This
week in BARB, we read about networking and connecting through note-taking,
social bookmarking and social media. Before reading this chapter I took notes primarily
in my notebooks, and occasionally on my laptop and in my iPhone notepad if I
did not have my notebook and writing materials with me. What a great read it
was for me to know of all these new avenues that are available for students to
not only take notes using technology but also saving websites by bookmarking
and then sharing them via different social bookmarking tools. Before discussing
the bookmarking tools I want to say a few things about the note-taking tools.
BARB
mentions that “Rather than just taking notes verbatim, in taking notes students
need to reformulate or translate the text in their own words so that they are integrating
the information and ideas according to their own prior knowledge.” This is
something that I truly believe in. Note-taking in my opinion, is a gateway for
students of all ages to formulate given information into their own condense
easy to understand synopsis. I also believe that note-taking makes students
listen more intently and might even provide them with a feeling of
accomplishment, especially for older students. With digital tools that can
assist with note-taking I think students have no reason now not to take notes.
Even though there are some challenges that come with note-taking students have
more options, for example taking notes using the handwritten “sketch” strategy,
or the audio dictation strategy. It’s really good to know that in today’s
technologically advanced society students have choices even when it comes to
taking and sharing notes. How do you
feel about digital note-taking? Do you think it can affect research and
critical thinking? How?
In
addition, BARB also gave information on sharing notes via social bookmarking. What
a great idea this is! Social bookmarking
allows students to collect and store websites and other links and then share
them with their peers so they can critique them and also “for collaboratively
constructing knowledge about certain topics.” The annotation “Diggo” showed to
be a very interesting curator tool and could be used under a free or paid account.
Moreover,
the use of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus were
also discussed. How do you feel about
using any of these sites, or any of the others mentioned, in your classroom? If
you would use them what would you use them for? These sites can prove to be
an issue, either a plus or negative for some administrators, teachers and
parents alike. However, other social networking sites that could work inside
the classroom could be Edmodo, Ning, and Schoology among others. In addition to
students being able to engage in online collaborative inquiry through these social
networking sites students can also benefit from the many affordances it can
offer, one of which include searchability.
Initially, the IRA article listed ways in which teachers
could work with their students so that critical literacies are the end result. It
went on to discuss how critical literacies looked in the classroom and the
story that unfolded in this article involved a second grade class that could
not go on the annual (second grade field) trip to the aquarium because of insufficient
funds.
As a result of this being of utmost importance to them they asked
questions. As the writers mentioned in this article they “believe that critical
literacies ought to stem from the interests of students” which we saw happening
after they inquired about and made their own podcasts to bring awareness to
their project about how unfair things were and the fact that they wanted to
raise money so that they could go to the aquarium. As a result of using multiliteracies in
their critical literacy they were able to make awareness of their situation on
a large scale and in the end were able to go on their field trip. Through inquiry the students were able to engage
in an activity that is not seen much today in the classroom, podcasting. As a critical literacy teacher how do you
work with your students in order that they too may engage in critical
literacies?
Last, like the IRA article, the
article by Woods and Jocius, Beyond, Fun and Games Using and iPad as a Tool for
Critical Responses discussed how students used digital technology to talk about
social issues. Three apps in which students used in this article were the
Storybook Maker, Croak.it and the podcast app Fotobabble. With these apps two
students were able to bring the social issues of bullying and race to light,
just like the social issue of fairness was brought to light in IRA. These tools
allowed for critical responses as the students shared their own personal
feelings towards the subjects. All in all, students were able to use technology
to create spaces where they made their voices heard as critical literacies were
explored and critical responses were possible.
Digital note-taking can be done in a variety of ways. I often find myself as a college student using online tools like Google Drive. There may be better ones out there, but I have found that this one works best for me. It also offers various functions like forms, surveys, spreadsheets, etc. It can also serve as a curation device. Evernote is very similar but to the best of my knowledge doesn’t allow collaboration like Google does.
