Prezi

Here is a Prezi that includes some thoughts I have on Language Arts and Technology use in education. There were so many great articles and discussions this semester that I did not know where to begin. I learned so many new applications but chose to include my favorites.

When viewing the Prezi, do not use "Autoplay". A few of the slides in the path have a bit too much text to read in the time given and I am still trying to figure out how to change that.

My conversations with ELA teachers continues as I implement and assess the podcasting project that we are doing together.

Most importantly, the possibilities for using new literacies in LA education is so wide open and exciting! Students today are so lucky to be learning in this way and I hope they will be able to be even more successful as they learn through the use of technology.

http://prezi.com/oxg2m2djrtw1/language-arts-and-technolgy/

Glogster Sample

Glogster is a collaborative online learning platform which has a regular user version as well as an educational (Glogger EDU) and paid or PRO version.It allows teachers and students to create "Glogs" or posters where they can express their creativity, knowledge and ideas. Glogs are online multimedia posters with text, photos, graphics, videos, sounds, data attachments and drawings.
Glogs can be used in an educational context to create book reports, research projects, class projects, and presentations. They provide a safe digital environment for homework and distance learning. Teachers and students can create a digital library of knowledge and an added bonus is that digital posters save paper.

I created a quick Glogster that is a book review of The Hunger Games.
I had some trouble embedding certain videos. After much trial error, I was able to do it. As with anything new their is a learning curve, but students especially have no problems figuring these things out.

My Glogster Sample Link

 Glogster Affordances Table

Voice Thread

Hi everyone,
I created a Voice Thread from some photos I took on my most recent trip to Brazil. These are of an artists community in the state of Minas Gerais, north of the state of Rio de janeiro. Here famous artists have created a cooperative where they train disabled and underprivileged members of the community to create works of art which preserve the rich cultural diversity of the region. They use recycled and reclaimed wood to produce beautiful works of art and they now can generate their own source of income, which previously was not possible.

Here is the link:  http://voicethread.com/share/2964618/

Article review- Evaluating pedagogical affordances in Web 2.0 technologies.

Web 2.0 applications feature the ability to share information in a participatory way. They allow creators and users to connect anywhere and anytime in an asynchronous manner which allows users to view information, leave feedback and interact with each other.  Web 2.0 users are offered connectivity and mobility as well as a platform to interact and collaborate with each other in a virtual community.

From an educational perspective this can be amazing. It is a student centered environment which offers more than the information retrieval of a web site and is certainly more exciting that a lecture based traditional classroom.  As teachers we can engage students in ways that are more meaningful to them as they can participate at a global level. The potential for increased participation and feedback is greatly increased.

This type of learning is evolving however and this shift in learning provides us with greater opportunities as well as challenges. This is where the increasing common concept of “affordances” comes into play. The affordance of a Web 2.0 application is basically its usefulness. Though a Web 2.0 tool may offer a great deal of functionality that does not guarantee that learning will take place. As stated in the article “the specific design and functionality of a particular tool does not define its pedagogical usefulness”.

In this article the authors,  Burden and Atkinson, discussed the affordances of the Web 2.0 application Voice Thread. They discuss the key features of Voice Thread and listed the affordances of each feature. This isolated the activities or practices that each function of Voice Thread enabled the user to perform. One example was the ability to post comments related to the artifact or information. These comments can be left in the form of a written response, an audio or a video comment. The affordance was that learners and instructors can provide feedback about the media, for example a video that is attached to specific aspects or points in the presentation. In addition the instructor can provide feedback on the work prior to the formal assessment, allowing the creator to modify or perfect the artifact. Though Voice Thread offers a lot of features, the pedagogical affordances will only be seem when used for specific learning situations.

It is clear that Web 2.0 applications like Voice Thread offer us great flexibility and the ability to collaborate and connect with students in a way that encourages the development of new literacies.  Like any other new and evolving educational tool, we have to plan our work, be creative and design meaningful and authentic learning experiences.

Blogging and College Reading

 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19388070903509177

This was a very interesting study on the use of blogging in a college developmental reading course. The goal was to introduce and integrate new literacies into a traditional literacy learning environment. There were three factors addressed in this study. One was the question “does the use of blogging affect reading performance?” The answer seems to be no. The second question, and perhaps the most indicative of the effects of blogging was whether or not blogging affects the student’s motivation in a developmental reading class. Though motivation did not seem to differ in the two settings, the blogging students expressed more confidence with using the computer for communicating versus the traditional learners.

