Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Digital Stories vs. Research Papers
Can a digital story substitute for an intensive research paper, successfully?
While creating a research paper the individual chooses a topic, finds relevant information on the topic, states a thesis using critical thinking skills, creates a tentative outline that contains an introduction, the body, and a conclusion, organizes notes into the first draft, revises into a second draft, and lastly creates a final copy.
Can all this be done using digital story technology? What do I think - absolutely! As long as the individual follows the same criteria. The topic chosen should be content relevant. If the research paper assignment is for a history class , then the digital story should have historical relevance. Likewise if the research paper assignment is for a science class, then the digital story should reflect a topic in science.
After the topic is chosen for the digital story, the individual then has to do research to decide how their topic is going to evolve from an idea to facts. The student should create a thesis or statement of what they want the viewer to see or learn and then research information to support and defend their thesis. For instance, if an individual decides to create a digital story about the events on 9/11, then they should know and understand all the important facts such as a timeline of the events. Random pictures thrown onto the screen, while they can be emotional, do not reflect the idea of what the individual is trying to state. Which can be confusing for a viewer. The digital story should flow.
The student should then create a storyboard or informal outline. This would include choosing pictures that would be relevant to the topic. As the student chooses their pictures they could then begin formulating what each picture should state. How they want to arrange the pictures into an introduction , the body of the video, and finally a conclusion - all which would support the main idea.
After the student has done all this, they could then begin plugging all their materials into a program such as Photo Story. As they are "plugging in" their story the individual has to make sure the picture delivers the message they are trying to create, the picture is clear, the text or voice prompts added are understandable, and the pictures flow seamlessly so that the viewer does not lose focus of the message being presented.
Obviously, after all this is done the individual has a full grasp on their topic. They have done the research and found relevant interactive media to backup the research. In fact, I think they have gone a step further. In developing a video on the research information they have followed ISTE NET standards. If the video is a success, then the student has a full understanding of the technology (#6) for Photo Story. Which includes uploading pictures and tweaking them, adding text or voice prompts, and/or adding music. If the digital story flows and supports the main idea and the message is successfully delivered to the viewers then the student has satisfied #2 ccommunication and collaboration. Taking the students idea and creating a movie to support that idea follows standard #1 creativity and innovation. During the creation progress of the digital story the student has to gather information and systematically organize photos, the student finds on their own, to fit the story. This would satisfy #3 research and information fluency. As the student organizes the photos and adds text or voice prompts to support the main idea, it becomes applicable to life. The student is using all the information gathered and applying it. If the student makes a successful conclusion in their video, then the digital story would support standard #4 critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. #5 digital citizenship, is a bit trickier. This comes down completely to how the student delivers the message. Obviously a digital story is very unique to the creator and their message. Ethical issues can be fuzzy at best. There are obvious ethics that everyone follows and then there are some that are not so obvious. Depending on the research done whether it be through a research paper or a digital story, sometimes the message delivered can step on toes. But assuming the student did not break a major ethical faux pas then digital citizenship can be satisfied as well.
I think its safe to say, from my standpoint, that digital stories can equal and often out class a research paper. The information is transformed from black letters on a white sheet of paper to an interactive host of information download-able by the world.
.
While creating a research paper the individual chooses a topic, finds relevant information on the topic, states a thesis using critical thinking skills, creates a tentative outline that contains an introduction, the body, and a conclusion, organizes notes into the first draft, revises into a second draft, and lastly creates a final copy.
Can all this be done using digital story technology? What do I think - absolutely! As long as the individual follows the same criteria. The topic chosen should be content relevant. If the research paper assignment is for a history class , then the digital story should have historical relevance. Likewise if the research paper assignment is for a science class, then the digital story should reflect a topic in science.
After the topic is chosen for the digital story, the individual then has to do research to decide how their topic is going to evolve from an idea to facts. The student should create a thesis or statement of what they want the viewer to see or learn and then research information to support and defend their thesis. For instance, if an individual decides to create a digital story about the events on 9/11, then they should know and understand all the important facts such as a timeline of the events. Random pictures thrown onto the screen, while they can be emotional, do not reflect the idea of what the individual is trying to state. Which can be confusing for a viewer. The digital story should flow.
The student should then create a storyboard or informal outline. This would include choosing pictures that would be relevant to the topic. As the student chooses their pictures they could then begin formulating what each picture should state. How they want to arrange the pictures into an introduction , the body of the video, and finally a conclusion - all which would support the main idea.
