EDUC 6809 - Weekly Reading #8

This is a response to: Image, Language, and Sound: Making Meaning with Popular Culture Texts

"At times, adults position themselves as more knowledgeable about the meanings adolescents make of popular culture, and assume they already know what those meanings will be." 

I choose this quote because it is something that I have to keep in-check within myself.  I do this, and I know that I do this, and every time I do, it surprises me. I appreciated that this paper went on to describe the ways that the researchers/writers did this in response to Ned's interest in Goodie MOb. To their credit, they were flexible in adjusting their approach to better reflect Ned's personal interest in Goodie MOb. I think recognizing that you are doing this, and being flexible with your instruction is key to overcoming this.

The writers go on to say:

 "we implicitly believed that any and all texts we shared about the band would interest him.... adults assume that when we match a text to a child's interest, he or she will find pleasure in that text... pleasure in texts is often individually defined."

I found this true with my Media Ecology case study, who is also my 9 year old son. Obsessed with Minecraft and trying to get him to write something (anything!) this summer, I assumed that if I got him to write about Minecraft, he would engage. As I found out the other day - not so :(

I'm varying my approach and I didn't push it because it would quickly turn into a power struggle that would lessen my ability to get him to write. But, I did find a strategy that worked.... he created a schedule for the typical summer day and designated an "educational hour" that I was responsible for. I got the book "How to be an Explorer of the World"(which we read about a couple weeks ago in this class) and the first exploration is to WRITE 10 things that you notice sitting in your chair right now. I got him to WRITE!!! I think it was because he had control over the space by designating the time that I would be responsible for the activity. I also credit that text and the excitement it builds about exploring space in an uncoventional way.

He clearly engages in Minecraft as a build/play/creative space but that didn't translate into writing on paper about it. I think I need to find another way to utilize that resource.

 Questions:

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

I feel that there is nothing wrong with using popular culture texts in schools. I enjoy popular cultural texts myself and also enjoy teaching with them. I also think that these texts are particularly important to learn how to approach in a critical way because they are the primary texts a person interacts with in most cases.  and should be used to teach those skills.

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

The distraction they can sometimes cause - all the side conversations and strong preconceived opinions about the texts.  I also think there is an additional layer of education a teacher has to do on the administrative and parental levels about the legitimacy of using popular culture texts in schools that sometimes seems like just too much work.

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

 There already is a wealth of resources about how fan-fiction can support school-based writing. Also - writing character sketches or summaries of plots that requires a complex knowledge about a text (which is gained from long exposure to the text and not possible in time and subject limits of school).

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

22 storybasics I picked up in my time at Pixar

Found this while doing a search for ideas related to Pixar films. It was originally a series of tweets put out from this author using the hashtag #storybasics. I thought it could be interesting to go through and for certain ones brainstorm a pixar move that matched the item.  Students could then choose a Pixar character and one item to help them write a short story to learn about characterization.  

Additional Resource:

Using Pop Culture to Develop Critical Media Literacy in Adult Education

This article highlights a professor's work in adult education and how to teach critical media literacy skills using pop cultural texts. The professor argues (and rightly so!) that adults are influenced by pop culture as much as children and teenagers are. It was interesting for me to discover that there is research in this field and I'm interested in reading this professor's book about the subject.

Sources:
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

EDUC 6809 - Learning Adventure

 The learning adventure I plan to adapt for my adult students: 

Digital Reflections: Expressing Understanding of Content Through Photography


I got this lesson plan from Readwritethink.org and here's the overview:

Students explore both facts and feelings about a topic and make self–text–world connections as they prepare a presentation using word-processing and presentation software. Possible topics span many content areas, including science (animals, climate, space), geography (landforms), and historical events. Students select photos from websites that demonstrate their content understanding and communicate their feelings on the topic. They write and record a two-minute descriptive or persuasive script and pair the script with the photos using presentation software. Students and teacher assess the effectiveness of the presentation using the rubric and handouts provided.

I will:

1. Adjust the plan so a student could complete it individually if necessary
2. Use it to help prepare future High School Equivalency test-takers to answer Extended Response questions in Social Studies.

This learning adventure will engage students in the multimodal discplines of images, writing, text, audio narration, and music. This project supports the development of new and digital literacies because students will be using digital, creative-commons images, digital editing software and it will rely on the use of image, sound and text to convey the message and opinion of the student.

EDUC 6816 - Weekly Reading #8

This post is in response to the article: A Discipline-based Approach to Information Literacy

"In a holistic conception of IL, classroom faculty and academic librarians should have complementary, though distinct, roles in helping students become information literate" (Grafstein, 2002).

