The Reading Specialist

We were able to hear back from some experts regarding our collaborative project. Check out what Dr. Julie Coiro said….

From: jcoiro@snet.net > Subject: Re: We’d like to have your expert opinion on our project

Hi Omer and Nicole, > Good to hear from you! I would say you are off to a > good start with many interesting ideas! I wasn’t sure > if your project purpose was to help you learn or for > you to teach others what you learn, but here are a > few initial thoughts I had as I read your project > description: > > 1. You wrote “We want to know how individuals use the > multimedia > resources to express their individuality to others as > in Myspace.com and how educational resources like > Starfall.com are using multimedia to teach reading.” > > To make your project compelling to others, I would be > interested in knowing more about why you selected > those two particular uses of technology (e.g., (1) to > teach reading and (2) to create personal space) rather > than others (e.g., constructing responses to > literature, for example, or playing online video games > as another). > > I would also be interested in knowing why you decided > to focus on both of these issues (rather than just > one) in your project. Is there some way these two > ideas are connected? > > In your description, you also mention using technology > to extend content area curricula (other than reading) > as opposed to just “teaching early reading” and you > mention issues of multiple modalities and overlaps > between language, symbols, and multmedia in the > context of Myspace. > > After thinking a little more, I realized that you have > identified lots of interesting issues, but unless you > have a reason for exploring all of them as a group > (technology used to teach reading, foster identity > spaces, explore multiple modalities, and enrich > content area learning), you may wish to select just > one and focus all of your attention on that for your > project. This will give you the opportunity for more > “depth” rather than “breadth” in your project. > > HOWEVER, if your goal, as your title might suggest, is > to better understand the many ways of “reading across > the media”, you may be able to restructure your > explanation a little to say your purpose is to explore > a sampling of the many ways technology is being used > in schools (or in and out of school – since Myspace is > rarely allowed in-school) to enhance an individual’s > knowledge and identity. > > I hope that helps gives you some ideas about where to > head with things. Whatever you choose, be sure to > provide an explanation for why knowing about that > topic is important – this will help you provide a > summary of what you want your audience to walk away > with. > >

Good luck! > Julie

We know that new technologies are quickly becoming the norm for people of all ages in the Information Age. They are used in schools to teach reading (e.g., Starfall.com) or they are used by young adults to create personal space (e.g., myspace.com) to express themselves and interact with others.

There is an increasing trend in schools to incorporate technological resources within the curricula. These resources include websites, software programs, and intra-networks which are used for pedagogical purposes across content areas. One such program is Starfall.com used by teachers to teach and supplement beginning reading skills.

            Websites, like Myspace, allow individuals to communicate creatively using newer literacies which mesh language, symbols through the use of multimedia. A growing number of young adults are taking advantage of the affordances of such websites to express their unique individuality.

We want to know how individuals use the multimedia resources to express their individuality to others as in Myspace.com and how educational resources like Starfall.com are using multimedia to teach reading.

To do this, we will conduct content analyses on the websites, noting the symbols, graphics, texts, video clips, audio clips, and their intended interaction to create meaning for the users.

We will draw from our class readings as well as outside resources. Mayer’s article about the effect of multimedia on cognitive learning, Miller and Borowicz article on digital authoring project, and O’Donnell’s reading on blogging as a pedagogic practice have contributed to our thinking throughout the project.  

We will also solicit commentary from three experts in the field; for example, some of the authors that we are utilizing.

We will use a variety of media from these websites in our presentation to the class.

This is my first podcast. Please listen and let me know what you think! 

nreads-podcast.mp3

E-researchers and educators can be confronted with different dilemmas with respect to ethics, intellectual property, and e-Research procedures.  Some of the issues were made evident within E-Research           
(Anderson & Kanuka, Ch. 5), Postmodern authorship (Johnson-Eilola, 2004, pp.203-212), and Creative Commons Licenses.  Some prominent problems discussed within the e-Research text were researcher’s competence to understand and accurately know appropriate ethical guidelines and principles.  If a researcher does not observe ethics, their work and participants involved could be jeopardized.  It is necessary for the researcher to exercise extreme caution, judgment, confidentiality and respect for all involved persons.  Another issue researchers and educators may deal with is obtaining consent.  There are different ways to obtain consent from individuals.  However it must be decided how consent may be obtained (i.e. electronically) and whether consent may be needed.  For instance some arenas may be public while others private.  Once again one must exercise tremendous concern and judgment to determine what is considered public or private, and whether or not consent is needed. It is obvious that e-researchers must utilize experience not only personally but from others who may be in the field in addition to sound personal judgment.  The last thing an e-researcher or educator should want to do is harm the individuals they are utilizing for their research.           

