We all text message or have heard of it...that is not anything new. But what is new is that students in elementary through high school grades are becoming more disfunctional with writing skills. The article showcases how students are making more and more grammatical, spelling, and sentence structure errors because they are used to the "short cuts" that text messaging offers.
I must say, I agree with the article. Also, I knew this issue would arise, and I am glad it did. I have never been a fan of the short cut language, and it is about time we did something about it!
source: http://media.www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2007/05/01/Metro/2.B-Or.Nt.2.B.Whtevr-2889293.shtml
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Reflection Idea
Based on the article called "Ed Tech Must Change Its Message," I have decided to narrow my reflection down to two main parts. I want to focus on the following ideas:
1.) Teacher education in the United States needs to produce a new generation of teachers that are able to accomodate with the changing societal times. This includes being comfortable with technology, knowing how to properly use it in a classroom, and understanding its role in education.
I will demonstrate how teacher pedagogies must be aligned with the current educational trends. So, a traditionalist approach to education today would not mesh well with the pedagogies of group collaboration and such. Instead, a proactive, constructivist approach is more acceptable.
2.) Technology can be used in a 21-st century world to foster critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, and collaboration through a media specialized curriculum.
I will touch on the various ways in which the technology we used in our classrooms, and as was discussed in class articles and texts, helped us to be more creative meaning-makers.
1.) Teacher education in the United States needs to produce a new generation of teachers that are able to accomodate with the changing societal times. This includes being comfortable with technology, knowing how to properly use it in a classroom, and understanding its role in education.
I will demonstrate how teacher pedagogies must be aligned with the current educational trends. So, a traditionalist approach to education today would not mesh well with the pedagogies of group collaboration and such. Instead, a proactive, constructivist approach is more acceptable.
2.) Technology can be used in a 21-st century world to foster critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, and collaboration through a media specialized curriculum.
I will touch on the various ways in which the technology we used in our classrooms, and as was discussed in class articles and texts, helped us to be more creative meaning-makers.
Schools Disappointed In Technology: Taking Away Laptops
In a recent NCTE article, Winnie Hu explains that many schools that have adopte lap-top related curriculum have decided to drop their use because there has been no increase in student achievement. Closest to us in Liverpool (near Syrcause), this exact measure took place.
Students are using the laptops for inappopriate entertainment: pornography, hacking, etc. In addition, the teachers see the laptop as a hindrance to the one-on-one relationship with students: “The teachers were telling us when there’s a one-to-one relationship between the student and the laptop, the box gets in the way. It’s a distraction to the educational process.”
Students also use the computers now more than ask teachers for help, so they are not getting as quality of assistance, nor do the teachers know what students are having difficulty in.
I can see why these problems have arose. I think there are pros and cons to the elimination.
1) I never truly saw the need for school-wide laptops. I don't think students need 100% internet access all the time. In certain areas and at certain times, it is necessary to employ computers, but not all the time. So, perhaps this elimination will help teachers find a different way to teach more constructively.
2.) Perhaps laptops are not working because the teachers do not know how to use them correctly in a classroom. Students do not need to do everything from a computer just because they have them. Put the laptops under the desks or something. Then, they can use them when needed. Teachers seem to have resistance to the laptops, but that could also stem from frustration because they do not know how to incorporate media literacy into their curriculum. Perhaps the administration should give teachers media literacy and technology training. We all know that there are fun and educational ways to use the computer, but there are also times when it is and is not appropriate.
Looks like perhaps the paperless classroom was an idea blown to the wind...
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/education/04laptop.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Students are using the laptops for inappopriate entertainment: pornography, hacking, etc. In addition, the teachers see the laptop as a hindrance to the one-on-one relationship with students: “The teachers were telling us when there’s a one-to-one relationship between the student and the laptop, the box gets in the way. It’s a distraction to the educational process.”
Students also use the computers now more than ask teachers for help, so they are not getting as quality of assistance, nor do the teachers know what students are having difficulty in.
