Discovering Education Streaming usage has link to higher achievement scores

According to Tech and Learning, there is a link between using Discovery Education videos and higher achievement scores-- specifically 3-8 math and reading.

More frequent use was associated with higher achievement scores.

The Full Report

According to full report, a sample of 5,478 buildings in TX showed a 7.9% mean percent increase in achievement in 3-8 math and reading. 710 buildings in Indiana showed a 5.2% increase, and 1,337 buildings in Florida showed a 7.4% increase. This was 2 years of data to show increase.


For the two additional independent studies shown on the site, it seems like teachers show at least 25-30 videos to support a lesson plan or theme. The increase in knowledge is based on pretests and posttests, not standardized tests.


Some things to think about

Even though the studies don't mention this, I am sure that the USE of the videos, beyond frequency, is important. Just showing videos might help some, but it will not have the impact of linking the video to what they have learned in class or having a discussion guide to learn from viewing.

Some of the improvements in scores is based on how low the students started at the beginning. Some of the independent studies had students starting at a different level for the pretest, but ending at roughly the same score for the posttest. Yes, those who were lower improved more, but that is due to starting lower. Does this suggest that videos might be of most value to struggling students or remedial students?

Obviously, the content of the video is important too. Discovery videos are well done, but that isn't to say there aren't other good videos out there to show.

Why might videos improve achievement? Is it because it is used to reinforce teaching already done? Is it because of the frequency of playing the videos which translates into repetition and practice? Is it due to the visual nature of the video that allows a student to "see" the concept in a new way? Is it because students are so used to seeing videos and TV so they learn from it "better"? Does video hold students' attention? Is it more motivational?

We subscribe to United Streaming, and I don't think many teachers use it.

What do you think about this information?

By the Book: Frayer

Click on the title to view By the Book newsletter on the Frayer Vocabulary strategy.

Read more about the strategy on the Joy of Reading Wiki.

How Full is your Bucket?

Click on the Title to read Gary Tomlinson's book report on "How Full is Your Bucket." This book stresses the importance of negative or positive interactions and how they affect our daily work. Even people who are generally positive feel 'refreshed' from receiving praise. Negativity not only affects work productivity but also our health. 

The theory is that each person has a bucket and a dipper. When we give a drop of praise to another person, we give ourself a drop. When we take a drop from someone else, we lose a drop in our own bucket. 

There are some factors to consider when giving praise. Here are some suggestions:

1. Make it personal: It needs to be individualized, specific, and deserved.

2. Prevent bucket dipping. Stop negativity when you see it.

3. Shine a light on what's right. If you give two drops a day, those people will give drops too.

4. Make best friends.

5. Give unexpectedly. A gift can be a hug, smile, secret, or offer to get coffee.

6. "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them."

Check out the Positive Impact Test below. How well do you score? What can you do more positively for those around you at work? for friends? family?

New Literacies Wiki Project

This is my Wiki Project for ST: New Literacies in Practice. Click on the title of this post to view the video if you cannot watch the embedded video.

You can visit the Joy-Of-Reading Wiki

I created this Screencast using Screentoaster. I uploaded the video to School Tube, but noticed the quality of the video to be sharper if I uploaded it right to Screentoaster's site.

Facebook

ST: New Literacies in Action

After reading the selection on Facebook in Kist's "The Socially Networked Classroom" (pg.97-99), Kist poses some interesting questions. Here are my responses:

1. Is Facebook mainly for fun or can it be used for educational purpose?

Facebook is mainly used for fun activities, but it can be used for educational purposes. Libraries or teachers have a Facebook page where they post information concerning what was learned in class, extra credit assignments, or summer/ holiday break practice. This allows students to communicate with other students and the teacher about what they are learning. It taps into something they are interested in (Facebook) and gets them excited about the concept they are learning. You could also use Facebook as a way of becoming a character in a book or summarizing a person's life as you create their Facebook page and think about what other characters or people of that time period might post on their wall. You could even do this with paper and pen if Facebook is blocked at your school.

2. Is it appropriate for students and teachers to "friend" each other on Facebook or Twitter? Why or why not?

This is tricky to answer. I would say that if you know the student and trust them, there is no problem. I think especially students who are in extracurricular activities with a teacher or coach may use Facebook or Twitter to communicate more often. However, the best rule of thumb is once they have graduated their class or left the school, if you really want to play it safe. I think that students like to be in touch with past teachers and occasionally leave "hello" and "miss you" on your pages which is nice.

3. Does Social Networking become "ruined" when used for homework reminders or another school based task?

I don't think so. Students are so used to cell phone and communication through those media. When a snow day canceled the Power of the Pen tournament last year, I was able to text message the team and get replies back from them quickly and then call the one or two who didn't have a cell phone. I knew they got the message, and they could write back to me about it if they had further questions. Students can ignore homework texts just as much as ones from people they don't like, so it doesn't "ruin" anything.

Discussion Response Guides for Blogs

I love these discussion response guides from Kist's "The Socially Networked Classroom" pg. 90. These help guide students who are shy or unsure of how to comment on another blog. These formats are also great to practice when writing responses to literature or other reading or knowledge in the classroom.

Inquiry

ST: New Literacies in Action

After reading the selection on Inquiry in Kist's "The Socially Networked Classroom" (pg.75-79), Kist poses some interesting questions. Here are my responses:

1. Students express discomfort with taking part in learning activities that have no clear-cut answer or solution. Why are people uncomfortable with these projects? What can teachers do to structure the activity in a way that learners are successful?

I think students are uncomfortable with this mainly because most classrooms are structured to teaching information which is learned and tested. There is a right answer for those questions. Even the high stakes OAT/ OGT are formated to make students think that life is about know the right answer to mark. However, in real life, people are constantly problem solving, no matter what the field. Sometimes, there is no wrong solution, just some that are more effective, more cost productive, more thoughtful, or more creative. I do think there are people who like things with a clear cut answer, so for some dealing with ambiguity is not comfortable. Teachers can help students be successful by breaking down the steps to the project so that they can assess if their students are progressing in a correct manner to complete the project. They can show how the project mirrors real life situations. They can share rubrics that show that the "answer" isn't what will be graded, but other aspects like the research, presentation, or collaboration.

