New Literacy Revision

Powerpoint (New Literacy Revision)

Final Reflection

A Final Reflection 

• Technology Post (LibriVox):

As a teacher aide I have used various technologies in the classroom, mostly were programs on disc. Through this course I was encouraged to find and explore other forms of technology that can be used in the classroom.  At first I was hesitant to engage in any of the various forms of technology that the other students were sharing and using in the classroom.  Because technology is constantly evolving by my being out of "the loop" for the past four and half years I was far behind the other students in regards to the latest academically directed technologies. The first  technology I explored was LibriVox,  an audio-book application for PC's, Chromebooks, tablets, and cellphones.  I found the technology to be useful. Especially, when I would have a hard time focusing on what was reading yet really wanting to get through the content (book).   As I stated in my blog post titled, "LibriVox- Audiobook",  I found this application to be useful when being introduced to new content, characters, and/or language. It created a "flow" to the story.

• "Dear Bobbie" Digital Narrative: 

I can't express to you enough how much I enjoyed doing this project.  Not only did I get a chance to work with my husband who I haven't really spent much time with this semester, but I was able to find the gratification that only comes from working through something you didn't think you could do.  This project was:

• lengthy
• tedious
• stressful
• fun 
• frustrating 
• and rewarding all the same time.

I feel as though this assignment illustrates what I have learned this semester. I can use this video as an example of incorporating new literacy within the classroom.  While creating this video I was forced to "think outside of the box" in regards to storytelling.  I used music, timing, illustration, and various forms of literary elements to tell "my story". 

• Booktrack Mini-Lesson:

This post was a total mess from start to finish. Reflecting back on it I'm a little embarrassed at it's lack of direction. If I were to re-due this assignment I would concentrate more on how to apply Booktrack  into my lesson as opposed to basing my whole lesson on Booktrack. I'd explore the various ways I could use Booktrack in order to encourage the students to explore their imagination in order to tell a story. I still think that Booktrack and it's ability to help students create a "mind-movie" with the assistance of audio ambiance is useful in the classroom setting. 

Final Reflection:

There was never a moment where I felt as though I was being judged for being an older, non-traditional student but there were several moments where I felt supported and encouraged, by the professor and by the other students. I was able to make connections with other students both inside and outside of the class that I found to be useful while trying to work through assignments.  For example, it was Rich's whiteboard stop-motion animation video that he shared with the class that became the catalyst for my own project. He was kind enough to suggest a few "tricks" and tips that were useful when creating my "Dear Bobbie" digital narrative. As much as I've struggled to keep up with the reading and assignments in this class, I'm happy I took it. I've stumbled and fallen more times than I care to remember but I've also pulled myself back up and carried on. The projects in this class allowed me to visually see my growth from start to finish. 

Hale Chatfield's Greatest Hits (1958-2000)

The Night Jeremy had to Shoot the Dog
- Having recently lost my own pup my heart broke for the characters within this poem. The various levels of emotion range from the young child to the older brother and to the father. Each experiencing the "situation" in his own. The innocence of the child, as an unexpected member of the hesitant "death squad" broke my heart as he was alone in his grief. The father and older child, although reluctant,  were able to follow through and take the furry life, leaning on each other for strength. Yet it was the strength of the young child that I found to be touching.

Repetition of Patterns
-A short enjoyable poem of the season.

Free
-I'd rather not get into the reasons why I LOVED this poem. I only want to touch on the depth of which Chatfield's words connected with me.

After being introduced to Hale Chatfield's poetry I'm happy to report that I'm no longer scared of new poets and I look forward to meeting many more.

Hale Chatfield's Greatest Hits 1958-2000

When I was younger, even months younger, I  enjoyed poetry. That was before exploring World Poetry in an academic setting. I had all but given up on ever enjoying poetry again when my professor introduced me to Hale Chatfield. Although, I dragged my feet a bit (a lot) before diving into the quick read of Chatfield's Greatest Hits (1958-2000) I found his words far from quick to leave my thoughts. I picked the book up and read it again. In my next post I will share with you the three poems that reminded me of the playful, sweet/sour "youthful" zest I once had for poetry.

Cyberbullying (http://cyberbullying.us/getting-teens-rethink-cyberbullying/)

Unfortunately, the rise of teen suicide is something that is ongoing. In this article it is addressed and challenged by getting kids to rethink. In the Baseline and Rethink System, one student took her use of technology and turned it into a tool to prevent suicide. She used a series of, "hurtful messages and measure (d) the adolescents’ willingness to post them on social media." The system also would "measure the test subject’s willingness, but if they agreed to post anything hurtful, it would alert them indicating “Hold on – that message that you are about to send, that may be hurtful to others."  Even though this may not be the "cure all" it is a step in the right direction.

Blondell and Miller

I really like Diane Gorski's way of slowly reeling her students into a new learning process. She was able to connect with the students but never giving up and always evolving. The moment we stop questioning our ability to "do better" in the classroom we immediately limit the possibility to do our students any justice. Diane adapted to the needs of the students and that made all the difference to them and her. For example, her use of a digital video allowed the students to find a personal connection with the assignment which Goski than encouraged the students to build upon. Diane Goski's willingness to adapt was the key to her "feeling purpose" in the classroom once again and to her students finally feeling purpose.