The most surprising result of this study was related to retention rates. Blogging students are more likely to stay in school. The retention rate, according to this article, among blogging students is 97.5%, compared to 86.2% among traditional classroom students. This can be due to the increased interaction among the bloggers and feeling part of a group as well the positive effects of having your voice be heard.  

Blogging seems to create an environment where students feel more comfortable sharing ideas and critiquing the work of their peers. Teachers play a different role as well in a classroom that blogs. They can provide feedback in such a way as to participate in the discussion instead of always leading a discussion. In addition I feel that in a blog you can offer more to the readers. You can link to pertinent information, include graphics and other multi-media components and you can participate at any time of the day or night. This type of asynchronous learning is conducive to the participation of learners who are working full time and hence perhaps the higher retention rates.

Both professors Hsu and Wang seem to have made great contributions to the teaching of new literacies.

Digital Story Telling in ELA Classrooms

A digital story consists of a series of still images that are combined with a narrated soundtrack to tell a story. Ken Burns used this technique in his series of documentaries for PBS. Although short video clips are sometimes included, students can create digital stories without access to video equipment. From my research I have learned that there are seven elements in digital storytelling. These include a point of view, a dramatic question, emotional content, economy, pacing, the gift of your voice, and an accompanying soundtrack. (Bull and Kajder, Digital Storytelling in the Language Arts Classroom, Vol. 39 No. 4)

I have been creating my digital story using iMovie on my Mac. I have had very little experience with iMovie but it is going pretty well. I have chosen to do a presentation on Nutrition for a second grade classroom. Nutrition is part of the second grade science curriculum.

In speaking with an ELA teacher we talked about the many benefits of digital storytelling. She expressed concern with the "online" nature of the digital stroy and I spoke to her about the option of doing an "offline" version. When using iMovie or other software it is not necessary to publish the digital stories online. The features of digital story telling she was most excited about are the creativite and artistic possibilities, such as in a creative writing assignment and the possibilities for reflection and use of imagination. We also talked about using photography to document data or information such as in a science journal. Another thing we discussed was using digital storytelling for a substitute teacher to show duirng a planned absence.

I am looking forward to working on my digital story and will post my story board here for some feedback from everyone.

This link is directly to the book...

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=57574&page=1

UDL Book Builder

http://db.tt/kUbYhWzS

Here is the Drop Box public link to my UDL Book Builder book project.

My book is called “You are Never Too Little to Help around the House”.  It is part of a four book series (theoretically) which would include other books entitled “You are Never Too Little to Help around the Yard”, “You are Never Too Little to Help in Your School” and “You are Never To Little to Help in Your Community”.

This book is intended for first graders and includes a list of the Dolch sight words for first grade. The ELA teacher I am working with uses the Dolch list as a guide and her reading program incorporates these words in every book. In addition she uses what are called “Challenge Words” in each book and the students have a different list of challenge words that they are tested on weekly, in addition to the sight words.  I have included several of these challenge words in my book.

I have asked the reader questions at the bottom of each page. They can either type in the space to respond or use the questions to have conversations about the book with classmates or the teacher. The teacher would use this area for guided questions and to check for understanding.  In addition teachers could use this book in the social studies curriculum. Part of that curriculum is learning about community and community helpers. These books would be perfect for that topic.

The idea for the book came from my daughter who is in second grade. She helps around the house quite a bit but was complaining that none of her other friends have to do chores. We discussed the idea of helping your family around the house and that gave me the idea to do this particular story. I included pictures of my daughter doing what she does every day to help.

For the images, I took pictures of my daughter and edited them with filters in Adobe Photoshop to make them look more stylized and colorful. I then added a stroke (border) around a few and created a collage for one of the pages.

To improve this book I would work on the images a bit more. I would also try to include more hyperlinks to information. It was a fun project and I will try to finish the series of books in Book Builder at some future time.

