RE 5532-375: Literacy and Technology
North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston-Salem, NC
Fall Semester 2008
| September 8 : Class #1 - Overview, Pre-Assessment, Threaded Discussions
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| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| Introductions: Who are you and why are you taking a
technology elective? What technologies
do you already know and use (at school, at home, elsewhere)?
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Use
Inspiration software to create the K and W of a KWL chart on literacy and
technology. Include your
definition of both literacy and technology. Save as Inspiration file and as JPEG file. Save both--you will add to your blog eventually. |
| Discussion: What is literacy? What is technology? How and why does it matter?
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4 reading
groups. Read about new literacy definitions, descriptions, and classroom issues at: (a) Smolin & Lawless (2003), (b)
Leu (2001), (c) Kist (2004), or (d) the District Administration Digital Edition. How do their definitions and descriptions compare to your thinking on new literacies and their ?
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| Syllabus,
readings, assignments: What is
this course and how will it be organized? What questions or suggestions do you have?
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Go to Nicenet and join "RE 5532" using the course name
and class key you will be provided. Look over the online syllbus and calendar. |
| What is a
threaded discussion board?
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5 reading groups. Read in order to answer questions to left: (a) Morgan (2003) to see how threaded discussions were used to teach a particular writing skill; (b) this pair of short articles at Technology and Learning on digital dialogue and threaded discussion start-up; (c) Zha et al (2006) for a description of ESL students' use of a threaded discussion board; (d) Wolsey (1998) for a discussion and description of the use of threaded discussions to enhance literacy circles. I searched quickly and found that there are free discussion board sites on the web. You can do your own search, or start here, Quick Topic, Pro Boards, or Brave Net. Set one up for yourself or your class. |
| September 15 : Class #2
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| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| What is a
blog?
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3 reading
groups. Read: (a) Suen (2006) about blogging in
school, (b) Catalano (2005) about blogging in general, or (c) whatever you can find
online.
Go to Blogger.com or WordPress.com and create your blog for this class. Introduce yourself and provide your thoughtful definitions of literacy and technology either as a single entry or a pair of entries, your thoughts on threaded discussions, on blogging. |
| Variations on an Email Theme | 5 reading groups. Read: (a) Vandermeij & Boersma (2002) to learn of one email implementation in elementary school; (b) Karchmer-Klein & Layton's (2006) description of an literature-based email application in elementary schools; (c) Hackbarth's (2002) description of gains made by 4th graders using email; (d) Brown & Dexter's (2002) description of an e-mentoring project with elementary students; or (e) whatever you can find online. Create a Springdoo and/or Gabmail account for yourself and a Gaggle.net email account for your class. With a partner or small group, explore email, video, and audio email capabilities of these two softwares. How might you use either or both of
these with the students you teach?
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| Bells and Whistles | (1) Go to StatCounter, or do your own search, register for a free statcounter, and see if you can add it to your blog. (2) Add a video greeting to your blog with Springdoo and your webcam. |
| September 22 : Class #3 – Communications
Technologies
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| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| Internet Phone and Instant Messaging | One third of you read Fryer's online article about IM, 1/3 of you his link to info on using Skype in the classroom, and 1/3 the Cool Cat Teacher's thoughts and video. What dis/advantages do you see to using either or both of these tools in your classroom? Word Press has useful links and info on Skype. |
Vyew, Voicethread, and Gabcast
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Read how Patrick Aroune explored Vyew with students and Brian Friedlander's thoughts on Vyew's features. Go to Vyew, a brand new communication tool, sign up for a free personal account. Try this one out with a partner in class. Langwitches describes how one teacher used Gabcast. Marian Thacher describes how she used Gabcast with adult learners, and provides links to student samples. Mary J. has a very cool application of Gabcast at her blog. Go to Gabcast, explore the various audio capabilities via telephone input. One more you might explore is Voicethread. There is a marvellous explanation of the possibilities and capabilities of Voice thread at this example/tutorial. Joyce Valenza has an interesting Voicethread example linked to her education blog. Again, sign up for a free personal account. Consider the differences between these various communications technologies. How might you incorporate them singly or in combination in your classes? |
| September 29 : Class #4 – Internet Resources to Support Student Learning | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| Annotated,
public, shared, social bookmark organizers
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4 groups. Read (a) Forbes
(2004) to find suggestions for how to use electronic
bookmark systems in your own classroom (Amanda D, Amy S, Cherrita HM, Donna BW, Elizabeth S); (b) Wikipedia's description of the background and uses of social bookmarking (Jan M, Jessica N, Jessica M, Kelly S, Kori T); (c) Pandia's review of their picks for the top 5 social bookmark systems (Leslie R, Lisa R, Marion H, Melissa G); or (d) whatever you can find online or in journals (Monty O, Sarah F, Tamera W, Tanya R). What advantages and disadvantages do you see in social bookmarking? Enter your initial impressions and questions in appropriate threaded discussion before Sunday afternoon.