2. How could Google Docs or blogs help with inquiry projects? What do they take away?

I haven't had an inquiry project with these platforms, but I can imagine they would help immensely. Following my classmates' blogs and commenting on them helps me stay connected to them despite us not meeting physically in class. I can see how Google Docs could allow us to edit or do separate research and then add these parts together with ease. Teachers at our school use Edmodo to share powerpoints so that students can combine slides from their partner's presentation in their own to make one show. I think the only thing they could take away in the face to face time. Knowing my classmates from a week of class helps me feel connected to them when I comment on their blog. I think they would feel more like strangers if we didn't have this connection. Or we'd have to communicate socially on Twitter or Facebook to build a bond.

When citing web links . . . .

As I was adding web links to my blog from various print sources, (NCTE and Literacy Clearing House) I had a few unexpected problems. Some of the links didn't work. In two cases it wasn't because the site no longer existed, but it was because the link text was not copied correctly. In one case it was using a _ when it was a - and in another case it was placing a / where a . went.

On the other hand, when reading an article online on the IRA site, links in the text were much easier to navigate to. Partly because I didn't have to type the address myself and also because the person typing the code for the link could check that the spelling was correct when posting the article.

So, this experience caused me to pause and think a little about web links:

1. Check your links for broken links. Sometimes sites are abandoned.

2. Check for changes in links. Sometimes sites move or are renamed.

3. Having a link online through delicious or a website is much easier for navigation than a written text version of the link.

4. When adding links into a written document, copy and paste the link directly from the 

internet. Copy and paste it back to a blank internet page to make sure the address is correct!

Blogging

ST: New Literacies in Action

After reading the selection on blogging in Kist's "The Socially Networked Classroom" (pg.54-61), Kist poses some interesting questions. Here are my responses:

1. How does keeping a blog help improve your learning (or not improve it)?

   I have found that I am more excited about my professional blog than my personal one. I had a hard time coming up with topics and things to write about, though at times I would think to myself "this would be a great entry!" My professional blog allows me to reflect on what I've read or experienced. I find this useful because it forces me to think about experiences and evaluate them more thoroughly than "on the fly" when driving in the car. I also find it a great way to organize my resources in one location. I no longer have to wonder under what bookmark tab or what other teacher's site that information was located on. It's a great record of my learning and thoughts for the year. 

2. Have you encountered someone who has not followed blogging etiquette? Explain the situation and how you handled it.

I have not experienced this. I think most students, when told what is expected of them, and knowing that it will be easy to trace comments back to them, will follow etiquette. However, if the situation arises, in most cases you can erase offensive comments to your blog. If it was a student, I might explain how that information will never be erased, and it could be found by a future employer. I would also explain that when we converse with other people, we are allowed to have differences of opinion.

3. What are the differences and similarities between a blog you publish for your family and one you publish for your learning? 

One that I publish for my family will be more about me and may contain more trivial things. It might have personal stories, or poetry and thoughts about my day. It would contain pictures from my personal library. A blog for work would contain more work related entries, videos, and comments. It would be a resource for me and other teachers, with personal reflections on articles, but not really much personally about me, unless it was about a lesson plan. Both blogs would contain pictures, movies, links, comments, and have the goal of documenting my thoughts and interactions and looking for commentary.

Spoofs, Mashups, and Trailers

I love these creative videos that show people using technology in interesting ways! Just another way we are interacting with text and using technology to interact with those texts! 

It is amazing that through You Tube, these videos can be shared worldwide, and with the ease of the embed code, these videos can be shared though Facebook via my friends or though this blog to you!


Here is a video that spoofs the "Facebook" movie trailer by making a trailer for a "You Tube" movie.





Here is a video that combines two unlikely ideas: Jane Austen and "Fight Club." The juxtaposition makes it too funny!





Here is a video that is a 'trailer' for a movie based on the hit game "Oregon Trail". It adds to the plot of the game, but makes enough references that if you've played the game, it will bring back memories!

Web 2.0. . . The Machine is Us/ing Us

Reflections after viewing:

I like how this starts with the linear "paper and pencil" text to help illustrate how digital text is more flexible.

I also like how the explanation of code helps explain why digital text can do what it does.

"We are the Web" sounds like an interesting article to read.

I like the idea that the internet is not "more powerful" or "greater" than humans or human interaction, but that our use of it teaches the machine how to act!

I really like the list at the end of all the things that we'll have to rethink-- copyright, privacy, authorship, family . . . new literacies are challenging for us all!

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Did you Know? 3.0

Some thoughts after watching the video:

The world is becoming a bigger place! 25% of India's highest IQs is greater than the population of the U.S.!

Careers are changing! The top 10 jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004!

We are social networkers! If MySpace were a country, it would be the 5th largest in the world!

We connect beyond typical face to face! The number of text messages sent and received DAILY exceeds the population of the planet!

Language is evolving! We have over 5x as many words as in Shakespeare's time (and think of words we've lost from his time!)

We have constant information! A week's worth of NY Times is more info than someone in the 18th cent. would read in a lifetime.

Information is changing! 1/2 of what a technical student learns in his first year is outdated by his third!

So what does all of this mean?

 It means that change is inevitable, and it is happening! We cannot ignore the world and how it is run and what technology is a part of it. We cannot live in "what used to be" because it is quickly changing to something new. We are a more global community which means we are competing and cooperating on greater levels than ever before. We also need to be able to sift through information, critique it, and locate it, because there is so much of it that there is NO way we can memorize it all! We need to stay in touch with what is current and keep growing. Communication and Information are the new "power" that people are going to seek. We have an opportunity to share information with more people- personal or professional- than ever before.

What does it mean for you?

How the Web Was Won: An Oral History of the Internet

(Click on the title to read the article.)

The beginning of this article surprised me. It was curious to me that the beginnings of the web, no matter how infantile, started in the late 50s. It was almost just as startling to think that only 15 years ago, the internet was starting to be in the hands of ordinary people. It seems like things have changed so much that it should be longer than 15 years.

It seems mainly sad that like probably too many things, war and conflict started the idea of the internet. Being able to fire missles back if we were fired upon started an idea that would change how we communicate and interact, and even how we read and write.

It was interesting to read how there were not many sites online because of the complexity of connecting and adding this information. When I think of how blogs, Twitter, You Tube, and so many other programs make sharing and connecting easy-- most with the click of the "share" button, it is amazing that we've come so far along.

Bob Metcalfe talks about two things that I think technology gurus or futurists must relate to. The experience of having a system crash while you are presenting it to important people, (Haven't you been to a technology meeting when the server was down and you all watched the presenter's screen?) and the moment when AT&T's reps laughed at him. The fact that people couldn't see that this was going to be a large part of our future, in hindsight, seems like folly, but so many inventions have been treated in such a manner. It makes me wonder what things lie ahead for us.

