Final Project

                     
My project is about "Blogging In the Classroom: A Student's Digital Voice"

You can follow the link to watch the YouTube video. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RIxRgeh2po

Letter Sound Recognition

Letter Sound Recognition                 

Pbskids.org/lions/games

Both games I chose help students understand that sounds represent letters- which is an essential skill in learning to read and write.  The two games I selected were "The Quiet Machine" and "Arty's Smarty Doors". (The URL is also posted under the Discussion forum with instructions to access the games).

 

"The Quiet Machine" is a prerequisite to "Arty's Smarty Doors".  "Arty's Smarty Doors allows the player to look through and open all doors and match the correct item behind the door with the first letter of the item shown. Instead of a letter being given (as in The Quiet Machine), an item is shown- and students choose the matching letter sound.

 

This game is fun (for kids) and a good learning activity when building  literacy skills.  This game is repetitive, yet very interactive as the player has to open the doors and choose the correct item. If the player chooses an incorrect answer, the player is allowed another chance. This is definitely a game that should be incorporated into academics for young children who want to have fun while learning. 

Interview of a 17 year Old Avid Technology User

I have chosen to interview my friend’s daughter who recently turned seventeen and is currently making her transition from high school to college.  I based my questions loosely on her daily internet use (personal as well as academic) and topics from my readings in the module. Questions regarding her use of the internet included: how often she uses the internet, what is her purpose for using technology (social media, browsing the internet, gaming) etc.  In addition, questions regarding her use of the internet/technology in school, cyberbullying, cyber self vs. her true self and her thoughts on increasing or decreasing the use of technology in her classroom and in homework assignments.
 

Q & A

1. What device do you use to access the internet usually?
   I use my Iphone or IPad, but usually my IPhone.
   
   
2. What social media groups do you participate in and how many hours do you spend per day on social media?
   Facebook, SnapChat and Instagram, about 4-5 hours a day.
   
   
3. What social media do you utilize the most and why?
   I use Snapchat the most because after 24 hours the pictures vanish which makes it more private and they also have cool effects; if someone screen shoots your picture you will know!
   
   
4. Are there certain times you cannot use your device (phone, tablet, computer)?
   We are not allowed to use our devices during class. As long as they do not take my phone I'm OK with it because we can use it during lunch, in between classes and sometimes at Gym. At home I cant use my phone between 9 and 11 because I do homework and study.
   
   
5. Is your online identity different from or the same as your real identity?
   Are your profiles an accurate representation of who you are?
   I use my first name, but not my last name and I always give an accurate description of myself.
   
   
6. Have you or someone you know experienced cyberbullying?
   I was never actually bullied however, someone created a fictitious profile using my name.
   
   
7. Do you prefer texting or talking?  Why?
   I prefer texting because it gives me time to think about what I'm going to say and I can reply on my own time or not even respond at all.
   
   
8. Do you use technology in your classes? Does the use of technology make the lesson(s) more interesting or easier to learn?
   Yes, I use technology in my classes- which I do not like. It takes up too much time, sometimes the device breaks down or stalls.
   
   
9. Does the internet play a big role in your academic if, if so how?
   Yes, no one has physical books anymore; everything is mostly online. I use the Internet for research daily.
   
   
10. Would you like to use technology more or less in your classroom and homework assignments? Personally I prefer the old-fashioned paper and pen, there's no confusion with submission.  If I give my assignment to my teacher she can never say she did not receive it.  Sometimes the computer crashes and loses my work that I’ve  just spent three hours on!

I was surprised at the student’s rationale for question #7 “do you prefer texting or talking?” She stated she prefers texting as it gives her time to think about and compose a response or not respond at all. In conversation she would not have the choice to compose a message nor spend time thinking about what she wants to say. This is very interesting because teens are constantly worrying about how they appear to their peers. Texting also gives her the flexibility to ignore a comment or conversation, in this way technology works in her benefit.

