As you are reading this blog, I'm in Capetown, South Africa at the Pan Africa Reading for All conference. After two days of traveling to get here (and arriving in the late evening) I first went to a preconference institute sponsored by the International Literacy Association around universal literacy. I learned quite a bit about what the challenges are for educators on the African continent. It gave me a chance to learn more about these initiatives and what goals are for the future. I presented with my friend Dr. Angela Ward and our two Kenyan colleagues, Dr. Adelheid Bwire and Dr. George Andima, about starting up professional reading groups with our Kenyan teacher trainers and how they started them with their teacher groups. That presentation went well. I've heard from teachers who have between 56 and 120 elementary age children in their classrooms and how they are trying to support their literacy learning with only limited materials. Creativity is the key. I'll be flying to Kenya on Sunday, Sept. 6 to begin work with our teacher trainers and teachers there. I'll try to post pictures of the schools in the area on either next week's blog or the week after that. Access to New Literacy tools and connections may not be available away from the training facility.
Last week's readings were dense with terminology and concepts related to New Literacies and the skills, strategies, dispositions, social practices that are inherent in them. There was quite a bit to digest, and readings for this week were relatively less dense, so please make sure to revisit the ideas and use them in this week's blogs.
This week I'd like you to continue to think about what makes new literacies new and especially consider what they look like in classrooms. New literacies are not just about integration of technology but about how literacy is transformed. On this blog, tell us how you integrate new literacies into your classroom now. What do you do that you consider a transformation of literacy practices to fit with Knobel's definition of new literacies. Which social practices from the BABR chapter do you think you already focus on?
As your groups create your new blog entries for this week, please make sure to use the following terms in your discussions: goal driven reading and writing, affordances, constraints, open networked environments, multimodal texts, close or deep reading, design, literacy practices, social practices, collaboration, communication, critical stance. You will be introduced to frameworks for classroom practice including TPACK, TPACK+, 21st century literacy learning, open learning, IRT. You have already read about Literacy 2.0 and activity based curriculum. Discuss your thoughts on all of these frameworks: similarities, differences, challenges. Can you combine them? I know the discussion leaders will also have other insightful questions and reflections for you as well.
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I'll get back to those of you via e-mail who have questions.
I'll be out in the country until Friday visiting schools so may not respond to any blogs until then. Have a good week!
I don’t currently have a classroom to integrate technologies or new literacies in and when I taught at Head Start we did not have the means for technology in my classroom. From my understanding new literacies are just another term for the ever-evolving ways of learning in literacy and not just how technology is transforming the learning environment. I’m kind of thinking of it as like when in the future no one is using traditional reading and writing, just technology, and they begin to integrate handwriting back into classrooms. It is just how the way of learning changes the way we as teachers are teaching. If that doesn’t make complete sense yet it is because I am still struggling to gain a firm understanding of this material. Since I have a early childhood background and we focus a lot on social and emotional development of our students in order to proceed toward cognitive development I found that many of the social practices are things I would implement in a classroom. Most practices are transferable in one-way or another in educational environments and I really appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteI think new literacies become new when technology is integrated, but it is also the way we as teachers transform the way in which we teach and relay information during literacy lessons. These different ways may include, changing the way in which we communicate with our students, incorporating more creative activities, games, and lessons, and ensuring that our overall lesson is filled with fun and excitement. New literacies are engaging, they are interesting and not all new literacies involve students using the Smartboard, computer/laptop, or iPad but it is the way in which different techniques are brought out through each lesson. New literacies involve everything that we do as teachers to ensure that our students have a rich learning environment.
ReplyDeleteDuring my short period in the classroom I had limited access to technology. I had a projector, laptop, and iPad which I used to play videos for lesson introductions. The laptop and iPad were used for extra work purposes where students could read e-books, complete stories with words and pictures on different programs and so on. A great site that incorporated reading with animation, color, as well as music/sound is educationcity.com. I also incorporated a lot of hands on activities, for example, using sentence strips to make sentences, writing words on these strips and then mixing them up and students would then have to make their own sentences. Also, I had my students engage in journal writing where they were allowed to write and then draw using their own creativity. I also used music as a part of getting my students in the mood. Music was used before to get them ready, during to help them make connections and after to recap. They not only listened to music but they also made their own using different objects in and around the classroom.
