Reflect

It's so weird to think that this semester is drawing to a close. Not so long ago, it felt like we were in Writing for Non-Print Media every other day. Now it's gotten to the point where it seems like it's been every other week.

Regardless of the time that past, I'm extremely glad I took the course, because, in just simply meeting only every Monday since the semester started, I've learned so much more about different technology and media than I ever thought I really would. If someone told me that I'd blog, podcast, and make have a video I helped make uploaded to Youtube, I'd have told them they obviously have the wrong person.

I don't regret a thing, though. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the class and using every different technology that we did. Having gone through this class is definitely going to make me much more open to trying new technologies and media that I take for granted.

Drama

It's interesting to see that drama sort of has the same issue being implemented into the classroom as technology, despite having been around longer. Both seem more of frivolous than a commodity in a lot of educators eyes. I had two English teachers in high school with completely opposite end of the spectrum opinions on drama. The one teacher loved drama, constantly having the class act out scenes from the story in order to better understand the material. The other was under the unbending opinion that drama was a waste of time and that "having students pitifully reenact scenes by stumbling over lines and butchering the source material" did not help the learning process at all. Understandably, these two did not like each one another and wouldn't even be in the same teacher's lounge at the same time.

Now, I admit the one teacher had us act out scenes a little too often for my liking, but I could see it help some other students understand exactly what was going on in material such as the Iliad or how there were many different facets of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

It was nice to read Pririe's article and see the different ways drama was implemented into the classroom and how it was more than a novelty to the teachers and the students.

Duh

Modern children learn differently than children of the past. You don't say, Edmonson? In all seriousness, though, the sad part is that her article hits the point right on the nose, but a lot of educators either don't realize it or refuse to get with the times.

Now, I'm not saying every teacher needs to make a Facebook account or update their Twitter every twelve seconds from their iphone 9, however, a little bit of concession can go a long way. A lot of these websites and mediums can be a distraction, of course, especially if treated only as such by teachers and professors. On the other hand, though, if students can be shown there's more to these than merely wasting time and avoiding doing actual work, perhaps ways of instituting them in the classroom setting wouldn't sound so far fetched.

 

New Novels

So, it's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of some of the books forced on students every year. Be that as it may, I'm still under the impression that everyone should read and a quote I heard the other day sums that sentiment up nicely. It's somewhere along the lines of, "the man who does not read has no advantage over one who cannot read." In the college setting, I feel like this is even more true, because I know plenty of people who wouldn't be caught dead reading a book, and that's a damn shame.

Back to my point, however; while I feel as though every copy of the books should be burned, and by no means am I saying that it should  be part of the curriculum, but the Twilight series did get a lot of people reading, the same way the Harry Potter series (which, incidentally, I believe has a decent case for being used in a classroom setting) did before. Here's hoping the Hunger Games books/movie trilogy can keep up the trend.

In a day and age where we're bombarded with so much media, I feel like the movie treatment a lot of these books are getting can be extremely beneficial. I, personally, had never heard of the Hunger Games before, but picked up the book in an effort to read it before the movie came out. I know I wasn't the only one who went through this, or a similar scenario. Having a movie bring attention to the book to the youths who barely have the time to look up from their iphones anymore is nothing to sneeze at.

Interest

The article by Jonathan Ostenson and Elizabeth Gleason-Sutton was another piece this week that I related to. I don't really remember a single book I was forced to read during high school. I either didn't actually read them or I read enough to get assignments done and then wiped them from my mind.

To get sort of off topic for a moment; it's sort of funny that I'm becoming a teacher, because I can't remember a single one that actually inspired me to do so. Instead, I constantly thought about how I would actually run a classroom so that students not only could learn, but wanted to. My memories from high school are those of being herded along, from one grade to another, in order to help the school just enough to get AYP and to avoid the ire of NCLB. I don't remember any connections with teachers; even the friends of mine that went back after they graduated only did so in order to say hi to the teachers that they had fun with. a.k.a. the teachers that didn't actually do work in the classes, and simply bullshitted with the students they liked for an hour.

During my high school English classes, I remember thinking that these books we had to read had no basis. They were all "classics" that had no connection with modern day kids; they were simply novels that older people viewed through rose colored glasses with frames made of nostalgia.

Though I still hold to the opinion that certain books, ones that shall remain unnamed *cough*thechocolatewars*cough*, aren't exactly the classic, necessary material for high school students to learn, I do know now that these books can not only be relatable, but used in a way that can catch these students' collective interests without forcing them down their throat.

I completely agree with both the authors in that we should strive to make these "necessary" novels meaningful to them. We can do this by looking for key factors that strike their interest, by asking questions that can instigate meaningful discussion, and mostly, by finding a balance between teacher and student involvement.