In addition, question # 3 was also surprising, the student enjoys Snapchat because (unlike Facebook) pictures are deleted automatically after 24 hours. There remains no history or trail after 24 hours in the event that one changes his or her mind regarding what was previously posted. This actually gives the poster a bit more freedom and less accountability and responsibility in posting because older posts cannot be traced or tracked.

I found the student’s internet/social media use of 4-5 hours to be a lot, not excessive by any means but the student is definitely spending a significant amount of time during the week on the internet and social media. At 4-5 hours per day on the internet, this equates to 35 hours per week, 140 hours per month, 840 hours per month engaged in social media and internet use. In my opinion, I think this probably pales in comparison with other teen's internet and social media use, however, this is a significant amount of time that can be used for more meaningful and rewarding tasks and pursuits.

In question # 4 the student stated: “as long as they don’t take my phone, I’m ok with it”; inferring that taking one’s phone would be the ultimate definition of cruelty and harsh punishment in a teen’s world of cyber social interaction and endless internet use. The student stated that students are not allowed to use their phones in class, but can use them during lunch and gym. I am picturing a lunchroom full of teens sitting side by side with their heads buried in their screens and being so engrossed that they barely interact in meaningful ways with each other. This would be a sight to behold (although it may seem normal to the individuals who constantly engage in this behavior).  

In regards the student’s use of technology in her class, she actually doesn’t prefer it and desires the more traditional way of submitting homework. She also identified some areas of concern with broken equipment, decreased speed time, waiting for pages and documents to load- which she internalizes and  expresses as frustrations and distractions. She does however seem to enjoy using e- books and does not desire to use regular text books.

In closing, the adolescent interview was an eye brow raiser. I enjoyed strategically analyzing her answers which gave me further clarity and depth into the “why” of her answers. It also afforded me an opportunity to see technology from a 17 year olds perspective and understand the importance of  staying social connected and relevant within a digital world where ones' posts, pictures and comments can quickly become insignificant within a mere 24 hours. 

        

        

"I'd Rather Text Than Talk"

I have entitled my topic of choice "I'd Rather Text than Talk".  I have titled  this topic due to the growing popularity of excessive texting replacing conversations.  I am interested in the reasons we are more inclined to send text messages rather than talk on our phones. We send text messages back and forth consisting of entire conversations, expressions of feelings, statements of important decisions, proposals , apologies, and engage in multiple conversations at one time all via text messaging. Rather than pressing the talk button we are more inclined to press the send button. Why would one rather text than talk? 

Are we making space for conversations in our lives, if not what effect does this have on us? 

Do respond faster to text messages than we respond to a missed call or voicemail? 

What is seductive about texting?

Are we emotionally and psychologically rejected when others do not reply to our texts?
Does this cause anxiety /insecurity?

Are we emotionally dependent on texting or do we become emotional void due to this communication method?

Are we loosing the basic foundational communication skills and emotional connections due to the use of excessive texting?

Please refer to the following link for your review:

http://www.cnet.com/news/study-teens-prefer-texting-to-talking/
Cnet: Study: Teens Prefer Texting To Talking

The Impact of Blogging in the Classroom

For this assignment, I will examine a variety of ways in which Blogging is utilized in the classroom. I will examine and question “The Impact of Blogging in the Classroom” and discuss student/instructor attitudes and perspectives, question if blogging has a positive/negative or neutral effect on students studies, student success and overall instructional gains. I have chosen this topic because I wish to implement blogging in my class of adult students in the near future.  I would like to know if blogging not only develops dialogue outside of the classroom, however, if it yields any real academic benefits. Do grades increase, do student attitudes about their work and work performance improve, what are the negative impacts or disadvantages of blogging, if any? These are some of the questions that I will keep in mind as I work on my research paper.     

**Please note the Bibliography section after copying and pasting from a Word document resulted in various spaces and would not align correctly when double spaced and placed on the blogging site. . 

