Final Project

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Digital Teaching Philosophy

Copy of Digital Teaching Philosophy on Prezi

{Free-Write #5} Final Project Thoughts-Digging Deep to Express

My syllabi will allow my students to reflect on what they have learned in the course and use the writing process to create a memoir.  We all have a story to tell and I have found that writing serves as a sense of rehabilitation for the heart.  Here is a sample video of how to find and conquer your feelings while writing.

{Free-Write #4} Final Project Thoughts

My final lproject will be based off of Lindemann's idea of how college composition should be taught.  I have had the opportunity to read articles from well-known literary writers.  I agree with some and others were questionable.  My syllabus will reflect reading and writing.  My belief is that reading assists in becoming a better writer.  The course will be both visual and auditorically based.  I need to ensure that my students are well versed by the end of the course.  I am so excited about completing this challenge, thanks to Erika Lindemann.

[Free-Write #3] Final Project Thoughts

Trying to figure out which application I was going to use took ksome time.  I wanted to use an application that would allow me to hyperlink, use text, and use images that are easy to access.  I was so excited about completing the task, not really realizing how much work it all entailed.  It took me three weeks to develop a syllabi, but I wanted to challeng myself.  I know that my future goal is to become a college professor.  I could have taken a 6th grade lesson plan and revampt it to flow for the assignment, but I think that would have been to easy.  PowerPoint Presentations are fun, easy, and accessible.  I will be using the application to display my work and showing my creativity.

Presentation Reflection

I was so excited to present on plagarism.  I enjoyed working with my group and learning more about the different elements of using technology properly and legally.  The group discussion was good and very memorable.  I feel that I could change the flow of the presentation just a little.  I would have liked for each of the presenters to give feedback off of each others presntation and maybe explain some of the elements that we discussed during lour prep sessions.  I guess that is one struggle that come about when completing group asssignments.  I loved the dynamics that each of us took as an approach.  I really enjoyed the chapters. I feel that our presenattion was engaging and interesting.

PLAGIARISM TEST WEBSITE

https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/plagiarism_test.html

Plagiarism is a serious and growing problem on the Web. At any moment, anyone in the world can copy your online content and instantly paste it onto their own site. After making minor changes, they will claim your content as their own.
The Web is built on the hard work of honest people who devote their time and energy to creating original content. The global epidemic of content theft violates people's rights and discourages the creation of new web content.

The site above help students understand plagiarism and how not to do it.  Enjoy!!!!

Video Assignment Groups

AFTER WATCHING THE VIDEO USE A TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION IN GROUPS AND CREATE A REFLECTION BASED ON THE SUBTITLES OF THE VIDEO.  WE WILL SHARE AS A GROUP OUR THOUGHTS. SAMPLE APPLICATIONS: GLOGSTER,PIXEY, COMIC STRIPS, ETC.

Beth, Jamie: The Remix

Catrina, Carrie: The Customer

Laura, Sharon: The Misinformer

Sarah, Alicia: The Photocopy 

Theresa, Amanda: Denny's Sampler

Plagiarism Video

{Free-write#2} SlideBomb

I have found an application that is so awesome to use as a teaching tool.  It is called slide bomb.  I found this application on WEB 2.0.  There is no stopping my creativity using the application.  An instructor can embed videos in the video, use pictures, music, text features, and embed YouTube demonstrations.  I am a PowerPoint lover, and I have been looking for an application that is somewhat close to it.  I need applications that can handle all the visual that I love to use, because I am a visual learner.

Here is a link...Just try it! For Free  http://slidebomb.com

{Free-write#1} Final Project Thoughts

Even though I am a 6th grade English teacher. I am going o challenge myself and create a syllabi.  Creating a syllabus is going to be challenging for me because I had never been required to complete one.  I decided to do this because my dream is to become a college professor, and I extremely excited about preparing for the next season of my career path.  I have been so inspired and pushed technologically from this course, that I plan to have my students create a memoir using the writing process.  They will be required to introduce themselves using video, post discussion board reflections of the chapter readings and class discussions weekly, create several genres of writing based on their own experiences, complete peer reviews that will graded, and so much more.  I have a passion for technology and all that it entails.