Different Facets

Broz's article about graphic responses to literature resonated on a meaningful level with me. It's funny, though, because I'm actually pretty confident in my own writing abilities. However, I know plenty of my friends are not. Because I'm an English major, I'm normally the go to guy for my friends when they have issues figuring out how to do essays and research papers, though I absolutely abhor the latter of the two. Regardless, it upsets me to see all of these people so doubtful about their own prowess at writing to the point that they actually sabotage themselves before they even begin. My girlfriend and my best friend both know, down to their core, that they're bad writers, and feel as though they'll never get better at it. I find that a huge shame, because, and I've shown them several times, they are only making minor errors that could be rectified quite easily. Unfortunately, they're just stuck in the mindset that that's as good as they can do, and hate writing because of it. However, they both absolutely excel at more creative elements, being able to ace any sort of project or assignment that is sort of outside the box.

This is where I feel Broz's ideas come into play. Too often have I seen teachers use the five paragraph essay for any and everything they're going to assess. Even my senior project in high school, which was a project based on our vocation, was graded more on the paper than on the actual project itself. I had a friend who literally took scrap from a junkyard and built a working car engine from scratch, only to barely pass with a D because his paper wasn't "up to par". Man, I was furious for him, but he was already in the mindset that that's as good as he deserved. I remember feeling bad for him and thinking, what could I have done to help him? Well, I may not have been able to help him, but I hope that I can learn from my, and others, experiences and be able to use different types of medias to assess my students. Broz's example of the young man and his drawings on the deer skin is exactly what I'm getting at. Some students are not good test takers, some aren't the most creative, and some aren't, or at least think they are not, good writers. I feel like it's necessary to attempt to cater, at least somewhat, to these students, to let them know that, just because they aren't "up to par" in certain regards, they aren't irredeemable outcasts.

20 Shot Film

I admit, I was not going into this project with high hopes. It had nothing to do with my group; I just know I'm not exactly the most tech savvy person in the room, and I wasn't sure how we'd fit the entirety of the story in twenty shots, or how we'd get it done in just two and a half hours. So, I was honestly shocked at how well my group picked up the task. We all sat down in the library, and within seconds we were all discussing the ins and outs about the story, explaining how we interpreted certain scenes, and showing each other our storyboards.

It didn't take long before we had a concrete idea about how we were going to tackle this project, and we went to work quickly. Though I wasn't in the film as much as others, I did enjoy helping set everything up and the experience in general. Not that I dislike the class, because I enjoy the open discussions we all have and the general atmosphere of it all, but this was definitely a nice change of pace from the norm.

Just like the podcast, I felt dreaded this assignment at first, but the simplicity of both medias was actually quite comforting, and, on both occasions, I actually enjoyed myself. They were both a great change-up from the norm, and, were much better than having to simply write a paper. The thing I enjoy the most, though, is that they didn't feel forced. I understood what the projects were, and it didn't feel like it was done simply for show, and that's what I feel is most important about using multi module medias in the classroom.

School Closings

So, apparently Chicago and Pennsylvania (specifically Philadelphia  are closing down dozens and dozens of public schools. Having gone to high school in Philly, this hits close to home. I have a few friends whose younger siblings are now being pushed into even more overcrowded classrooms in schools that are in dangerous neighborhoods. Thankfully Philadelphia has a public transit system, albeit a slightly unreliable one, but they still have quite a journey on their hands.

According to past studies, students in this situation rarely, if ever go to a better school. A lucky few will go to a comparable one, but the rest are herded into a school in worse condition.

I can't imagine that. See, I spent K-8th grade in different schools around Louisiana and Texas. In those schools, it felt like the teachers truly cared about the students in an almost parental way. I felt about just as bad in disappointing a teacher as I did my parents.

Then, I moved up to Philadelphia. I remember my first day in public school up in the good ole' northeast. The teachers were lackluster and didn't seem to care whether students did well or not. None of them seemed interested in unlocking any potential in students, just moving them along to the next grade. Also, when I went to lunch that day, I got a slice of pizza. Now, at least at the schools I went to, the lunch ladies came in every morning and began cooking what we were going to be having for lunch that day, usually some sort of well balanced meal. The piece of cardboard with expired spaghetti sauce on it was more disappointing than the teachers.

I feel like I got off topic. The point of all this was supposed to be that public schools can be a valuable place of learning and growth, even if they're in less than desirable locales, it simply starts with what the teachers make of it. (Though, good food never hurts anything, either.)

Graphic Novels

I admit, when I first started reading the articles by McTaggart and Carter, I initially felt that attempting to find a place for comics and graphic novels in a classroom setting was a bit of a stretch. Not that I don't like graphic novels or comics, but I wan't sure there was an educational application for them. This may be because the first graphic novels that came to my mind were 300 and Sin City, both of which are probably a little too, uhm, graphic for schools. I've never read this Maus both authors brought up, and while that particular graphic novel may work in a classroom setting, I feel it's in the minority there.