After the student has done all this, they could then begin plugging all their materials into a program such as Photo Story. As they are "plugging in" their story the individual has to make sure the picture delivers the message they are trying to create, the picture is clear, the text or voice prompts added are understandable, and the pictures flow seamlessly so that the viewer does not lose focus of the message being presented.
Obviously, after all this is done the individual has a full grasp on their topic. They have done the research and found relevant interactive media to backup the research. In fact, I think they have gone a step further. In developing a video on the research information they have followed ISTE NET standards. If the video is a success, then the student has a full understanding of the technology (#6) for Photo Story. Which includes uploading pictures and tweaking them, adding text or voice prompts, and/or adding music. If the digital story flows and supports the main idea and the message is successfully delivered to the viewers then the student has satisfied #2 ccommunication and collaboration. Taking the students idea and creating a movie to support that idea follows standard #1 creativity and innovation. During the creation progress of the digital story the student has to gather information and systematically organize photos, the student finds on their own, to fit the story. This would satisfy #3 research and information fluency. As the student organizes the photos and adds text or voice prompts to support the main idea, it becomes applicable to life. The student is using all the information gathered and applying it. If the student makes a successful conclusion in their video, then the digital story would support standard #4 critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. #5 digital citizenship, is a bit trickier. This comes down completely to how the student delivers the message. Obviously a digital story is very unique to the creator and their message. Ethical issues can be fuzzy at best. There are obvious ethics that everyone follows and then there are some that are not so obvious. Depending on the research done whether it be through a research paper or a digital story, sometimes the message delivered can step on toes. But assuming the student did not break a major ethical faux pas then digital citizenship can be satisfied as well.
I think its safe to say, from my standpoint, that digital stories can equal and often out class a research paper. The information is transformed from black letters on a white sheet of paper to an interactive host of information download-able by the world.
.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Texting? The New Language
I must admit, my original thoughts on text language has softened a bit. I feared that it may be ruining our language. For me it may be a generational thing. I did not grow up texting. I'm not sure what would have been the look on my face if I were told one day I'd be using an actual 'mobile' phone (one that was not connected to the wall) that had the ability to send 'notes' to other people's 'mobile' phones. Skip forward a few years to the time I graduated from high school and entered college between 1995-2000 was much different compared to what I see now. In 1998, you might have seen a few students walking around with cellular phones attached to their ears but they were not text messaging. Of course, this came down to the simple fact that - it was too expensive. Heck, using your minutes just to talk was too expensive. A lot has changed in a very small amount of time. Today people of all ages can be seen in public texting. Cellular companies have adjusted their billing to make both talking and texting much more affordable. I think it was this quick paced change to abbreviate the English language that probably scared me the most. While I was having babies, the next generation changed the rules.
In the article OMG! Texting and IM-ing by the Washington Post, Margaret Shapiro took the stance that we should see it as a new language "with its own set of rules for spelling and writing". This I had not thought of before. Does text messaging have it's own set of rules for spelling? Well... the only thing to do now is a bit of research to see how many people feel there is a certain etiquette to text messaging. A Google search on text messaging didn't take long. In fact, Emily Post, the etiquette guru herself stated, "Keep your message brief. No one wants to have an entire conversation with you by texting when you could just call him or her instead." Sounds reasonable. Keep it brief. Of course, the best way to keep it brief would be to have a set of guidelines or rules as to what the abbreviations for common phrases would become. So, then I Googled "are texting abbreviations universal" and I found many websites that are more than happy to educate an individual on the different text lingo. The problem being is that there are so many with good connotations as well as bad, I'm not sure how one person could memorize them all. Texting Shorthand states, "these shorthand ways of getting your point across are surprisingly universal." That's reassuring. While I'm not exactly sure all abbreviations are universal. I can see an attempt to make them universal.
The universality is only one side of text messaging. This You Tube video provides me with the most evidence that text messaging is becoming a new language.
If the next generation is texting as much as 3000 to 11,263 messages a month, then the fact it's becoming a 'New Language' is something to take serious. The next generation is our future and their leading the way. If they are indeed creating a new abbreviated language or dialect then we all need to follow in their footsteps to keep ourselves updated.
What is disheartening in this same video is an English teacher who states that he is seeing text language on English papers such as the number '2' for the words 'to', 'too', and 'two'. Obviously, these are three different words with very different meanings. This I have a problem with simply because it is impossible to successfully communicate if words are not used properly. I don't know the frequency this is happening. The article OMG! Texting and IM-ing states that,
"Young people can compartmentalize their language," Varnhagen said. "They have language that they use on the playground and then school language. They know how to speak in classrooms without sounding like goofballs."