Chapter 9: CCC It Wasn't Me, Was It?: Plagiarism On The Web

Citation: Danielle DeVoss, Annette C. Rosati, “‘It wasn’t me, was it?’ Plagiarism and the Web.” Computers and Composition, Volume 19, Issue 2, August 2002, Pages 191-203

Reading and Thinking  

Plagiarism is a tricky thing, and it is an ever-present battle in the English classroom. I enjoyed the article, because the authors gave a practical insight into situations teachers have encountered. As well, I agree with the authors in that multiple reasons exist for plagiarism and we must realize that not all of those reasons are out of pure intent to plagiarize or laziness.

The article also prompted me to wonder how much plagiarism has gone up since the internet has spread.  Copy/pasting and obtaining papers via online services is so easy to access from the web. But, really, a lot of students plagiarize because of lack in confidence. They don’t think that they can say it well enough, so they’ll just take it from someone else.

Writing in with confidence would be a wonderful conversation/example for the classroom discussion. If online sources are to be used, students need to learn what makes them credible enough to use in academic assignments.

CCC: Chapter 8 Champing at the Bits: Computers, Copyright, and the Composition Classroom

Citation:Logie, John. “Champing at the Bits: Computers, Copyright and the Composition Classroom,” Computers and Composition 15 (1998): 201-­14. Rpt. in Computers in the Composition Classroom. Eds. Michelle Sidler, Richard Morris, and Elizabeth Overman Smith. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 135-­50.

Reading and Thinking

Copyright laws for technology have been used since before 1976. I felt that John Logie's article Champing at the Bits: Computers Copyright and the Composition Classroom was a good summary of copyright issues on the Internet that gave me some information I had not previously been aware of before. The section on the historical foundation behind copyright  1790 Act and the origin of fair use in 1841 s Folsom v. Marsh was well-presented offering up a lot of the information useful for a college composition course. 

In much of my research into copyright laws, it struck me that the conflict through copyright and intellectual property often seems like a war. There are issues on both sides: RIAA suing individuals and families for songs they downloaded to the theme of hundreds of thousands of dollars per song; piracy itself which makes it possible for people to see an upcoming movie an entire month in advance; and in between are many of the situations we will continue to encounter in classrooms.  I am sure there are several instructors unaware of these laws, and maybe the universities and school systems need to find better ways to fully educate their staff on this issue for legal protection.

Teaching Philosophy

Learning is an interactive and collaborative process. In my experience, students learn better when they are active and engaged. Thus, my first task as an instructor is to learn about my students, what interests and motivates them, what they hope to learn, and how they learn best. Students are usually motivated by a teacher that takes interest in them and their learning style.  In order to support this, I always have my students complete a getting to know you activity. In classrooms that will be highly discussion oriented, it is often a game designed to open them up to sharing controversial opinions with one another. As a result of my beliefs about engaged learners, each class I teach is unique and tailored to my students’ learning abilities and interests. I am not hesitant to use a number of different teaching styles in order to make my point. I am comfortable with interactive lectures, facilitated discussions, homework, demonstrations, small-group activities, use of computers and hands on activities, guest speakers, pop quizzes, SOL formatted tests, large-group activities, and any other method of conveying information that I think will help.

Students should be critical thinkers. Complementing this is my belief that students should be able to actually apply the material learned in class. As a result, many of my homework assignments and in-class activities deal with questioning theories and their real life experiences. For example, I allow my students to read novels that tailor to their own lifestyles and create book reports that contain SOL formatted questions and reflect the skills that are curriculum based. I often have students write journal entries applying information from class to things that have happened in their own lives. I have staged debates in order to get students thinking about both sides of controversial issues, and I often use assignments and activities that require students to deal with things outside their normal range of experiences, such as inferring on what to do if they were blind for two hours in an unfamiliar place. Students often claim to enjoy these types of activities quite a bit. They both help solidify knowledge presented to them in more traditional ways and provide an experiential component that increases their understanding.

Another way I engage critical thinking and active learning is through relying on classroom discussion to draw out key points. In doing so, I model a number of important skills. I encourage them to test their own reading comprehension by the use of interpreting the text aloud. I also allow them to speak to each other and to me about controversial topics, points of disagreement, important skill based facts that I am teaching. This is especially important when introducing a difficult comprehensive skill, where the skill requires higher order thinking. I currently teach at a school that has a low number of highly comprehensive students, I have had to learn to differentiate instruction extensively through interactive technology, videos, small group hands on activities, and identifying the skills to relate to real life situations. I feel that my student assessments demonstrate that I have done just that.