I do agree, however, with he idea that allowing students to read comics and graphic novels could help in getting them actually interested in reading. I would have taken Maus over almost any of the books that I had to read for school, especially in high school, and I'm sure many of my peers would have as well, given the choice. Using these and comics as a sort of gateway reading tool could very well enhance not only the interest in reading, but the level of it as well.

Aside from that, I thought the idea of having students use the panels or storyboards to make their own comic/graphic novels was a smart way to teach them about the different parts of stories. Because the set-up of comics are different, what with word bubbles, panels, and illustrations, students will have to look at stories from a different standpoint. This could also allow some students who aren't that great at writing papers a chance to try something different, while pushing those who are good at writing outside of their comfort zones.

Wilber

So, these Wilber readings were a nice change of pace. I mean, I was already aware of what blogs, wikis, and digital stories were, but not necessarily all about them, and I have no problem admitting that. If I'm going to be able to learn more about them, I can't pretend I already know everything. I'm hoping to bring this same attitude in to the classroom, and, instead of standing on a high horse in front of the class, being prepared to act somewhat humble. Though I'll definitely accept advice from my students, I also don't want to be totally inept at the same time. So, I'll consider it just as much my job to be aware of the new tech coming out left and right, while being ready to learn from my students as well.

Switching it up

Right from the beginning, the reading from Lund caught my attention. Obviously, students nowadays are used to modern technologies, even if they aren't aware of how they work or what else they can be used for.

I'm a huge fan of hands on, and this can be very successful in not just having the student learn the material better, but for them to also be interested in actually doing so. I find it amusing that this Maureen Smith was so shocked at how the technology broke the humdrum of typical classrooms. There isn't exactly too much innovation in the teaching field, so anything straying from the norm has the potential to really light a spark in students, who, for so long, have been used to learning by being talked at.

I know a lot of people question how technology can be integrated into the classroom or express doubts about how it can be beneficial. I remember an assignment in a high school class of mine where we were supposed to record a video about volcanoes. This was a geology class, so, needless to say, we were talked at a lot and it wasn't hard to see the words bouncing off of the heads of students numb of learning in such a monotonous way. So, when the teacher told us to get a hold of a video camera and shoot a video, it was a radical change from the norm, and it definitely caught the attention of everyone in the class. It was easy to see that other groups had as much fun as mine did while shooting their videos, and we all had our fair share of laughs when watching them all. That lesson stuck in my head more than any other topic or chapter we went over the entire year, and that means something.

No Child Left Behind

Wow, high school feels so long ago. As the NCLB act awaits is fate, I remember when it had a huge impact on my schooling. I went to high school northeastern Philadelphia, and, to put it nicely, the school was very poorly ran. Most of the teachers were prone to missing several days out of the week, and left substitutes to vainly attempt to teach a lesson plan to a class who either ignored them completely or responded with threats or vulgar language. The other half of the teachers didn't seem overly concerned with teaching, or, if they did, fared no better than the substitutes.  Yet, whenever the PSSAs would come around, all the sudden the faculty seemed to care, and we were taught to be as ready for this test as humanly possible. Everything from bribes to threats from the principle would come over the intercom every week before the dreaded test, and AYP, or "adequate yearly progress", was the center of the lesson plans we all had to learn.

Planning on becoming a teacher someday, I often wonder just how much I'll have to deal with "teaching to the test". I'd really like to avoid a school or district that enforces this sort of teaching, as, at least in my experience, I don't feel like much is retained in the long run with this style. It felt like we were told to hold a box in our hands, then another box was stacked on that one, then another, and so on and so forth, until we had a tower of material that we only had to hold until a certain time. Once that time passed, it seemed like all the students just opened up their arms and let all the boxes fall, no longer being coerced into holding them.

I understand the ups and downs of standardized testing, but I don't feel like curriculum should force it into the front seat, then kick it out of the car when it's no longer needed.

Wilber 3&4

This was a really down to earth chapter, and, while I haven't really seen many articles in the class in opposition to tech in the classroom, these two seemed very nonchalant about the matter. The descriptions of blogs and wikis were very helpful, especially for anyone, like myself, who isn't exactly the most tech savvy person in the room.

Also, the different uses of these medias are an interesting facet as well. I've thought of teachers using blogs in order to help students, though most students may not be too interested in the read. However, I never thought about teachers with experience posting blogs in order to help young, up and coming teachers along the way. The ability to not only post information or experiences on the blog, but to also field and answer any questions is also an excellent give and take that would be hard to find anywhere else. I feel like that's a fantastic way to transmute that sort of knowledge in this day and age. It just goes to show that there's always some sort of help on the internet, not including that shady Craigslist I hear so much about.