I can see why these problems have arose. I think there are pros and cons to the elimination.
1) I never truly saw the need for school-wide laptops. I don't think students need 100% internet access all the time. In certain areas and at certain times, it is necessary to employ computers, but not all the time. So, perhaps this elimination will help teachers find a different way to teach more constructively.
2.) Perhaps laptops are not working because the teachers do not know how to use them correctly in a classroom. Students do not need to do everything from a computer just because they have them. Put the laptops under the desks or something. Then, they can use them when needed. Teachers seem to have resistance to the laptops, but that could also stem from frustration because they do not know how to incorporate media literacy into their curriculum. Perhaps the administration should give teachers media literacy and technology training. We all know that there are fun and educational ways to use the computer, but there are also times when it is and is not appropriate.
Looks like perhaps the paperless classroom was an idea blown to the wind...
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/04/education/04laptop.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Student Arrested for Obscene Essay
Allen Lee, a senior in Cary-Grove High School in CHicago, was arrested in school after his administration got hold of an essay he wrote in English class. According to Lee, his class was told to free write for 30 minutes with anything that came to mind. "She told us to exaggerate our feelings," so Lee did.
See the assignment
Some of the controversial material includes the following:
"My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students"
"Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S. . .t. . .a. . .b. . . , poke. So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone . . ., then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did."
"No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first cg [Cary-Grove] shooting."
Allen Lee
Lee claims that he did nothing wrong; he simply followed the assignment.
Lee had already applied for the Marine Corp. and received admission, but after this ordeal, the Marine Corp. dropped his spot.
The school arrested him and "He was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine."
Personally, I believe that the true problem is not the teacher but the student. A student who has these thoughts, I feel, is bothered. Even if he is trying to "exaggerate" his feelings, he went over-board.
I feel as though I would not know what to do as a teacher in this situation. I want to incorporate creative writing and free writing in my class, but this event just shows how it could turn sour.
What do you all think is the main problem?
See the assignment
Some of the controversial material includes the following:
"My current English teacher is a control freak intent on setting a gap between herself and her students"
"Drugs Drugs Drugs are fun. Stab, Stab, Stab, S. . .t. . .a. . .b. . . , poke. So I had this dream last night where I went into a building, pulled out two P90s and started shooting everyone . . ., then had sex with the dead bodies. Well, not really, but it would be funny if I did."
"No quarrel on you qualifications as a writer, but as a teacher, don't be surprised on inspiring the first cg [Cary-Grove] shooting."
Allen Lee
Lee claims that he did nothing wrong; he simply followed the assignment.
Lee had already applied for the Marine Corp. and received admission, but after this ordeal, the Marine Corp. dropped his spot.
The school arrested him and "He was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor that carries up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine."
Personally, I believe that the true problem is not the teacher but the student. A student who has these thoughts, I feel, is bothered. Even if he is trying to "exaggerate" his feelings, he went over-board.
I feel as though I would not know what to do as a teacher in this situation. I want to incorporate creative writing and free writing in my class, but this event just shows how it could turn sour.
What do you all think is the main problem?
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Our Presentation
I enjoyed last night's PowerPoint presentation that Jami and I put together. The hardest part of the project was creating the content. It was not a simple topic, and we had to do enough research that would have surely counted toward a large research essay. Doing the PP itself was a piece of cake. It just takes time to get every slide done to your liking. But the process is quite simple.
I am glad we got some class participation. We did not want to lecture because we felt everyone could have known at least one thing about something in the PP. Thanks for contributing!
Overall, the project was labor intensive, but not diffcult in the least. I enjoyed doing it, and I am sure my students will be even better at it than me!
I am glad we got some class participation. We did not want to lecture because we felt everyone could have known at least one thing about something in the PP. Thanks for contributing!
Overall, the project was labor intensive, but not diffcult in the least. I enjoyed doing it, and I am sure my students will be even better at it than me!