I believe that a teacher should be transparent. In other words, I want students to understand that I base everything I do in class on a academic belief, and I want them to know what those beliefs are. I want them to understand what I expect of them and what they can expect of me. I want them to know what they will learn in my classroom and how they will be assessed. Not only does this allow them to effectively evaluate how well they are doing, it also allows them to decide how well I am doing. I am always open to student feedback, and am willing to make changes in order to do my job more successfully. For example, I often conference with my students about grades, benchmarks, tests, and content knowledge.  The process helps me to evaluate whether I need to make changes for the upcoming semester. Students respond positively to this, as I make it clear to them that it is a priority of mine that they learn and understand the material. I have learned through years of interacting with students, that there is a fine line between changing to better serve students and simply being a pushover. This is an area of concern that I continually revisit in order to make sure that I am being firm and fair, yet appropriately flexible.

Lastly, I believe that an education should provide skills beyond simple understanding of classroom topics. To that end, I focus on three main “life skills” that I believe students will carry with them into their working lives. These skills are 1) fluency in reading, 2) comprehension, and 3) technology. As a result, I often have students read and comprehend novels while using the novels to explain the skills that they are required to know.  The students love this concept, because in the midst of learning the skills they have an opportunity to express themselves and re-evaluate the characters and their actions. I encourage, and sometimes require, students to present information to the class. I give students assignments requiring them to use technology, such as creating a web page, creating books, pamphlets, diagrams, and Sol formatted. Overall, I believe that these key features of my teaching philosophy contribute to active, engaged student learning.

Institutional Programs: Part Five

 

College Writing Information:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~jewel001/CollegeWriting/home.htm

Reading and Thinking

This chapter explains the topic that most teachers placed there head on their chins about.  While preparing a lesson it is crucial for a teacher to know what technological information they are advising their students to use on writing samples, guides for writing, and explaining the concepts of information shared or taught in class.  Pulling out information from just any source could be quite dangerous.  I have found a sight that I have completed a prior evaluation on, and I felt that it was easy to use and very informal.  I didn't have a large amoutn of time to view the site, but from what I have seen it is useful, especially to a college freshman.  This particular site does not include videos.  I had to go on YouTube and get one.

Concerns;
My concern is that the students will not fully comprehend the material on the various sites alone without guidance.  Some students, especially freshmen need a guide to fully understand the material.
I am also concerned about access.  How much of it will be available without payment?

Questions;
*How do I ensure that my students are getting the most important information from the material ?
*What happens when the site is no longer available and I have assigned work using the site?
*What if the site is not supported by the University?
*What do I do as an instructor if there are no videos?



Brain Rule #11

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Technology Reflection

Animoto is a cool application.  It took me a little longer to create a video expressing my thoughts about gender.  I am not a huge fan of the source because of the one minute time restraint.  I found myself cutting pictures that I really wanted to use in order to have this video work effectively.  I really liked using it to express myself during a class introduction.

Chapter 18: CCC Looking for Sources of Coherence in a Fragmented World: Notes toward a New Assessment Design

Citation: Yancey, Kathleen Blake. 2004, March. “Looking for sources of coherence in a fragmented world: Notes toward a new assessment design.” Computers and Composition 21 (1): 89-102.

Reading and Thinking

Beginning with the assumption that “coherence” is the main attribute of both print and digital texts, Yancey explores what that means for digital texts, focusing on the kind of relationships that are created among various elements of a text. As a base for assessment, she presents a discovery to encourage an analysis based position toward digital compositions that focuses on types of arrangements created, their intention, and their effects. Are the effects conducive?

MC: Chapter 8 Responding and Assessing/ Sonya C. Borton

Citation:

Borton, Sonya C. and Brian Huot.  ”Responding and Assessing.” Eds. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe.  Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. New Jersey: Hampton Press, 2007. 99-111.

Reading and Thinking

Assessment engages students in a conversation about course material and acknowledges when they have demonstrated effective communication, comprehension of ideas, and critical thinking. Assessment can improve learning and teaching because it provides an opportunity to establish what you value and how students can achieve course objectives. Teachers should be able to create a ladder of concerns, and to focus on these concerns, placing importance on the skills and knowledge the assignment was designed to develop.

When you consider student writing as part of an ongoing process, and offer questions to consider and suggestions for revision, students will learn from their writing and benefit from assessment. Responses that focuses on less significant aspects of writing or the assignment increases the likelihood that a student will misunderstand the learning objectives. A rubric is important when approaching an assessment.  The rubric allows the students to see exactly what the instructor is looking for in the assessment. This chapter gives detailed expalnntions of these practices.

