?

It did not surprise me so much that young kids are having sex; however, I learned that kids do know that they are either in the wrong or that they need to calm down.  Instead of thinking that there is no romance in the world - they are realizing that they need to trust romance and love and not just have sex to get a 'name' for themselves. 

4.How did the digital story provide an example of how digital storytelling can build self esteem, help young people voice an opposition to social problems, or create an alternative to stereotypes of adolescents typically portrayed in mainstream media?

I loved this video because not only are some of the kids reaching out and saying what is on their minds, but other kids can see this and know that sex is not something that needs tossed around.  They need to know that there is time for that and the time is not now.  I also feel that it went along with the stereotypes; however, they can see that they need to wizen up about this topic.  Kids need to be kids and not hurry up to be adults.  I liked that the digital stories were informal and I enjoyed the videos that I watched.

Educ 6810 - PSA

I created my PSA for teachers.  Basically I say exactly what I needed to say - we, as educators, need to realize the generation that these children are growing up in.  We need to make sure that we are making their time at school worth while and we need to teach them the critical skills of media - they need to be aware of the good and the bad. I used the plain folk technique as well as rhetorical questions.  I start off with a question for teachers to understand the critical areas of the media that we need to be teaching as well as keeping up in our lessons.

Educ 6810 - Story Board

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1a0bWD2OCo1B67OxpV3X3NLNDey1iwYauODcAE5yzNtw/edit?usp=sharing

Educ 6810 - Week 7 Reading & Discussion

Reading #1

According to Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts (2010), " Youth between the ages 8 and 18 have increased their daily media usage from 7:29 hours in 1999 to 8:33 hours in 2004 to 10:45 hours in 2009 with media including TV, music, computer, video, print, and movies."  This is a huge chunk of time for youth to be dealing with digital media; therefore, since we know that they are using so much of their lives dealing with this - why not put it into our curriculum.

There are now standards in the curriculum that demand for digital literacies to be taught within the other literacies.  Therefore, we need to continue this process.  However, there are still many teachers in the education world who do not do this.  Instead they steer clear of it because they do not like change.  I feel that we need this change - and fast.  We need to keep up with these children and make sure that they are receiving the correct curriculum and the standards of today, not yesterday.

Teachers say that they do not need to teach these literacies because they have time to do it on their own, so there is no point in teaching it in schools.  However, this is false.  We not only need to teach them how to use these medias correctly, but we need to show them how to be critical of the media that is put out there for them to see.  Therefore, we DO need to teach this is school considering they only know what they can teach themselves, not what we know and what we can do for them.

The book says it best - we need to determine the definition for digital literacies so that we can explain ourselves, create connections with the critical digital literacies and foundations literacies, change the relationship between the two, and map out the changes.

I am one person who dislikes change; however, I feel that we need to make a change in our society and our eduction world for the better of our students.  Change is good! Change is Critical Media Literacy in schools!

Source:

Avila, J., & Pandya, J. (2013). Critical digital literacies as social praxis. (Vol. 54). New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Reading #2

I read the article "Critical Pedagogy and the Teaching of Reading for Social Action".  As a sixth grade teacher of mathematics, social studies, and English Language Arts, I have found that reading is one huge problem in the middle school years.  I have learned in my undergrad that children learn to read from kindergarten to third grade.  Once third grade is complete, the children need to switch up the process instead of learning how to read, they need to read to learn.  Therefore, they need that help with reading - which they are being left behind.

The article I read deals with discussing the meaning of the text that is being read.  However, when any one reads, they realize that there can be more than one meaning.  Children feel that when a teacher asks the question - "What did the author mean?" they feel that there can only be one answer.  This frightens them; therefore, they do not want to accept the challenge to answer the question.  Another point in this article is that students need to be actively engaged in what they are reading.  Therefore, they can make connections with the content. By getting them engaged and connecting the content, students will be able to reason, argue, and give opinions.

The process behind this has steps for the students and for the teachers.  Students must complete the steps: Identify the issue, understand the issue, make it meaningful to themselves, analyze the process, and then create a solution to the issue.  Teachers go through steps as well: describe the content, define the problems for the students, personalize the problems for the students, discuss the problem as well as an alternative for the problem, and then guide them to an answer.

Source:

Naiditch, F. (n.d) Critical Pedagogy and the Teaching of Reading for Social Action. Retrieved from http://education.missouristate.edu/assets/ele/Naidtichfinal.pdf