As it pertains to Knobel’s definition of new literacies I believe that I was able to use my creativity to ensure that I made my literacy lessons interactive and fun. Students were able to work together, be creative with hands on materials, had the opportunity to discuss and be apart of an engaging classroom. I also integrated technology as much as I could.
Last, looking back at the social practices from the BABR chapter I think I focused on practice number one, contextualizing digital text and practice number three, collaborative understanding and creation of digital texts. I presented information to my students in unique and meaningful ways, and ensured that students were able to have constructive discussions during class dialogue.
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ReplyDeleteQuestion 1 In my pre-k classroom love for literacy is everywhere. We have a print-rich environment with pictures/words displayed all over the room. We have reading groups that hold books in each child’s hands and we also have reading groups that listen to books read on the computer. We learn phonemic awareness/phonics skills through songs, Jolly Phonics, chants, fingerplays as well as watch videos on YouTube from Jolly Phonics and many other fun letter sound videos. We have a Listening Center with books on CD that the students listen to fiction/nonfiction books. We have many Smart Board games that provide a closed network environment for the students to learn about reading, math, etc… We have 2 I-Pads that we have purchased educational game apps. The students love to play on these closed environments. We have 4 cell phones that we use as our QR Readers. We go to the computer lab 1x a week for 45 minutes. The students self-select from a teacher selected list of web sites. Later in the year we will also use a drawing tool and draw a picture on the computer, then add text to discuss it. We write a message everyday on the smart board. The students participate in counting the words, etc… If the students ask questions about certain topics, we google it and see if we can find the answer. We have a daily smartboard screen that shows our Opening/Closing Circle activities and has links to songs, videos, books, pictures, etc…that we use everyday. We take pictures of our learning units/projects and make these into power point videos. We choose one student to celebrate each week. I ask each child specific questions and make a slideshow on our Smart Board that we read together during their week. These are just some examples of how new literacies play a vital role in my classroom.
DeleteQuestion 2 Knobel describes new literacies as participatory, collaborative, distributed, deep interactivity, open to feedback, sharing of resources and expertise, etc…Most of my lesson are participatory, collaborative, involves conversation to learn, etc…our circle time comprises most of those traits as well as our small group work time. So in a broad sense, I feel encompass the right mindset and atmosphere. Although where Knobel states: “cases of new literacies included creating fan fiction, blogging and microblogging, remixing cultural artifacts, photo curating and sharing video gaming, video game modding, etc…just to name just a smattering.” (Knobel p 98) I don’t even know what many of those things are! I do not implement many of these fascinating things in my class. I hope that by participating in this class I will become a more effective new literacy teacher. We work together/collaborate on many activities in class. Class books, class projects, class murals, etc… We also have 5th grade mentors that read to and with my pre-k students on a regular basis. The 5th grade buddy helps his pre-k buddy to make a Buddy Book on the computer. We make them together as a way to get to know each other and then share them the next time we get together.
Question 3 I think I contextualize digital texts in my classroom. We read story books, listen to ebooks, click on images to hear songs, make venn diagrams and graphs both digitally and on paper, and watch YouTube videos of nursery rhymes or whatever we are learning about (ie…penguin unit we found a penguin talking video and found a really cool website to click on stuff to learn.) After completing these activities we answer questions about them, solve problems, and compare the modes of presentation. Sometimes a book version is different online vs traditional book. This gives us an opportunity to discuss likenesses, differences, etc…
In my school, new literacies are being integrated daily. We have SMART boards in every classroom. Our teachers have been provided training related to the integration of the curriculum with the SMART board. Teachers create interactive lessons to be delivered on the SMART board with multimodal methods. We assess with NWEA and the assessment is taken on the desktop computers. ELQA is taken by our prekindergarten students. IPads are used by students. I feel that the most impactful way is for that of a communication device for nonverbal students. We have purchased an app and the teachers and paras have been fully trained in the institution of the iPad as an affordance for communication.