MC: Chapter 9 More about reading, Responding, and Revising: The Three R's of Peer Review and Revision

Citation:
Alexander, Kara Poe.  ”More About Reading, Responding, and Revising: The Three Rs of Peer Review and Revision.” Eds. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe.  Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. New Jersey: Hampton Press, 2007. 113-131.

Reading and Thinking

   "Students using technologies come to professional writing courses, and to the collaborative teams within those courses, with varying levels a technological literacy, a term that refers, not just to functional competence with computers, but also to practices and values involved in reading, writing, and communicating in electronic spaces." This quote stands out because of the importance of understanding technology and writing and what it entails. 

     Peer Reviews are important especially in freshman composition. If teachers are commenting on texts to encourage revision, then the comments need to provide students with reasons for revising the structure and meaning of their texts. Conflicting comments break the processes of revising, editing, and proofreading and, as a result, students may mistakenly think of the revision process as a rewording activity. We’ve probably all read papers where students have followed every comment and have fixed their mechanical errors as requested, but where the revisions remain on the surface, but the structure and meaning of the text itself does not improve at all. It sometimes gets worse.



Brain Rule # 9 Sensory Integration

Brain Rule: Stimulate Your Senses

Technology Reflection
I was so excited to be able to use glogster again.  I think I have almost mastered the application.  I enjoy using glogster because it is user friendly, and I am able to express my intereptation of the text in full capacity.  It still takes me a while to figure out my design, but I do not feel frustrated while completing the task.



Brain Rule #8 Stress

Stressed Brains Do Not Learn The Same Way

By talented11 | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

Technology Reflection

This one was a challenge.  Toondoo is not hard to use, but you have to be patient.  My first couple of comics were all over the place. The application limits how much you can express your thought without paying a fee.  I like the idea of creating my own comic strip.  I decided to display stress through marriage, being afraid, loneliness, and financial obligations.  This is real life.  This took me two hours to complete, but I would definitely use it again.I like it....

Chapter 22 Web Research and Genres in Online Databases: When the Glossy Page Disappears

Citation: Sidler, Michelle. “Web Research and Genres in Online Databases: When the Glossy Page Disappears.” Computers in the Composition Classroom: A Critical Sourcebook. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 350-365. Print.

The essay answered a lot of the unanswered questions that I had about online databases.  The way college students use online databases to find information for research papers, Sidler notes the continuing need for students to have methods that will critique such information and see through genre constructions, abstract language, and in general the glamour of new digital technologies. I use to have a hard time using library technologies to find information.  I found that it works just like any other technology tool.  You have to take the time and patience in order to figure it out.

Chapter 20: CCC The Computer and the Inexperienced Writer

Citation: Hult, Christine. “The Computer and the Inexperienced Writer.” Computers in the Composition Classroom: a Critical Sourcebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 326-32. Print.

    The most common part of the essay that stands out is, “Computers are a part of our lives as writers and are increasingly more common in English departments and writing classrooms. But, like MacNelly's professor, we don't always know how to use computers to our best advantage.” This statement is so true.  Studies of people’s attitudes toward the use of word processors are still rather rare but teaching magazines and computing magazines are full of testimonials about the perceived benefits for individual writers and for groups of students. We find these testimonies persuasive and consistent with our own experiences, but we also realize that there are many people who are unwilling to try to use a computer for any purpose or who resist learning to use a keyboard. Few of these people write articles about their feelings. Developing a child’s selection of writing modes is an excellent idea. 

Chapter 6: Saving, Sharing, Citing, and Publishing Multimodal Text

Citation: Pandey, Iswari. “Saving, Sharing, Citing, and Publishing Multimodal Texts.” Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton, 2007. 65-77. Print.

Reading and Thinking 
Pandey explains the similarities and differences from saving, sharing, citing, and publishing words and mutltimodal compositions that incorporate sound and images. This meant for me, a practical guide for teachers that contains a lot of how-to information about formats of files, memory constraints, websites for reference, and assignment ideas. He argues that every teacher of multimodal composition should teach four topics under intellectual property: copyright law, fair use, public domain, and open-source/creative commons licensing. It is the ethical and legal responsibility of teachers and students to understand the ethical and legal constraints of citing and publishing multimodal compositions, and strict attention should be paid to teaching students how to properly prepare bibliographies of all the image, video, and sound materials they use in their compositions.  I was not aware of how important the copyright process is.  The essay drew me to research more information on the copyright laws and the people that learned the hard way from not following it.