Week 7- Second Life Uses and Avatar

I have been playing around in Second Life for the last few days and am having a difficult time of it. My 18 year old daughter tells me she tried it for a while and thought it was complicated as well. I entered a few educational environments. I explored several international destinations. There seems to be a lot of content and it is a very creative looking environment. I had a hard time figuring out how to make changes in the appearance of my avatar, and the basic operation of the avatar in each environment. There seemed to be a lot of folks just standing around.  I think it will require a big time investment to understand the possibilities but from the research I did, I know that many universities use Second Life and are very successful in doing so. I can see it offers collaboration possibilities. You can interact with other educators around the world, as well as classrooms and laboratories.

As far as how Second Life could be used in and ELA setting I see many writing and reading opportunities. Students can write and perform plays, poetry and music. Students can create and respond to writing prompts and reflect on experiences in virtual worlds. Students can participate in historic reenactments and "live" in other times. For the foreign language classroom, Second Life can offer language immersion experiences. In the science classroom, students can perform virtual experiments, explore the human body and organs from the inside and collaborate on experiments with anyone in the world. Second Life offers these and many more possibilities for learning.

I believe to truly experience the possibilities I would need a real purpose- perhaps a class or lecture to attend. As with any new software application I never really learn it until I have something concrete to accomplish.

Week 7- Article Review

 Week 7- Introduction to the Range of New Literacies

Article: Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

Having taken another class on literacy instruction, I felt I had thought a lot about students and their interactions with text until I read this article. This concept of a different relationship with text; one where the reader is gaining more insight from the actual font, font size and typesetting than from the text itself, was eye opening. I have three children of my own and realize young readers take visual clues from each page. How often have we seen young readers scan the page before reading the words when just learning to read? This is an great technique to help the reader understand the supposed content of the text. However, I had never considered the other elements of multimodal text and the dynamics of this writer, reader and teacher relationship. Text can create pathways to follow, for example different windows to open or doorways to enter. Text can present parallel displays of information with cross-referencing features (i.e. see page 6 for more information or see glossary at back of book). Text can contain extreme graphics and images and interact with a reader in such a way as to provide the possibility for every reader to have a different interaction and relationships with the text. Text can allow readers to form their own opinion and can pose questions to readers enabling them to construct meaning.

The teacher’s role is very important in the multimodal learning environment. The teacher models this type of constructivist learning and asks young readers to not only tell what they know but explain how they know it. 

Multimodal practices in education create new roles for the writer, the reader and the teacher. I really enjoyed this article and am thinking beyond the scope of the article to the endless possibilities and new instructional dynamics that can be created with interactive online books. There are so many possibilities.

Article: Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners
 

This is a fascinating and informative article about the potential of using Second Life (SL) for educational purposes. SL can provide “near real life environments” for learning as well as for social interaction and exploration. SL offers instructors and learners alike the option of taking virtual field trips and participating in simulations.Most importantly, according to the article, SL can create a sense of community, which can often be lacking in online learning environments. The article was careful to point out the realities of using SL in a school setting. Often schools block SL because it can use a great deal of the bandwidth on a network. SL does not provide a platform for distribution and submission of documents nor an environment for assessment. In addition SL require a higher end computer to run because of the need for a good graphics card. And, in addition the SL network is an open one, meaning anyone can enter a classroom on SL and observe or participate. This can be distracting to the teacher and the learner.

However, it seems that there are many options for teaching and learning and building a sense of community. After reading this article I would be inclined to further explore the educational possibilities of SL.

Week 6- Game Scenario

Here is the link to my game scenario slide. The game is called Bridges to Urbania.

http://db.tt/ZconLAIA

More on Edmodo

Edmodo can be used to enhance any ELA program. The possibilities are really endless and from what I see, Edmodo is changing the way many classrooms function. Teachers now can post assignments for students, parents and administrators to see. Teachers can grade written work and share projects with their classes. Students and teachers can chat and share websites and it is easy to keep in touch with students who are out sick.

ELA teachers can set up pen pals for students to chat with. Teachers can move beyond the classroom and set up virtual book clubs with other classroom around the country or around the world. Students can chat with authors and teachers in other geographic areas.

Another way teaching and learning can be enhanced through the use of Edmodo is when teachers model positive use of social media in a controllable online environment. I can see so many uses for Edmodo in ELA and am encouraged to see that districts are supporting it as well.