                                                      Annotated Bibliography

Glogoff, S. (2005).  Instructional Interactivity, Student- Centered Learning, and Peer Input. Innovate: Journal of Online Education,1(5). Retrieved from http://www.EDITLib.org

This article discusses how blogging is used as a communication tool, and how it allows the student to have his or her own platform in which they can voice their opinions, and comments about a particular subject. The author regards blogging as a tool to be used as effective technology in the classroom and the author gives suggestions for blogging. I will include this journal article in my research because it discusses student feedback about blogging and the changes that were made by the instructor because of student comments.

Ellison, N .& Wu, Y. (2008). Blogging in the Classroom: A Preliminary Exploration of Student Attitudes and Impact on Comprehension. Journal of Educational Multimedia and  Hypermedia, 17(1), 99-122. Chesapeake, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

The article discusses whether blogging contributes to student comprehension or any other academic gains. In addition, student comments and perceptions of blogging are discussed. I am including this article in my research because it specifically discusses guidelines for instructors who desire to use blogging in their classroom.

Ferdig, R. & Trammell, K. (2004). Content Delivery in “Blogosphere”. T H E Journal (Technological Horizons in Education) 31(7) retrieved from http://www.questia.com

The article describes the advantages of blogging as a social venue and as a way to publicize students’ knowledge. I have chosen this article because it addresses the  social interaction of blogging being instrumental in teaching and learning.  

Maag, M. (2005). The Potential Use of “Blogs in Nursing Education. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, (23) 1 16-24 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Inc.

The article discusses blogging for health care professionals and student nurses.  I have decided to incorporate this article in my research because it discusses how nursing students may be able to use blogging as a resource tool. However, the article goes on to state that blogging has not been found to be documented as an effective educational tool by instructors. This article may be able to bring to light a different perspective of student blogging in a health related profession.

Hunerford-Kresser, H., Wiggins J. and Amaro-Jiminez, C. (2011). Learning From Our Mistakes: What Matters When Incorporating Blogging in the Content Area Literacy Classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, (55) 326-335.doi: 10.1002/JAAL.00039

The article examines blogging among different subject areas of middle school teachers. Student perspectives are also examined and the article provides information for teachers who want to pursue  practice and guidelines.

Technology Refusal

The value of technology refusal may be “even more strongly related to the notion of the problem of the internet being a mode for communication, rather than information” (Lankshear & Knobel , 2013, p 64).   Many students use technology to communicate via email, YouTube, IG and/or Facebook accounts. This may potentially be a hard habit to break in the classroom for some students who use their computers for such activities on a daily basis.  Using technologies for these reasons can be a huge distraction for both young students and adolescents.  I would encourage educators to closely monitor the use of digital media in the classroom in regards to duration, educational content and material that is “dangerous: to the learner. The above listed factors are some aspects of technology to take into consideration when setting boundaries for the utilization of technology. "Teachers often lamented that just before they could correct a student’s behavior, the students would minimize the computer window of the off-task, and thus the procedural display of a good students would be maintained”( (Lankshear & Knobel, 2013, p 66).  

Another value of technology refusal is increased classroom interaction. When using technology students are so focused at looking at screens and deeply engrossed in their readings that they do not interact with each other or the teacher. The faculty at Ridgeview stated that they could not see the student’s faces because they were basically buried into computer screens. This creates social as well as physical barriers among the community of students.  Consequently, the teacher looses her authoritarian role in the class and the students interests wane. “Fran further described how she felt that the laptop use was responsible for the classroom losing its “unity”, “personality”, and “spark:”… if they were not instant messaging, or emailing, if they’re just staring at the pictures… then they are not really with you” (Lankshear & Knobel , 2013, p 67). 

With the use of laptops/computers embedded into the curriculum, there is an even greater challenge to monitor student usage. In a class of 25-30 students, it may prove quite difficult to manage each student’s internet browsing to ensure students are staying on task and not veering off from the subject/lesson at hand. This may lead to a bit of frustration on the part of the teacher because he/she cannot manage the students technology use and may feel that technology is not serving as an added benefit  to the students, but rather as a source of complication.