ReplyDeleteThe devices my students use are vastly different. I have seen the use of Google Education with the upper grades. I still lack the know how for its application in younger grades. I think I teach New Literacy as a whole group through modeled searches, but I need to move to the gradual lease of responsibility with this. I do think this needs to be taught to students but am just trying to discover how this looks in a second grade classroom in particular. Also, I would like to see how these apply to Reading Specialists or Literacy Coaches.
Kingsley and Tancock wrote an article entitled, “Internet Inquiry Fundamental Competencies for Online Comprehension”. This article noted four key elements needed for successful inquiry and comprehension.
The first element was understanding new literacies and online research (comprehension). Students need new comprehension strategies for dealing with internet inquiries.
Second, students need to be taught specific strategy instruction for dealing with online research. These strategies need to be modeled by the teacher. One strategy mentioned was Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT). This framework leads to gradual release of responsibility. It begins with teacher instruction. Then leads to guided collaboration. Last in this framework, the students conduct inquiry independent of the teacher. Studies showed that students who received this type of instruction made higher comprehension gains than those who didn’t receive this type of instruction.
The third element was made up of four competencies that were key to students being successful at online research. The first was that the students need high quality inquiry topics and modeled questioning. Then the students can create researchable questions. The second competency was learning to conduct the inquiry in an efficient manner. This was done by laying the proper foundation for the student and scaffolding the student’s learning about research. The third competency was deciding if a source found on the internet was credible. The student had to interpret and analyze the information. The authors used the term “triangulation of data”. You can’t just look at one source and consider it true. Then the student looked at the author’s credentials and determined if there could be any bias in the material. The fourth competency was discovering how to connect ideas across various sites. The students had to synthesize the information, which was done through the use of bubble maps or word webs. One organizational tool noted was bubbl.us outline https://bubbl.us/ . (I think this could be used in a variety of ways- even for college coursework. The only negative is that this site does cost money. You get three free ones.) These are various types of mind maps to help people organize information in a logical way.
The fourth element was that students need to synthesize the information in some form of response. The prior research can be summarized in writing or whatever form the project focuses on. With all of the new standards and ways that assessment are completed, we have to scaffold students’ instruction in regards to New Literacies.
Is it just me or does this not seem like the same framework you would use to teach traditional research strategies just in a digital context?
DeleteWell, I do thing some things differ just due to the large amounts of info. found on the internet. I think it is super easy to get distracted by all of the info online.
DeleteI could see that. You can click on links and end up nowhere near what you were looking for.
DeleteThis happens to me a lot, especially when I am on my iPhone. So many links and other stories click on and read. Then fifteen, maybe thirty minutes have passed and I'm ten links and stories in.
DeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recap on Kingsley as it pertains to the four elements of understanding new literacies and online research (comprehension). I think that all of the elements are defiantly important for students’ online comprehension, and none should be without the other. The element that caught my attention the most was element number two. I think Internet Reciprocal Teaching (IRT) is a great framework for both the teacher and students alike. On the students’ end they eventually will feel a self of accomplishment and independence. Moreover, on the teachers end she or he will, at the end of IRT have the opportunity to observe the students more (see what they are doing, taking notes for further instruction) and will also be available for those who may need them for one-on-one assistance.
In Empowering Learners in the Reader/writer Nature of the Digital Informational Space by W. Ian O’Byrne the idea of expanding the idea of what “text” is was discussed through the example of a high school student that was not doing well with traditional education settings but thriving in digital content in education. As the article stated, “to move learners from consumers to producers of digital content.” The writer discussed the importance in supporting and fostering opprotunities for ones students to be writers and readers on the internet through critical literacy methods to engage students in the world they live within. He suggested using the multimodal design of Online Research and Media Skills (ORMS) model as an effective way to help students transform from being consumers to curators and constructors. This model focused on three things; online collaborative inquiry, online reading comprehension, and online content construction. The three parts of this model mirror the traditional methods related to definitions but are in digital format.