Week 6- Using Games in the Classroom

Games are fun! Almost everyone likes to play games and they can be useful and engaging in the classroom. In my opinion the biggest benefit is that they create a context for using skills, reasoning and problem solving that cannot be found in textbooks or on a worksheet. They help students who are not conventional learners by appealing to visual as well as kinesthetic learning styles. Games create discussion. Games help students talk about subjects, like math for example, that they might not otherwise talk about. Students talk about moves or techniques and are able to play against each other or in pairs. Games naturally scaffold learning. There are usually different levels that students can play at and they progress in an unthreatening way, thus building confidence in the process. Games require students to read and comprehend directions, rules and learning objectives. They often require students to write or at least input information. Games provide concrete objects to manipulate, not hypothetical’s as are often found in word problems in textbooks.  Games should not replace textbooks and workbooks but it is important to engage 21^st century learners in a way that appeals to them and by using technology we can do that.

Week 6- Gamestar Mechanic Review

Gamestar Mechanic is a game based learning platform that teaches the basics of game design. It is intended for grade levels 4-9.  It allows students to learn about different game systems and how they function. The web site states that students cultivate skills involving systems based thinking, creative problem solving, art and aesthetics, writing and storytelling and STEM areas of curriculum.  The learning environment of Gamestar Mechanic is designed to foster the acquisition of 21st century language and literacy skills by instructing students about the key elements of game design.
  
How does it work you might ask?

Students play through the “quest” which is a narrative adventure shown in animation and mini games. In play mode, as they move through the story they have to edit and fix broken or poorly designed elements of the game.  In design mode the students play and fix the games and as they do, they earn “sprites”. These sprites can be used to design games in their own “workshops”. They use drag and drop tools without having to write program code. To receive feedback the student share their games in an online community called Game Alley. Here the students review each other and provide feedback in the form of comments.

Teachers use Gamestar Mechanic as part of the instruction in a classroom. They can use it to model a system such as the water cycle in science. They can use it to tell a story. An art teacher might use it to show specific visual qualities related to an art topic. A technology teacher could use it to teach game design. After playing the teacher introduction I was engaged and played through to the end. I can see it is geared for younger students and think the 9th grade recommendation might be stretching it a bit. Overall it is something I liked and I would be interested in seeing how it works in an elementary and middle school classroom.

Week 5 -Edmodo

Here is the link to my Edmodo page.

http://www.edmodo.com/mrssweck

I have been exposed to Edmodo in other NYIT classes and see that it can have a many great uses in an educational setting. Most importantly it provides  a safe interface for social networking with parents and students. It makes it easy to communicate assignments and special dates with students and their families. It provides a platform for students to do homework and research assignments. If students are absent they can see what they missed. Teachers can post links to web casts, video  and other graphic content. The possibilities are really endless. I found this great web page with other out-of-the-box ideas for using Edmodo. I thought you all might find it interesting.

http://blog.edmodo.com/2010/11/23/we-asked-you-answered-15-more-brilliant-ways-to-use-edmodo/

I am not sure if I will use Edmodo in my classroom, but I see its merits.

Week Five- Article Review

Here is the link to an interesting article entitled  "Tomorrow will not be like today": Literacy and identity in a word of multiliteracies. I chose this article because it speaks about the shift occurring in literacy education practices for adolescents and how the prevalence of online life for teens alters issues of identity. It also talks about the new challenges both the students and we as educators face now and will face in the future.  The most interesting component of this article to me was the ways in which technology allows people to "manipulate and play with their identities".  They can now create an online persona that be greatly different from their actual "in-person" self.

 Also, the article touches on the fact that though many express concern for the amount of time teens spend online,  the interactive nature of online life and the amount of reading and writing they do shows how exaggerated this concern may be. Not only are they not socially isolated, they are interacting for hours and hours with different people in a variety of different social and educational contexts.

Though my son spends hours online in the evening, I observe him doing his homework in collaboration with friends, completing group multimedia projects online, researching for an essay and papers, studying for his drivers permit and blogging; and at the same time he is instant messaging on facebook or uploading photos to Gimp for editing to post to his blog. This is the way life is for teens and there is no turning back.

 If we engage our students in conversations and ask them to show us what they read and write online, we can discover what they may have learned about traditional literacy concepts. If we create places for students to work online, we engage them in a way that is familiar to them and works in the social realm that they are used to working in. We can certainly engage them in traditional practices of reading and writing and new literacy in the areas of media content, networking, negotiating of social contexts and in working with multiple media, as stated in the article.