DeleteKnobel describes new literacies as participatory, collaborative, distributed, deep interactivity, open to feedback, sharing of resources and expertise, etc.. I love the SMART board games that my teachers develop and utilize that cause lessons to be highly engaging. When they are doing research online, it is definitely the sharing of resources and expertise. The students collaborate on their findings. There is nothing better than seeing a kindergarten’s eyes light up when they see something that have not before.
A transformation of literacy practices may be, that especially in kindergarten, technology is essential! New literacies are not an option or a “thing the young teachers do”. It is essential! This is a paradigm shift in many early childhood educators! The SMART board is not just an electronic white board. I even saw a teacher use it as a screen to reflect her overhead projector. Times are changing and so must our minds! So many teachers in early childhood are hesitant to utilize it, but understanding that the utilization of technology IS literacy and should be incorporated and part of the plan In this world that these kindergarteners are going to be adults in, new literacies will not be an option. They will be an imperative!
A social practice that I believe my school excels in is contextualizing digital texts. Information is presented in many different ways. We make Venn diagrams and story maps. We use the SMART board to pull up images that may increase background knowledge to better comprehend the read-alouds. We use videos to support understanding in lessons. Students use iPads to be more engaged in content.
Given today’s climate of how students relate to the world before they get to school, it is imperative that new literacies are a part of the classroom. I am working toward better integration of the NEW part of literacies. In general when a student comes into my class, they already have a working knowledge of how to operate an IPAD or other digital devices. In the past, I have had the students work with researching facts about space. Each student was writing about a planet. I teach second grade, so I limited the research a bit to help them have manageable choices. The students used a graphic organizer to help organize the information they were getting. Later, we produced the final product and create avatars that read their reports. I have plans to do some word building activities using the IPADs, etc.
ReplyDeleteKnobel’s definition of new literacies is broad, as I think it should be. One of the things that stood out to me in reading was the “ethos” connected with new literacies. I try to develop a sense of community in my classroom and in the learning process. In this way, new literacies is transformational. The students aren’t responsible just for their own learning, but also to help their team member when possible. I realize this is a simplistic view of the term but works for me in the second grade world.
I feel like I have used BABR’s social practice number 1, contextualizing digital texts, and number 3, collaborative understanding and creation of digital texts. One example is the above space unit that integrated technology into the study.
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ReplyDeleteAmong the six social practices addressed by BABR, my usage of the technology tools deals with all of the six practices to some extent. However, my classes most likely more focus on the following three practices: (1) collaborative understanding and creation of digital texts, (2) adopting alternative modes of communication, and (3) adopting alternative perspectives. First, through a voicethread project and Google Docs discussion project, my students collaborate to reach a specific goal, e.g., summarizing a Tedtalk video in a team (voicethread.com/new/share/6941487/). While working together, my students gain collaborative understanding and create a digital text – an Google Doc answer sheet worked together. Secondly, when prompted to make a electronic presentation material based upon reading, my students adopt alternative modes of communication. They searched an effective image to convey their message, looked for a YouTube video relevant to their topic, and sometimes use VoiceThread as a presentation tool. Lastly, reading or listening to classmates’ opinion, the students learn to adopt alternative perspectives. For instance, they share different ideas about a debatable topic, University education should be free, based on peers’ “knowledge, beliefs, and stances” (BABR, p.18) towards a topic. The last aspect, to some extent, also involves the sixth practice - learner’s identity.
At this point, one thing resonating in my brain about how to realize the six social practices, especially regarding the other three components that I have not effectively carried out yet, is that I need to include more “creation-based” projects. Doing so, my students will be able to contextualize digital texts, making connections between digital texts and people, and construct and enable identities more. I would like to edit this posting later with better examples that can support the other three.