Explore blinklist, del.icio.us, furl, spurl, or wURLdBook
Research, iKeepBookmarks, MyBookmarks, backflip, or any of the other systems reviewed in the Pandia article. Create your own social bookmark system for your teaching, learning, and/or personal use (Celeste--you may create a new one or continue to build your existing). Here are some examples from the summer course: iKeepBookmarks, Furl, Backflip, Blinklist. I am in the process of reorganizing my existing social bookmarks at Furl onto a Del.icio.us site just to explore another system.
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| What are the differences and dis/advantages of web-based reading? | 5 reading groups. Read (a) Henry (2006) for an overview and strategies for reading and researching on the internet (Amanda D, Amy S, Cherrita HM, Donna BW, Elizabeth S); (b) Kymes (2005) for a think-aloud procedure for teaching web-reading strategies (Jan M, Jessica N, Jessica M, Kelly S, Kori T); (c) Sutherland-Smith (2002) for a comparison of web-based and page reading (Leslie R, Lisa R, Marion H, Melissa G); (d) Coiro (2003) for a discussion of web-based reading strategies (Monty O, Sarah F, Tamera W, Tanya R); or (e) anything you can find on the web (anyone who would rather do this than your assigned reading on this topic). Again, enter your initial reflections on your reading assignemtn and questions in appropriate threaded discussion before Sunday afternoon. |
| The World Wide Web | Visit Webquest.org's website for background on and links to webquests. Explore
the five web-based strategies supported by Filamentality (http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil).
Create
your own on-line lesson for your class. Some teachers from the summer course created them in PowerPoint and upload them to free filesharing systems, some like online hosts like TeacherWeb, Trackstar, or InstantProjects. Post a link to your finished on-line lesson at Nicenet in the appropriate link sharing topic strand. The first person who posts their lesson should create a new topic strand, "Webquests."