Okay - so, in an ideal world this would happen. This article goes on to talk about librarians' roles to teach the information skills needed as a prerequisite across subject matter.... such as:

photo by Ellen Forsyth
Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0

*Searching skills
*Generic critical thinking skills including:
     -Timeliness
     - Authority
     - Bias
     - Verifiability
     - Logical consistency




While teachers should be responsible for the information skills that need subject-based context.....skills such as:

    * Evaluating the content of arguments
    *Assessing the validity of evidence
    *Proposing original solutions

So - this sounds right to me. BUT, in the real world, library funding is being cut. This article also says (in a nutshell) - the earlier the better. In other words, these kind of information literacy skills should be taught to children as soon as they enter school. I totally agree. BUT (again).... these skills, and these interactions, are not being valued (at least not financially) by administration.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in a lot of cases (especially as students progress in their studies), this distinction between teacher & librarian roles will blur. Teachers (and librarians) should look out for both these skill sets, and, when necessary, compensate for them. I know I don't have the luxury of a librarian and a lot of my students come to me lacking some of the basic skills listed under the "generic critical thinking" category above. I feel responsible for teaching them those (especially when it relates to the internet) and fold them into subject-based context skills. It's probably not as successful as it could be though (in an ideal world).

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

Bibliographic instruction (BI) is instruction in "traditional (print) library resources" such as learning how to access information in reference sources and library holdings. Information literacy is about "evaluating information...for authenticity, accuracy, credibility, authority, relevance, concealed bias, logical inconsistency and so on" (Grafstein, 2002).

2. Why should classroom faculty teach IL?
 Two reasons why:
1. IL creates self-directed, life-long learners.
2. Attaining IL also means understanding the basics of subject-based knowledge - which classroom faculty are responsible for.


3. What is the role of classroom faculty in developing information literacy?
Subject-based knowledge is necessary to teach these IL skills (which is the role of the classroom teacher):

• Evaluating the content of arguments
• Assessing the validity of evidence
• Proposing original solutions 

Additional Resource:

A blended librarian talks information literacy

This is a blog post about a librarian at Buffalo State College in New York who teaches a class on information literacy - complete with a multimedia research presentation as the final project! It is presented as a microcosm of a larger movement within college libraries called "blended librarians."

Sources:

Grafstein, A. (2002). A discipline-based approach to information literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28(4), 197-204. Retrieved from http://westmont.edu/_offices/provost/documents/Senate/Full/2009-2010/Discipline-Based Approach to Information Literacy.pdf

EDUC 6816 - Citizen Journalism TrackStar Rough Draft

Here's the link:

Unemployment in Pocahontas County

It is very rough - and some of the tracks didn't show up when I published this. I think it's because they didn't have URLs to link to. I will fix that as soon as I can.

I am still fleshing out this idea. I really want to expand it, but I'm not sure how that will work within the scope of this project.  I see the final project being a small website with text, images and audio recordings.

EDUC 6809 - Media Ecology Case Study Final Draft

Avery - Video Game Enthusiast

EDUC 6809 - Weekly Reading #7

In response to: No Selling the Genie Lamp: A game literacy practice in The Sims by Elizabeth R. Hayes and James Paul Gee.

"She is treating the game as a tool kit for building simulations, not as a simulation in its own right. She is moving the center of the game away from the software (The Sims game) to her own work of organizing other people’s play in particular ways." (Hayes & Gee, 2010)

Game literacy, according to this paper's authors, is comprised of many different practices in the same way that print literacy is. This paper's primary concern was how "Yamx", a Sims user and online forum participant, designed her own simulation/game using The Sims as a platform based on a non-fiction work. It describes the "Nickel and Dimed Challenge" in which players were bound by rules created by Yamx to closely simulate the challenges of a poor single working mother inspired by the book "Nickel and Dimed" (which I read years ago - a good recommended read).

I felt this paper could help inform my case study because it presented a way students could design challenges based on a pre-existing game (i.e. no programming necessary). The game design took place entirely in writing, and also included interaction and instant feedback/adjustments (editing) to her game rules based on individual wants/needs.

The Sims is similar to Minecraft in that it has no win-state and is what some call a "sandbox." I think my case study, Avery, might enjoy creating a game/simulation challenge in Minecraft. I know his friends and him already challenge each other to do certain things in the game (for instance, somehow they discovered that if you dig all the way to the "core" in creative mode, it is possible to die... so they've been challenging each other to dig a hole that goes all the way through the bedrock!). What the author describes in the paper - about "Yamx" adjusting the game rules based on the individual questions of the user - is already happening in my son's social life... they are constantly challenging each other and then coming back to school with questions about the challenge. My point being, a teacher might exploit this by asking Avery (and his friends) to write these challenges on paper (or on the computer), which could help Avery's writing skills.

I just googled this - and - WHOA! - this is already happening on a mass scale with Minecraft! Way cool!