PowerPoint Content
Most of you asked for the content from the PowerPoint last night. Here it is:
The World is Reading the Media
and other powerful Web Tools
A Compilation Analysis of ENG307 pedagogy through Friedman, Hobbs, and Richardson
Our exploration of the ENG307 curriculum has shown that
-Reading and writing has been redefined
-Cultural, political, social, and educational changes have impacted our new thinking
-The teacher to learner relationship has drastically altered
-We now can use a variety of computer applications as never before
-We can evaluate new media
Hobbs
enlarging the definition of texts to include “all the forms of symbolic expression that convey meaning from authors to readers.” (7)
“A specific print, digital, or visual text has features that influence the reading process as does the reading activity itself.” (8)
“to prepare students for a life “in a highly complex, media-rich, and technologically dynamic cultural environment.” (8)
Richardson
The internet has enhanced “our ability to easily publish content online.” (5)
Hobbs
“postmodern theorists believe that electronic imagery and digital media have become increasingly “central to the development of globalization.” (6)
theorists believe we need “broader definitions of knowledge, literacy, and pedagogy which include the study of the intertextuality of imageries, texts, icons, and artifacts of new information economies, of media and of popular culture.” (7)
Friedman
Competition in the global community: “Countries like India are now able to compete for global knowledge work as never before -- and that America had better get ready for this.” (7)
“A new milestone in human progress and a great opportunity for India and the world -- the fact that we had made our world flat!” (7)
“Globalization 3.0 makes it possible for so many more people to plug in and play, and you are going to see every color of the human rainbow take part.” (11)
Friedman
The fall of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/89 “tipped the balance of power across the world toward those advocating democratic, consensual, free-market-oriented governance, and away from those advocating authoritarian rule with centrally planned economies.”(51)
“Before 1989, you could have an Eastern policy or a Western policy, but it was hard to think about having a ‘global’ policy.” (53)
Richardson
Common citizens are now able to partake and willing to partake in business affairs:
“When Microsoft began offering up Weblog space to some of its developers last year, potential customers had an opportunity to not only read about the inner workings of the company, they had a chance to respond and participate.” (4)
“We are creating what author Douglas Rushkoff calls a “Society of Authorship” where every teacher and every student, every person with access will have the ability to contribute ideas and experiences to the larger body of knowledge that is the Internet.” (5)
Richardson
“Our ability to easily publish content online will force us to rethink the way we communicate with our constituents, the way we deliver our curriculum, and the expectations we have of our students.” (5)
Hobbs
Concord High School changes their curriculum name:
“We imagined a course called “Media/Communication” that would address nonfiction reading and writing, explore issues of media influence, examine advertising from a critical perspective, reflect and analyze visual approaches to the narrative, and encourage students to ‘read’ the media of their everyday life with a critical eye.” (27)
Richardson
“The read-write web makes teacher’s question themselves: “What needs to change about our curriculum when our students have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls?” (5)
“Today’s students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy.” (6)
Hobbs
“When learning is authentic, students are involved in creating complex real-world media messages.”