Okay, here is the link. Please let me know what you think!
http://igenlit.pbworks.com/f/williams%20multiliteracies.pdf


Here is the DropBox link:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/58663120/Language%20Arts%20and%20Technology/Week%205/williams%20multiliteracies-1.pdf

Week 4 - Gaming Lesson Plan

Simple ELA Lesson Plan                                                Game: A Google a Day

Description of game:

"A Google A Day helps keep the cobwebs away! Engage your gray matter and sharpen your web searching skills to find the answer for each day's head-scratching query. Read the question, and then race the clock to see how quickly you can Google the answer. There's no right way to solve it, but there's only one right answer! Learn something new every day when you play A Google A Day! "

Grade level: 6-8

Common Core ELA STANDARDS

Reading Informational Text: RI 4

4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they

are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,

and technical meanings; analyze the impact of

specific word choices on meaning and tone,

including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Writing: W,6,7

6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce

and publish writing and present the relationships

between information and ideas efficiently as well

as to interact and collaborate with others.

7. Conduct short research projects to answer a

question (including a self-generated question),

drawing on several sources and generating

additional related, focused questions that allow for

multiple avenues of exploration.

Speaking and Listening: SL 1,2

1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative

discussions with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and

expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read

or researched material under study; explicitly

draw on that preparation by referring to

evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe

and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and

decision-making, track progress toward

specific goals and deadlines, and define

individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of

several speakers and respond to others’

questions and comments with relevant

evidence, observations, and ideas.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed

by others, and, when warranted, qualify or

justify their own views in light of the evidence

presented.

2. Analyze the purpose of information presented

in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,

quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives

(e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its

presentation.

 Language: L 2,4,5,6

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English capitalization, punctuation, and

spelling when writing.

a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to

indicate a pause or break.

c. Spell correctly.

4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and

multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade

8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a

range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a

sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or

function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning

of a word or phrase.

b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin

affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a

word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).

c. Consult general and specialized reference

materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,

thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the

pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify

its precise meaning or its part of speech.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the

meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking

the inferred meaning in context or in a

dictionary).

5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,

word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony,

puns) in context.

b. Use the relationship between particular words

to better understand each of the words.

c. Distinguish among the connotations

6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate

general academic and domain-specific words

and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge

when considering a word or phrase important to

comprehension or expression.

NETS-Technology Standards

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct

knowledge, and develop innovative products and

processes using technology.

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,

products, or processes

2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to

communicate and work collaboratively, including

at a distance, to support individual learning and

contribute to the learning of others.

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,

experts, or others employing a variety of digital

environments and media

b. Communicate information and ideas effectively

to multiple audiences using a variety of media

and formats

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate,

and use information.

a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,

and ethically use information from a variety of

sources and media

c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital

tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

d. Process data and report results

4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving,

and Decision Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and

conduct research, manage projects, solve problems,

and make informed decisions using appropriate

digital tools and resources.

a. Identify and define authentic problems and

significant questions for investigation

5. Digital Citizenship

a. Practice safe, legal, and responsible

use of information and technology

b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology

that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity

c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for

lifelong learning

d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding

of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

a. Understand and use technology systems

b. Select and use applications effectively

and productively

c. Troubleshoot systems and applications

d. Transfer current knowledge to learning

of new technologies

Instructional activities:

      This is a reading and vocabulary do-now activity. Students are directed to log on to their computers when they arrive to class and go to the game. They will use Google to solve the problem. In this timed game, students learn to use a full range of search techniques to answer riddles, questions and solve problems. Most often it involves vocabulary puzzlers. 

 http://agoogleaday.com/#date=2012-02-19 

or access it through Shockwave at  http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/googleaday.jsp

 

      Sample question #1: I can grow my body back in about two days if cut in half. Many scientists believe I do not undergo senescence. What am I?

      Sample question #2: If you were in the basin of the Somme River at summer’s end in 1918, what language would you have had to speak to understand coded British communications?

Sample question #3: Two future presidents signed me. Two didn't because they were abroad. Despite my importance, modern viewers seem to think I have a glaring spelling error. What is it?