The idea of multimodal literacies becoming more and more common in the classroom may be a scary thought to me. That is not to say I'm totally opposed to the idea. Having learned a particular way, myself, it is hard to picture alternatives that I'm comfortable with. However, seeing as how the reading proficiency of students is so low nowadays, a new style can't possibly be much worse.

This class has opened my eyes to the uses of multimodal technology. Of course I was aware that their uses in the classroom was inevitable, but it's good to know that they aren't destined to be a measly sideshow attraction in schools. 

Kajder discusses students becoming digital-trained instead of print-trained, and I feel this pulls into the igeneration talks. This digital-trained age is right around the corner if it isn't already here, and teachers, old and new, need to be aware of these strides.

Descriptive Feedback

I was looking over my notes for a test this Tuesday, and when feedback came up, it reminded me of something my professor said. He asked us to imagine we were being approached by the principle/superintendent who asked how to best raise the performance of our students. He said the obvious answer would be to make the class size smaller, which would allow us to be able to focus on more students and their work.

The likelihood that decreasing class sizes will actually be possible is fairly low, though. However, the professor explained that he had a trick that would raise the performance of the students even more than smaller classes. If someone received a paper back with a red "D" on it, they would simply be getting evaluative feedback. That feedback does not give the student anything to build off of. Unaware of what they did wrong or how they could do it better, the student has no real direction given to them. 

However, descriptive  feedback is much more helpful to the student. This type of feedback lets the students know how well they're doing or how to improve. Whenever a teacher marks an answer wrong without telling the student why, that isn't really doing the student any favors. If the teacher marks the answer wrong, though, and explains to the student why it was wrong, that observation can allow the student to build upon a foundation that was not there before. Obviously, this is going to take more time and effort on the teachers part, but why else would someone teach if not to help out students in the best way they can?

New Tech and Old Problems

In my other post, I brought up the fact that the three major textbook companies are making efforts to move towards a digital future.

Reading the article, "Extending the Conversation: New Technologies, New Literacies, and English Education", I noticed another point to my previous post that I overlooked. On page 360, it discusses Affordances and Constraints on this ideal. Not only is cost an obvious factor, but so too is the fact that teachers will also be required to be knowledgeable about these technologies, hopefully to the extent that they can at least teach properly with them, let alone instruct the students on how to use them.

On the other end of the spectrum, two pages down, the articles asks the question: How well will old fashioned text and writing exercises prepare students for the future that is going to be more and more digital and innovative as years pass?

Obviously, some sort of middle ground must be found, but it all hinges on how willing all sides are to compromise.

Times Are A-Changin'

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2013/02/06/02textbooks.h06.html?tkn=LWOFYf6jUuYtB7G0WQevzdyUp9WYoGxp92WY&cmp=clp-edweek

It seems as though our discussion in class about whether School Districts should move towards ebooks or not may be moot now.

"Interviews with officials of the "big three"—London-basedPearson, New York City-based McGraw-Hill Education, and Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt—suggest they're taking different approaches."

With news that "the big three" in textbook business are moving towards the digital age, may well spell the end for actual print textbooks. Not only this, but Pearson seems intent on not just converting print textbooks to virtual ones, but attempting to create all types of content from interactive video games to a digital curriculum specifically for tablets.

I feel that, while I am more of a fan of an actual physical copy of textbooks, this is a much needed transference in order to keep up with the times.

Reading

I admit that I coasted through high school, and definitely understand where elementary and high school students are coming from. I remember the atmosphere was very  unappealing. I can only imagine how much more so that is for the igeneration. Maybe this idea of gearing homework and schoolwork more towards the newer generation is the kick in the rear the education system could use. With waning interest from the students and a baffled school board, perhaps I could put aside my thought that today's students go through the same mundane teachings I did.

Rituals

So, I'm a little late here. I blame The Walking Dead. Anyhow, this post has to do with something educational. I'm currently taking College Writing, and the readings in that class are interesting. I'm finding that  now that I'm taking classes more related to my major, I actually don't mind reading the textbooks. Well, I still mind, but at least it's not as bad. Regardless, a tidbit from the first chapter reading in that class caught my attention. The author discussed how writers have rituals and conditions that help them to write better. I never realized I had these until I read the book. Because I'm a procrastinator, my condition seems to be at the last possible moment, but I know that I work better under pressure. My ritual seems to consist of running through my favorite websites so that they have nothing to distract me with once I actually begin working. I feel like realizing what my rituals are and what conditions I work best in make me a better writer, and I'd be interested in finding out other writers, and eventually my future students', rituals and conditions are.