This was my favorite quote of the article:" Steve Case: We always believed that people talking to each other was the killer app. And so whether it was instant messaging or chat rooms, which we launched in 1985, or message boards, it was always the community that was front and center. Everything else—commerce and entertainment and financial services—was secondary. We thought community trumped content." I like the idea that the purpose of the internet in the beginning was about connection and communication. A lot of things have spun off of it, but it was made to connect us. At our hearts, we are still storytellers who want to share stories.

It was also amusing that like most other technology or product stories, there was heavy competition between Microsoft and Netscape. This reminds me of the VHS and BETA debates, Blueray or HD DVD, Mac or PC, Coke or Pepsi. It seems like every good idea has some rival. In some cases, one dominates and drives the other out, but in other cases the competition helps the companies thrive and push to develop new ideas.

The Internet is the most important democratizing invention since the printing press, 500 years ago.  This quote really stuck with me because I think that it is true. Notice that the comment was linked to "old" technology of the printing press. Being able to print books and make them available to people who weren't rich opened up doors for education and learning and sharing ideas. The internet now allows people that same freedom on a totally different level. The only issue that we have is whether people have access to the internet. It seems like those gaps are quickly closing.

This article was interesting not only from an historical overview point of view, but the fact that it demonstrates how quickly humans can take an idea and then see how it applies to their field. Musicians, Companies, Movies, and other people all saw that the internet would have an impact and changed what they did to accomodate that change. We have to see the change and do the same for education.

Texts without Context

(Click the title to read article)

This article gives several text which support and refute the beauty of "ownership" in a Web 2.0 world. All of the title sound like ones that I may wish to follow up on reading later, so I will list the titles below so I can read them.

On one hand, we have the question of ownership: who owns reality? words? music? Once an artist releases music, isn't it available to all people? The only difference is that in our modern society being able to USE those words and music or video is becoming much easier. If you had an ear for music, you could have sampled music or stolen a riff for your song. However, with technology, the ability for ANYONE to sample someone's music just got a whole easier. I am even torn with this aspect of the new technology: on one hand it allows some non-musicians to be musicians of a certain kind. I think of my students who use garageband to make original songs. Many are musicians, but many are not. On the other hand, maybe the ability to sample and use music shouldn't come so easy. Maybe you need to know a little about music and an instrument before you should be allowed to sample randomly and without abandon. What is the right answer?

The other set of authors are contending that Web 2.0 is affecting our ways of learning and experiencing life, and they are not good. They express concern over fragmentation, emphasis on immediacy, focus of data saturation, and the lack of "authority" in written words.

One of the interesting points of this article was the idea that the internet allowed most people to slip into an "eternal childhood" like Peter Pan. They seemed to imply that people used the internet to share pointless and trivial matters, and that this mindset is what influences the news and others to focus on silly and funny events instead of heavy things.

However, I do address with Sustein's observation that we are allowed to personalize too much online and that runs us the risk of never finding people who have different opinions than our own. Obviously affinity groups are a fun part of online communication as we can talk about passions and interests that perhaps no one in our physical world care about. However, the danger that the news and things we read are all one sided is very dangerous, especially if you are extreme in your thinking or viewpoint. 

So is it possible that Web 2.0 will not broaden our communication opportunities, but limit us to those who continue to reinforce our ideas?

What about artists who compose a work to be viewed in a certain manner? Is it right to allow others to take and use what they want from that work?

The conclusion of this article resonates most with me. It explains how sampling and fiction that combines other characters can be well done like J.J. Abram's "Star Trek" or "Clueless." Some people look at art or story and do something new with it. However, sometimes the imitation isn't innovation: it's just imitation like Lady Gaga reflecting Madonna and countless remakes of TV shows and video games into movies. One wonders if these imitations are so prevalent because we are so connected to our pasts. When one remembers the music or characters they loved as a child, you can just imagine people thinking that there is money to be made if they can connect you to those memories.

As with other forms of technology, it seems like we will have to balance the benefits with the drawbacks and learn how to navigate this brave new world.

Reading List

"Reality Hunger" David Shields

"You are not a Gadget" Jaron Lanier

"True Enough" Farhad Manjoo

"The Cult of the Amateur" Andrew Keen

"The Shallows" Nicholas Carr

"Digital Barbarism" Mark Helprin

"Amusing Ourselves to Death" Neil Postman

"Faster" James Gleick

"Data Smog" David Shenk

"Cyberselfish" Jaron Lanier and Paulina Borsook

Cass Sunstein

"Life the Movie: How entertainment conquered reality" Neal Gabler

"Lost Books of the Odyssey" Zachary Mason

Notable Technology Trends in 2010

Click the title of this post to read an article concerning Tech Trends in 2010. I am sure you could predict most of them:

1. Apple's iPad and iPhone

2. Not much for Microsoft

3. Google TV attempt 

4. 3-D TV and gaming

5. Motion Gaming (The wii still rules.)

6. Touch screen interfaces

7. Mobile Phone revolutions

8. Social Networking (Facebook vs. Twitter)

9. Foursquare

10. GPU and CPU

11. Faster networks

12. eBooks

13. Better displays

14. Electronic vehicles

15. Cloud computing

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Congress is modifying the DMCA in order to look at special cases where protection circumvention is not copyright infringement. 

One of the major ones is using clips from DVDs for education, documentary film making, and noncommercial videos.

I believe that copyright laws allow a small portion of video and music to be used under fair use for educators: 3 mins of video and 30 seconds of music.

Being able to use clips in educational situations or allow students to incorporate them into projects is important. Students (and adults!) are greatly connected and influenced by video and music from our lives. While programs like Garageband allow them to create their own original material for large projects, sometimes a reference to pop culture is necessary.

I was really surprised about the e-books not being allowed to be read aloud. I am not sure how that would threaten the e-book, but what a loss to not have that option!

I guess the DMCA is not going to "police" the use of programs that allow people to override these copyright protections, but they are also going to make it "legal" to use said programs in order to allow people more freedom when using current technology in meaningful ways.

Survey Monkey

Survey Monkey is a free website that allows you to poll responses. A free account gives you a maximum of 10 questions to ask. You can create several type of questions such a multiple choice with one answer, multiple choice with multiple answers, essays, etc. 

You then can send out your survey as a link. Clicking on the link allows your audience to take the survey. You can leave your survey open or set a close date so no responses past You are then given results which you can view in graphs or by individual response.

A great way to collect information from students, colleagues, or parents! Click on the title of this post to visit their website.

A sample of the results from Survey Monkey.

Inception Infographic

Check out this great visual depiction of the movie "Inception." Great way to use graphics to share information.