ReplyDeleteIt suggested the use of http://wiki.mozilla.org/Webmaker/WebLiteracyMap
I would highly suggest looking at and bookmarking this page. It has WAY too much information for me to completely share on here. The main features are ways to explore the web, build or write on the web, and connect with others on the web. It is interactive and offers free additional trainings in the area.
I will have to check out the wiki. This seems like an interesting article. I might have to read this one for my research project. I like that this framework takes the students up to the higher level of Bloom's Taxonomy.
DeleteI wish there was a way to post pictures on this blog. I tried to screenshot it and post it. Even then it's so interactive that you need to be on the site to click the links.
DeleteI have to admit I am not a note taking kind of student. I can listen, participate, and comprehend, or write notes. I chose to do the first of the two options. This sometimes makes things hard when I study but in light of digital note noting this problem has become less for me. One of the best things for me is when a professor has us make notes on the Smartboard and then sends them to me. When I review them it makes life a lot easier for me! I have also started using the notability app on my iPad recently and find it helpful to insert pictures of instructors writing from board and occasionally recordings. I think that it helps students free up the thinking skills from mundane tasks so they can participate and comprehend with critical thinking during the class. I know of teachers that share everything from interactive writings to literacy center work digitally on wiki boards and email with their students and it allows the students to focus more on the important concepts they are leaning.
ReplyDeleteI know we have shared before about our thoughts on social media and I still haven’t changed my opinion. I think there is a place for it in older grades but not in younger. Even using special apps with high security I think problems will arise. I feel it has more of a place in parent communication and relations in early grades. We are currently using an app called SeeSaw that is a lot like Edmodo in the ICD with the families for sharing school events. While I do enjoy seeing cute scenarios of my daughter I feel that it’s use is starting to affect the amount of face-to-face communication I have with my daughter’s teacher. This concerns me because at the younger grade levels I feel like they need to see many different social interactions modeled.
I have used notability before. I need to get a new stylus to use it functionally. When I am in class taking notes helps me stay focused. When I am at church, in faculty meeting, or other PD I continually take notes. For me it is a tool to help reinforce the information. I think it is very cool how different people learn in different ways. This is something we always need to keep in mind when teaching students.
DeleteTabitha,
DeleteYou said you know of teachers who share everything with their students, using the internet of course (wikis, emails etc). Do you know if these teachers are also allowing parents to be a part of this sharing? I think if parents are allowed to see what is being sent home (or a separate parent-teacher email with a summary) they can more relate to their child as it pertains to what they are learning. They can ask questions, help with home work and so on.
On one hand I think sending home everything can be a good idea but on the other hand, in my opinion, I think that sending students everything can make them lose important strategies for their own educational development. Even though sending home everything may help them focus on the many concepts of learning, like you said, the total opposite can also occur. Students may just take the lesson for granted as they sit uninterested or unbothered by what is being shared because they know the notes will come anyway (not saying this will always occur however). When students write their own notes it helps them with their comprehension of the topic at hand. They learn how to listen more keenly for important phrases and ideas, they work on their summarization skills and as a result become more attentive students.
I think a balance between the two should be encouraged so that students can have the opportunity to experience both sides of the coin. One side where they are given some free time and the other when they are working on their critical thinking, summarizing (note-taking), as well listening skills just to name a few.
I totally agree Cathy. We all learn in different ways and this is something I have always kept at the forefront of my mind when in the classroom.
DeleteSince most my teacher friends are early childhood the parents have to be involved. They use the wikiboards and seesaw to share everything from student based artifacts to classroom announcements and reminders.
DeleteDidn't we already read the IRA article about the class fieldtrip in an earlier module?
ReplyDeleteLast week we defined the word inquiry. Do you think we can come up with a definition for critical thinking and critical literacy? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteHadn't thought about a definition for it. I do think that critical literacy always involves critical thinking, but not all critical thinking involves critical literacy. I think it is important to note the social and cultural components to critical literacy.
DeleteThanks Cathy.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to add that critical thinking and critical literacies involves the deep play on thoughts and actions.
Great discussion, and thanks for taking on the definition of critical literacy!
ReplyDelete