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An interesting twist on technology, communication and First Amendment rights from [|today's headlines]

Reading Response August 15, 2011
Response to reading on pages 61 – 114 in __Because Digital Writing Matters__ There were many aspects to this section of reading that I found intriguing. The beginning discussion of the physical space in computer labs, and the lack of space there for other types of writing tools, really rang true with me. Later in the reading they discussed how often teachers are not involved in the process of designing computer labs and it all came together. If written communication on many levels is the goal, as it should be, teachers really do need to be involved more in the design of the space in which technology will be used to facilitate writing. This also led me to thinking about how the Acceptable Use Policies of a district are usually written by the technology coordinator and/or administrators, then approved by the Board, and finally issued to teachers for their signatures and the signatures of their students. Again, this seems a bit backward me now. I am wondering how I can have a voice in my district to change our policy a bit to allow for more ways that my students can have access to the digital tools and places that we have been reading and learning about in ATI. I liked the policy about student blog use excerpted on page 73. It just reminds me that “policies and procedures surrounding Internet use need frequent review and revision so as to create a healthy – and safe – ecology for online work.” (page 74)

The discussions about academic honesty and plagiarism also were very thoughtprovoking -- how that standard of whatis original and what is borrowed is being altered by the nature of onlinedrafting and revising. I think the list on pages 104 – 105 (the steps of multimodal writing) will be helpful to meas I put together several projects I need to work on. If I can utilize these steps myself then maybe I can help my students to use these concepts as well. I think the reflection part is something that students really can use help with and this section is well worded.

In a nutshell,what this section of reading really drove home to me is how things are reallychanging -- not just in terms of thespeed in which ideas are now communicated around the world (I knew that cominginto ATI) but in terms of how expectations of what writing really is and lookslike are changing. Honestly, I had neverthought before about the idea of less text and more pictures as a possible wayfor my students to be able to express themselves more effectively (and that’sjust one new way of looking at writing -- this section had many more examples) This is completely changing my thinking about the way I look at writingand about what’s important to learn and teach.

I love these two quotes:

“In many cases, the ability to compare what works for different audiences across different media, modes, and tools present an ideal opportunity for literacy learning.” (page 91)

“…the promise of digital technologies is in the expansion of the human possibility to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create.” (pages114)

Homework for 8/8/11
The quote I am choosing to respond to comes from pages 53 and 54: “Writing classrooms are an important location to explore the idea of “information literacy” as well as “media literacy” and to support students in discovering strategies they can use to analyze sources related to the topics on which they are writing…we have the responsibility to teach students how to swim in the sea of information and media that is the Internet.”

This quote stood out for me for several reasons. First, I like the image of “swimming in the sea of information.” The idea of helping students figure out ways to stay afloat makes sense. On the other hand, sometimes it seems that I am the one drowning in a sea of information, and that younger people (like my students) navigate more effectively than I do. So then, what is my role? Can I teach them to do something that is still challenging for me? Can I capitalize on their intuitive grasp of multiple formats while showing them how to slow down and truly understand?

As a history teacher, my role is always to help students analyze and compare texts so that they can make connections to their own lives and to see the interconnectedness of human experiences. In order to learn from the past, we have to be able to analyze what really happened, especially while looking at differing perspectives -- and we can’t do it right without looking at different perspectives. Sometimes, I think this is what gets lost in the Google-quick nature of the Internet. The answer to some random question (often the result of a bet) is quickly found, a small, unconnected piece of data has been quickly mined, and this random fact is then filed away with other random pieces of data.

So, navigating the sea of information has to mean seeing those random bits of information as pieces of a larger picture, and one of the best ways that I know to create a larger picture is to put it in a self-written context. I want to move students through the process of finding quality information, analyzing it, comparing it to other, different sources, and then making it personal in some other way. The analyzing part, via the Internet, is the part that is scary for me. I can totally see the value of obtaining information off the multiple sources available on the web, and I can completely support the use of digital tools to create a new, original whole. The piece I continue to struggle with is the piece in the middle -- analyzing information so that the varying perspectives become crystal clear, and the student comes away thinking, “This is what one person felt, this is what another person felt, this is what I think…” or at least something like that.

**Homework for August 8: Ideas that intrigue me from __Because Digital Writing Matters__**
1. There are a lot of new terms here for me that I would like to more fully understand:

Web 2.0 Cloud computing RSS readers Classroom 2.0 social network Twitter accounts Blogging environments Personal bookmark collections Noodle tools

I am, overall, quite intimidated by all the new terms that seem to just flow from people who are tech savvy. I almost feel that I need a flow chart to help me navigate through the different categories of technology.

However, I am really excited and intrigued by a number of things. I love the idea of having my students create some sort of podcasts (the 5th grade example from the book was amazing!) I’d like to try digital stories with my students. I would really like to figure out a way to do Voice Threads (now that I have seen Nicolette’s) with my kids -- what a great “get to know you” activity!

I also had an “aha” about halfway through the reading: Digital writing gives students a sense of audience and purpose in ways that simply have not been possible before! This really resonates with me and I think the potential is really exciting.

Finally, I am wondering what will be possible on my site. We have great tech resources, but the filters have traditionally been quite tight. Can my kids have access to email and blogs and google.docs through our computer lab? Will my district even allow us to create a blog? If not, can I simulate these environments for my students without actually being fully out in the web?


 * Areas of my curriculum I’d like to revise with a tech component:**

Since I am entering into a new grade level and content, my needs are pretty wide open. One thing I know I’d like to be able to figure out is how to use all the images I have amassed in my travels (Spain, Portugal, China, Japan), some of which are not digital, along with the new cd of images I just ordered, to create presentations which will be exciting for kids, as well as interactive for them. I do NOT want to deal “death through powerpoint” as some of my professors did. Still, I know 7th graders are very visual and I have the equipment (laptop, projector, large screen) to make it possible.

Additionally, I’d like to create some sort of activity using the pictures I took of the mural that was uncovered this summer during the remodel. I want to create an activity which hits at the root of historical thinking while at the same time links kids to the history of their school and community. So, I want to show images and then figure out a way for kids to really interact with them, EVEN IF we are not in the computer lab. That’s important, because we won’t be in the computer lab a lot of the time.

I also was to learn how to take movie clips (from the internet, from DVDs that I have, from VHS somehow if possible) and put them on my laptop so we can watch them in class. How do I find the ones I want? How do I capture them? How do I get kids to respond to them in tangible ways?

I’d also love to figure out a way to make a digital trail for ways my class and I find to connect what we are studying to our yearlong theme: “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History” (the National History Day theme for 2012.) You are "media-rich" in your thinking Anne. You will have such fun developing a "sense of audience" and exploring new ways to publish digitally. Catherine

Hi Anne!! I am sometimes overwhelmed with what choices I have out there as an educator! I believe that "learning through play" is so fundamental for these new tools. That is my approach and I have found it so vital. I may mess up, but trial and error prevent long evolution for my kids in the future! Your kids are awfully lucky to have you!!

You have so many great ideas! I agree that your kids are lucky, and we here at the ATI are too. You're adding to my inspirations! Thanks. (Shannon)