Sample question #4: In April 1896, I shot and killed a man. Eight months earlier, that man shot and killed a man who 17 years prior was famously reported to have killed 42 men. Who was the man I shot?

Assessment:

      Teacher will check the student’s answer in their class journal. Students will be expected to write down the question, the answer and the search path they chose, and why. They will also be expected to reflect on what subject area the question falls under. 

Debriefing:

      A vote will be taken among the class once a week and one question chosen for discussion. In order to develop meaningful learning, the chosen question will be reviewed. The class will discuss how a good search could take place. The class will discuss the relevance of the question, any unknown vocabulary terms and the process of conducting the online search in a productive way, relative to the question chosen that week.

What cognitive skills do this game help to cultivate?

      Players need to be able to read and understand the information presented in the questions. They get feedback and are offered help and must be able to read the hint and decipher how it can help them. The hints are a form of scaffolding. They must understand the main idea of the textual information and are then involved in what is called a “transactional process’ in the article we read, whereby they process the knowledge they find in their initial search to help them move forward towards discovery (finding the correct answer). Students must access prior knowledge in many cases to help them use the correct search terms. So, players must analyze textual information and bring prior knowledge to help answer questions. 

What new literacies skills do this game help to cultivate?

From the journal article we read that new literacies “generally means being able to use information and communication technology tools to “identify questions, locate information, evaluate the information, synthesize information to answer questions, and communicate the answers to others” (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004, p. 1572). 

This quick daily ELA lesson cultivates all of those new literacies skills.

Week 4- Gaming Literacies

 

Gaming Literacies: Game Review

Sugar, Sugar: “Addictive like sugar but don’t be fooled”

I chose the game Sugar, Sugar, which is found on shockwave.com and also on hoodmath.com and coolmath-games.com. It is a game I let my students play for a few minutes at the end of the period in my Introduction to Engineering classes because it involves logic, strategy and skill to solve the problem. I feel this relates to the engineering process in many ways. The game requires you to draw lines to funnel enough sugar towards a cup until it is full. The levels get progressively harder and more challenging and the game is very addictive. There are 30 levels and after that a free play mode is unlocked where the students can design their own challenges, which involves higher cognitive skills.  The students have to think ahead to what they want to do and plan a sequence of events to get the desired results. 

There is very little text or dialogue in this game. It is a trial and error scenario, with a few textual clues. In the first four levels you are told to “draw with the mouse to get enough sugar into the cup”. If you get stuck there is a reset button. In another few levels the player is told, “white sugar goes in the white cup and red sugar goes in the red cup. Sift your sugar through the filter”. In the next the level, players are told, “there is a hole in the ground”. Students are expected to figure out what to do after that.

The video and graphic elements of this game are what is interesting. The interface is clean and bright. The cups and filters are very graphic and the sugar looks like real sugar falling. There are numbers on the cups to tell you how much sugar they need and it counts down as it fills. Students are expected to identify the meaning through the graphics and animation of the sugar falling, the filter colors, arrow directions and the cups and numbers.

The audio element of the game is a bit mesmerizing and in a classroom a little annoying. I usually turn it off. It is a repetitive drumbeat and though the students like it, when multiple players are on I ask them to turn it off. There is an audio queue when a level has been beaten and I notice it triggers an excited response from the students when it plays.

As far as scenario design this game has no embedded scenario. Much like Tetris, Sugar Sugar is a strategy game that develops students reasoning, problem solving and logical design abilities. It is trial and error learning that reinforces players reasoning abilities.

I know if you try Sugar Sugar, you won’t be able to stop.

 http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/sugar-sugar.jsp

Week 3- Hands-on Helping ELA teachers practice new literacies in their classrooms

Subject: Podcasting: Reading/Reflection/Opinion on Newspaper Articles on Social Issues

Standards Addressed: 
New York State Commons Core Learning Standards for ELA and Literacy, Grades 9-10
Reading Standards for Informational Text, (RI) 1,2,3,5,6,8
Writing: (W) 1,2,4,5,6,9
Speaking and Listening (SL) 1,2,4,5
Language: (L) 1,5,6

Learning Outcomes:
Students will learn what a podcast is.
Students will be able to access and manipulate a podcast environment.
Students will choose and listen to different types of podcasts that may interest them and that are educational in nature.
Students will be able to write, record edit and publish a podcast.
Students will listen to classmates podcasts and respond to them in writing.