Additionally, another important factor to consider is authorship and how one is able to utilize another’s text.  The ways in which people write and understand literature is changing continuously.  Texts have become forms which are multi-dimensional and extremely social.  Therefore it is imperative to understand the changing nature of writing and be in compliance with laws regulating use of other’s work.  At times, it may be difficult to differentiate between original texts, therefore it may be best not to utilize it if unsure of its origin.             

With these thoughts in mind, it is important to understand and recognize the compliances one must follow when interacting with internet literacy’s and research.  Most likely, every site is going to have some type of licensure which spells out the limitations and allowances of the user. These licenses’ should not be considered to be burdens but as regulations to ensure an individual’s safety within the site they are utilizing. It is extremely important to have great knowledge of the dilemmas of e-research procedures especially when working with students.  As precautionary measures for teachers and students, it would be sensible to find literature about the processes of e-research for greater understanding of the issues and how they may be resolved, before conducting research.  For instance, we should keep in mind the different ways to include individuals in research without compromising identities, personal well-being, jobs, and the research itself.  Moreover it would be very wise to read over program licenses before agreeing to them. One should not be afraid to ask questions and seek answers if the terms and limitations are not clear.

I understand that e-research can be very beneficial and engaging. However it is still a fairly new concept and one must understand that the process should be taken slowly to understand each element and that sound judgment should play an integral part of the process as well.  

Podcast are a component of the Internet, which I have had some exposure to. Of course when IPODS came out, I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and stayed on Itunes downloading my favorite songs and albums.  I knew that this technology was capable of a lot, especially the newer versions and yet I had no idea how much until recently. Until recently I saw Podcasts as something soley for social and entertainment purposes, yet in reading literature about them, I realize I was incorrect. 

  When reading this article, I was surprised at how much I did not know as well as the amount I learned.  My first question when engaging in the text, related to how exactly Podcast may relate to academia and myself as an educator.  However, I came to understand that even within its infancy stage, there are ways for educators and learners to use Podcast effectively.  Podcasts may give students the opportunity to be self regulatory within their learning. It may give them an opportunity to communicate freely and creatively.  In retrospect, podcasts may also allow teachers to be self reflective and more creative within their practice. Even so, a question I tend to have is whether or not this method will be effective given the various learning styles students encompass. With this thought, I recognize that Podcast would probably not be used in isolation but more so as a supplement to other methodology.  I view Podcast as a possible tool for a new generation of learners, which is a divergence of usual methods and this may prove very exciting and successful. 

                       Weblog Entry 2: The Rhetoric of PowerPoint

Kjedlsen (2006) stated, “Any kind of technology, any medium, has constraints, contains certain possibilities, and limitations” (p. 14). This statement sums up the thoughts I have regarding PowerPoint in relation to teaching and learning. Kjedlsen’s article brought forth many truths regarding the use of PowerPoint for instruction. Throughout my years of undergraduate and graduate studies PowerPoint presentations have been utilized by professors, students, and even me. However, I quickly came to find out that Power Points can be very tedious, ineffective, and not very interactive. That knowledge of PowerPoint is important because in order to demonstrate effective teaching and learning there must be a high level of meaningful interaction and presentation between the teacher and students.

As I reflect on this article through the lens of my project, reading across media I envision PowerPoint use as ineffective if not used correctly and effective if used creatively. For instance, cognitively the set up of PowerPoint may not be best for struggling readers and language learners. The visual set-up, lack of specific detail, and overbearing information may be difficult for these students to process. On the other hand, it would be interesting to utilize PowerPoint as a way for students to make inferences based on lack of detailed information given. Since PowerPoint set up is very specific and unable to change as much as one might like, a teacher could possible use it to have students identify sequences within a text, main ideas of literature, and other story elements which cause students to elaborate on a specific given thought. One has to realize that a PowerPoint is something supplementary that will not be able to teach a wide variety of concepts. Therefore, it is up to the user to figure out and understand what type of information the technology may be best used for, and what the audience should be able to learn from it.