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Last day to add social bookmark annotations that will count toward your assignment grade is Oct. 20. |
| October 6 : Class #5 – Social Networking (Virtual Class Meeting) | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| FYI: "T.H.E. Journal Contest: "INSPIRE your middle and high school students to be leaders in the Green Schools movement--and your school could win a state-of-the-art computer lab! The "Green Light Contest" essay competition, sponsored by PC Mall Gov, in partnership with HP, InFocus and T.H.E. Journal, is seeking entries from students in two categories: grades 5 - 8 and 9 - 12. In essays of 1,000 words or less students are asked to describe how they and their teachers can utilize technology to protect the environment, with the grand-prize-winning composition being awarded a 30-seat "green" computer lab for the author's school. Two additional first place winners (one from each grade-level category) will each receive a "green" laptop. Winning essays will be published in T.H.E. Journal and winners will be recognized at FETC, January 21 - 24, in Orlando, FL." | The "Green Light Contest" essay competition, sponsored by PC Mall Gov, in partnership with HP, InFocus and T.H.E. Journal, is seeking entries from students in two categories: grades 5 - 8 and 9 - 12. In essays of 1,000 words or less students are asked to describe how they and their teachers can utilize technology to protect the environment, with the grand-prize-winning composition being awarded a 30-seat "green" computer lab for the author's school. Two additional first place winners (one from each grade-level category) will each receive a "green" laptop. Winning essays will be published in T.H.E. Journal and winners will be recognized at FETC, January 21 - 24, in Orlando, FL. |
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Start by reading about social networking. Find out what it is, what features it offers, why people use social networking sites. Read the Wikipedia entries on Facebook and MySpace. |
| Education applications: What do others think about social networking as an educational tool. | Read what PBS Teachers has to say about social network use by public school students and check out the National School Boards Association report linked there (see especially p. 3 which details how students report using social network sites. Check out what eSchool News reports on school policies regarding social network sites. Read what some teachers and schools think about and do with social networking at the E-Learning Blogor The Knowledge Tree, |
| First-hand knowledge: Just what are these social network sites? How might you use them as a teacher? How might you support your students' learning? How might we use the appeal, versatility, and interest these sites have created to support literacy learning and use? | Create a Facebook, MySpace, and/or Bebo account. Explore the features. Provide us with a link to the site and do whatever you need to do at the site(s) to invite us all to be part of your social network. Many educators use Ning (see Wikipedia entry) as a customizable social network site. |
| October 13 : Class #6 – Social Networking, Webquests | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related
Tasks
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| Social Networking Sites: What are they? Why do more than 200 million people worldwide have MySpace accounts? Why have more than 35 million people created Facebook accounts since 2004? Educational applications? | In-class discussion. Class notes. |
| Webquests vs. Internet Workshop vs. Tracks.. | Visit Webquest.org's website for background on and links to webquests. Explore
the five web-based strategies supported by Filamentality (http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil).
Create
your own on-line lesson for your class. Some teachers from the summer course created them in PowerPoint and upload them to free filesharing systems, some like online hosts like TeacherWeb, Trackstar, or InstantProjects. Post a link to your finished on-line lesson at Nicenet in the appropriate link sharing topic strand. The first person who posts their lesson should create a new topic strand, "Webquests."
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| Catch-Up | Blog reflections on literacy and technology definitions, your personal baseline understanding/use of technology, things you've tried in your classroom, threaded discussions, blogs, communications softwares? Have you added pictures? Hyperlinks? Stat counter? Widgets? Linked to your social bookmarks or course syllabus. Have you posted link to your blog at Nicenet and does link work? Threaded discussions: have you posted comments on readings, questions, classroom application possibilities? Read and responded to others? Have you created a social bookmark site? Added link at Nicenet and your blog? Looked at the rubric? Will you have it sufficiently developed for grading by Oct. 20? Have you created social network site? Invited class members and Dr. K. to be your "friends," so we can see various options for use. |
| October 20 : Class #7 – Digital Photography and Multimedia Text | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| What is
digital text and how might we use it as teachers?
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Read (a) Boone and Higgins (2003) for issues to consider in the creation and use of digital texts; (b) Grant (2004) for a review of the benefits of reading digital text; (c) Erickson et al
(2002) to explore a different way of considering how we
might present/structure text to more systematically support early literacy learning; (d) read CAST's tips for authors of digital text.
