I wasn't sure if our interaction and ending discussion would be considered adequate for a reflection of the time in class that night. I found that the introduction to assistive technologies for students with specific needs in the classroom to be very informative. The web sources thatwe explored were very helpful and I hope to be employing them in my new classroom. I found the instruction to be very comprehensive and that as a group we were able to share and explore this area of interest.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Progress of All Projects
I found this semester to be very challenging. Not because of the nature of the course work but instead my difficulties lied in being out of the classroom and not having the opportunities available to me that comes with having my own class. Another issue I came across was the realization that those whom I considered my peers at the schools assigned to me had some reservation regarding my observing their class for the purpose of my course work assignments. This was not such an issue in RED 6449 but it was very compromising in RED 6544. It was a little demoralizing to say the least. Those whom I thought to have had some degree of professional confidence turned out to be very coy and non-committal when approached for some assistance. As for my RED6449 class I found it to be the class I could really find some degree of confidence and aptitude. That is not to say that I felt inept in RED 6544 but only that in RED 6449 I was able to develop more opportunities to practice new skills and not feel inhibited because of my standing in the district. For those of you who do not know yet, I have accepted a position and an ESE teacher at Stephens Elementary where I will have a mixed resource and separate class setting. My core students number 8 with 4 of them being boys and 4 of them being girls. The grades range from 1st to 4th grade, with the majority being in the 3rd grade. These students present with some significant deficits as identified by their test scores. A few have some language deficits as well. I found the projects in RED 6449 to be very stimulating and provided me with a multitude of venue with which to present materials and promote an active and stimulating learning environment. The project I found most helpful was that of using a PREZI and also developing a GLOG. I found that both formats provide different ways to present information to diverse populations. The Digital Story format was very labor intensive but I also believe that when faced with a task that is on a large scale, incorporating a Digital Story Board in conjunction with other formats can really drive the intended learning objective home.
The literature that I have had the pleasure to read was very innovative and reinforcing. There were times that I was at a lost in understanding the nature of some instructional approaches only to have it clarified by reading a journal article. I found that collaborating with my peers in class also taught me how to approach some of the lessons with a fresh perspective which was at first alien to me. I was always able to count on my classmates to bring a new perspective to the projects at hand.
The project at the Florida Presbyterian Homes for Seniors taught me a lesson in compassion. Sometimes one gets caught up in "their own little world" and fail to see what others endure and how compassion can bridge that gap between diverse populations. I enjoyed working with my partner at FPHS and I hope that our "screening" of our collaborative efforts will be well received on the 30th. I hope you all find this blog informative. I intend to use it or a similar Blog as a platform for future projects in my new role as a classroom teacher. I also hope to share this knowledge with my new peers. I hope they find it as interesting as I did. If I had to sum up all my experiences in this class into one statement that encapsulates its intended focus, I would state it as follows:
Technology is a wonderful tool and resource with which we can reach out and make connections with students from diverse backgrounds. Yet, it is a tool that should not be used as a crutch for genuine instruction. Computer based instruction is a very limited format with which to promote critical literacy skills. It can stymie the creative process that is so critical in the maturation of our students cognitive development. Technology should be a supplement to the learning environment. It should serve to facilitate and accommodate for the specific needs of the learner regardless of their abilities. The teacher needs to know how to employ and manipulate technology and its use in the classroom to maximize its impact on student's progress.
The literature that I have had the pleasure to read was very innovative and reinforcing. There were times that I was at a lost in understanding the nature of some instructional approaches only to have it clarified by reading a journal article. I found that collaborating with my peers in class also taught me how to approach some of the lessons with a fresh perspective which was at first alien to me. I was always able to count on my classmates to bring a new perspective to the projects at hand.