Just like Wordle has educational uses for words, creating an "infographic" could have uses for plot or main events.

Click on the title to view the original webpage this infographic appears on.

Tweet a cab ?!?!!

The days of flagging down a cab flying down the street are over! You can now tweet a cab! They do offer phone and email contact in case you don't have Twitter. 

I guess as long as you have access to Twitter via your phone, this would be an interesting alternative to waiting for a cab!

Tweet a London Cab

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Critique and Review 2.0

ST: New Literacies in Practice

After viewing the class' Multigenre Literacy Autobiographies, here are some things that I missed in reflection for my own video!

• Counting Crows
• Richard Scarry
• Beatrix Potter (big fan of Benjamin Bunny)
• Books as gifts
• Being a narrator for kindergarden plays
• Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
• Reading Rainbow
• 3,2,1 Contact
• Hating phonics lessons
• Where in the World in Carmen Sandiego game
• Nancy Drew
• Bobsey Twins
• She-Ra/ Barbie Magazine
• The Hobbit-- went out to buy the book before my teacher finished reading it aloud
• Family Matters
• Full House
• Saved by the Bell
• Alf
• Charles in Charge
• Oasis
• High School Musicals and Theater: Music Man, Joseph & Amazing . . . , Bye Bye Birdie, Can't Take it With You,
• Art Classes: batik, enamel, baskets, pottery,
• AP English class and teacher: better writer and reader response
• Muppet Show
• Golden Books
• Scholastic school book orders
• Video games played on Super NES
• Magazines I read as an adult like Elle, Architecture Digest, Cleveland Museum of Art,
• Comedians: Lewis Black, Denis Leary, Craig Kilborn, Daily Show, Jon Stewart
• British TV: Monty Python, Dr. Who, Red Dwarf
• Ace of Base
• Walkman
• MTV and VH-1 music videos!
• First experiences with cable TV
• iPod
• Multigenre Graduate project on Great Gatsby
• Cassette and then CD singles and now iTunes
• Labyrinth, Return to Oz, Aladdin, Enchanted movies
• books with records and then cassettes to follow along to
• not being censored
• Bond movies and wanting to be a spy when I was 5
• looking at diagrams or avoiding reading instructions to build Barbie furniture
• Disney Sleepy Hollow with Bing Crosby as Halloween tradition
• Harrison Ford
• Indiana Jones and Star Wars
• Fairy Tale and folk tales turned to studies of Joseph Campbell
• Love of children's book illustrations turned to using picture books when teaching
• the "Maria's" of song that people recall for me: West Side Story, Sound of Music, Blondie, Santana,
• Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney
• Photography
• Westerns like Hoppalong Cassidy, Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid
• Princess Caraboo movie
• Sweet Valley High and Saddle Club books
• African American literature in college: Eyes Watching God and Beloved
• Pink Panther, Bugs Bunny, and other cartoons
• Unicorn picture books first ones checked out from library
• Mother Gooseland
• HS Literary Book
• College Literary Club
• Pride and Prejudice rereading
• Bible Studies in college
• DJ during college
• Book it at Pizza Hut
• Summer Reading
• first experiences on internet
• owning books vs. library visits
• SRA
• Bradbury Theater

After listening to everyone's videos, some common themes also came up:

1. Most of us were not enjoying what we were reading in MS or HS, or maybe read nothing.
2. Some of us were not reading in MS or HS and still getting As in LA.
3. The popular culture of our childhoods creates a social group for us because the similarities and memories almost binds us, even though we are strangers.
4. Many different media helped us make meaning in our world.
5. Using popular culture is a great way to connect to other people.

Other links:

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Video

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography Critique and Review 1.0

Old Spice- New Marketing

University students used the new "Old Spice" commercials to film this "parody" to encourage students to study in the library. They have even created a blog to document some of the press and behind the scenes work, as well as promote their own creative talents. Not only does this show the power of communicating on media like film, you tube, and blogs to engage their audience, one of the articles on their blog lead to some interesting information concerning the new "Old Spice" campaign.

Newspicepromo Blog

The Intoxicating Scent of Internet Success reports that Old Spice's new campaign might be one of the most successful. And besides the catchy writing and wonderful acting, it seems that part of it is using new media-- video and You Tube and CONNECTING with people, much like Stephenie Meyer did to promote "Twilight".

The company made 180 thirty second "movies" in response to questions posted via Twitter. Some were marriage proposals, ties to famous actresses, advice to president, and more. By using Twitter to get people engaged with the commercials and products, people have become "part" of this campaign.

Watch more Old Spice videos here

Media has even become a way to propose to your loved one! Check out the way video games, iPods, Twitter, and other technology has play a role in marriage proposals!

Web Gave "Twilight" Fresh Blood

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Web Gave "Twilight" Fresh Blood

When we talk about the new literacies and their impact on people, this article shows how a new medium can connect with people on a different level.

Everyone has heard of the successful "Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer. However, at one time she was starting out and trying to promote her book. The company did what they could for a beginning author-- a short tour and a website."But that site failed to pick up on the book's subtler themes -- the bridled desire and self-deprecating humor that connected with fans and were representative of Meyer herself."

So Stephenie Meyer took things into her own hands and started her own site. She included things about herself and her family. She answered people's emails and blog comments. She wrote on other people's blogs. She gave permission for others to start "Twilight" websites. 

She connected.

We talk about connecting with people face to face, and for our closest connections, this is probably true. Face to Face time builds an intimate bond. Though, there are plenty of people we meet face to face and know on a "friend at work" or "friend of a friend" basis. So, perhaps we CHOOSE to spend more face to face time with those we are closest to. 

At any rate, Stephenie was able to CONNECT with people and build a fan base for her book. She offered personal information and made friends. She engaged her readers with her site by listening to them and writing back. 

This phenomenon has caught on to other social networking sites. You can follow authors and musicians on Twitter. Nevermind that they aren't following you and your friendship may not be reciprocated. Think about the fact that I can tell when Neil Gaiman is out shopping with his girlfriend or see pictures of him walking his dog through the MN blizzard! I feel a certain connection to people who are complete strangers with no interest in me at all!

Stephenie capitalized on this phenomenon. I am curious to know whether she is still as connected to fans since the popularity of her books took off. Instead of just using a website as a static, information only, advertisement, she took the idea of online communication to a more personal level that grew a fan base for her.

And actually this goes to show that people still DESIRE the closeness of connection that we associate with face to face time. The website about the book didn't do much for Stephenie. It was her reaching out and engaging people. 