Second Source:Build engagement and knowledge one block at a time with Minecraft (need to log-in via Fairmont's online library)

This article is about one teacher's positive experience with using Minecraft in the classroom. He taught a small class and created an afterschool club. His students were involved in every aspect of creating the class -including setting the rules and determining what to build. I can see this helping give ownership of the class back to the students. the first project was building a pyramid, followed by building castles:

"Our next set of projects involved students interviewing their seventh grade social studies teachers to find out what historical buildings the teachers would like created in the 3D world. This led to the students researching and constructing medieval castles." (Tromba, 2013)

I liked that the students interviewed their social studies teachers to discover what buildings they could recreate. Although the focus of my case study is in improving Avery's writing, I think this could help Avery engage in Social Studies (his other weak subject) in a way I hadn't thought of before.

The students in this class also aligned their projects to other subjects. After the eight graders read the book "The Outsiders," the class recreated the town the book takes place in. Avery loves to build layouts in Minecraft  and I could see this being a foundation for a story. He could build the layout and have his character move throughout it as he records his story in audio and video.

One interesting, and unexpected outcome of the class was better attendance on the part of the students:

"In fact, every student in the class recorded better attendance, Madathil said, adding:  One very unexpected positive outcome of offering a Minecraft class was the increase in consistent attendance for the students involved. Their attendance history was sporadic, and while their capabilities were great, their motivation to attend school regularly lacked--until they began participating in the Minecraft class. (Tromba, 2013).

I don't think this relates to my case study, but I think it's interesting to note that giving students classes they are interested in and enjoy makes them want to come to school.

Sources:

Hayes, E. R., & Gee, J. P. (2010). No selling the genie lamp: a game literacy practice in the sims. E-Learning and Digital Media, 7(1), 67-78. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2010.7.1.67

Tromba, P. (2013, June-July). Build engagement and knowledge one block at a time with Minecraft. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(8), 20+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA333842372&v=2.1&u=fairmt&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

EDUC 6816 - Weekly Reading #7

Master and Student by Christopher Walker

CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

This post is in response to the research paper: Engaging young learners: The multi-faceted and changeable nature of student engagement in technology-rich learning projects

A quote:

"The project reported here demonstrates that students may be behaviourally, cognitively and emotionally engaged when undertaking technology-rich projects, but that high levels of engagement aren’t necessarily guaranteed by simply infusing technology." (Adlington & Harvey, 2010)

This quote caught my eye because I think it pertains a lot to my situation. I work with adult students, many who don't have a lot of technology skills and frequently complain about using the computers - "I hate computers" is a semi-common refrain in my classroom! I definitely find that simply using technology is not enough to keep my student's engaged and learning. In some ways this is an important, everyday reminder to me that each student is unique and I must allow for multiple approaches to my lessons. But, this is where the diverse nature of technology is so, so helpful.

My challenge is keep students engaged in the project despite the computers. I think this is where having a non-computer technology (like audio recording or photography) is important.

Addtional Resource:

What journalists need to know about interviewing for video

This is some a link to some tips for interviewing on video. I think any teacher who wants to use video in their project should include a lesson plan on how to interview someone.... it is an art to itself. Taking the time and emphasizing good quality to students (especially older ones) is important because they need to feel the final product is going to be "good" in order to truly engage with the process.

The Questions:

1. How might your citizen journalism project resemble a technology rich project?
I plan to use audio interviews and editing an audio piece for local broadcast to infuse my citizen journalism project with technology. In addition, I plan to implement a blog in order to engage my students with a technology-influenced, self-reflective element while collecting the research.

2. What did you learn about sucessfull implementation of technology rich projects?
I found myself really surprised by this quote:

"The classroom teacher reflected at the end of the project that she anticipated that students would be most cognitively engaged during the planning process, and that the interviewing and filming process would prove less engaging." (Adlington & Harvey, 2010)

So, I think one thing I learned was how out of touch teachers can be with the power of non-traditional literacies. I wrote in my side notes when I read this - WOW! How out of touch this teacher is. Clearly she's never made a movie project herself.

I have a lot of experience with documentary video making. My favorite part is the editing. I am always most engaged in that process (even though I find it to be the most tedious). I go into any project with a written plan, but I know the process will affect the outcome of the piece. I often find the editing-stage to be when I truly craft the story (the emotional engagement). It is when I put all the pieces together in a logical plan (the cognitive engagement). It is also the most technologically-challenging part and this also leads to more cognitive engagement (and sometimes a lot of walk-away from the computer frustration!).

I'm not sure any of this research came as a surprise to me - but it was nice to see some hard numbers to back up what I already experienced to be true.

Resources:

Adlington, R., & Harvey, H. (2010). Engaging young learners: The multi - faceted and changeable nature of student engagement in technology - rich learning projects. acec2010: digital diversity conference, Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from http://acec2010.acce.edu.au/sites/acec2010.info/files/proposal/172/acec2010engagingyounglearners.pdf