The project at the Florida Presbyterian Homes for Seniors taught me a lesson in compassion. Sometimes one gets caught up in "their own little world" and fail to see what others endure and how compassion can bridge that gap between diverse populations. I enjoyed working with my partner at FPHS and I hope that our "screening" of our collaborative efforts will be well received on the 30th. I hope you all find this blog informative. I intend to use it or a similar Blog as a platform for future projects in my new role as a classroom teacher. I also hope to share this knowledge with my new peers. I hope they find it as interesting as I did. If I had to sum up all my experiences in this class into one statement that encapsulates its intended focus, I would state it as follows:
Technology is a wonderful tool and resource with which we can reach out and make connections with students from diverse backgrounds. Yet, it is a tool that should not be used as a crutch for genuine instruction. Computer based instruction is a very limited format with which to promote critical literacy skills. It can stymie the creative process that is so critical in the maturation of our students cognitive development. Technology should be a supplement to the learning environment. It should serve to facilitate and accommodate for the specific needs of the learner regardless of their abilities. The teacher needs to know how to employ and manipulate technology and its use in the classroom to maximize its impact on student's progress.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Project update 11/9/2011
After having finished my time with Mr. Roberts, it was time to start the editing process. I found that the biggest difficulty I had was to get a clear objective perspective on the work I was doing. Getting feedback from Dr. Sylvester and it made a world of difference. She caught things that I was not mindful of and showed me how a little change can make a big difference. I noticed other were having difficulties and I helped as best as I could. I must say that my classmates are very creative and are able to adapt to change much better than I. All the know-how in the world is useless if you are not open to receive input from others. I hope that our presentation at FPHS is a great success.
Florida Presybeterian Home for Seniors
I enjoyed our visit to the FPHS and meeting the subject of my project, Mr. Earle Roberts. I found him to be a devout man of GOD and a good talker. What struck me the most of about the man was his withitness. I would have thought that he would be less focused and prone to fatigue. None of this was true. He was vey dedicated to helping me and was very attentive to his other responsibilities. He has a wife who is somewhat dependent on him and her takes that role very seriously. He believes in GOD's providence in all things and thanks him for everyday that he is alive and with his wife. I should be so lucky as he. Mr. Roberts was kind enough to meet with me a second time to finish up the project and hopefully will be able to join us on the 30th to premier our finished project.
Digital Storytelling: Extending the Potential for Struggling Writers
Sylvester, R; Greenidge, WL (2009)Digital Storytelling: Extending the Potential for Struggling Writers. The Reading Teacher, International Reading Association. 63(4) pp 284-295
I found this article to be very informative and insightful. I was thankful for all the resources listed in caption form and I also appreciated the candor with which the author addressed some of the realistic concerns a teacher may be faced with when trying to implement such a project. I have found that students, regardless of their abilities, are motivated by what they value. Tapping into technology and developing an alternative outlet for them to achieve the same benchmarks as their more capable peers is a sure fire way to help them develop the confidence they need to continue to improve their skills. It allows them to face their own insecurities and provides supports to help them succeed. The whord is at the nexus of a new age. Transformative events and revolutionary trends are creating opportunities for change and we must prepare our students for these changes.
I found this article to be very informative and insightful. I was thankful for all the resources listed in caption form and I also appreciated the candor with which the author addressed some of the realistic concerns a teacher may be faced with when trying to implement such a project. I have found that students, regardless of their abilities, are motivated by what they value. Tapping into technology and developing an alternative outlet for them to achieve the same benchmarks as their more capable peers is a sure fire way to help them develop the confidence they need to continue to improve their skills. It allows them to face their own insecurities and provides supports to help them succeed. The whord is at the nexus of a new age. Transformative events and revolutionary trends are creating opportunities for change and we must prepare our students for these changes.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Beginning to write with word processing: Integrating Writing processes and technology in a primary classroom.
Van Leeuwen, C.A. & Gabriel, M.A. (2007) Beginning to write with word processing: Integrating writing process and technology in a primary classroom. Reading Teacher, 63, 284-295
I found this article to be very informative but gave me cause for concern over the quality of instruction our students will be receiving is the practice written about in this article were to be generalized across all domains. As it stands right now, we have kids graduation without knowing how to write a check or tally a receipt to calculate a tip. We also have students graduating from the school system with out knowing how to write a 3,4,5,or 6 digit in long hand. (Ex. $1123.53= one thousand, one hundred, twenty three dollars and fifty three cents.)
When we as a district offer an accommodation for a student to use a key boarding device in order to take the F-CAT or ACT, we know how to deactivate the spell and grammar check. What happens when the student learns to activate it in turn. Another issue that I have is that students and apparently teachers are forgetting that penmanship is but a superficial shell around the act of writing. The mechanics of writing (including Penmanship) is a far cry from the art of writing and where language is used, manipulated and transformed into a work of literature that in some instances survive the passage of time.
