Weekly Reading #10

How does the project detailed in the video support research process that consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace.

The project of Deforest Action detailed in the video supports the research process that is consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace because it’s real world. The applicants experienced first-hand the effects of deforestation in Borneo and the people who inhabit it. With their data and the support from the locals, they were able to stop Palm Oil companies from coming in and causing deforestation. They observed, collected data, and found solutions to the problem. This is authentic research at its best.

How does this project support new literacies?

According to “What Wikipedia Can Teach Us About New Media Literacies,” new media literacies is a set of cultural understanding and social skills which young people need as they confront the new media landscape of the twenty-first century. Authentic research allows students to learn and practice their skills with new media which is essential in being successful in the workplace by the sharing of information. Authentic research takes information gathered by students and teaches them to relate it to their world or needs. It is important that students know new media literacies in order to create authentic research, as well as share their findings with other peers and professionals in and out of the twenty-first century workplace. An extension of the Deforest Action was the “touch” project, where game creators in China are helping the program to develop a game where people can truly experience the 3-D world of an orangutan using gaming stations such as the Kinect for Xbox.

According to “New Literacies and 21^st Century Technologies,” part of the current perspective being used to inform the broader dimensions of new literacies research is that new literacies are central to full civic, economic, and personal participation in a global community. The Deforest Action project was the epitome of this definition. It took a group of 14 people and threw them into an unfamiliar culture to fix a local problem. They observed, monitored, and collected data on the effects of deforestation in the community and globally. They worked to protect the communities of Borneo. 

Week Ten: Final Draft of Citizen Journalism

Final Draft of TrackStar

Citizen Journalism Example (Prezi)

Weekly Reading #9

Quote

“These new literacy practices are inherent in the Web 2.0 landscape that is familiar to many of the Net Generation, but not yet embedded in school literacy practices” (Asselin & Moayeri, 2011).

I chose this quote because I don’t believe this is the fault of classroom teachers. Until we can afford one-to-one computing, as well as an IT personnel, it is impossible to embed Web 2.0 technologies into school literacy practices. I feel that more teachers would love to incorporate games and technological instruction if they had the finances and means to do so. I would love to do more digitally-interactive lessons; however, it is difficult to schedule lab and find enough working computers for my students. Eventually, I believe we will have one-to-one computing.

Asselin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years 19(2).

Resource

Web 2.0 Tools

This picture and its website lists Web 2.0 tools and their hyperlinks. I think that this is important because teachers need to see all the resources available for integrating such technology tools in their classroom. I like the picture because it displays how much digital tools have overtaken in today's society. This picture is a mosaic of almost all of the Web 2.0 tools available. 

Questions

What makes a literacy practice a “new literacy”?

Literacy practices that are “new literacy” are classroom practices that draw on social elements of Web 2.0 that are favored by youth to support less practiced usages required for learning.

How does might Citizen Journalism support the development of “new literacies”?

Citizen Journalism supports the development of “new literacies” because it is drawing on relevant issues relating to the students. This motivates students to learn while using Web 2.0 technologies. This project is better than writing a news article or a report. It’s interactive learning.

What is critical literacy and how does your Citizen Journalism project encourage critical literacy? How might you change your project to encourage critical literacy?

Critical literacy is the deconstruction of text by understanding the foundation and conflicts that lie beneath the surface content and the relationship that the text holds with other text(s). Citizen Journalism project encourages critical literacy because it views the information through various perspectives, such as political social, and economical lenses. Specifically, students research and interview expert or experienced witnesses. This promotes critical literacy. A way to better enhance the critical literacy in the Citizen Journalism project is to encourage students to find contradicting opinions on the topic.

What problems may arise when students use Web 2.0 tools for learning in school and how might teachers capitalize on these opportunities to promote information literacy?

A problem that may arise when students use Web 2.0 tools for learning in school is that teachers may become dependent on these tools for learning. Moreover, the problem of ownership could occur with work when students collaborate through the Internet, such as with Wiki contributions. Social networking could become a distraction from the classroom. Teachers can capitalize on these opportunities to promote information literacy by sharing how trustworthiness and biases can be found in resources available on the web. Also, appropriate usage of the tools can be taught to students as it comes up. This will be a learning opportunity to help students become critical consumers of information. 

Week Nine: Citizen Journalism Rough Draft

Weekly Reading #8

Quote

“Given the seductively easy accessibility of masses of unregulated information, it is imperative that students, from the very beginning of their academic careers, adopt a critical approach to information and develop the ability to evaluate the information they encounter for authenticity, accuracy, credibility, authority, relevance, concealed bias, logical inconsistency, and so on” (Grafstein, 2002).

I chose this quote because I believe that students should be checking for validity and accuracy in all information that is given to them. They should be able to question their teachers and see the validity in what is taught to them. In the same regards, teachers should be able to prove to their students that what is being taught is accurate and correct. The reasoning behind the material is the most important, at least in mathematics. If students can understand why things work the way they do, then they will be able to apply it to all aspects or situations that are relevant. I don’t believe that validity and reliability should only be checked on Internet sources, but rather on everything that is trying to persuade a student to change their perspective.

Grafstein, A. (2002, July). A Discipline-Based Approach to Information Literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28(4), pp. 197-204. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from http://westmont.edu/_offices/provost/documents/Senate/Full/2009-2010/Discipline-Based%20Approach%20to%20Information%20Literacy.pdf

Resource

Encouraging Students to Ask Questions

This blog post discusses the importance of encouraging students to ask questions. It provides resources, such as research articles on the topic, as well as ways to promote questions within the classroom. Student-generated questions are essential to the learning process and the understanding of concepts in school and the world.

Grafstein, A. (2002, July). A Discipline-Based Approach to Information Literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28(4), pp. 197-204. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from http://westmont.edu/_offices/provost/documents/Senate/Full/2009-2010/Discipline-Based%20Approach%20to%20Information%20Literacy.pdf

Questions

What is the difference between IL and BI and why is this distinction important?

BI, bibliographic information, refers to instruction in the traditional library resources, such as print. IL, information literacy, is a broader term. It encompasses far more than bibliographic information. This distinction is important because many librarians were discovering that teaching only the traditional tools did not prepare students to use these new research tools effectively.

Why should classroom faculty teach IL?

Classroom faculty should teach IL, information literacy, to better prepare students for research they will need to do in the workplace. Students have to be aware and knowledgeable of the new research tools in order to be successful. It is the goal of IL to develop in students the capability of both critically evaluating the information they encounter and of continuing to use the skills that they have acquired to confidently handle the new challenges that will confront them throughout their lives. Critical thinking skills and the capacity for lifelong learning are what classroom faculty strive to teach in any subject area. Information literacy (IL) is a way to accomplish this.

What is the role of classroom faculty in developing information literacy?

The role of classroom faculty in developing information literacy is to impart those IL skills that are embedded within the research paradigms and procedures of their disciplines. Examples of the kinds of evaluative skills that need to be taught within a discipline are:

• ·        Evaluating the content of arguments
• ·        Assessing the validity of evidence, and
• ·        Proposing original solutions

Week Eight: Citizen Journalism Report Storyboard

Citizen Journalism Report Storyboard

Week Seven: TrackStar Rough Draft

I've only completed "Tracks 1 through 6" (even though it says I have 9 tracks).

Authentic Research