As educators we have to remain cognizant of the above named factors and consider them when planning and utilizing technology in our classrooms. If we do not plan for technology it can serve as a disadvantage to our students.

In regards to slam poetry, it gives students alternative ways to express themselves using language, emotion, non-verbal and verbal communication. It is storytelling at its best, it makes one a better writer, reader, performer, thinker and communicator.  Why wouldn’t teachers vie for slam poetry in their classes? On a personal level, I have had great experiences with slam poetry and can only think of ways that it is beneficial for both teachers and students alike.

References

Lankshear, & M. Knobel (Eds.), A New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 56-100). New York: Peter Lang Publishing

Journal Post # 3

The technique of various modalities affords the learner and teacher much more versatility; it is a vast change from traditional paper and print and allows for an accommodation of many learning styles.  Having a variety of modalities within a text may give readers a better understanding and connection at a greater level.  It may also give the reader more insight with a deeper and richer meaning.  “The ability to bring a variety of modes– for example, print, image sound together  in the same text not only changes the way a text can be conveyed but also opens up new possibilities for what kinds of meaning can be conveyed (Hull& Nelson, 2005; Jewitt & Kress, 2003). 

Students are using Instagram to post pictures with headlines/titles, posting videos of themselves or others on Facebook/Youtube to communicate messages and information. Photographs, texting, videos, blogging etc. are all ways that digital media is being used outside of the classroom.  “Many students have gained proficiency in a range of technologies through their participation in online communities” (Lankshear & Knobel , 2013, p 26).  Students are already using digital media at home in these ways, therefore students are now considered advanced users.  I believe that students are at such advanced levels in regards to technology that it is often the instructor who is struggling to keep up with the speed in which these modalities can be creatively used.  “The role of the teacher that restricts the students more than supporting or challenging them is partly due to  the lack of digital competence” (Lankshear & Knobel , 2013, p 53).

I think it is a good idea to not only bring multi- modalities of digital media into the classroom, but to be able to use them in effective ways that facilitate learning and engagement for students.  Utilization of media such as blogging, filling out college applications and completing research online helps students to use digital media to assist leaning.  However, I do not agree with  Tiffany (Brooklyn High School  Teacher) who  uses FB/AIM  to chat with students in an effort to get to know them better and allows students to use social networking in the classroom “as long as it doesn’t get in the way of learning”.   By using social media in the classroom, it presents a distraction to students who will engage in social media sites- which then presents other challenges.

Before I enrolled in the New Media New Literacies class, I was not familiar with using blogging in an academic setting.  I was familiar with the more traditional ways of learning via paper, pencil, quizzes and test.  When I  began blogging for this class, I had mixed feelings about its use; I felt it was a bit informal and unconventional.  Perhaps I too felt like Tiffany’s students- “What is the point”?  I can however relate so much to the statement that Aidah made: “I hate writing stuff on paper because I feel like my hands can’t keep up with my thoughts” (Lankshear & Knobel , 2013, p 30).  I feel the same way, since I have owned a laptop, I have never written with paper or pencil, it literally slows my writing process down by at least 70%.

 Many schools face challenges in remixing within the classroom.  Remixing allows students to learn in many different ways, contexts, environments and experiences.  Students are already remixing in their lives, so why should school be separate?  The only challenge is change- to merge the informal with the formal, the conventional with the unconventional and help to facilitate learning experiences beyond the norms. Taking remixing into consideration, teachers are forced to define what we think teaching is and to analyze our biases for certain methods of teaching.  Do our preferences align more with traditional vs. informal  teaching?  

Remixing will take some time and effort and may be followed by resistance initially, but through digital competence, advanced learning and utilization of how to effectively remix, remixing will be beneficial for both students and teachers alike.

 

References

Lankshear, & M. Knobel (Eds.), A New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives (pp. 26-53). New York: Peter Lang Publishing.