While I agree that collaboration can be greatly improved upon when students are made to work together at a single unit I fear that the conditioning of these young minds to develop, organize, and outline elements of a story with a computer will somehow stunt the creative process. The actual act of writing (like reading) is a very personal act. You open you heart and delve into your thoughts in order to cultivate an idea that you want to get across to another human being. The act of sharing your writings (hand) is like giving a person an insight into you soul.
Your script, penmanship,cursive is as identifiable a trait as is your fingerprint. A person who writes by hand exposes himself and thus acts on conviction one committed to paper. All these "elements" are changed, distorted and reconstituted by external influence without the benefit of your own judgement when you type up a story. This form of writing (when conducted as a primary exercise in elementary) is 2 dimensional at best. When a student commits him/herself to paper by typing characters this act will experience a certain disconnect until said time the writer has to defend his product. It is only then that the writer returns to his core and explain and express the love and dedication they have put into such a writing and quickly becomes fleeting to boot.
The students using ICT and other programs cannot justify their writings until they have it in their hands. Many students with disabilities may be dependant on assistive technologies to provide supports in the classroom and not develop their academic skills to a level of proficiency that can set them on par with others. Technology should be used as a supplement to instruction as opposed to being an integral part of a student's performance.
I found this article to be very informative but gave me cause for concern over the quality of instruction our students will be receiving is the practice written about in this article were to be generalized across all domains. As it stands right now, we have kids graduation without knowing how to write a check or tally a receipt to calculate a tip. We also have students graduating from the school system with out knowing how to write a 3,4,5,or 6 digit in long hand. (Ex. $1123.53= one thousand, one hundred, twenty three dollars and fifty three cents.)
When we as a district offer an accommodation for a student to use a key boarding device in order to take the F-CAT or ACT, we know how to deactivate the spell and grammar check. What happens when the student learns to activate it in turn. Another issue that I have is that students and apparently teachers are forgetting that penmanship is but a superficial shell around the act of writing. The mechanics of writing (including Penmanship) is a far cry from the art of writing and where language is used, manipulated and transformed into a work of literature that in some instances survive the passage of time.
While I agree that collaboration can be greatly improved upon when students are made to work together at a single unit I fear that the conditioning of these young minds to develop, organize, and outline elements of a story with a computer will somehow stunt the creative process. The actual act of writing (like reading) is a very personal act. You open you heart and delve into your thoughts in order to cultivate an idea that you want to get across to another human being. The act of sharing your writings (hand) is like giving a person an insight into you soul.
Your script, penmanship,cursive is as identifiable a trait as is your fingerprint. A person who writes by hand exposes himself and thus acts on conviction one committed to paper. All these "elements" are changed, distorted and reconstituted by external influence without the benefit of your own judgement when you type up a story. This form of writing (when conducted as a primary exercise in elementary) is 2 dimensional at best. When a student commits him/herself to paper by typing characters this act will experience a certain disconnect until said time the writer has to defend his product. It is only then that the writer returns to his core and explain and express the love and dedication they have put into such a writing and quickly becomes fleeting to boot.
The students using ICT and other programs cannot justify their writings until they have it in their hands. Many students with disabilities may be dependant on assistive technologies to provide supports in the classroom and not develop their academic skills to a level of proficiency that can set them on par with others. Technology should be used as a supplement to instruction as opposed to being an integral part of a student's performance.