Video Discussion

Final Course Curriculum Redesign Project

For the final project, I plan to use the skills that I teach from my current curriculum and make it multimodal.  I have learned so much from the reading on how to create the assignments, collaboration, and audio and video.  I want to use reading/writing skills to enhance my students writing across the genres.  I will have my students reflect on each others work, and I will create assessments (formative and summative) to ensure that they are understanding the material.  During the biography teaching, the students will use audio and video in preparation for their future children to see.Truth be told some middle school students learn strictly using the computer (homeschooling).  I want my product to be fun, easy to use, and memorable.

Blog Reflections

My name for blog comments is: (making a difference)


Amanda's Blog
            Chapter Three: Composing Multimodal Assignments
Reflecting on Composing, Amanda did a creative project using PowerPoint.  Audio and Video  would have taken the project to another level.  Composing takes time and a professor must be comfortable teaching, creating, and mastering the field of technological applications.  It takes a lot of time that most teachers don't have, but if you love it, you will.


Betsy's Blog
            Chapter Five: Thinking Rhetorically (making a difference)
Reflecting on thinking rhetorically, Betsy brought up a common point about teachers not being comfortable with technology and the students not having access.  I had the chance to answer one of my own questions as to why this was a major issue.  Money, safety, patience, and dedication answers it all.


Laura's Blog
            Chapter Four: Collaborating on Multimodal Projects
Reflecting on Collaboration gave me a sense of how the real world operates.  In a workplace that is the goal, to work together.  Some students do not like to work in groups because of the lack of collaboration and the authors pointed this out in the text.  Collaboration takes dedication, but somehow during a technology assignment the communications becomes dead and the planning period is exciting. 


Sharon's Blog
             Chapter Seven: Experimenting with Mutimodality
Reflecting on experimenting with multimodality expanded my thoughts on the chapter.  I thought the idea of taking the time to teach, prep, and use the multimodal assignments in a college course or in public schools will enhance the students technology experience. Process to product digitally is a tense task for the instructor and the students.  The author great examples.


Jamie's Blog
          Chapter Two: Words, Audio, and Video: Composing and the Processes of Production
Reflecting on this Jamie's blog made me think about being a technological teacher myself.  Engaging my students on video and audio excites them.  They are able to show that they are understanding concepts, build confidence, and the students learn to use technology that will plant them careers in the future.

Chapter 7: Experimenting with Multimodality

Citation: Branscum, John and Aaron Toscano.  ”Experimenting with Multimodality.” Eds. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe.  Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. New Jersey: Hampton Press, 2007. 83-98.

     Reading and Thinking

Time for the checklist!  The part that frightens most teachers that are not comfortable with technology.  This chapter makes sure you are fit for the project.  The preparation is crucial, yet motivating. I like the way this chapter is presented.  Step by step is what I need to get the job done right. The authors must have known that I am a visual learner.  I need examples that make sense. They gave a good approach to approaching an assignment with confidence and ensuring that students will be comfortable with using technology in the workplace.  I won't forget to be creative, flexible, and precise on what I expect from my students when producing a multimodal project.  The most important tool is to make sure I am able to show my students examples of other authors projects that they have completed to get their brains working.

Chapter 5: Thinking Rhetorically

Citation: Keller, Daniel. “Thinking Rhetorically.”  Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Hampton Press, Cresskill, New Jersey, 2007. 49-63. Print.

Reading and Thinking            

Chapter five brought closure to a lot of the confusion that I struggle with when it comes to thinking rhetorically.  The first issue is the large vocabulary connected to composing with audio and video.  Some of the terms are just "common sense", but I appreciate the author including some terms on Fig. 5.1.  The process takes time and great planning in order to turn process into product.  In my opinion, this is too much for a 6th grader to understand.  Sections can be taught, but not fulfilled as it should within a year time with SOL testing being a major priority.  Students need to learn how to do this early, because I find that by college they should be able to apply this when learning instruction.  

Chapter 4: Collaborating on Multimodal Projects

Citation: Pedersen, Anne-Marie and Carolyn Skinner. “Collaborating on Multimodal Projects.” Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Hampton Press, Cresskill, New Jersey, 2007. 39-47. Print.