Richardson
“High-bandwidth Internet access and expanded computer memory and storage continue to grow, and developers are creating tools to publish text or photos or video or whatever else easily on the web.” (2)
“We’re in the midst of an explosion of technologies that will continue to remake the Web into the community space Berners-Lee originally envisioned.” (2)
Class projects
iweb, imovie, social bookmarking (library thing, 43 things, furl, del.icio.us, flickr), ilife, powerpoint, garageband, wikipedia, podcasts, Comiclife, webquests
-We have seen a multitude of pedagogies this semester
-Whether we believe it or not, we are influenced by the globalization of the flat world
-It is up to us to create a world reflective of these pedagogies in order to become active citizens in a changing global society
did you know? -- youtube video
Teen book video awards -- best teen-created video
Book talk podcasts from local school
Project Look Sharp in Ithaca
the machine is us/ing us -- youtube video
using technologies to redefine schooling -- podcast
The World is Reading the Media
and other powerful Web Tools
A Compilation Analysis of ENG307 pedagogy through Friedman, Hobbs, and Richardson
Our exploration of the ENG307 curriculum has shown that
-Reading and writing has been redefined
-Cultural, political, social, and educational changes have impacted our new thinking
-The teacher to learner relationship has drastically altered
-We now can use a variety of computer applications as never before
-We can evaluate new media
Hobbs
enlarging the definition of texts to include “all the forms of symbolic expression that convey meaning from authors to readers.” (7)
“A specific print, digital, or visual text has features that influence the reading process as does the reading activity itself.” (8)
“to prepare students for a life “in a highly complex, media-rich, and technologically dynamic cultural environment.” (8)
Richardson
The internet has enhanced “our ability to easily publish content online.” (5)
Hobbs
“postmodern theorists believe that electronic imagery and digital media have become increasingly “central to the development of globalization.” (6)
theorists believe we need “broader definitions of knowledge, literacy, and pedagogy which include the study of the intertextuality of imageries, texts, icons, and artifacts of new information economies, of media and of popular culture.” (7)
Friedman
Competition in the global community: “Countries like India are now able to compete for global knowledge work as never before -- and that America had better get ready for this.” (7)
“A new milestone in human progress and a great opportunity for India and the world -- the fact that we had made our world flat!” (7)
“Globalization 3.0 makes it possible for so many more people to plug in and play, and you are going to see every color of the human rainbow take part.” (11)
Friedman
The fall of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/89 “tipped the balance of power across the world toward those advocating democratic, consensual, free-market-oriented governance, and away from those advocating authoritarian rule with centrally planned economies.”(51)
“Before 1989, you could have an Eastern policy or a Western policy, but it was hard to think about having a ‘global’ policy.” (53)
Richardson
Common citizens are now able to partake and willing to partake in business affairs:
“When Microsoft began offering up Weblog space to some of its developers last year, potential customers had an opportunity to not only read about the inner workings of the company, they had a chance to respond and participate.” (4)
“We are creating what author Douglas Rushkoff calls a “Society of Authorship” where every teacher and every student, every person with access will have the ability to contribute ideas and experiences to the larger body of knowledge that is the Internet.” (5)
Richardson
“Our ability to easily publish content online will force us to rethink the way we communicate with our constituents, the way we deliver our curriculum, and the expectations we have of our students.” (5)
Hobbs
Concord High School changes their curriculum name:
“We imagined a course called “Media/Communication” that would address nonfiction reading and writing, explore issues of media influence, examine advertising from a critical perspective, reflect and analyze visual approaches to the narrative, and encourage students to ‘read’ the media of their everyday life with a critical eye.” (27)
Richardson
“The read-write web makes teacher’s question themselves: “What needs to change about our curriculum when our students have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls?” (5)
“Today’s students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy.” (6)
Hobbs
“When learning is authentic, students are involved in creating complex real-world media messages.”
Richardson
“High-bandwidth Internet access and expanded computer memory and storage continue to grow, and developers are creating tools to publish text or photos or video or whatever else easily on the web.” (2)
“We’re in the midst of an explosion of technologies that will continue to remake the Web into the community space Berners-Lee originally envisioned.” (2)
Class projects
iweb, imovie, social bookmarking (library thing, 43 things, furl, del.icio.us, flickr), ilife, powerpoint, garageband, wikipedia, podcasts, Comiclife, webquests
-We have seen a multitude of pedagogies this semester
-Whether we believe it or not, we are influenced by the globalization of the flat world
-It is up to us to create a world reflective of these pedagogies in order to become active citizens in a changing global society
did you know? -- youtube video
Teen book video awards -- best teen-created video
Book talk podcasts from local school
Project Look Sharp in Ithaca
the machine is us/ing us -- youtube video
using technologies to redefine schooling -- podcast
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
What Can I Do
I was not too stressed about this project. I deal well under pressure, and I decided that I would do what I am most comfortable with. Making an iweb presentation was easiest for me. I thought that an iweb would be able to organize my thoughts well. Plus, it looks clean and polished when it is completed.