Emerging Technologies in Adult Literacy and Language Education
HTTP://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/technology_paper_2010.pdf
| “Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time.” | |
The advent of today's technology will define who we are tomorrow. No one (save Isaac Asimov, Aurthur C. Clark, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Mary Shelly plus a few others) could have imagine the technology that has become part of the "fabric of our lives." (G.E.?) In the sixties when I watched Star Trek I was amazed at the use of communicators and universal translators. It spurred my imagination. Then, when I was attending Community College, I was informed that I had to take a foreign language course to graduate. I decided to take a condensed French course which gave me French 1 and French 2 in the course of 12 months. The only way I was able to pass that course was the access to the computer lab after hours, the availability of instructional video, and the Chat Room on Yahoo.fr. Yes,that is correct I was able to learn how to read, write and speak French by visiting the Chat Room on Yahoo. In the beginning I was able to observe the language in action. Voice Chat was available at the time and I was able to hear what people were saying and tried to match with what was on the screen in the Chat Room. When I felt comfortable enough I progressed to typing short bursts in French and was knocked on my proverbial ":colon:" when someone responded to one of my blurbs. That spurred me on. Shortly there after I was caring on written correspondence with others. When it came time to try speaking without a prepared speech I decided to "meet" someone online and met a French Canadian who was very instrumental in teaching me her native tongue. Of course as with everything else, if you don't use it you lose it. But, I am happy to report that I passed my French course and also passed English 2 by answering a challenge by my professor who said that Iambic Pentameters only can be written in English. (He was an Anglophile) Of course that was enough to work a deal where I was able to pass the course if I could manage to write an Iambic Pentameter in French. Can you guess who I wrote the poem about? He took the poem to my French professor (another French Canadian) who said that the syntax was crude but conformed to the tenets of the French Language. (Lucky it was a poem and not an Essay). Anyway, I wrote this little tale to exemplify how the use of contemporary technology can help facilitate learning in ways that were not their original intent. The article on Emerging Technologies In Adult Literacy and Language Education is dead on when it talks about the impact of technology on the English Language Learner (ELL). But, in reality it goes well beyond the mere act of instruction. Technology in its various forms have a habit of threading its way into your life and quickly become a valuable commodity that you can't do without. Thirty years ago, do you remember ever being without a cellphone? Can you see yourself leaving the home without one? Today's "Smart phones" have become a source for social, financial, and interpersonal transactions. We meet, plan, pay for, and "search" for most things on our phones. It reminds me of the joke by George Carlin "STUFF." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac My phone has become a place for my "stuff". ELL's can , with the use of contemporary technologies, navigate unfamiliar places, ask for assistance, and conduct financial transaction at a level of proficiency that is on par with natural English speakers. By the same token, we "English Speakers" can go abroad and benefit from the same amenities technology has offered them. Now the question I have is in regards to the popularity of texting. (not to mention sexting) Along with this technological marvel, we are finding "text speak" making it's way into our reference materials such as encyclopedias and dictionaries. This is happening at a fast clip. Even Webster can define the WWW. How long before our daily language changes to a point where we start using this new form of shorthand as common everyday usage? We all can relate when we see in errant print phrases like LMAO, TTYL8R, LOL, BFFs, etc. or better yet the use of emoticons to say 1000 words with a picture. Will current languages go the way of Latin, Assyrian, Sumerian and a host of dead languages? Who knows? C U L8R. P.S.whatwouldeecummingshavethoughtoftechnologyhaditbeenavailablewhenhewrotehismusings?Icanonlyimagine :)- |
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Digital Lieracy and the Law:Remixing Elements, Lanksheare & Knobel-Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies, and Practices (2008)
It seems to me that as we progress on to a digital world we encroach upon the creative frontiers that are open to us so long as no one else can surmise the earning potential of that vast space and tries to mitigate any further advancements. We are being pigeon holed into well defined conceptualization of what the world should appeal to the senses. The article itself exemplifies the great capacity the digital era has in store if people are given an opportunity to expand beyond the capitalized potential of this form of self-expression. Technology today has expanded to almost every corner of the world. There will soon be nowhere that all digital media won't be accessible. Look at the Scam artist in Nigeria or the design cloning industry in China, if we move into the digital age with abandonment, will we soon find speed bumps and other obstruction to the access and manipulation of information in any form, both legal and illegal? If, as is often the case, we become complacent in monitoring the impact of legislation (now and in the future) on creative licensing and the use of commercial materials as fodder for online social engagement, we will find ourselves to be like a puppet on a string. We will have created the perfect medium for "Big Brother" to dictate how we live our lives. What would be the impact if the Federal Government were to copyright all the materials it has published. How would that improve or hinder freedom of speech? We might be heading there as we digitally speak? The Patriot Act has already led to the violation of free speech and to the privacy of ordinary American citizens. There was a time when you can joke with someone about "he said she said issues" now the readers in specific areas of the country are relegated into free speech zones. How long will it be before our access to the Internet becomes regulated. They are already talking about taxing online sales regardless of where the brick and mortar facility is located. The synthesis of teaching materials to produce a desired affect may be hindered and at the same time manipulated should the Internet be regulated and privatized.
A Fair(y) Use Tale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjn_jC4FNDo
Wicked!!!!
Disney (c) must be reeling from this fall out of cinematic montage.