 

Reading and Thinking

In reading chapter four, the complexity of multimodal projects and the different levels of skill and sensitivity each individual brings is important.These projects often demand high levels of collaboration and teamwork.Students can benefit from collaborative multimodal projects by supporting and encouraging one another. Collaboration can relieve any frustration or apprehension of learning a new technology. Simply by seeing what other group members bring to the project can inspire other students or spark renewed interest in the project. Those working in groups can provide emotional and intellectual support necessary in working with unfamiliar resources and technologies. Should students reach a high level of frustration due to software problems or even problems with getting the technology to work, this segment of the project can be handed off to another group member so that the frustrated student can then work on another aspect of  the assignment. Communication between group members is important and teachers should encourage an open dialogue between students by encouraging them to use a group online message board or some other means of maintaining contact within the group.

Chapter 3: Composing Multimodal Assignments

Citation: Hess, Mickey. “Composing Multimodal Assignments.” Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Hampton Press, Cresskill, New Jersey, 2007. 29-37. Print.

Reading and Thinking         

Composing Multimodal Assignments provides teachers with a guide for designing multimodal works for classrooms. The practical approach in his work demonstrates for readers how much of an advantage it is to incorporate multimodality is in classrooms today by highlighting the strengths at the beginning of the chapter writing “one of the most important reasons to design assignments for multimodal composition is to expand students’ thinking about composition and how this complex set of processes works” Multimodal works combine several modes of communications, such as text, audio, visual into one medium, and online spaces. The trick is to provide enough support for the more traditional alphabetic texts students encounter in their classrooms alongside the multimodal projects to enhance their understanding of complex communications and how different modes operate and interact with one another. These opportunities for composing encourage play, creativity, experimentation… And yes, frustration, risk-taking–calling for a need to trust and for collaboration between teacher and students.  This is a way for students to experiment with identity and communication in a way that is otherwise not normally optional in academic settings.

 

Chapter 2 MC: Words, Audio, and Video: Composing and the Processes of Production

Citation: Selfe, Cynthia, Stephanie Fleischer, Susan Wright. “Words, Audio, and Video: Composing and the Processes of Production.” Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Hampton Press, Cresskill, New Jersey, 2007. 13-28. Print.

Reading and Thinking

Using multimodal assignments have to be planned out well when introducing them to your students. The students need to have full access to computers and applications that will assist in completing the assignment.  Video, audio, and words can be used in planning, editing, and composing. The students needs to understand the purpose for the task and figure out what will be their purpose and audience.  Students are knowledgeable of how to complete the writing process to product easily because that is the way that they have been trained.  Using the technology will be a challenge.  The chapter made me think about my sophomore year of college.  I was required to take a communications course, and my professor required the class to create a memoir.  We were required to use all of the components that are studied in this chapter.  Everything was digital.  Video was used to reflect on your journals, Audio was used to introduce yourself, and the words were used as we used word processing to express our thoughts on a weekly basis.  The professor's syllabi was long because of all the instructions for the technology.  I have to say that this was not an easy task, but it was quite interesting.  There are many challenges in teaching writing using multimodel assignments, but it is rewarding to the students.  

BRAIN RULE #7 SLEEP

Technology Reflection

During this assignment, I decided to use Mindmeister.  The application was easy to use once I became familiar with the navigation controls.  I had a very hard time exporting and embedding the application into my blog.  I was quite confused on some portions of the app, for example how to get the lines to connect when completing an idea, and formating the images.  I could definitly use this in my classroom when teaching correlating skills, or getting the students to use their ideas on what they learned from a novel.

Learning Digital Literacies: Marilyn Cooper

Citation: Cooper, Marilyn M. "Learning Digital Literacies." Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Ed. Cynthia L. Selfe. New Jersey: Hampton Press, Inc., 2007. 181-186. Print.

 The chapter can be evaluated in two perspectives for me. It made me reflect on my experience in this course and as an instructor.  The five components that Cooper used for learning digital literacy were context, creativity, time to learn, assist in learning, and collaborating with peers are tools that we use constantly in this course.  I love technology, but I get frustrated with long tutorials and applications that are not easy to figure out while trying to use them on your own.  I like how Cooper expands on the idea of being creative as being a part of learning.  I am an exploratory learner, but I don't have much patience.  As a teacher, I use my tactics of teaching with all five of these components.  I have to say that I have much more to learn and I need to work on having patience with the applications that I find difficult to understand, because they could be quite useful if I take the time to learn them.