So obviously Margaret Shaprio's evidence is different than the English teacher's evidence from Oakpark High School.
However, what I will conclude is that text language is still fairly new. I think in the end, it's probably not worth getting too exited about. It is something worth learning to keep ourselves literate with today's society and updated with the growing technology. Change sometimes provokes obstinance, especially fast paced change. But as time passes, I believe we, as a high functioning society, will learn when to use it and when not to use it. Besides it may become a 'hot flash in the pan' and gone before we blink. Like I said in the beginning, as a child I could not have imagined sending 'notes' over a 'mobile' phone. How is the next technological advances going to change our language? Will text messaging become out-dated and just a 'fad' of our past?
In the article OMG! Texting and IM-ing by the Washington Post, Margaret Shapiro took the stance that we should see it as a new language "with its own set of rules for spelling and writing". This I had not thought of before. Does text messaging have it's own set of rules for spelling? Well... the only thing to do now is a bit of research to see how many people feel there is a certain etiquette to text messaging. A Google search on text messaging didn't take long. In fact, Emily Post, the etiquette guru herself stated, "Keep your message brief. No one wants to have an entire conversation with you by texting when you could just call him or her instead." Sounds reasonable. Keep it brief. Of course, the best way to keep it brief would be to have a set of guidelines or rules as to what the abbreviations for common phrases would become. So, then I Googled "are texting abbreviations universal" and I found many websites that are more than happy to educate an individual on the different text lingo. The problem being is that there are so many with good connotations as well as bad, I'm not sure how one person could memorize them all. Texting Shorthand states, "these shorthand ways of getting your point across are surprisingly universal." That's reassuring. While I'm not exactly sure all abbreviations are universal. I can see an attempt to make them universal.
The universality is only one side of text messaging. This You Tube video provides me with the most evidence that text messaging is becoming a new language.
If the next generation is texting as much as 3000 to 11,263 messages a month, then the fact it's becoming a 'New Language' is something to take serious. The next generation is our future and their leading the way. If they are indeed creating a new abbreviated language or dialect then we all need to follow in their footsteps to keep ourselves updated.
What is disheartening in this same video is an English teacher who states that he is seeing text language on English papers such as the number '2' for the words 'to', 'too', and 'two'. Obviously, these are three different words with very different meanings. This I have a problem with simply because it is impossible to successfully communicate if words are not used properly. I don't know the frequency this is happening. The article OMG! Texting and IM-ing states that,
"Young people can compartmentalize their language," Varnhagen said. "They have language that they use on the playground and then school language. They know how to speak in classrooms without sounding like goofballs."
So obviously Margaret Shaprio's evidence is different than the English teacher's evidence from Oakpark High School.
However, what I will conclude is that text language is still fairly new. I think in the end, it's probably not worth getting too exited about. It is something worth learning to keep ourselves literate with today's society and updated with the growing technology. Change sometimes provokes obstinance, especially fast paced change. But as time passes, I believe we, as a high functioning society, will learn when to use it and when not to use it. Besides it may become a 'hot flash in the pan' and gone before we blink. Like I said in the beginning, as a child I could not have imagined sending 'notes' over a 'mobile' phone. How is the next technological advances going to change our language? Will text messaging become out-dated and just a 'fad' of our past?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Literacy is More than Black and White Letters on a Piece of Paper
What is literacy? Literacy to me is not only being able to read a text but being able to ingest the information in a way that it can be applied in the real world. For instance, theoretically I'm an excellent Physicist. I have the ability to use an equation in the classroom and decipher the correct answer. However, I do not have the ability to apply what I have written on paper into a real life situation. This created an embarrassing issue for me. I can proudly pronounce that I am an 'A' student in Physics but the fact that I cannot apply it in real life means that I am technically not literate in Physics. There is a difference. An employer does not want someone who can only 'theoretically' practice physics. They want someone who can apply it. Needless to say, I will not be a Physicist in this lifetime.
However literacy is much broader than the ability to read and apply information. A simple Google search brings us to the Wikipedia definition which states:
"Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read and write. It is a concept claimed and defined by a range of different theoretical fields."
I think we can all agree that literacy is 'the ability to read and write' but what about the 'different theoretical fields'? What all does literacy encompass? I actually found an excellent video on You Tube called What Does it Mean to be Literate in the 21st Century? that defined literacy in ways I had not considered.