I can't tell you how much of a rellief it was to watch this video. Everytime I want to develop a presentation or work up a lesson I worry about the use of copyrighted materials. Especially the consumable kind. Those consumable materials are not only copyrighted, the very nature of their purpose guarantees that you have an expiration period before you have to go out and pay again for the same material. How unfair is that? You pay high dollar for a half-way decent graphic organizer and as soon as you use it (as designed), you loose it. Of course there might be gray areas of use that may be open to interpretation. If I were to laminate a consumable worksheet and allow students to write with an eraseable marker then "Have I violated copyright law?" Then on the otherside of that coin, if I were to photocopy the same form 500 times do you think that I have violated Copyright laws? Another thing is, if you were to take that same laminated worksheet and leave it somewhere that kids can access and under their own volition make copies of it...Have I violated copyright laws? Vague and gray, just how I like it.
I am sure that if I was on the other side of that law, I would not be too fond of such creativity. As teachers I believe we should be afforded the use of materials if it is for use in the educational environment.
Disney (c) must be reeling from this fall out of cinematic montage.
I can't tell you how much of a rellief it was to watch this video. Everytime I want to develop a presentation or work up a lesson I worry about the use of copyrighted materials. Especially the consumable kind. Those consumable materials are not only copyrighted, the very nature of their purpose guarantees that you have an expiration period before you have to go out and pay again for the same material. How unfair is that? You pay high dollar for a half-way decent graphic organizer and as soon as you use it (as designed), you loose it. Of course there might be gray areas of use that may be open to interpretation. If I were to laminate a consumable worksheet and allow students to write with an eraseable marker then "Have I violated copyright law?" Then on the otherside of that coin, if I were to photocopy the same form 500 times do you think that I have violated Copyright laws? Another thing is, if you were to take that same laminated worksheet and leave it somewhere that kids can access and under their own volition make copies of it...Have I violated copyright laws? Vague and gray, just how I like it.
I am sure that if I was on the other side of that law, I would not be too fond of such creativity. As teachers I believe we should be afforded the use of materials if it is for use in the educational environment.
Retort-and apology
To those whoo are still reading I would like to take a moment to apologize if any of you found my Blog offensive in any way. My intent was to establish a hook and set a tone in order to get your attention. It is my understanding that this is not the way I came across and for that I apologize. The work of Tamin, R., Bernard, R., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, P., & Schmid, R. is an indepth and very thought provoking look into the quantitative measures that give validity to any study and a solid foundation for future research that a reader/researcher might find helpful in the development of his/her own studies. I have nothing if not respect for the authors and am very thankful that they have produced such an indepth analysis.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Killing me Microsoftly by Julia Keller and PowerPoint is Evil by Genevieve Liang
http//:www.gbuwizards.com/files/chicago-tribune-julia-keller-05-january-2003.htm
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html
Ms. Keller and Ms. Liang do a good job describing how PowerPoint (and its publisher Microsoft) monopolized the presentation market and that if left unchecked could stymie creativity in the business world and in education. In reading this article I realized that I never given a thought as to how we have been pigeoned holed into a systemic, patternistic, and worst of all, predictable behavior that can easlily leave us as a society and as individuals subject to conditioning by forces greater than ourselves. Like the Advertizment industry of the 50's and 60's, the Media Industry has capitalized on our complacency and has been pushing their agenda du jour on targeted audiences. That affect is not solely the realm of business but also of the Education Moguls that dictate policy nationwide. What I find even more disturbing is that their (predatory agencies) ability to adapt to social change. This ability has improved and has become more subtle as technology evolved and nested itself into every fabric of our social identity. I don't think that the advent of newer, more individualistic and creative models of interorginazational and interpersonal software and hardware can defend the best interest of society simply because once you start taking action and pushing an agenda you become a cog in the system. Regardless of your intent you are perpetuating the mythos of Big Brother. The only hope that I have for society is that future generations are very likely able (through the effect of this machine) to develop the critical literacy and thinking skills to help mitigate the affects of this phenomenon.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html
Ms. Keller and Ms. Liang do a good job describing how PowerPoint (and its publisher Microsoft) monopolized the presentation market and that if left unchecked could stymie creativity in the business world and in education. In reading this article I realized that I never given a thought as to how we have been pigeoned holed into a systemic, patternistic, and worst of all, predictable behavior that can easlily leave us as a society and as individuals subject to conditioning by forces greater than ourselves. Like the Advertizment industry of the 50's and 60's, the Media Industry has capitalized on our complacency and has been pushing their agenda du jour on targeted audiences. That affect is not solely the realm of business but also of the Education Moguls that dictate policy nationwide. What I find even more disturbing is that their (predatory agencies) ability to adapt to social change. This ability has improved and has become more subtle as technology evolved and nested itself into every fabric of our social identity. I don't think that the advent of newer, more individualistic and creative models of interorginazational and interpersonal software and hardware can defend the best interest of society simply because once you start taking action and pushing an agenda you become a cog in the system. Regardless of your intent you are perpetuating the mythos of Big Brother. The only hope that I have for society is that future generations are very likely able (through the effect of this machine) to develop the critical literacy and thinking skills to help mitigate the affects of this phenomenon.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Characterization of the pathological and biochemical markers that correlate to the clinical features of autism.