Chapter 16 Contrasts: Teaching and Learning about Writing in Traditional and Computer Classrooms

Citation: Palmquist, Michael, Kate Kiefer, James Hartivigsen, and Barbara Goodlew. Contrasts:Teaching and Learning About Writing in Traditional and Computer Classrooms."Computers in the Composition Classroom: A Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Michelle Sidler, Richard Morris, and Elizabeth Overman Smith. New York: Bedford/St.Martin’s Press, 2008. 251-270. 

                                                        Reading and Thinking        

Palmquist, Kiefer, Hartivigsen, and Goodlew recount two pragmatic studies designed to assist educators as they cross boundaries between teaching in traditional and online settings. These studies, which compared classroom settings and student behaviors/attitudes over time, led to a number of themes:

(1) Differences in classroom settings impacted daily planning.

(2) Teachers adopted more “take charge” roles in the traditional setting and more decentralized roles in online settings.

(3) Computer classroom students talked more often with teachers.

(4) Students used computer classrooms as a worksite whereas traditional classroom students resisted writing activities.

(5) Teachers were able to transfer more successful activities from computer to traditional settings.

(6) When educators believed in the pedagogical benefits, teachers who were less familiar with technology resisted using it.

(7) Students in the two settings differed in their attitudes about writing, writing performance, previous writing instruction, and interaction.

                                

In the writing classroom, all of these elements are important, but the instructor has to figure out what "really" works.  The educator has be well informed on of whom they are teaching in order to figure out how to make technology effective.  Technology works well from what I have experienced.

Thinking about Multimodality: Takayoshi & Selfe

Citation: Takayoshi, Pamela and Selfe, Cynthia L. "Thinking about Multimodality." Multimodal Composition: Resources for Teachers. Eds.Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, Inc,2007. 1-12. Print.

Takayoshi and Selfe consider the standard form of the student composition while the forms of communication in the new, digital, connected world hardly limit themselves to characters only. This new form of communication, thanks to recent advancements in computers and the merging of technologies, uses easily manipulated still images, animations, video, audio and color; they term these new compositions multimodal texts. And while these digital tools may be new to the traditional composition, the authors make a compelling case for their acceptance into current curricula. They present their reasoning for the wider adoption of multimodal composition, and answer what they term as the five most often-asked questions by teachers.

Brain Rule # 6 Long-Term Memory

Technology Reflection

This has been one of the most difficult applications I have used.  I have been trying to create the slideshow for three days.  I almost gave up, but I couldn't allow it to conquer me.  I had the hardest time being creative.  I could not figure out how to drag the pictures into the slideshow.  I have to say that right now, I appreciate Microsoft PowerPoint.  It is so much easier to copy and paste or have a section that uploads photos.  I did the best I could for the first time using the application.  Not my favorite yet.  I need a better tutorial than the one I used.

CCC: Chapter 19/ McGee & Ericsson: The Politics of the Program MS Word as the Invisible Grammarian

Citation: McGee, Tim, and Patricia Ericsson. "The Politics of the Program: MS Word as the Invisible Grammarian." Computers and Composition 19 (2002): 453-70. Print. 

    THE INVISIBLE GRAMMARIAN

MS Word thinks he is smarter than me. HUH! Yeah right! My friend, yes on occasions.  Remember the spell checker joke? Eye halve a spelling chequer, the poem goes. “It came with my pea sea. Although I read it months ago, I had never really considered the effects of MS Word’s Grammar Checker.While I’m indebted to the spell checker, when I see those green squiggles, I immediately check for the correction and amend it. I can’t help it. But, on those infrequent occasions, I think I know what I’m doing, and the correct change is almost never what the MSGC recommends to me.  I fought with my PC while I was writing my thesis.  You would have thought I knew nothing about sentence structure or paper formation.  The computer cannot comprehend rules by the instructor.  I see benefit in teaching our students to turn off the Grammar Checker, but I also see these articles as urging us to do more.  The MSGC is handicapping my students.  How dare them try to write a paper on their own without spell check!!! This is part of the reason why my students struggle with writing.  The computer has no spell check during an SOL test.  I cannot say that I hate it, because I don't.

Brain Rule # 5 Short Term Memory

Brain Rules Citation:

The short term memory is "the devil".  I have struggled with this before I knew what type of learner I was.  I struggled to remember things without codes, pictures, repetition, or video.  Wheww!!! I had a hard time.  I can definitely relate to the this chapter. Enjoy my version of the chapter on Globster.

 Technology Reflection

I think I have become a little better at this.  It still takes me some time to complete it, but I think it is fun to use.  I am still not that good where I can attach audio, but I will get there.  I like this version of a blog.  Picture perfect!!!