I wanted to focus on the technological pedagogies such as meaning-making, authentic production, and media literacy. My first page is designed to show the administrator that I knew people in the field who are "big names." I put pictures of the books these people wrote for aesthetic purposes.
My second page focused on the idea of "meaning-making" and what that means. I gave some suggestions about what to do in a classroom in order to be effective in this style.
My third page focused on the people in the field that I highlighted on my first page. I wanted to show the administrator that I not only can drop a name, but I know a lot about this name! Therefore, I was justifying myself.
Sorry I can't seem to publish this iweb to give to you all. This process is pretty laborious.
I thought this was kind of fun...I am way too good at being "student," and I really need to get in charge of a classroom soon!
I wanted to focus on the technological pedagogies such as meaning-making, authentic production, and media literacy. My first page is designed to show the administrator that I knew people in the field who are "big names." I put pictures of the books these people wrote for aesthetic purposes.
My second page focused on the idea of "meaning-making" and what that means. I gave some suggestions about what to do in a classroom in order to be effective in this style.
My third page focused on the people in the field that I highlighted on my first page. I wanted to show the administrator that I not only can drop a name, but I know a lot about this name! Therefore, I was justifying myself.
Sorry I can't seem to publish this iweb to give to you all. This process is pretty laborious.
I thought this was kind of fun...I am way too good at being "student," and I really need to get in charge of a classroom soon!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Buffalo Students
In the article titled "City Voices, City Visions," the Buffalo area school districts are highlighted as using a new program to increase innovative use of technology in the classroom. The students are literally making their own creations: "cting out skits, discussing issues,
planning and storyboarding, researching in books and on the Internet, writing scripts and narratives, and clustering around computers in cooperative work groups, creating meaning out of the curriculum and their experiences."
Really, what can be better than students making their own creations? They devise their own plan then act on it. Students take initiative, which is a lost skill now-a-days. I really enjoy seeing that the students are excited and motivated!
planning and storyboarding, researching in books and on the Internet, writing scripts and narratives, and clustering around computers in cooperative work groups, creating meaning out of the curriculum and their experiences."Really, what can be better than students making their own creations? They devise their own plan then act on it. Students take initiative, which is a lost skill now-a-days. I really enjoy seeing that the students are excited and motivated!
Hobbs Reading
In chapter 3 titled "Storytelling Structures, Close Reading, and Point of View," Hobbs tells about various ways in which media literacy can be applied into the classroom curriculum. Here are the points I would like to present that interested me:
Using the library to research free topics
gets to the student's level and allows them to make choices
gives students researching experience and helps built researching skills
students use analysis, synthesis, and reflection skills in order to design their assignment based on their topic
inspires students to become active agents in topics around them and in their own work
Show how the media constructs information to a certain ideology using television shows/news series
makes the students question their role as an observer: do they fall victim to the media or can they judge for themselves why/how the media portrays something in a certain way?
Reading an image to show authorial motivations
showsstudents implicit and explicit purposes for creating an image a certain way
literally "READING THE MEDIA"
shows how tone is used
Making a movie to relate to As I Lay Dying
takes student's prior knowledge and brings in new knowledge
students use bloom's taxonomic higher level thinking (analysis, synthesis, reflection)
gives students an opportunity to experience a technical aspect of text
students improve technical skills (ie movie making)
Using the library to research free topics
gets to the student's level and allows them to make choices
gives students researching experience and helps built researching skills
students use analysis, synthesis, and reflection skills in order to design their assignment based on their topic
inspires students to become active agents in topics around them and in their own work
Show how the media constructs information to a certain ideology using television shows/news series
makes the students question their role as an observer: do they fall victim to the media or can they judge for themselves why/how the media portrays something in a certain way?