I found a very interesting paper on autism that was recently released by U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick. It was conducted by Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene under the supervision of Thomas Wisniewski, M.D. titled Characterization of the pathological and biochemical markers that correlate to the clinical features of autism. It was released for publication on October 2010. I believe you will find it very interesting.
It is posited that an abnormal development of specific regions of the brain are attributes found in children with autism and that these abnormalities impact the creation and migration of neuronal development on into adulthood. The variance in abnormalities (hypo or hyper-dysplasia etc.) and the resulting biochemical interference impact the maturity of these regions and add to the development of various clustered and underdeveloped brain matter. This would account for the wide spectrum of Autism that is seen in this population.
I am not very well versed in the area of neuroscience but it seems to me that this information can provide a platform for further research into the development of instructional approaches that can cater to specific markers that result in specific behaviors in children with varying degrees of abnormality (Autism). From where I stand I only see a reactionary approach to the instruction of children who exhibit autistic tendencies and by doing so we are treating the symptoms and not the cause. We can’t fix what is broken but we can adapt to it more proactively once we can get a handle on the type of neuronal and structural abnormalities that are specific to each student. Once a database is collected and a pattern of these abnormalities are identified we can proceed to categorize a more refined composite of the Autistic mind from which we can pattern a flexible instructional approach that will allow us to unlock the pathways that have been “blocked” by these naturally occurring changes in neuronal formations in key areas of the brain that impact perception and sensory processing.
I welcome anyone to read the article and perhaps correct any false assumptions I may have concluded from this study. I would love to discuss the possibilities this holds for instruction of students with significant disabilities.
Please see link below:
Friday, September 9, 2011
How do you bring 40 years worth of statistics crashing down on your head? Read This Article!
Tamin, R., Bernard, R., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, P., & Schmid, R. (2011) What forty years of research says about the impact of technology: A Second-Order Meta-Analysis and Validation Study. Review of Educational Research, 81, 408-448 http://rre.sagepub.com/content/32/1/241.full
I should have stopped at the abstract. I would rather eat sand than to reread this journal article. It was like eating Captain Crunch cereal with a sprinkling of ground glass. I guess you're probably thinking to yourself "Self, I really don't think he liked this article." Well, you'd be right if I had had my rathers but, let's take a better look at the article. It says right upfront, "An extensive literature search and a systematic review process resulted in the inclusion of 25 meta-analysis with minimal overlap in primary literature, encompassing 1,055 primary studies." Right there should have been my first clue! They're saying "We're doing you a favor!" Don't be so ungrateful that you fail to appreciate the potential wealth of information we are bring to you so that you don't have to bust a hump trying to do this yourself. Well, now that you put it that way. Sure! I guess? I have never, in my career as a student and an educator, read such an in depth statistical study on such a broad topic. Forty years of statistics cooked down into a 26 page article is enough to make B.F. Skinner role over in his grave.
Seriously, the study makes a good point of describing the process that was undertaken to identify key issues in Literacy as impacted by technology and how this method of meta-analysis can help identify and better define the need for future research. Is it an easy read? No, by no means but then it isn't intended to be. As technology advances so will its application in the field of education. The study opened up with a prediction made by Thomas Edison which implied that books in the future will become obsolete in the face of technological advancement. The study claims that the technology is best suited and can best serve in the classroom as a support for direct instruction. If I had to use a quote by someone famous to describe the impact of technology on education and literacy, I can think of no better a man than Issac Asimov who, in 1988, in an interview with Bill Moyers said:
" Once we have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries where anyone can ask any question and be given answers, be given reference materials, be something you’re interested in knowing, from an early age, however silly it might seem to someone else… that’s what YOU are interested in, and you can ask, and you can find out, and you can do it in your own home, at your own speed, in your own direction, in your own time… Then, everyone would enjoy learning. Nowadays, what people call learning is forced on you, and everyone is forced to learn the same thing on the same day at the same speed in class, and everyone is different.”