Chapter 7: From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies by Dennis Baron

Citation:  Baron, Dennis.  “From Pencils to Pixels:The Stages of Literacy Technologies.”  Passions, Pedagogies, and 21^st Century Technologies. Eds. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe. Logan: Utah State P, 1999. 15-33. Print.

Reading and Thinking

Literacy is connected to both technology and the pencil. Both devices allow us to communicate without speaking.

I think Baron’s main argument here is that new technological advances are always met with some resistance and fear of possible aftermaths, and sometimes there are alterior motives behind those criticisms. It really helps to put things in perspective. I thought the comment about the “backward wave” of new technologies affecting old ones was interesting.  it made me think about clothes.  We constantly recirculate fashion. 

Baron allowed me to understand a wider perspective of how items are created for convienance and learning. Baron explains his concept very well pertaining to the pencil being replaced by the computer. I had no idea that the main purpose the pencil was developed was for artist. WOW!

Brain Rules# 4 ATTENTION

The video above explains the ten minute rule......
                                                            Reading and Thinking:
The more attention the brain pays to a given stimulus, the more elaborate the information will be encoded and retained.  We don't pay attention to things that are boring, which can affect learning.  I always heard of the ten minute rule, and it works.  I use it in my classroom all the time.  Lecture for ten minutes and then show some type of presentation or class discussion. 





Technology Reflection
Mindomo is an interesting tool to use for mapping.  I have to be honest and say that I am not a master at it yet.  This takes practice.  It took so long to get my point across and it didn't help that I am a little OCD when it comes to things being even and flowing well.  I can't say that this is one of my favorites thus far, but it is useful.  Would I try it again? Of course!

CCC: Chapter 6, Cynthia Selfe

Citation: Selfe, Cynthia L. “Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention.” Computers in the Composition Classroom: a Critical Sourcebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 93-115. Print.

          While reading this article I was forced to reflect my own classroom and staff development sessions.  Selfe opens her conversation of technology and literacy by giving me a mental picture of the attitudes of her colleagues .  This made me laugh because my meetings don't go much different.  For some reason educators are afraid of the future.  They struggle to change their old habits and techniques because of the, "comfort zone".   The reading made me pay attention to several issues such as, Selfe recounting the frightening history of technology in federal educational policy. She points out the institution of government efforts to increase the use of computers in the classroom.    Importantly, we are reminded through this article that we need to investigate the technologies we use before asking students to use them. We also need to be aware that money for technology may not be going to the ends we initially expect and may be doing more to maintain the status  than to open new opportunities, and that technological literacy does not imply literacy or eligibility for higher paying jobs.

Brain Rule # 3 Wiring

Brain Rules #3 on Prezi

Brain Rules Chapter 3 explains how we learn.  This chapter didn't seem uncommon to me, because I learned in high school that I am a visual learner.  This makes me different; therefore my brain is built differently from anyone else, and I am unique and intelligent in my own way.

Technology Reflection

I absolutely love using the Prezi program.  It was much easier to use after I used the tutorial instead of trying to navigate through it myself, like I normally would from excitement.  I like how it the program seems like an updated version of a PowerPoint presentation.  I would like to use more of the samples, but I guess I would have to buy it in order to have more options.  I would definitely use it again

Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century

Citation: Jenkins, Henry. Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture Media Education for the 21st Century. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2009.

Reading and Thinking

The article was quite interesting but I found myself constantly looking up the technology verbiage.  I agree with the author about the teachers not being totally responsible for the usage or understanding technology.  For once the pressure is off of us.  Parents play an important factor in students being successful at these skills also. Teaching technology is not an easy task and the instructor must feel confident in using it themselves before they can introduce it to students.  I always find myself amazed at how advanced technology is becoming and as a teacher myself, I need to continuously dive into these applications. 

Chapter 5 Selfe &Selfe

Citation: Selfe, Cynthia L., and Richard J. Selfe Jr. “The Politics of the Interface: Power and Its Exercise in Electronic Contact Zones.” Computers in the Composition Classroom: a Critical Sourcebook. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 64-85.
 Selfe caught my attention as I read about how it is important to plan well when allowing your students to complete writing assignments on the computer.  Becoming familiar with being a technology critic in't always easy.  Sometimes you have to evaluate the technology that is being sued for your students in order to identify whether it is worth using it for your students in the classroom.  It would interesting as a future college professor to create some type of technology myself for the usage of my students to learn.