So our desire for connection and communication is the same. Our means of connection, however, has broadened to include more people than we can imagine.

Digital Intimacy

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Brave New World of Digital Intimacy (2008)

Clive Thompson

This article was very interesting because it pointed out some of the subtle positives of what we generally take as negatives of the digital communication around us.

The article begins with how Zuckerberg changed Facebook so that people could be more connected through the use of a newsfeed. At first there was concern about privacy, but Zuckerberg knew that with time people would enjoy using the newsfeed to keep track of their 200+ friends.

 “Facebook has always tried to push the envelope,” he said. “And at times that means stretching people and getting them to be comfortable with things they aren’t yet comfortable with. A lot of this is just social norms catching up with what technology is capable of.”

This quote says a lot about technology in general. Technology often challenges us to become comfortable with something that we've always done, but now done in a different way. Technology can challenge us to see how flexible we are with adjusting how we have always done things to what we are capable of.

I had an interesting experience with "ambient awareness" this year. Several of my staff members on are Facebook. I don't post anything personal on my Facebook, but I had made a comment about the weather or something that I was looking forward to. The secretary at school asked me, as a friend might, about that event I posted on Facebook. At first, I was trying to figure out how she knew about it, and then I realized that while I posted something and didn't receive any comments on it, people did still read it and use it as a conversation starter.

Another way "ambient awareness" is a benefit, is that it allows one to communicate with friends swiftly. When my close friend twisted her foot, she posted it Facebook. I don't talk to her daily, but caught her update on Facebook. I called her up to see how she was. While updates are interesting reading, you tend to scan those who are part of your network but not your close friends. For close friends and family, the updates are nice ways to truly keep in touch without emailing or calling.

I do think that some of the constant updating borders on narcissism or perhaps status to imply that they are important and need to create constant "news" about themself. 

However, while the article stated that close ties didn't increase from online communication "deep relationships are still predicated on face time, and there are only so many hours in the day for that", weak ties grew. Friends of friends (and it is amazing to see how you are connected to other people sometimes!) become valuable parts of your network. This article supports another article I read (attached to a Tweet no less!) concerning business and weak ties. Often our friends have the same interests and outlooks as we do. The business article equated this with grouping all of the smart people in one program. No new ideas surface because the group is too homogenous. When we mix with people who are different from us, we can sometimes find unique solutions to problems.

I liked that this article pointed out some of the issues concerned with social networking online: privacy, bombardment, false intimacy, playing with a person's image or emotions as well as the subtle benefits of talking to people we don't know, growing, keeping in touch, and documenting our lives. 

Comics and the Curriculum

The Graphic Classroom: Comics in the Curriculum

This article explores a special exhibit at Columbia University which suggests how comics might be used in the curriculum. When one considers the decoding necessary to understand many pieces of art that tell stories through flower choices, coloration, or details in the design or that the Bayeux Tapestry is a collection of panels telling a story in a comic book style, it suddenly seems to make sense to consider graphic novels or comic books as another type of literacy to decode. Comics offer a chance to look at plot and story, as well as the visual aspect which can often be looked at from an art or film perspective as the images often tell more of the story than words at times. 

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography

If the above video doesn't play, try: SchoolTube - Multigenre Literacy Autobiography

Multigenre Literacy Autobiography

ST: New Literacies in Practice.

Right now I'm waiting for my video to load and be approved to School Tube , so let me reflect on the creation of my Autobiography.

I decided to use Mac's Keynote for the framework of my presentation. The program has better transitions between slides and nice animations. I then located images for the different areas of the autobiography. Instead of doing a picture per slide, I stacked the images, adding animation directions as I went. This helped me not have too many slides and group information too. I rehearsed the timings so that the show would play by itself. I exported this presentation file as a Quicktime movie at the CD ROM (medium) file size.

I wanted to include videos of the TV shows I watched instead of static pictures. I used Screentoaster to record a portion of the opening titles to shows I could find on You Tube. Generally the quality of the video was good. Once I screencasted the episodes I needed, I downloaded the TV shows as a separate video.

I then used iMovie to edit the two videos together. I placed my TVs in the middle of the Autobiography. I was able to easily access iTunes to add song clips into the presentation. If I didn't have a song, I could find it online and use the record feature in iMovie to add it to the show. I also used the record feature to add my narration. I exported the completed video as a Quicktime movie for web streaming. This lessened some of the quality of the video I am sure.

I have a School Tube account, so once I had my video done, I logged in and uploaded the video. It was under 1 GB, so I hoped I had no problems with video length. Then I had to wait for a moderator to approve the video. Once it is approved, I can attach it to this blog!

Reflections/ Critique

• Apparently my rehearsed times were sped up when exporting Keynote to video. I will need to add extra time next time so I don't have to speak so fast!

• There were many things I thought about adding upon completion of the presentation:

1. Movies like "Dune" and "Bladerunner" were great High School Sci-Fi influences. They got me reading some great Sci-Fi that wasn't all about technology.
2. Movies like "Momento" which challenged my concepts of linear storytelling and "Sleepy Hollow" which showed that you could reinterpret a story and not stick to the literary source.
3. Comic Books and graphic novels. I read some of my brother's initially, and probably knew more about the characters than really the storylines. Have read many of Alan Moore's Graphic Novels and Gaiman's Sandman series.
4. Totally forgot Fantasia (one of my favorites as a child) and Beethoven, Chopin, Copland, Bernstein, and other Classical music interests.
5. Would have liked a more modern "update"of where I am now to close the show.
6. Would like to add more on comics I read that had ties to literature like "Fables" or ones about storytelling like "Unwritten" or nonlinear plots like "Planetary" and how the Iron Man movie gave me my favorite superhero. (It was Batman, but Bruce Wayne can be kind of depressing at times.) It's interesting that both of my "superheroes" have no superpowers but are detectives and inventors. Perhaps this traces back to MacGuyver?
7. I would have liked to revisit how my childhood is being reinvented: GI Joe, Transformers, Tron, She-Ra, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, A-Team, Knight Rider, and the list goes on and on. Some of these are marketed for new, younger children, but I think many (like the She-Ra collector figures) are targeted at my age group because we'll remember them!
8. I would have liked to talk more about how these media affected me as a teacher. I incorporate a lot of movies, artwork, and music into my classes as they fit into topics (like looking at Elvis' music and the Beatles' music while studying the difference between the Greasers and Socs in "The Outsiders" or making predictions with Harold Loyd silent movies.

• I liked the way the video selections showed up. I think I might try exporting the iMovie as a CD ROM category to see if the quality can improve while file size doesn't go up too much.