~ Isaac Asimov"
Please see a video of an interview between Bill Moyers and Isaac Asimov at the following link:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/01/28/isaac-asimov-creativity-education-science/
You can find a link to this video down below. It is a must see.
P.S. I believe that this article is a wonderful choice to help introduce our future educational leaders the role research plays in the development of future trends and advancements.
I should have stopped at the abstract. I would rather eat sand than to reread this journal article. It was like eating Captain Crunch cereal with a sprinkling of ground glass. I guess you're probably thinking to yourself "Self, I really don't think he liked this article." Well, you'd be right if I had had my rathers but, let's take a better look at the article. It says right upfront, "An extensive literature search and a systematic review process resulted in the inclusion of 25 meta-analysis with minimal overlap in primary literature, encompassing 1,055 primary studies." Right there should have been my first clue! They're saying "We're doing you a favor!" Don't be so ungrateful that you fail to appreciate the potential wealth of information we are bring to you so that you don't have to bust a hump trying to do this yourself. Well, now that you put it that way. Sure! I guess? I have never, in my career as a student and an educator, read such an in depth statistical study on such a broad topic. Forty years of statistics cooked down into a 26 page article is enough to make B.F. Skinner role over in his grave.
Seriously, the study makes a good point of describing the process that was undertaken to identify key issues in Literacy as impacted by technology and how this method of meta-analysis can help identify and better define the need for future research. Is it an easy read? No, by no means but then it isn't intended to be. As technology advances so will its application in the field of education. The study opened up with a prediction made by Thomas Edison which implied that books in the future will become obsolete in the face of technological advancement. The study claims that the technology is best suited and can best serve in the classroom as a support for direct instruction. If I had to use a quote by someone famous to describe the impact of technology on education and literacy, I can think of no better a man than Issac Asimov who, in 1988, in an interview with Bill Moyers said:
" Once we have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries where anyone can ask any question and be given answers, be given reference materials, be something you’re interested in knowing, from an early age, however silly it might seem to someone else… that’s what YOU are interested in, and you can ask, and you can find out, and you can do it in your own home, at your own speed, in your own direction, in your own time… Then, everyone would enjoy learning. Nowadays, what people call learning is forced on you, and everyone is forced to learn the same thing on the same day at the same speed in class, and everyone is different.”
~ Isaac Asimov"
Please see a video of an interview between Bill Moyers and Isaac Asimov at the following link:
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2011/01/28/isaac-asimov-creativity-education-science/
You can find a link to this video down below. It is a must see.
P.S. I believe that this article is a wonderful choice to help introduce our future educational leaders the role research plays in the development of future trends and advancements.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Origins and Concepts of digital literacy. - Bowden, D.
Bawden, D. (2006) Origins and Concepts of digital literacy. In Lankshearc. and Knobel, M. (ed.) Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies, and Practices, New York: Peter Lang
When it comes to Literacy and Technology, one would think of the propagation of Literacy through technology. In this article this was indeed discussed but also discussed were a myriad of other potential definitions and intent for this term. Bawden's review of P. Glister's publication on this topic was critical of Gilster's writing technique as much as it was of what was posited there in. There has been many changes in the last 20 years regarding the advent of technology and its potential to be revolutionary in every aspect of our lives. As instructional approaches change to accommodate technology, we are left with a conundrum. Do we focus on the fundamental skill sets to help students develop the skills to be literate or do we sacrifice some precious instructional time to help students become more accustomed and efficient in the use of this new medium.
We are not the first to face this issue and we won't be the last. What we will be, is efficient in doing both. As with every change in literary paradigms, readers and writers alike have had to contend with choosing the traditional over the contemporary when attempting to decipher the intended message.
In essence, the question that begs to be answered is what and how do I teach my students? With the push to inclusion and a balanced classroom, we are going to find ourselves taxed with this additional instructional approach that would require a certain degree of back peddling to tie new knowledge with old. While this can present it self to be a boom to teachers for an opportunity to review old concepts in a new light, it also can present with some difficulties.
Refurbishing existing schools with new infrastructual changes comes with a pretty high price tag when one trys to accommodate every new innovation . Literacy can be found in multiple forms across a variety of sources. We need to review our educational practices to not only accommodate this advancement but also provide a fundamental instructional approach to the acquisition of knowledge and how to best receive and explore with our current student population. Technology, such as these, can help bring a student with disabilities or a lack of motivation to a classroom they can look forward to such instruction.