Technology Needed: Computers and peripheral hardware, microphones, Audacity software

Timeline:
Part 1: two 45-minute class periods
Part 2: two 45-minute class periods
Part 3:, five to six 45-minute class periods

Grade level: 9-10

How can it be integrated and implemented in the lessons?
This is my implementation plan.

Part 1:
Have students participate in an in-class survey about podcasting, read an article about podcasting and use it to learn about types of programs available as well as the technology related to podcasting. Have them practice accessing a podcast and using features (pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding the program). Direct a class discussion about podcasts using what they have learned from reading about and accessing a podcast.

Part 2:
Have students listen to a podcast and record key information and content from the podcast using a graphic organizer. Lead a class discussion or assign a written piece about how they completed the content on the graphic organizer as well as what they learned from listening to the podcast.

Part 3:
Use content from online resources to learn about the steps necessary for producing a podcast.
Work in small groups to plan a podcast that is appropriate for the classroom.
Work in small group to produce an original podcast and share it with classmates.



Assessment (on writing skills and technology skills):
1. Complete an oral or written response activity based upon what they have learned about the basics of podcasting.
2. Complete a culminating follow-up activity that illustrates what was learned from the specific podcast they listened to.
3. Evaluate the content of the podcasts produced by their classmates by using an evaluation form to provide feedback

Week 3- Minds-on “New Literacies Definition and Components

1. I interviewed two ELA teachers, one in elementary school and one in high school. The elementary school teacher has just a couple of computers in his classroom. He occasionally uses recorded books and music on CD with his students.  He is open to the use of technology but says the district does not have the resources to do more. He also says he is so busy with testing and working with students that he does not have the time to investigate the possibilities. The second teacher has four computers in her room. She has a reading lab and teaches students who are in the special education program. These students struggle with reading and do not like or want to read. She has them do some word processing on the computers but that is the extent of the use of technology in her classroom. I believe the biggest road blocks are the perception that there are no resources to provide for new technology and they believe the learning curve is too daunting when they are already so busy.

2. I think the first job we as technology specialist have is to facilitate the process of acquiring the technology tools the teachers might use. For example, when I  approached the high school teacher that I will be collaborating with about having her students do some podcasting, she was open to it but did not know how to start. I placed a call to the person in charge of computer technology support in our building and asked him to install Audacity on the four computers in her room as well as on the teachers computer. It was done remotely and within the same day. Next I requested three microphones and he will have them delivered on Monday. So, though it may have seemed like a big process, in actuality it was rather easy to facilitate and get the project going.
Next I will meet with the teacher and help her in developing a lesson format for introducing podcasting and having her students write and produce each other podcasts. I will need to teach her how to use the software and hardware and be present when the lessons are delivered. So as I see it, facilitating with the acquisition of software  and showing teachers what the possibilities are is how I can help change their instructional practices.

3. Teachers will need to know clearly what the process is for requesting new software and hardware for their classrooms. They will need in-service classes to learn to use the tools that are available to them. They will need a support person to help them when they are first using new technology in their classes. Most importantly they need the ideas. They need people to model the use of new technology and they need to see how it can motivate and inspire their students.

4.  In classrooms with limited computer access there is a challenge when it comes to allowing all students equal access to the technology. By creating a workflow in the classroom which is designed to have the students placed at different "centers of activity",  they can have access to different tools on a rotating basis. I also believe in allowing the use of cell phones in the classroom for educational purposes. If students can get onto Facebook, they can get onto their blogs and write. Additionally I would assign the option of doing work from home in the evening so they can be doing work that involves technology from their own computers. This would include things like watching a teacher produced video-cast or lesson, Ted Talks, listening to educational podcasts on their iPods or blogging from home.

Week 3- Theory in Practice

 

The concept of new literacies is a broad term for the use of current technology in the educational system. It is important because without an educational system that both financially provides for and supports new literacies based curriculum, we are not adequately preparing our children for a future in the world they live in. The majority of the new literacies instruction today is Internet based and also includes communication through email, instant messaging, texting and the effective use of word processing software. With new literacies based curriculum, students can participate in more diverse learning activities. They can begin to analyze text in different ways (e-blogging, podcasting, videocasting) and begin to communicate not just in their classroom but with the world. 