Using technology to transform literacy development using new technologies has been a learning process for me in my classroom. I want to learn methods for focusing on close reading with students, but so far I feel as if I use the 'goal driven reading and writing' and 'collaboration' practices. One thing I'm realizing as I read about and reflect on these practices is that in order to give students a newly defined outlook on literacy using new literacy tools, teachers will need to use multiple practices in collaboration with one another. In order for my students to comprehend and make meaning from digital text, they not only need to have a goal or purpose for reading, but also know how to close read the text in order to make meaning for the purposes of testing. My students are expected to comprehend third grade digital texts and answer comprehension questions in order to be passed on to the fourth grade, so I feel a strong need to expand my use of new literacies to teach comprehension strategies for students. My use of new literacy tools to teach and model both close reading & communication with make learning transformative for my students. Right now, we have limited technology to use and practice with, so I am currently thinking of ways that I can provide meaningful experiences using new literacies for my students. Any advice is welcome!
ReplyDeleteAs a reading specialist in a Title 1 school I work with 3rd grade students that represent those most in need of literary intervention. Each school year represents a different group of students, but clearly, I service those that are most at risk for achieving grade level state reading goals. I have a Smart board and 2 iPads (my own that I use in my classroom), and many stand alone computers.
ReplyDeleteOne of the six social practices that I employ would be contextualizing digital texts using iPads for the purpose of word study using the app Word Wizard, where students move letters to spell words based on the lesson (syllables, patterns, and sight words). Additionally, I use the app Inspiration Maps, where students complete a variety of graphic organizers on iPads that correspond with our area of study (character traits or story maps). Additionally, I work with dyslexic students that require a “brain break” from their explicit and systematic reading program (The Wilson Reading Program), and I use Reading Raven, which is an emergent reader’s app for beginning phonics.
The biggest “leap” or transformation for me utilizing new literacies was embedding video to foster engagement and context in books that we were reading. We use the Fountas & Pinnell LL1 Reading Intervention program, and many of our stories relate to different cultures and people’s experiences that are noteworthy. For example, I would show pictures and video clips from the Internet of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman who successfully swam across the English Channel. We discuss the setting (time period), culture (views of gender at the time), and attitudes of people as it relates to the book. Having the images, sound, and various photographs allows for much more interest and fosters their understanding of new experiences and content.
I use the same practice when reading various books about people (Scott Weaver, a well-known toothpick sculptor) or global interests (The Wildlife Conservation Network that works vigorously to save the elephants in Africa). Using different forms of media to contextualize and avail different perspectives is very powerful. Students (8 and 9 year olds) that yearn for more information say, “Just Google it Mrs. Bayless!” which I do to model how and where we might use the Internet to support our exploration for more information.
The realization of the power of images, video, sound, and text is where our role as teachers using the Internet to gain information must become mindful in our instruction of fact finding and bias (for the purpose of creating awareness).
First, I love that you said “new literacies are not just about integration of technology but about how literacy is transformed.” In our group bog I mentioned that when I taught for that one year, technology was very limited in my classroom. I had to get very creative for my students to become fully immersed in the lessons in order that they may enjoy literacy to the fullest. Some ways that I transformed literacy in writing without the use of technology included story boards, where students were given a sequence of pictures and asked to be descriptive and write a story on what they see. This allowed students to use their imagination. Other means of writing included topic prompts. Students were first given an example topic and I would create a story on the spot, teaching them to use their imagination and sometimes I would ask them to chime in and give ideas about what they think could make up the story. Once acclimated, students would be ready to write their own story when given a topic. They understood that they needed to be creative as their imagination was a big factor in producing great work. The limited technology I had included an iPad and project. With these, I would have stories read aloud by a narrator. Students would have to listen and look at the screen to see the story progress in picture form. A big part of this included predicting what the story was about from hearing the title, questioning about what was going on in the story, clarifying about things they perceived and finally summing everything up in the end. Dialogue was a huge component in literacy lessons because it got my students to think deeper and it also helped me to relate what was being taught to everyday life situations. The use of charts, diagrams and pictures played a very important role in my literacy lessons and that’s how I integrated new literacies into my classroom. For reading, students would use the iPad to work on their sight words, letter sounds and individual reading.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I try to make literacy more creative, hands on, age appropriate and collaborative.