• Liked the way the music fit in those sections and blended together.

• I was really surprised how much literature affected me. Literature informed my art interests and many of my favorite movies. It affected my travel, and I often liked song lyrics that told stories or had allusions. Does this mean I valued the printed text over other media? I don't think so, but it is interesting to see how one medium interprets another.

This project is something that is never finished but only abandoned. I like its reflective nature. I was surprised to see how many times different texts were tied to literature. Yet in many cases, the other medium change or reinterpreted the original text (like Rossetti's Double Works of art.) Good techniques in storytelling are present in whatever text you pursue!

Thursday, July 22nd: Interaction with Multiple Texts

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Today in class we were given a chance to interpret and react to visual images, sound, and finally print text.

I liked the way the texts included several genres within each genre. There were portraits, photographs, symbolic, and realistic visual images. Music ranged from classical to soundtracks and from quiet music to distorted music.

This activity made me feel proud of an activity I use with students. We would listen to a piece of music, and they would have to construct a story around the music (usually from a soundtrack). Students protested quite a bit and at first there are a lot of "dancing" stories. But with time, they get into the activity. They get specific about what certain sounds might represent. They understand that there isn't really one representation. Often we would then look at a clip from Disney's Fantasia like Beethoven's 5th to show mood of music and action

or Rhapsody in Blue (both from Fantasia 2000) to show more of a plot directed story line. This lead to discussions of how music in movies gives us cues as to what might happen next or how themes are created.

It always amazed me how students had a hard time jumping into the assignment. Part of that is that is that they are being asked to visualize. They are not having the visualization done for them as often is the case with video games, movies, and other graphic elements of their life. They have to be patient and creative. It seems rather shocking to see 8th graders who want to be TOLD what the song is about. They want to know what they should be writing about. They want to memorize why the author added this character into the story. For them making meaning is not about interpretation or connecting to the world, text, or themselves. 

But, then again I remember sitting in High School English and having my teacher explain all the symbols hidden in stories we were reading. He told us what all the poems we read meant too. I thought he was a genius because he knew all of these things that I didn't pick out. It wasn't until college when I started to research English papers that I realized experts often differ in opinions when interpreting texts. This recalls a quote I heard from Hemingway "“There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The shark are all sharks no better and no worse. All the symbolism that people say is wrong. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know.” I like this quote because sometimes I think we read too much into everything instead of just enjoying a novel! It must stand for something else, right? It can't just be a great story. I also like it because although Hemingway had no significant symbols for his story, it may be that I interpret his story in a different way, and that too is perfectly ok.

If we consider ourselves educators, then we should be teaching not only curriculum, but skills a student needs-- not only for work or to be considered educated-- but skills that allow them to enjoy life. To listen to music or watch a movie and understand why and how the parts click together to work.

If we consider ourselves reading teachers (which we ALL are!) then our students need to have a chance to not only read and locate information in textbooks, but interpret primary documents, struggle with unfamiliar words and content, decipher artwork as well as charts, understand how to visualize information by creating their own graphic organizers or interpretations, and debating and defending their ideas. 

Because reading is about making meaning from different texts. But if we teach as if there is only one answer to reading, then who will explain our lives to us when we graduate from school?

Web 2.0 in Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Kelly's portion of this article focuses on the use of blogs in a first grade classroom. Her goal in using the blog is to allow students to share stories. She uses 21classes.com. She starts with basic blogging to allow her students to feel comfortable. She takes time to read the posts during her morning meetings. She can then add more categories-- especially for book talks, responses, and book recommendations. It seems like students are given time in class for assessments, but the blog also offers an outlet for student communication any time they are near the internet.

Kelly brings several points out about the usefulness of using a blog to do this instead of the "traditional" journal. The blog is informal, so students feel less pressure to worry about spelling or editing issues. They truly love reading and commenting on other students' posts and information. She is able to keep in touch with previous students and allow parents a place to write a message to their students. Besides the positive affects on writing, some reluctant readers used the blog to improve their reading too as they enjoyed the text. Students feel a sense of importance since they are "published" and assignments take on a "real world" aspect. It also seems like this would allow a class to feel more connected due to reading text that is content based and informal and sharing their responses to that text.

I really like this idea of using a blog with classes. Our district provides a blog on our website, so we even have the ability to check comments and approve them before they are published. The only major issue is computer access. Many students do not have internet access at home. They can get online for activities they "like" such as Facebook. But many, especially in Middle School, are not able to always get to the library on their own to do computer work. I guess that puts the challenge to the teacher to make the interaction powerful enough to get those students involved. Computer use in school can be tricky depending on how computer labs are signed out. However, if students know there is a post, they should be able to use 5 or less mins of their lab time with another teacher to respond if teachers team correctly.

It is exciting to think that these students are given an opportunity to interact and use technology like this in first grade!

Instantaneous Communication

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Today in class we had an intriguing conversation about communication and technology. One aspect of this was the value of face to face communication over online communication. We tend to think that face to face communication is better (I do at least). But why do we think that? Because we are primarily used to it? Because we are with people? Yet, how often do we truly communicate and connect with the people who are around us-- whether strangers or friends? 

I think about friends who update their Facebook status and that's how I learned about issues they were having or concerns and worries they had. Maybe it was ease of sharing, or maybe it was because calling each person to tell them bad news "in person" would be too hard? Even myself, I think I communicate in some ways better online because I can write, edit and rethink what I say until it is what I want it to be. I am not a very talkative person in class or social settings, but online allows me to ramble on as much as I want.

An issue I notice about technology and me is that it sucks me into the fast paced world where we are multitasking and not truly "being." Right now, I am eating and typing this post. I am thinking about what I need to do when I get home and how to prepare for inservices in August, and who I need to call to check up on. I am not present. I am not enjoying my food. My mind is not calm. People text instead of enjoying the moments of movies or concerts.

Instantaneous Communication is a great gift. I can call if I get lost or if I need to text something to someone before I forget my statement. It's addictive to start a blog or update Twitter (though I really don't need to know every thought and every move you make during the day!). However, there needs to be a balance. We need time to be alone with our thoughts. No TV, Radio, Internet, Cell Phone, or other interruptions. Just us and our lives. I find a deadly temptation of technology is how fast time passes and how life can get sucked up into a "virtual" world which is not "real".

The Internet

I have noticed this before, but as I work on these posts and my Multigenre Literacy Autobiography, I have noticed this more . . .  you can really put almost anything into Google and find some results that are beneficial! Go to You Tube and you can see everything from official music videos, fan videos, tutorials, and episodes! You can find image databases and articles.