Reading an image to show authorial motivations
showsstudents implicit and explicit purposes for creating an image a certain way
literally "READING THE MEDIA"
shows how tone is used
Making a movie to relate to As I Lay Dying
takes student's prior knowledge and brings in new knowledge
students use bloom's taxonomic higher level thinking (analysis, synthesis, reflection)
gives students an opportunity to experience a technical aspect of text
students improve technical skills (ie movie making)
Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun!
In Friedman's discussion of the "Dirty Little Secret # 2: The Education Gap at the Top," he outlined how immigrants in the U.S. as well as citizens of other countries (especially Asian countries) have skyrocketed past American citizens in intellectual capabilities and rigor. For so many years, the U.S. led the world in most innovations, from technology to education. However, now it is American students who are on the bottom of the totem pole.
Stern, the student mentioned in the book, believes that "American culture is still producing some of the most creative scientists and engineers, though other societies are closing the gap due to their dedication to teaching fundamentals and their newfound interest in instilling more creative approaches to education in their systems" (338).
I agree that the U.S. churns out many prized people, but I also feel that with this "flattening world" comes other prized people from other countries. American education standards have dwindled because for so many years we did not need to play "catch-up" to anyone else. We ruled education, so we did what humans sometimes do -- we relaxed. And now we are truly paying the price, according to Friedman.
Friedman cites that American students are not performing well in all areas, whether math, science, reading, or writing. As Grover J. Whitehurst says, "'We're seeing substantial declines in reading for pleasure, and it's showing up in our literacy levels'" (340).
In terms of the "Dirty Little Secret # 4: The Education Gap at the Bottom," the continually distancing gap between the wealthy and the poor has, over the years, deteriorated the education system in the U.S. The National Center on Education and the Economy allowed education to be delegated according to "local school boards," which in consequence led to delegation by wealth (346). The wealthier residents organized into self-taxing districts, and they taxed each other at relatively low rates. However, for the poor side of the American economy, they had to pay high taxes yet deal with low expenditures and deteriorating school districts.
Friedman makes a good point that the idea of social mobility does exist in many areas in education anymore. If you are stuck in a poor district, you have to deal with what you have. Often, though, this results in a perpetuating cycle of poverty and inept educational leaders: social mobility is "no longer the reality in too many parts of the country today, because of the disparities in funding" (346).
However, we know that federal legislation (AHEM No Child LeftBehind) perpetuates this terrible cycle with their "failing school" system.
Stern, the student mentioned in the book, believes that "American culture is still producing some of the most creative scientists and engineers, though other societies are closing the gap due to their dedication to teaching fundamentals and their newfound interest in instilling more creative approaches to education in their systems" (338).
I agree that the U.S. churns out many prized people, but I also feel that with this "flattening world" comes other prized people from other countries. American education standards have dwindled because for so many years we did not need to play "catch-up" to anyone else. We ruled education, so we did what humans sometimes do -- we relaxed. And now we are truly paying the price, according to Friedman.
Friedman cites that American students are not performing well in all areas, whether math, science, reading, or writing. As Grover J. Whitehurst says, "'We're seeing substantial declines in reading for pleasure, and it's showing up in our literacy levels'" (340).
In terms of the "Dirty Little Secret # 4: The Education Gap at the Bottom," the continually distancing gap between the wealthy and the poor has, over the years, deteriorated the education system in the U.S. The National Center on Education and the Economy allowed education to be delegated according to "local school boards," which in consequence led to delegation by wealth (346). The wealthier residents organized into self-taxing districts, and they taxed each other at relatively low rates. However, for the poor side of the American economy, they had to pay high taxes yet deal with low expenditures and deteriorating school districts.
Friedman makes a good point that the idea of social mobility does exist in many areas in education anymore. If you are stuck in a poor district, you have to deal with what you have. Often, though, this results in a perpetuating cycle of poverty and inept educational leaders: social mobility is "no longer the reality in too many parts of the country today, because of the disparities in funding" (346).
However, we know that federal legislation (AHEM No Child LeftBehind) perpetuates this terrible cycle with their "failing school" system.
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