In this video literacy included:
"Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."
Today information is streamed from many different resources. One hundred years ago, people had limited ways in which to receive their information. The written word in textbooks, as well as, oral communication about traditions and gossip made ingesting information and applying it much simpler. Plus, one hundred years ago it was much harder to receive information from around the world. Information traveled much slower and sometimes did not infiltrate small towns and villages. Today the individual has the world at their fingertips. Information streams from the media (locally, nationally, and worldly), social resources which include Twitter and Facebook, individual and group resources such as blogs and forums, as well as more 'conventional' textbooks. It's quite a bombardment from one hundred years ago. Many of these sources compete with each other and the individual has to have the ability to sort what is pertinent information and what is superfluous or incorrect. Just as the written word is not always correct, information from the Internet is not always correct either. For this reason the individual needs to be technologically literate. In other words, have the ability to ingest what they read and then apply this information in the real world. Why? Can you think of one high paying career that does not use technology? Computers have infiltrated the business world, the medical world, the automotive and design industry, and the entertainment industry to name a few. A radiologist must be able to read and decipher a patients MRI which is computer based imaging. If they are not literate in a MRI reading, then they would make a very poor radiologist and not employable.
While flipping through YouTube I came across another video called Education Today and Tomorrow that made me think.
My biggest concern with today's technology is the laziness that it has produced. Call it an "antiquated OCD" and while I am not completely innocent when it comes to "texting" languages such as chat abbreviations and emoticons, I do believe they have a place. That place is not in schools or the business world. I cannot emphasize how many times I have heard this last month that West Virginians are at a "disadvantage" on high stake tests when it comes to grammar. I have worked hard my whole life to make sure my West Virginia dialect does not enter my professional writings (which includes my blogs) or my professional communication skills in front of a classroom. Facebook is a good example of where individuals tend to lack correct grammatical skills. While I understand that it is a 'Social Network', I also see it as a place where I am communicating with my peers. Grammatical errors and shortcuts lead to misunderstandings. I do not feel I am putting my best foot forward if my peers are not able to decipher my message. Plus the old adages 'practice makes perfect' or 'if you don't use it, you lose it' comes to mind. Are students who are skipping apostrophes and using other grammatical shortcuts doing the same in the classroom or on high stake tests such as the WesTest or the ACT? Do these same students know the difference between they're, their, and there? Why does this concern me? In the above video Education Today and Tomorrow a few statements in particular stand out:
However literacy is much broader than the ability to read and apply information. A simple Google search brings us to the Wikipedia definition which states:
"Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read and write. It is a concept claimed and defined by a range of different theoretical fields."
I think we can all agree that literacy is 'the ability to read and write' but what about the 'different theoretical fields'? What all does literacy encompass? I actually found an excellent video on You Tube called What Does it Mean to be Literate in the 21st Century? that defined literacy in ways I had not considered.
In this video literacy included:
- The Basics - the ability to 'work' words and numbers.
- Critical Literacy - the ability to ingest information and apply it.
- Visual Literacy - the ability to negotiate and make sense of an image.
- "Read the World" Literacy - the ability to understand the world around oneself.
- Information Literacy - the ability to understand and apply information not only from texts but computers as well which can include writing a computer program.
- Visual Media Literacy - understanding information that does not come from texts but images - symbols, signs, and graphs.
- Social Literacy - the ability to read and understand people in general (relationships and interactions).
- Outdoor Literacy - the ability to understand one's surroundings in the great outdoors.
"Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."
Today information is streamed from many different resources. One hundred years ago, people had limited ways in which to receive their information. The written word in textbooks, as well as, oral communication about traditions and gossip made ingesting information and applying it much simpler. Plus, one hundred years ago it was much harder to receive information from around the world. Information traveled much slower and sometimes did not infiltrate small towns and villages. Today the individual has the world at their fingertips. Information streams from the media (locally, nationally, and worldly), social resources which include Twitter and Facebook, individual and group resources such as blogs and forums, as well as more 'conventional' textbooks. It's quite a bombardment from one hundred years ago. Many of these sources compete with each other and the individual has to have the ability to sort what is pertinent information and what is superfluous or incorrect. Just as the written word is not always correct, information from the Internet is not always correct either. For this reason the individual needs to be technologically literate. In other words, have the ability to ingest what they read and then apply this information in the real world. Why? Can you think of one high paying career that does not use technology? Computers have infiltrated the business world, the medical world, the automotive and design industry, and the entertainment industry to name a few. A radiologist must be able to read and decipher a patients MRI which is computer based imaging. If they are not literate in a MRI reading, then they would make a very poor radiologist and not employable.