Every time that there has been a change in how or what we teach, it also followed a period of redefining the argument.
When it comes to Literacy and Technology, one would think of the propagation of Literacy through technology. In this article this was indeed discussed but also discussed were a myriad of other potential definitions and intent for this term. Bawden's review of P. Glister's publication on this topic was critical of Gilster's writing technique as much as it was of what was posited there in. There has been many changes in the last 20 years regarding the advent of technology and its potential to be revolutionary in every aspect of our lives. As instructional approaches change to accommodate technology, we are left with a conundrum. Do we focus on the fundamental skill sets to help students develop the skills to be literate or do we sacrifice some precious instructional time to help students become more accustomed and efficient in the use of this new medium.
We are not the first to face this issue and we won't be the last. What we will be, is efficient in doing both. As with every change in literary paradigms, readers and writers alike have had to contend with choosing the traditional over the contemporary when attempting to decipher the intended message.
In essence, the question that begs to be answered is what and how do I teach my students? With the push to inclusion and a balanced classroom, we are going to find ourselves taxed with this additional instructional approach that would require a certain degree of back peddling to tie new knowledge with old. While this can present it self to be a boom to teachers for an opportunity to review old concepts in a new light, it also can present with some difficulties.
Refurbishing existing schools with new infrastructual changes comes with a pretty high price tag when one trys to accommodate every new innovation . Literacy can be found in multiple forms across a variety of sources. We need to review our educational practices to not only accommodate this advancement but also provide a fundamental instructional approach to the acquisition of knowledge and how to best receive and explore with our current student population. Technology, such as these, can help bring a student with disabilities or a lack of motivation to a classroom they can look forward to such instruction.
Every time that there has been a change in how or what we teach, it also followed a period of redefining the argument.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Knobel,M; Lankshear, C (2006) Discussing New Literacies, Language Arts, p78-86
Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the Universe loves nothing so much as to change the things which are, and to make new things like them.
Marcus Aurelius http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marcus_aurelius_3.html
Knobel and Lankshear provide a remarkable perspective into the state of technology and its application as it relates to Literacy. One of the views I was drawn to was their assessment of how "The Old Guard" was vilifying the advent of technology into the educational environment and warning against hazards that may present themselves to our students. Knobel and Lankshear point out that students have more of a comprehensive understanding of the Internet and related technology than do the teachers charged with their education. Students know how to effectively employ these technologies in their social and educational environments. Sometimes they do so simultaneously without the teachers being any the wiser. Contemporary students have, for the most part exhibited a degree of withitness that imparts a certain degree of self-reliance and actively make conscious decisions that may or may not expose them to harm. These researchers' growth in this field has mirrored the advancements that have been pivotal in the fields' own development. Their contemporaries in this field may lack certain expertise because they came up after the onset of these advancements and do not have fist hand fundamental underpinnings that make Knobel and Lankshear so well respected. The only caveat I would impart to you is that however far advanced we become and however much we embrace and incorporate the advent of current and future technologies into the mainstream of our lives, we should never lose sight of the fundamental principles that have driven and guided this and future advancements.
Marcus Aurelius http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/marcus_aurelius_3.html
Knobel and Lankshear provide a remarkable perspective into the state of technology and its application as it relates to Literacy. One of the views I was drawn to was their assessment of how "The Old Guard" was vilifying the advent of technology into the educational environment and warning against hazards that may present themselves to our students. Knobel and Lankshear point out that students have more of a comprehensive understanding of the Internet and related technology than do the teachers charged with their education. Students know how to effectively employ these technologies in their social and educational environments. Sometimes they do so simultaneously without the teachers being any the wiser. Contemporary students have, for the most part exhibited a degree of withitness that imparts a certain degree of self-reliance and actively make conscious decisions that may or may not expose them to harm. These researchers' growth in this field has mirrored the advancements that have been pivotal in the fields' own development. Their contemporaries in this field may lack certain expertise because they came up after the onset of these advancements and do not have fist hand fundamental underpinnings that make Knobel and Lankshear so well respected. The only caveat I would impart to you is that however far advanced we become and however much we embrace and incorporate the advent of current and future technologies into the mainstream of our lives, we should never lose sight of the fundamental principles that have driven and guided this and future advancements.
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