On the one hand this is a major plus. I can sit here and access all this information from home. I can link it to my blog easily. I can share it with others by placing the information in a power point. The possibilities are endless. In some cases they are almost never-ending too. I could be reading for a long time.

However, the ease with which I can locate, pull, and read images, movies, and information makes me a little sad too. I remember researching with books. Nothing is hyperlinked, but there was a certain thrill in hunting down books to assist with a project. I think that having to be physically involved and visit a library and interact with people in order to complete my research made the work more valued. 

So, like all technologies, there is a great advantage to accessing more information and information that perhaps I'd never access. But there is also a loss of interaction and work that made research an exciting challenge.

Web 2.0 in Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Possibilities

ST: New Literacies in Practice

In the introduction to this article, Kist quotes Freebody and Luke (1990) model which has the four sets of "social practices requisite for critical literacy":

Resources as a Code Breaker

The ‘Code breaker’ role includes basic skills associated with knowing the technology of the 

written symbols of the language, and understanding the relationship between spoken and written 

symbols. 

Resources as a Text Participant

The ‘Meaning maker’ role involves learners bringing their technology of code- 

breaking to the different structures of the various types of texts they encounter and the 

experiences portrayed in those texts. There is a matching up of the learners’ own knowledge of 

the topic with a knowledge of textual structures.

Resources as Text User

The ‘Text user’ role means that, in addition to 

participating in texts, learners must also assume the role of using texts in variety of situations, 

each with a different socio-cultural purpose. 

Resources as Text analyst and Critic

The ‘Text analyst’ role involves learning how to 

examine texts critically in order to gain understandings about sub-surface influences and themes 

and to find out why texts are written in particular ways to achieve particular effects. 

As you read these descriptions and especially read the last two links below, you can see that we've been primarily stuck in the code breaker mode. We've started some of the Text Participation, but only to the level of what the story is about-- not really getting into the personal experiences or other textual connections. I think we've done well addressing Text Use as we have students look at different genres and the qualities and purposes of those genres. The major area we need to address is Text Analyst. Students need to make their own meanings from what they read or view. They should think about the meaning of what they read and not be told what something means or be influenced to believe there is one interpretation. 

It seems like we are attempting to make progress in literacy instruction.

Freebody and Luke article
Reading Online Article on 4 Resources
Roles and Resources Model
4 Roles of a Literate Person

Non-linear text

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Kist asks several questions on page 10 of The Socially Networked Classroom concerning how we read texts. Traditionally stories start at the beginning, tell us a story in a neat plot diagram, and then end. In fact, it seems like we are still teaching our students the plot diagram as a way of dissecting a story or creating their own.

However, it seems like popular movies and novels are starting to use non-linear storytelling methods.  In fact, upon looking up non-linear narratives I was surprised to read that many early stories and movies were already diverting from our neat plot diagram. 

For example, in Sliding Doors, we follow the character through a critical choice in her life. We are presented with two separate "endings" as we follow how her life would be if she had chosen to either stay with her boyfriend or leave him. Momento is one of the more extreme examples of nonlinear storytelling which is considered reverse chronology where the story is literally told backwords. I was surprised that upon looking up this term which I would consider rather new to literacy, that there were many examples of media already using this long before 2001 (One example is from the Arabian Nights for example.) Even TV shows like Lost and Damages rely on flashbacks and flash forwards to offer clues to a story.

Remember those "Chose Your Way Adventure Books" that allowed you to create a story based on your choices-- one that was different every time? Reading the web is like that as we can click on hyperlinks or search other terms while we read. Young Adult books like First Part Last and Holes use nonlinear plots at times.

Why does an author write in nonlinear fashion? (#5   pg. 19)

Personally, I think it is more interesting storytelling when the story is nonlinear in fashion. To start at the end and give us the conclusion makes us curious to learn how this situation came about. Reverse Chronology like Momento creates confusion and mystery that fits the genre of the movie and puts us in the character's situation of not knowing what will be next. Flashbacks give us clues to help us piece together parts of a story like Lost. 

I think this narrative style is effective because it is realistic to how we think and act in life. We are living in the present, but we constantly think back and reflect to the past and other events and connections in our life as we read, watch TV, listen to songs. Flashbacks seem natural to us.

The other reason this style is effective is that it leads to discussion and interaction with the story. We have to keep track of details and information. The characters seem more complex with histories. We piece together parts of a mystery by discussing with others. We feel part of the text because it seems alive.

Tuesday, July 20th

ST: New Literacies in Practice

Chapter 2: Social Networking in a Low-Tech Environment

The chapter opens with a confession that perhaps the professor is not "walking the walk." How do we keep up with current trends? Talking to other teachers who constantly grow, looking online, going to workshops, talking to students, participating in professional development . . . we definitely try to stay on top of what new tools and learning practices are available, but it can be a challenge.

Chapter 2 also discusses our course's Multigenre Literacy Autobiography. The purpose is to show how literacy comprises of texts on the page and on the screen. As we reflect, we look at literacy processes and milestones, and sometimes sadly remember that our students may lack many of them. Kist's text mentions how "addicting" the assignment is as hours of time are happily lost creating and students will go back to add content because another student's work has triggered their memory (17).


This is a great example of Thornburg's caves experience. Campfires in Cyberspace:Primordial Metaphors for Learning in the 21st Century Thornburg looks at our history and realizes that at our heart humans are storytellers. We gathered around campfires to hear the 'experts' speak. To learn, be amazed, be scared, be entertained. We were a community. As tribes traveled, they visited the watering hole, where different tribes gathered and shared information. But humans still had their "vision quests" and time alone in woods or caves in order to process, reflect, and interact with knowledge on a personal  level. Thornburg's article illustrates how we see these different interactions at a conference-- campfires being the presentations, the watering holes the exhibit hall and people gathering between sessions, and cave time at the end of the day or through reflections. He also gives examples of when this need of these spaces is ignored. He then connects these spaces into our cyber-world.

Think about how classes are conducted. How long do teachers talk or teach before allowing students to talk and interact with those ideas? We probably ask students (from 1st grade to grad school) to sit for 1.5- 4 hours generally in the campfire mode absorbing information. However, as any of us have felt, after a while that new information cannot settle in. We need to talk to others about it, and see what they think. We need the personal reflection time to digest what we've heard. No wonder the halls of school are so loud in those 5 mins. between class! 

