Week 8 - Assignment 1

Article 1 – “The iPad Effect: Leveraging Engagement, Collaboration, and Perseverance”

Some of the statistics mentioned in this article were really astonishing. It mentions that a technology director in a Chicago public school district saw a “50 to 60 percent” increase in Reading, Math and Science classes that used the iPads in the classroom. The article also talks about a connection between the use of iPads and an increase in students’ “enhanced emotional engagement, collaborative behaviors, and perseverance.” These are great outcomes that are occurring in the classrooms across the nation. I think more and more schools are noticing how effective iPads can be in a classroom. At the moment there is no specific data that shows the increase in test scores due to using iPads in the classroom. Eventually I think teachers will see an increase in test scores as a result of the digital learning that is taking place with the help of the iPads. I found this article to be remarkable.

Article 2 - “TECHnology and Literacy for Adolescents with Disabilities”

This article was very informative. Technology is a great tool for differentiated instruction, especially for students with disabilities. I learned that students with disabilities have special Individualized Education Programs that state exactly what type of technology they need in order to support their instructional and learning activities. Technology that the disabled students need to communicate and interact with others is called assistive technology. Technology that can enhance a student’s instruction is called classroom technology and it can be programed with a specific content such as Science or Social Studies. According to the article, the goal of TECH is as follows:

1.     Target the students' need and the learning outcome.

2.     Examine the technology choices, then decide what to use.

3.     Create opportunities to integrate technology with other instructional activities.

4.     Handle the implementation and monitor the impact on students’ learning.

Article 3 - Classroom Remix: Patterns of Pedagogy in a Techno-Literacies Poetry Unit

I was intrigued by the title of this article and wanted to read it right away. I never heard of the terms “classroom remix” or “techno-literacy”. From what I understand, techno-literacy is basically literacy that has to do with new technologies that are digital and multimodal. The classroom remixes in this article focus on three areas: composition remix, mindset remix and participation remix. The composition remix is done through a PowerPoint presentation that merged the “visual, linguistic and auditory” components into one. It portrayed the shift from reading a poem from a page to a screen. The mindset remix is created when teachers and students created a collage of insider and outsider mindset. The students who are proficient in using technology are considered the “insiders.” The students who show some anxiety and need constant support from the teacher in using technology are called the “outsiders.” The article also used the terms digital natives and digital immigrants to distinguish between the two groups. Finally, the participation remix showed the shift in participation among the students. The inclusion students who have learning disabilities suddenly became very engaged in the task when it involved technology. Overall, this article was very stimulating and showed some good example classroom remixes.

Week 7 - Assignment 2

Create an avatar in Second Life, explore the environment, take a screenshot and share with class on blog.

I found Second Life to be quite engaging and fun. There is so much to do and learn.

The most exciting part was the Second Life Marketplace. A person can buy anything from a pet, clothing, accessories, vehicles, real estate and so much more. Another interesting feature is the Buy Land. People can buy land in the virtual world by using Linden dollars. The prices of the land vary on how many avatars can be there at one time. Overall, I found Second Life to be very intriguing and exciting.

Discuss with ELA teachers and list ways to incorporate Second Life in ELA instruction, applying the concepts of multimodality to the teaching of ELA.

Second Life could be incorporated in ELA instruction in many ways. One way is to create a virtual setting of a story based on the details provided by the author. Teachers can ask students to create a world that an author describes in a story or a poem. They can use different types of figurative language to help them create the world in Second Life. For instance, imagery is a figurative language that enhances a story by describing any of the following in a text: sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. It provides a mental picture of what a character or place looks like. Therefore, students can use imagery to create a similar setting in Second Life. Another way Second Life it can be used in ELA instruction is through characterization. Students can create an avatar that resembles the main character in a story or play. Since Second Life allows users to customize the avatars, students can use clues from the text to create their characters. It will allow students to analyze the text and search for specific clues that author provides. 

Week 7 - Assignment 1

Write a brief reflection on each article and post on the blog.

Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

Multimodal education is the concept of teaching and learning something in more than one way. It pertains to the multiple intelligences that all students are made up of. Teachers are realizing more and more that students have different abilities and they all learn differently. Multimodal education focuses on various types of media such as digital, print, video, image, audio, graphics, design and so much more. Using multimodal education has shown to improve literacy in the early grades. It enhances the students understanding and interpretation of the text they are reading. It develops critical thinking skills that improve students’ understanding of new texts and their importance. It stimulates the imagination of the students allowing them to relate, discuss and collaborate with their peers. These types of social activities in the classroom have become a big part of multimodal education mainly due to its influence on students’ learning and achievement.

Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners

Second Life or SL is a virtual world where people can socialize with others through an avatar. People can interact with each other using voice chat or text chat. I don’t play video games so I was unsure how I would navigate through the site. But I found the navigation to be very user friendly. I like the concept of SL because it allows people use their imaginations to the fullest. Avatars can be personalized to a great extent. Being able to communicate and interact with friends is an appealing feature for students. The only hesitation I have regarding SL is that it may be inappropriate for students under a certain age. Some of the characters resemble avatars from Rated Mature video games. Besides that, I think it’s a great tool for teachers and students to explore. 

UDL Book Builder Project - "The New Kid"

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_print.php?book=83601

I was inspired to write this book by one of my students. He is a very polite and friendly boy but he doesn’t have any friends. He’s always excited when a new student comes to class and hopes he’ll finally have a friend. Being an ELA teacher myself, I thought about how creating a realistic fiction story that my students can relate to. I have taught many genres in my class and realistic fiction is one of the genres my students enjoy reading. My goal for this book was to teach a lesson about how to stand up for someone who is being bullied. I also wanted to bring my students’ attention to how it feels when someone has no friends at school.

ELA teachers can implement UDL Book Builders in their classroom by allowing students to read some of the books people have created. Students can also create their own stories as a writing project by going through the writing process and publishing their book to share with their peers. Teacher can have students share their books with younger grades to encourage them to become good writers. Parents can be invited to hear the students read their books to an audience. There are many possibilities in how an ELA teacher can use UDL Book Builders with their students.