While flipping through YouTube I came across another video called Education Today and Tomorrow that made me think.
My biggest concern with today's technology is the laziness that it has produced. Call it an "antiquated OCD" and while I am not completely innocent when it comes to "texting" languages such as chat abbreviations and emoticons, I do believe they have a place. That place is not in schools or the business world. I cannot emphasize how many times I have heard this last month that West Virginians are at a "disadvantage" on high stake tests when it comes to grammar. I have worked hard my whole life to make sure my West Virginia dialect does not enter my professional writings (which includes my blogs) or my professional communication skills in front of a classroom. Facebook is a good example of where individuals tend to lack correct grammatical skills. While I understand that it is a 'Social Network', I also see it as a place where I am communicating with my peers. Grammatical errors and shortcuts lead to misunderstandings. I do not feel I am putting my best foot forward if my peers are not able to decipher my message. Plus the old adages 'practice makes perfect' or 'if you don't use it, you lose it' comes to mind. Are students who are skipping apostrophes and using other grammatical shortcuts doing the same in the classroom or on high stake tests such as the WesTest or the ACT? Do these same students know the difference between they're, their, and there? Why does this concern me? In the above video Education Today and Tomorrow a few statements in particular stand out:
China has more honor students than America has
and
China is rapidly becoming the #1 English speaking country
If China is becoming the "#1 English speaking country" how do American students compare? This is scary. In a previous blog I linked a comment from the website Critical Issue: Using Technology to Improve Student Achievement in which it states that U.S. children performed poorly on international assessments. It further went on to point out that U.S. children lack critical thinking skills which brings us straight back to literacy. If China is quickly becoming the "#1 English speaking country" and American students are using grammatical shortcuts - in the real world or in a professional situation can these students apply their knowledge with other international students and be understood? In other words, are American students literate enough to be understood by other countries that understand our language as well as or possibly better than ourselves? Literacy is an important key in competing in today's world. While it is the current fad to write in grammatical shortcuts in America, it may not be understood by the rest of the world who are learning how to use our language correctly. I believe this is a challenge worth tackling while we bring our kids into the 21st Century.
Of course, on the same note we will not be able to stop texting languages which are currently en vogue. So to understand ourselves within our own social structure in America, as the old saying goes "if you can't beat them join them". Part of social literacy is the ability to communicate and be understood. Therefore the individual has to be adaptive enough to understand language that is born from 'pop culture' and when and where to use it.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Blogging Students?
Blogging in the classroom? Hmm... this is an interesting subject and not one I had considered until recently. Are there benefits to having students blog? I can list a few off the top of my head:
A second example would be:
These few concerns are easily controlled by teaching the proper uses of the Internet. Since kids of all ages are already using the Internet for socializing, blogging would be a constructive way to help guide students on the proper use. A proper blog might look like this AP College English blog. Note that there are no real ways to identify the blogger other than the stamp in the right corner that displays the High School's name. This blog includes inciteful debates on class content as well as the bloggers opinions on different topics in the classroom. If I were to create a classroom blog, this is an example of some of the things I would want my students to write about. I would want their blogs to form an opinion on a variety of topics and in the end show a reflection about those opinions enough to help them develop critical thinking skills and debating skills.
- Blogging helps create writing skills which include critical thinking skills as well as grammar skills.
- Students receive feedback in the form of peers and strangers from around the world.
- Blogging helps feed the technological cravings student have as well as helping to develop technological skills such as creating links to videos and articles.
- Students can be more free to express themselves and debate topics that are important to them.
- Students can be more free to express themselves and debate topics that are important to them.
A second example would be:
- Students receive feedback in the form of peers and strangers from around the world for their writings.
These few concerns are easily controlled by teaching the proper uses of the Internet. Since kids of all ages are already using the Internet for socializing, blogging would be a constructive way to help guide students on the proper use. A proper blog might look like this AP College English blog. Note that there are no real ways to identify the blogger other than the stamp in the right corner that displays the High School's name. This blog includes inciteful debates on class content as well as the bloggers opinions on different topics in the classroom. If I were to create a classroom blog, this is an example of some of the things I would want my students to write about. I would want their blogs to form an opinion on a variety of topics and in the end show a reflection about those opinions enough to help them develop critical thinking skills and debating skills.
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