Copy of notes from our discussion of digital text. |
| Digital Text Creation and Support Tools: My Own Bookshelf, PowerPoint, Flickr, Altavista, Tar Heel Reader | Explore at least two of the following as softwares or websites and use them to create two multimedia texts (8 pages or more): PowerPoint, My Own Bookshelf, Voicethread, Tar Heel Reader, or UDL Bookbuilder. What are the relative strengths and drawbacks of these various tools? |
| Peer-to-Peer File Sharing | Check out some of the free file hosting and file sharing sites: Free Drive, Sendspace, Badongo, DepositFiles, FileFactory, KeepMyFile, Limewire, Bigupload, Megaupload, MediaFire, Snap Drive, and others. Here is the comparative info Fall 2007 class generated. Upload your digital bookprojects (if you use PowerPoint) and/or add the link to Link Sharing > Digital Books at Nicenet. |
| Catch-up (Catsup, Ketchup...) | Lab time to work on what you need to work on. Time to help and get help. Please post questions in question thread before class to make sure you get the most help possible if needed. |
| October 27 : Class #8 – Digital Photography and Multimedia Texts | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| What on earth can I do with digital photography in my classroom? | Read Spielman (2001) for a description of the success of one classroom photography project; Labbo's or Turbill's application of digital language experience; or check out one of Jerry Cheeks's many links of projects and uses for digital cameras; or Wacona Elementary's useful links of projects and uses for digital cameras; or Kathy Schrock's links to digital camera use in the classroom. |
| Sample digital photo lessons | Using photography in storytelling. Explore the world. Urban alphabet book. Lots more examples found at Apple's Education site. |
| Digital Photo Lesson/Product | Bring photos from your class or collect them from Flickr. |
| Lab time | Work on what you need to work on: exploring softwares; working on your blog or social bookmarks; finishing your digital book, uploading it, linking at Nicenet for us; finishing your webquest and posting; contributing to the threaded discussion... Time to help and get help. |
| November 3 : Class #9 – Students with Disabilities, Assistive
technologies, and Projects
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| Topics
and Questions
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| What are
assistive technologies?
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4 groups: Explore (a) the concept of universal design for learning (UDL) at the CAST website; (b) the range of commonly used assistive technologies in the Perspectives column and the Technology Issues and Ideas column of LD Resources; (c & d) the Northwest Territories Literacy Council's or the Alliance for Technology Access's plain English definitions, descriptions, and listings of a wide variety of assistive technologies; (e) Hasselbring & Bausch (05-06) for an overview of assistive technologies to support reading of school children; or (f) Hehir's article on "ableism," an important underlying issue in the relative lack of assistive technology use in most of your schools. |
| Tony Deifell's photography project with students who have visual impairments. | ¥ÊRead and consider what you and your students might learn if you pushed beyond apparent boundaries with technology and good instruction. |
| Center for Literacy and Disability Studies | Try the demo of Route 66. This is one model of technology-supported literacy for adolescents and adults with disabilities. Additional resources. |
| A representative assistive technology suite. Install and explore other representative assistive technologies Dave brings. What instructional need(s) do they address? What difficulties do they address? To what extent would they help any kids you currently teach, and how would you use them? |
You can read about Solo components, underlying research, and explore Solo resources at the Don Johnston website. Solo
components include: Read:OutLoud,
Write:OutLoud, Co:Writer, Draft:Builder
You can read about Start-to-Finish
and Start-to-Finish Early Literacy Starters
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| November 10 : Class #10 – Digital Photo and Video Projects | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| Some Background on Instructional Issues | Read Murnen (2003) for thoughtful exploration of ways to push the language arts envelope with digital video; Foshay (2004) on ways to teach literacy through digital video use; or Holbein (2001) on ways to motivate writing through the use of video. |
| What are other teachers doing? | Here are some cool projects to check out: Greg Marten's links; Digital Video Production; tons of examples linked to Technology 4 the Classroom. |
| Some How-to's | Explore the Apple Learning Interchange for ideas for using digital video in elementary classrooms; Videography for Educators for how-to tips; Digital Video in Education; The Director in the Classroom; or Kathy Schrock's links to digital photography and videography tools, projects, tips, and more. |
Create a digital video storybook, story, presentation...