Sabertooth/Barnwell

I can totally 100% relate to how students have become addicted to electronics, partially cellular devices, and have lost the passion to hold a "normal" and engaging conversation. I agree with the following Barnwell statement:
 "the rush to meet 21st-century demands—emailing assignments, customizing projects for tablets and laptops, and allowing students to BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)—we aren’t asking students to think and communicate in real time." 
The need to engage with student in the "now" is instrumental in educating them for the future. 
After reading this I was interested in trying the following with my own, detached children,  "the next time you interact with a teenager, try to have a conversation with him or her about a challenging topic. Ask him to explain his views. Push her to go further in her answers." It is only by the pushing a student, or in my case-my kid, into the uncomfortable zone that questions and searching for answers can be learned. 

New Literacies Readings

In the New Literacy readings I liked the following excerpt:
"Multiple ways of knowing" (Short & Harste) also include art, music, movement, and drama, which should not be considered curricular luxuries."

I appreciate the way that there is encouragement to utilize media, mode and/or any other forum in the classroom and beyond. 

"So go out and compose like crazy in any format you can find or invent—but all the while, ask yourself what you already know and what you still need to learn."

Because all of our students will be coming from various lifestyles it is our duty as educators to connect with them on various levels. Some students may be lucky enough to have a computer and internet at home and some will not. We need to mold our teaching to encompass all.  

Kajder chapter 3

        I like the way that Kajder speaks of the need for teacher to "constantly be learning" in order to keep up to date with the new technologies and literacies that our student are using. Also, the need to "let go" of some of the "old school"ideology and embrace the new technologies of our "tech-obsessed" youth is extremely beneficial. Recognizing the use of social media in the everyday life of our students is also helpful. If we understand where they are going and coming from we can help monitor and assist them in a media that they, themselves, understand. As the article states, "literacy extends to new media" and the sooner we jump on board the better it will be for our students. Finding a way to motivate them is essentially the goal and if utilizing new literacies is the way to do that then I see no problem with it.

Booktrack Classroom

• Explore excerpt of “The Great Gatsby”. 
• Edit the ‘heartbeat’ and ‘kiss’- illustrating the ease of the program.
• Create one in front of the class based on a prompt that we work on together. 
• “As I sat on the old wooden bench I noticed much around me.” 
• Use concrete detail to describe the setting here. 
• What do you hear? What do you see? What do you smell? 
• What does it feel like? 
• Booktrack Classroom could be used in the classroom in the following ways: 
• Reading Books From the Booktrack Library: 
• Students who have a hard time “tuning out” outside noise would be able to fully engage in the reading process without distractions. 
• While reading and listening to the sounds and music the student would become part of the story, assisting in reading comprehension. 
• Student will become user friendly with technology and digital tools. 
• Creating a Booktrack audio book: 
• Student will connect with the storyline in an intimate way. Encouraging reading comprehension. 
• Student will learn and recognize the multiple literary devices. 
• Student will utilize knowledge of the following literary devices to enhance the richness of the story by adding sounds and music. 
• Plot: It is the logical sequence of events that develops a story. 
• Setting: It refers to the time and place in which a story takes place. 
• Protagonist: It is the main character of story, novel or a play e.g. Hamlet in the play Hamlet 
• Antagonist: It is the character in conflict with the Protagonist e.g. Claudius in the play Hamlet 
• Narrator: A person who tells the story. 
• Narrative method: The manner in which a narrative is presented comprising plot and setting. 
• Dialogue: Where characters of a narrative speak to one another. 
• Conflict. It is an issue in a narrative around which the whole story revolves. 
• Mood: A general atmosphere of a narrative. 
• Theme: It is central idea or concept of a story. 

(http://literarydevices.net/)

• Creating a Booktrack audio book with students own story. 
• Student will practice previous skills learned to create a their own Booktrack from their story, This will encourage: 
• confidence 
• communication skills 
• presentation skills 
• digital literacy skills 
• and much more. 

This easy to use technology is on point by keeping up with the needs of today's classroom and students. Booktrack classroom is available for: teacher, student, and parent. This allows us, the educator, to connect with the student on a different level. By having this technology available to so many different platforms it is virtually available at most times. The student on summer vacation could read along to “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” while the student who has to babysit their younger siblings could read along to “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” while enjoying a snack. The availability of Booktrack allows the student a different level of engaging with a story as well as their own imagination.

Dear Bobbie Project 2014

        I'm not going to lie, the Digital Narrative assignment scared the crap outta me at first.  I wasn't sure how to start it.  I had dozens of story lines and ideas:

• live action
• cartoon
•  writing of words
• still pictures
•  and an array of other thoughts and ideas. 

With each idea I became more and more frustrated and overwhelmed. Thankfully, after talking it out with Prof. McEntarfer in class one day I was able to come up with a concrete idea. Later that afternoon I ran to Wal-Mart and collected the necessary supplies:

• Dry erase markers
• Dry erase colored pencils
• a decent size and quality dry erase board
• and coffee. 

With caffeine and supplies in hand I laid out my plan. My plan was to ask my husband to assist me in creating my digital narrative by using stop-motion animation. Once he was able to find a program that worked and coffee was brewed we set off and painstakingly created the "Dear Bobbie" video. 

        Would I do another project like this again? Surprisingly, YES! I can see the draw to whiteboard stop-motion animation. It is surprisingly easy and kinda fun regardless of all the time and energy spent on it. Once complete it is rewarding to watch the life brought into each character as well as the story. I'm glad that I was pushed to complete this assignment and I will definitely introduce something similar as this project into my future classroom.