Group+1+Module+12


 * Module 12: New Literacies: Reading Instruction and the Internet (We all watched u-tube.)

1. Reading instruction with the internet has been researched. What does the research state? ZH-** Teens and adolescents need to have projects and webquests on the internet. Technology will be with all school agers the rest of their lives. They learn about tech and then scaffold to build on top with the new information. TD- Research shows that technology may motivate students and help generate their interest in certain topics. Newer teachers or teachers who stay current with methodology report being more comfortable with technological advances than teachers who are out of the proverbial loop. Little to no comprehension gains have been reported. As more technology develops, more research will be needed to specify the effects (if any) of a particular “new literacy” on comprehension or other areas of literacy. KC- Why do you think not comprehension gains have been reported? I would think that there would be some positive effects due to the higher motivation and engagement of students. KC- New literacies are continuously changing technologies that will be difficult to keep up with. Our educational system and educators are having a hard time keeping up with the training needed to implement technologies in our classrooms. Most school systems need to provide more professional development opportunities so that educators are trained and able to apply and teach new technologies in their classrooms. New technologies are highly social due to their ever changing nature. This provides opportunities for students to teach each other and even their teachers in some new forms of literacies. These new literacies are highly engaging to most students and provide a wealth of information and provide tools for communicating with people throughout the world.

TD- I would say I am a 3.5 or a 4. I am very comfortable with the Internet, CD-ROMs, word processors, basic computers and computer systems, SmartBoards, and talking storybooks, but I have zero experience with integrated learning systems (ILS). I am not entirely sure what those are- the textbook didn’t go into much detail on them. I don’t have much experience with podcasts either. I have used a webcam (during my husband’s deployment) but not in an educational setting. In my current teaching position, I am very restricted as to what types of technology I can use because of HIPAA (confidentiality of health/medical records). KC- I'm not sure what integrated learning systems are either. I need some examples, please...Zane? My scanner is working today so that passport applications may be scanned and given to people that scam me. (Just kiddin') I sometimes listen to podcasts or record them. The resources are numerous. Be careful, please Tracy and Kelly. KC- Maybe you could use colored backgrounds on the pages your display on the SmartBoard, Zane. KC- I do not have much training in the area of technology. I am able to use the internet, word processing, various computer programs offered at our school, and I have been to SmartBoard training. I would probably rate myself at a 1 for my comfort zone with the new literacies. I am afraid to try new programs and technology for fear that I will mess up something and not be able to fix the problem. I regularly ask friends and fellow teachers for help in the area of technology.
 * 2.** **Evaluate your comfort zone with the new literacies of today and rate how you feel with them. (#5 is really comfortable, scale down from there) If tech is scary for you it could be a #1.)**
 * ZH-**Sometimes I am overconfident or totally a basket case. It depends on which technology __I am or was__ using. I can be a 5 and try very hard with fingers crossed however my 2 or 1 days display that technology may be fallible just as humans are. The flip camera is very cool. I was doing fantastic making movies with apple technology. Then real player, roxio, winstar, windows movie maker would not take the movie for viewing. Frustration is higher when graduate classes have so many expiring due dates. I am doing so much better with computers. (unless hard drive is eaten up!) Just do it and try it. I was even reading on the kindle that Dr. Swanson has for classes. I would rather tape on a cassette player any day over those tiny dinky things. I am great with graphics and organizing with Dr. Moody's "memory sticks." That is what she calls a thumb drive or flash drive. I am even able to text and know that lol was not (Land of Lakes as Wal-mart puts on the receipt) but laughing out loud. SmartBoards tm are relatively easy to use but the blaring white will be a hindrance to my autistic students who prefer dark and certain colours. I am even familiar with notebook and preparing pdf's. Using wiki's is my downfall. I constantly have to check my spelling and there is not a spell-check. I probably have more history of being on the wiki for checking grammar and spelling. (This is a way that I need ILS for my writing.)

youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q ZH-** After watching the u-tube presentation for the 4th or 5th time. I've also seen it in advanced technology class and in research with Dr. Cassity, & I still know that it is phenomenal. The experts are our students of today, who may be living in other countries and speaking one of the Hindu languages. (For REAL) New literacies may be planned for, knowing they really are not scary. Teachers that are dynamite are asking now for new updates on technology along with training. Our professors can guide us in the correct direction however it is (we) I that must do the research. Expert advice I must sadly say, is not always affected by age. (aka Older people are more intelligent.) If there are possibly more than 1, 300 people out there like me, I would wish to warn those clones. They would have a teaching job and stick with it for 28 years even if RIF (Reduction in Force) due to the economy or cuts made some major adjustments. A quote from our OSBI agency on the internet regarding cutting back, which is what we are doing with new literacies during economic crisis's, printed the following: **1937 - The agency's records are transferred to the Department of Public Safety. The Bureau maintains a full records staff, but the number of agents is reduced from 26 to 7.Cuts are continually made in history and they are not necessarily good. However society plows ahead and teachers spend more on their classes. I will continue my professional training and my professional journals while staying with the current research. I have met some cool researchers in my day and early on I was not even aware of who they were. Realizing that the MacCracken's and the Pikulski that Mindy Smith mentioned in class are the same ones I've met is mind boggling. Mem Fox has some good expert advice for working with students and for writing. (Please see website.)Think of the strides that teachers like Marie Clay, Montessori, ** **Loris Malaguzzi,** **Piaget. Vygotsky, and Dewey have taught societies. We are all still learning about new literacies. Conservative Mike Wimmer was more attuned to literacy terminology while easy going artist Floyd Cooper asked me to send him some updated terminology. We are all still learning and finding words and cognates to use for new strategies. Knowing what the first graders today will know at age 23 or even 32 years, will blow your mind away. Teachers stress just trying to keep up**. **New technologies are available minute by minute and it is hard to keep up. I will use some that Dr. Swanson, Dr. Kymes, and Dr. Cassity have recommended.** TD- I need to visit with my supervisor so that I will have clearance to incorporate certain technologies. Anything involving sharing information (even first names) is out, so I will develop a plan with my supervisor as to what I can do and how. For the moment, I am working on obtaining a SmartBoard and PCs with Internet access for all my students. Acquiring these items will allow me to differentiate on a level that is unheard o f to me right now with one student computer and one computer- my personal laptop- with Internet access. I will also speak to my corporate office about what kinds of changes they are making to accommodate for new literacies.
 * 3. How would you or will you plan for new literacies. What do you need and where do you go for expert advice?

ZH- I am surprised you are able to have internet with the above limitations, Tracy. I hope your Kansas, Oklahoma student's are able to do some new technologies. You could give the kids numbers or fun names for internet, wordle, and word splash use. KC-** Tracy, it sounds like you are very limited in what you can do as well. I hope you can work something out with your supervisor. KC- The other day the Disney Channel had a commercial using young teens that was pretty cool. It was about how because of the internet that they have a voice that could be heard. They were pointing out the fact that if they were face-to-face with adults giving their opinions or trying to educate the adults that they usually aren't taken seriously. The world wide web doesn't know their age; therefore as long as what they have to say is well thought out and intelligent more people will listen to their ideas and opinions.
 * These students are always teaching me.
 * KC-** I see the benefits of incorporating the use of new literacies in the classroom, and I wish that I could use them more. Since I go into other teachers classrooms to teach during the day, I don’t have much of an opportunity to use these new literacies. If I was able to use these literacies without disrupting the rest of the class I would use the SmartBoard to incorporate interactive reading activities such as word sorts, vocabulary activities, games, and graphic organizers. I would use Safari Montage to help activate prior knowledge or to show students short video clips related to what we are studying. I would go to fellow teachers and our computer tech for their expertise. I am open to any suggestions that you may have as to how I might be able to integrate these new literacies with my students without disturbing the other teachers in small group and students who are working in centers, reading, and receiving small group instruction in the classroom.

1. What if a school system expects more of reading teachers and forgets to prioritize on the most important? 2. How could computers for school systems be acquired if funds are gathered for assessing with PASS or State objectives? 3. TD- Where can I find more information about integrating technology into my classroom? Are there websites geared toward teachers, complete with descriptions of new technologies and how to implement them into daily instruction? KC- 1. How can we keep students from using the internet for dishonest purposes such as using a research paper found on the internet as their own work? 2. Do you think that the state will ever put our state testing on-line? 3. Which do you think the majority of students would prefer, reading using a Kindle or actually holding the book in their hands?
 * Questions: Module 12**