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Bring your digital photo and/or video camera, connecting cables, power cables, pictures and/or video you've already taken, ideas for a project. Great how-to's can be found at Atomic Learning or Saskatchewan Schools. Be nice to your classmates and use headphones. If you're feeling really ambitious, you might try adding music or sound effects to your movie or slide show. Very basic directions for using MovieMaker with Audacity can be found at Scribd. Check out a comparative overview (or another) of free, and relatively easy to use, online video editors. Pick one and create your first project using: Jumpcut, Eyespot,Motionbox, Smashmash, Kaltura, Jaycut, Cuts, or One True Media. Don't forget you can always use the free MovieMaker installed on your computers. Additional useful resources for movie-making and slideshows: |
| November 17 : Class #12 – Virtual Class Meeting | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
What in the world is a podcast (and does it require an alien invasion)?  Flickr image |
Your major tasks for this virtual class meeting are to: (a) figure out what podcasts are (and how they differ from other audio files you might upload); (b) explore how other teachers have used podcasts; (c) create a podcast (ideally for your class and/or with your students); and (d) reflect on your learning, your successes, and your difficulties with us on the threaded discussion. What is a podcast? Here are some links to help you answer that question for yourself: (a) a really straightforward explanation of podcasting and related issues/terms can be found at Entrepreneurs Journey (many of the links don't work, but the explanation is great); (b) experience podcasts for yourself by downloading a free copy of iTunes for Windows or Apple, go to the iTunes store, click on Podcasts, and searching for your interests (nearly all are free, and Education is a major category), and listening to a few. Vodcasts (video podcasts) are also found there. Podcast Alley is another directory of free podcasts. How do I create a podcast myself? First, consider what audio content you want to post on the web by and/or for your students. Second, script it out (unless you want endless starts/stops/rerecordings and uh's, um's...). Third keep in mind other guidelines that teachers suggest such as the York Suburban Educators' Space. (4) Reflect on what you learned and what you did with podcasts at the threaded discussion. |
| November 24 : Thanksgiving Week | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| Class will not meet |
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| Dec.1 : Class #13 – Podcasting and Captioning Online Video | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| RSS for websites (i.e., News Readers) | What is RSS and how does it work? I like MPR's and NPR's short explanations, Be sure to scroll down the pages to read all their notes. Which one should I choose? If you're a PC user the preferred freebie seems to be FeedDemon. |
| RSS for podcasts | One of the easiest (you'll have to decide if one of the best) is iTunes for PC (or Mac--you've already got it on your computer if you have a Mac). Download here, open, click on the Podcast link on the lefthand side, and try subscribing to a few of the 1000's of Vodcasts (Video Podcasts) or Podcasts (audio podcasts). |
| Okay, so now what do I do with it as a reading teacher? | Subscribe to Tim Rasinski's reading instruction podcasts or download past episodes with iTunes. |
| Having read about, explored, now reflect. | Go to our threaded discussion board discussion on "Wikis, Podcasts, and RSS" and post one or more reflections on what you learned. Tell us about how and why you might (not) use RSS as a teacher in future. Respond to the reflections of your classmates. |
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Create a Bubbleply account. This site occasionally fails to work, but I like the interface better than Overstream. Both are easy to use. |
| Once you try out BubblePlay or Overstream, share your thoughts with us. | Go to the threaded discussion topic on Digital Video and join the discussion. Think about how you might use tools like this to motivate reading or writing, support skill learning, etc. Here's a page I'm working on to support reading in a 17-year-old with disabilities who reads at an emergent level and loves country music. There are both BubblePly and Overstream examples here. |
| December 8 : Class #14 – Wiki and wrap-up | |
| Topics
and Questions
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Related Tasks |
| What in the world is a wiki? And how might I use it with my students? | Read what the world's largest and most famous wiki, Wikipedia, has to say about wikis. Here's a nice, basic explanation of wikis for reading teachers. |
| Course evaluation | Before the end of the evening, please go online and evaluate the course here. |
| Things we didn't get to: | ¥ÊReading "The Sky's the Limit" to see what technology students think should be in their classrooms. |
Last modified on December 1, 2008 by David Koppenhaver.