New literacies are so important because the traditional definition of reading, writing and communication and clearly the definition of best practices in ELA instruction are no longer textbook or print media based. We must prepare students for college and careers with the tools to be successful. These new literacies are the mean by which students will acquire knowledge and therefore the means of providing them with the futures they deserve.

It is hard to imagine the changes that will occur in the educational lifetime of a kindergartener through graduation from high school, when you look at the fact that today’s graduates began their educations in a time before the internet, cell phones and wireless technology were being used everyday.

My Drop Box Link

https://www.dropbox.com/home#:::98513956

Interview with two ELA teachers

I interviewed two language arts teachers in the Arlington School district. The first was Sue Backus, a high school reading teacher who teaches at risk students in a small classroom setting. She said that the challenges she faces to integrating technology in her program are that there is no money to buy computer programs or e-books and there are not enough computers for her class. In addition she has students requiring the use of voice recognition software and the program she has does not function well. Another huge challenge is her class size, and the fact that the students are lacking in keyboarding and computer skills. 

The second teacher was Mark Garnot, who is a reading and special education teacher. Mark cites lack of technology in the classroom as the major challenge. He would like a Smart Board and does not think he will get one. He is getting an interactive whiteboard, but he is not sure when. He has two computers in his class, and 10-12 students at a time, so even if he had great ELA software, he would not be able to have every student, even working with a partner, sitting at a computer. 

Money seems to be the biggest deterrent to using technology in these ELA classrooms. Both teachers are interested and knowledgeable about the possibilities and potential of using technology to enhance their curriculum, but are held back by funding.

Podcasting with your students to address all five ELA standards

Podcasts use MP3 audio and video files as a form of online communication. Like a blog, the podcast is a versatile online way to self-publish. The creator of a podcast makes an audio or video recording and posts it at a web address. This could simply be a class blog that the teacher sets up and monitors for the purpose of listing the students links to their podcasts. The audience listens to or views this “show” by downloading it to a computer or, more commonly, to a portable MP3 player. They can also be listened to directly on the computer itself and the students can post a reponse or reflection right on the blog itself.

Many people are followers of several podcasts and they can easily be downloaded and subscribed to through i-Tunes. This allows for weekly updates automatically.

Students who podcast would be reading and writing texts, speaking and listening to other students’ podcasts and using language regulary. As Educause recently put it, podcasting is “giving educators another way to meet today’s students where they live and learn—on the Internet and on audio players.”

The first step in creating a podcast is to record the audio. You will need an internal or external computer microphone if you plan to create the podcast in the classroom. To record your audio directly onto the computer, you will need a simple audio editing software. Many podcasters choose Audacity (available for MAC or PC), a free, downloadable program that is easy to use. If you are using an Apple computer, you already have a program called GarageBand, which is similar to Audicity.

I am including links to Audacity, Garage Band and an Apple site about podcasting in education.

Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/


Garage Band Showcase
http://www.apple.com/ilife/video-showcase/


Podcasting in Education
http://www.apple.com/education/podcasting/

Week 2 Assignment- Understanding ELA Standards

 

There are five main components to the standards for ELA Instruction.  These standards include, reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. According to the common core website, the goal is achievement and results, not dictating the means used to get there. This allows teachers, curriculum developers and individual states the freedom to achieve results in whatever way they feel appropriate, while still maintaining a national standard.

The reading component focuses on text complexity and growth of comprehension. The ultimate goal is comprehension and applying this to life in the world. Students must learn to make connections and be able to think critically about what they are reading, among other areas of focus.

 The second component is the writing piece. Reading and writing connection is stressed to understand a student’s level of comprehension. The focus in the writing component is text type, responding to reading and research.

The next section includes both speaking and listening. The focus is on formal presentations, oral communication and developing interpersonal skills. Students must work together to develop speech and listening comprehension.

The final component in the standards for ELA instruction is the language piece. This area focuses on language conventions, developing an effective use of vocabulary, or more specifically the use of words and phrases.

In the K-5 classroom, a single teacher is responsible for implementing the standards. In grades 6-12 these standards are covered by ELA teachers and also by teachers in content specific subject areas.