The social practice from BABR that I think I already focus on is Collaborative Understanding and Creating of Digital Texts. In the ways I was able to integrate new literacies into the classroom I was able to create and apply information which in turn helped students participate and interact with each other.
I honestly think that I am probably lacking in terms of new literacies in my classroom. I use iPads for ebooks, games, etc. I use the smartboard for interactive games, writing, and more. I have leap pads in my classroom and computers that they use to play literacy or math games. But that’s it. I don’t think I use any means of transformation of literacy. I am not comfortable with a lot when it comes to technology in the classroom besides the traditional sense.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to social practices, I feel like I do a lot of making connections and adopting alternative perspectives. Collaborative understanding and creation of digital texts is something I want to work more on.
I feel like it comes more naturally to me to use new literacies in my writing instruction as opposed to my reading instruction. When I integrate technology into reading, I feel like it isn't necessarily transformative. For eample, I use the smartboard for shared reading or to listen to familiar songs/stories. We also have an ipad for our listening center. In whole group and independently, we read informational text to research integrated units or other topics of interest.
ReplyDeleteIn writing, I feel like I am more successful at fostering new literacies in my students. I ask students to talk about and write about pictures or videos I display on the smartboard. We use the smartboard to write print or digital texts collaboratively in shared writing or interactive writing. In independent writing, students write in google docs or kidblog in order to publish their writing.
Some social practices that I use in my classroom are collaborative understanding, making connections, and creation of digital texts. One goal that I have this year is to use a class blog and focus on the social practice of using alternative forms of communication.
Tell us how you integrate new literacies into your classroom now.
ReplyDeleteI do not currently have a classroom now, but while student teaching, one of my favorite ways to integrate new literacies into my lessons was to use the SMARTboard. We would use the board to read interactive texts (from the textbook website). Also, the students would write their spelling words or play spelling games to learn a word pattern on the SMARTboard, I just loved it because the kids would be able to get up and be involved in the lesson and it was a really easy technology to integrate into the lessons.
What do you do that you consider a transformation of literacy practices to fit with Knobel's definition of new literacies?
I think that the two biggest technologies that are affecting the classroom right now are the SMARTboard and the iPad. In my classroom, we did not have access to an iPad but I am looking forward to using it in my future classroom. What I love about them is that even if you do not have access to more than 1 iPad, it is very easy to do differentiation. Each student can have their own folder on the iPad with their SPECIFIC books or games downloaded for them and their abilities. New literacies have a huge power to be able to differentiate even without the teacher being right next to the student.
Which social practices from the BABR chapter do you think you already focus on?
We tried to contextualize digital texts in the classroom as much as possible. It was actually extremely important for our students to be able to understand digital texts because one of the district reading assessments was an online assessment. We would visit the computer lab a couple times a week for students to practice their literacy or math skills online. We also would interact with digital texts on the SMARTboard and listen to educational music or youtube videos.
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ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that your trip has been fantastic thus far Dr. Beach! I have been removed from technology for several days now, tucked far away from digital civilization and enjoying this special time with my family before my husband has to deploy again.
ReplyDeleteBefore I address this weeks prompts, I must first say that I found this weeks readings to be highly informative and interesting. I feel like I now have an idea of the purpose and goal of this class, and am looking forward to further exploring this topic over the rest of the semester. I am relieved to see the clarification of new literacies being explicitly different from hitching lessons with the use of technology, as I feel like this is what many teachers do and feel like they are truly integrating technology into their classrooms, when truly they are simply using the technology as an activity.
I no longer have access to students in my own classroom, and although student engagement and success are my primary focus, my ability to impact student achievement is limited by the willingness of the teachers I work with to embrace the strategies that I suggest to them.
