Mo+Reading+Response

Mo Contents Advanced Technology Institute 2011 Response to pp. 61-114

I love how practical this section is.

I’ve been thinking this whole time about collaboration versus individual student performance… No matter how much a student collaborates, he or she will continue to grow and learn. We must provide the opportunities to make sure students know that collaboration is “practice” for individual mastery. For instance, during class discussions I have students discuss with partners BEFORE I draw sticks at random. Because students have had the time to practice with a partner, I expect them to at least have something to say in response; this eliminates the “I don’t know” cop-out. In the same way, students can collaborate with digital writing as practice before being expected to perform on their own, either digitally or in traditional pencil and paper response.

AUPs and revising regularly: the more we inform students and families of purpose and audience for assignments, we should get more support for allowing students access to tools such as GoogleDocs, blogs, and wikis. Our district uses Edline, an online communication tool. All families have personal passwords, and every student has her own as well. Using Edline to link GD, wikis, or blogs might be the perfect way to gain that support. This is something that I really want to pursue with my district, as I have felt discouraged by the conversations we have had about blogs and digital communication networks being "inappropriate".

Finally, I am excited to link my students and families to Common Sense Media for "training" on appropriate use of digital tools and to Youth Voices for ongoing conversations and collaboration on topics kids really care about.

//Because Digital Writing Matters// : Reading Response Log pp. 1-59

Access to information does not ensure reflection and learning Regard writing instruction as a new “ecology” of writing and communication

//Definition//: Digital Writing = compositions created with, and oftentimes for reading or viewing on, a computer or other device that is connected to the Internet.

Students don’t think of their daily interactions with technology as “writing”! Interesting data showing the only tech behavior “not helpful” to improving writing is IM… How about efficiency of expression?

“Participatory Culture” a perfect term to encourage classroom community; from classroom can take it to school wide, via lower grade “buddies”

As I shift into digital age, I must consider my strengths as a teacher of writing and literacy, rethink HOW I assign writing: context, content, pupose, audiences, so that they are real for digital age population.

Keep in mind “digital divide” with such assignments; how complex writing has actually become, despite its inventions to make it easier. TPACK: “technological pedagogical content knowledge”… WHAT??

Explicitly teach students about being //consumers// and //producers // of information (“knowledge economy”) (p. 31)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">“Fair use” concept and Creative Commons for our “remix culture.” (p. 35): Explicitly teach students about digital citizenship.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What is my mind-set regarding technology and its effect on the world today? Do old things in new ways, OR Continue changing what we do now, always improving and innovating. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">See “shift rhetorical terrain” p. 39 <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">DST a great way to teach VOICE in writing. Considering the assignment (purpose, audience), students will want to revise, rather than find it burdensome.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Re Moege’s summary writing on wiki: I DO believe learning collaboratively is effective and often encourage it. However, I struggle with the standards based grading and expectation that kids are expected to demonstrate growth independently… How to handle assessing individual students? I suppose allow them to learn cooperatively, then demonstrate mastery individually…

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">APPLICATIONS:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1. Narrative. Kick off the year as a 5th grade writing teacher using digital story telling (DST) OR Google Docs (GD) as students compose their first narrative piece of the year. Podcasts? (p. 29)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__GOALS:__ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Introduce writing through technology use (Elmo for group composition, sharing, feedback);

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Inspire students to write cooperatively (classroom community building from the get-go: “participatory culture”) via computer use with DST/GD

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__NEEDS:__ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Develop a rubric based on 5th grade standards:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">narrative writing strategies and applications (organization and focus)
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">language conventions: sent. Struct., grammar, punc, caps., spelling
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">? Listening and speaking oral presentation?

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Ensure regular lab use and/or computer stations in class

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Time frame: No more than three weeks. Is this even doable? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">APPLICATIONS:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2. Response to Literature via GD (p. 10)

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