This sort of assignment allows a student to be reflective, which is one of the areas I feel we do not focus on enough. We share expertise a lot. We collaborate and talk together quite a bit. How often do students look for personal connections to what they are reading or studying? How often to they look to interpret information in a way important to them? How often do they think about how they learn and what they have learned?

Looking at Middle Schoolers, I can see why they would like  the autobiography project. First, they love customizing and making things unique. Some students change their Firefox Skin or Persona daily to fit their interests and moods. They would love that this is about their personal life, and it gives them an opportunity to share information with their classmates. One project I do with students is an end of the year "scrapbook" through Power Point. There is not a sound in the room as students look for images, customize color and text, and reflect on their Middle School years.

We definitely need more cave experiences for students to get lost in using the information they've learned in a personal way and reflecting on their experiences.

ENC Ning Summer Webstitute 2010

Day 1: Social Network With and Without Technology: William Kist

4. Do you know someone who refuses to use the Internet, perhaps even refuses to have cable television in his or her home? (Maybe you are such a person!) What do you think about teachers, in particular, who refuse to engage with new media?

I am someone who uses all of these media, though I have to say I would miss cable and TV less than the internet. I think this is partly due to the fact that you can watch a lot of shows online now (and you can watch them anytime you want or watch several in a row). The other reason is that the internet is more interactive.  I can read, interact, search, and learn about all and any sort of topic online. 

The article states that 33% of American households that could have access to broadband have elected not to. Why is that? Age is one issue as some people are not interested in access due to being unfamiliar with is. However only 77% of 18-29 year olds have subscribed. Why? Other challenges are low income homes and rural areas.

I think there is something wonderful about the internet and the way we can communicate online, but there is also, like all technologies, something dangerous. While the internet allows us to blog, comment, view, learn, research, and do so many things, it is also not a reality. It is easy to start using the computer and watch hours fly by without one noticing. How often do we miss face to face interactions with people because we are at home blogging, watching, or checking Facebook? How often are we pulled out of enjoying the present moment because we are too busy texting or tweeting instead of being? How do I even manage the countless emails, tweets, websites, and communities I'm part of not to mention the different passwords? One can understand why someone might want to limit their use of the computer by removing the temptation completely.

I think it is fine for a teacher to not want to blog everyday, be on Twitter, or know how to use iMovie. However, I do think a teacher needs to understand what these tools are and how the are being used by our students. These teachers need to be sure to give their students experiences with these technologies by making whatever arrangements they need to make to learn or have someone else work with their students. Teachers cannot deny technology's role in our life and on the world we live in.

One of the problems is that if this year's teacher is tech-savvy and next year's teacher is not, parents and students are receiving inconsistent technology use in class projects and home communication. There seems to be some minimum that should be required in order for us to use the technology available to its potential.

Top Ten Reasons to Use a Blog in Class

Thanks to C.J. Pinter for this great video!

Joining Twitter

I had a personal Twitter account, but decided to have a teacher one to focus on education connections I can make instead of trying to sort through the authors and personal interests to find professional Tweets. 

As technology pessimists might predict, the Twitter site wasn't working yesterday as I tried and tried again and again to join! One negative aspect of being reliant on technology is the need for two things:

1. A backup plan for when the bulb burns out, the server is down, the students can't log in, or the website is being repaired. Backing up your computer files and information is also a good idea.

2. Patience. And more patience for when things don't work exactly as planned, you lose saved files, and you can't get things to work like the workshop.

I think something else people need is perseverance. That kind of goes with patience, but it's that little extra step beyond. It's having the toughness to not give up when the website doesn't load or the video doesn't play. It's being able to revise a lesson plan so that even though it was a mess in the computer lab THIS time, it will go better next time.

The little exercise of joining Twitter reminded me of these qualities as we work with technology. Check me out on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MissMEmmons

Monday, July 19

ST: New Literacies in Practice

One of the interesting ideas today is that we are able to teach New Literacies without technology. This is a great way to get around technology issues, yet still emphasize the skills used in New Literacies which are engaging to students as skills they use in their daily activities.

1. "Snowball" activity: Write a comment or response to what was presented. Crumple up the ball and throw it to another student. He or she un-crumples the paper and writes a response to the response on the paper. Repeat and continue the process. This resembles the ability to comment on ideas such as a blog.

2. Brainstorm Corners: Take a large sheet of paper. Each member of the group takes a corner of the paper. They brainstorm ideas based on the topic. The students then share their lists and cross off any doubles. Then students can make categories that these ideas fit into. This helps students organize a Wiki for this topic and the categories will become page titles.

These two activities show that technology is not needed to allow students an opportunity to interact in a way that supports New Literacies. We can tap into students' skills used in their daily lives to make our lessons more engaging and student led. We can reference the technology or show them examples of how what they do in the class translates into "real world" examples. 

Another reason why these activities are important is they are a bridge for the teachers who are 

reluctant to using New Literacies . This allows them to start seeing the skills necessary for New Literacies without adding the worries of technology.

 

EC Ning Summer Webstitute 2010

Day 1: Social Network With and Without Technology: William Kist

2.  One of the common concerns about using social networking in classrooms is that it puts kids at risk.  What does Chapter One of The Socially Networked Classroom have to say about the social construction of “childhood”?  How is your district coping (or not coping) with some of the fears that surround Web 2.0 applications?

Chapter One interestingly points out that kids were once doing very dangerous things at a young age! Working in factories, doing "adult" jobs, and being exposed to adult realities like death. I think our natural inclination is to try and protect students, especially younger students, from all of the "tragedies" and possible injuries of the world. However, as educators, it is our duty to help these students navigate these difficult issues in order to learn how to handle the world once they have left school and are on there own. According to Chapter One, many students deal with poverty and other issues which might make school the only place they have an opportunity to interact with different media.

What is interesting, and what the chapter points out, is that while we sometimes make fun of students for instantly flipping their cell phones out at 3:30 when the bell rings, adults do the same thing! We sometimes say that students can't sit for 40 mins and take notes, but some staff meetings also contain teachers who are not happy sitting for an hour or more just listening about a topic. We tend to teach students like we were taught and have not accepted that things have changed.

How do we cope with the fears of Web 2.0? It seems in most cases we are overprotective and overcautious. It seems like instead of trying ways to adapt an idea or attempt to work with a teacher on an idea, the immediate answer is no. However, many of the fears of Web 2.0 have less to do with technology and more to do with the way the world changed. How can we change parents', administrators' and teachers' understanding of the way the world, information, and communication is changing? How can we keep up with these changes? How do we provide our students with the equipment and opportunities needed to ready them for the world? How can we integrate these skills with our curriculum and high stakes testing expectations?