I really connected to Knobel's explanation of how feedback and assessment differ within new literacies compared to traditional literacies. I feel like one strength I had within the classroom was the consistent use of peer feedback and constructive, on-going feedback from me (the teacher) throughout the course of a lesson/unit/year. Students in my class were never left wondering if what they were thinking and/or doing were on the right track or of the best quality they were capable of.
Another mention regarded student work being related to a specific purpose or need. Although Knobel refers specifically to writing assignments being given for a "hypothetical, generic audience(s)", I would argue that many assignments are given without a clear, specific, real-world application attached to it. As a result, students often complete the task without engaging in any form of higher order thinking. I found that reinforcing grade level skills and concepts (that had been taught) through the use of high interest, realistic projects not only allowed, but required, my students to process at a higher cognitive level. As a result they were able to make connections that may not have occurred with less purposeful tasks. (Don't get me wrong, this wasn't always easy or had a 100% success rate, but it is what we aimed for.)
I found the BABR text to be extremely informative and very applicable to the goals of this particular course. I was also able to see how the information in the text would be very helpful to a teacher who is desiring to transform their instruction and embrace the new literacies. With that being said, I had a difficult time examining the social practices independent of their uses within the concept of designing digital texts. Perhaps my problem was that I feel like all of the social practices that are mentioned are part of what makes an outstanding classroom, regardless of what they are teaching. When I picture an ideal classroom, all of the activities have a clear and specific purpose, students are collaborating and working creatively, while trying to get to the root of a problem or the basis of understanding, which requires being able to view information through various lenses and make connections between text(s), themselves, and the world we live in. These ideals stand true regardless of if your task is creating a digital text, performing a tableau, or giving a presentation in class. This leads me to believe that while specific attributes apply to the "genre" of product, the social practices are applicable to far more than just digital tools.
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ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're having an amazing, if not daunting, experience in Africa; and those teachers are amazing! Hundreds of kids in a class with too few materials? Those are teachers who have truly been called to what they do. How inspiring and challenging.
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have my own classroom, I automatically began thinking of traditional or "legacy" media-format literacies or literacy tools that can represent new literacies in the classrooms, regardless of technology. I find that, especially from what I read in Jonson, much of what seems to define this kind of literacy (apart from technology as a catalyst) is the interactivity of it. Perhaps one way to implement new literacies in a non-technology classroom is by ensuring that the interactivity and equal importance of opinion of the Internet is preserved. Though new literacies does pertain to technology, it is the way in which technology has changed communication, and in result the way in which the change of communication tactics has shaped learning, that really defines the concept, from what I can tell. Rather than memorization, passive learning, classrooms taking new literacies into account should engage in active, authentic learning strategies. With so much access to information and new emphasis being placed on communication and learning through creation, sharing, connecting the information, repurposing it, and then adding more to the concept through more creation, authentic learning strategies seem to be most in line with the new way information is being processed, regardless of the amount of technology involved. However, this is a type of teaching I've always enjoyed, even as a student pre-Internet, pre-new literacies. Perhaps the literacies aren't new; perhaps we are just now seeing them because of how frequently we all now use them thanks to the prevalence of technology.
Jacqueline Schlasner
Thank you for being understanding about the delay in my response this week, Dr. Beach. I'm glad to hear your travels and related work are going well!
ReplyDeleteWhile I have limited access to technology for my students to use, I feel like I still manage to incorporate new literacies into the way my students and I approach literacy. As far as Knobel’s definition goes, my students often interpret texts collaboratively, and they create texts that are flexible, by sharing ideas and gaining feedback. I feel like these practices will translate well as I improve my ability to have them read and create digital texts. I also often have students read and create multimodal texts. To represent their knowledge, I usually have them choose at least two different forms of “writing,” which can include any combination of traditional print, pictures, charts, graphic organizers, collages, comics, etc.
As for social practices, I already mentioned the collaborative aspect, of course. I also help my students think critically about texts and compare various perspectives on various topics daily, both in their reading and writing. I feel like my classroom is very conducive to contextualizing the texts that we read, as well. I would like to focus more on the creation of digital texts and on making connections.