This coming week you will be extending the creative collaboration and communication around comprehension: What is it in digital spaces? What supports it on Web 2.0? Which of the social practices might contribute to it? An additional topic is how eBooks contribute to comprehension, and in fact, my aha moment of the readings, what "taken for granted" book handling skills need to be revisited in order to comprehend a story or a piece of text in the e-world. So before you begin reading, here are some questions to think about: What does it mean to comprehend? How are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces? What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one?
As I was reading, I came upon a reference to Bloom's Taxonomy and its revision to be a digital taxonomy. Take a look at it below.
Have a good week!
To comprehend means to understand a topic, concept, or skill on a firm level where you can explain it to another in your own words. I think vocabulary and fluency are related to comprehension in digital spaces in the same manner they are related in traditional literacy activities. Fluency comes when a reader is comfortable and confident in what they are doing and that means they would need a strong understanding of the meanings of the words they are reading to comprehend them. Once these three things come together it’s a seamless activity for students. I think the differences would be a visual and having to do with book-handling skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your definition of comprehension...I think it's so interesting that when Bloom's shifted the first go-round, it went from "comprehension" to "understanding". Comprehension literally means to understand in order to summarize, answer questions, make connections, identify details, etc. I also find the Digital Bloom's examples interesting because they aren't what I traditionally think of as activities that show comprehension, but when I think about what is required to do so, they would be. I still am not sure what a 'Boolean Search' is though, or how subscribing/tweeting are examples of comprehension/understanding. Does anyone else have any ideas about how these show comprehension?
DeleteWhat does it mean to comprehend? Comprehension means understanding the meaning of something. You can read a book and be able to decode the words yet not grasp the essence of that reading. Comprehension is so important! Understanding the meaning of what you read is imperative in order for learning to take place.
ReplyDeleteHow are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces? I think vocabulary and fluency are related to comprehension in digital spaces just like they are in more traditional readings. As a child becomes a more fluent reader, they are not focusing so much on decoding/grammar, etc…and they are able to focus on meaning. By having a large working vocabulary this also helps with comprehension as they understand each individual word and can focus on comprehending the reading. I think this relationship would hold true with traditional reading or digital reading.
What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one? A digital environment would pose different “book handling” skills than a print environment. When you are holding a book, you must know the front cover, top/bottom, left/right procedures, etc…when reading digitally you must know where to “click” to turn pages, mouse skills, etc…(top/bottom, left/right would remain the same). Also there might be links available to the digital reader that the print reader would not have and you would need to know how to utilize those links.
Comprehension for me is the ability to articulate, accurately paraphrase, and draw connections and extensions from the content/information/or story that one is displaying understanding. Within digital spaces, I wonder if you are able to use context in the same way as you do with print on a page. I wonder when the text is multimodal, if applying context makes the usage and understanding of vocabulary harder or easier. I’m thinking that motivation can be increased when using digital devices, and improve fluency for some, but possibly create a challenge for others.
ReplyDeleteThe shift from a print environment to a digital one is different for me personally in that I like to annotate and highlight and reread the marked up text. I know that you can annotate using digital post-its and highlighters, but like everything new, it is a matter of getting used to it. I’m looking forward to reading about what research has shown regarding reading comprehension in digital places. Since online text can be read in a variety of modalities, comprehension strategies are bound to be different. I look forward to finding out more…
My definition of comprehension would include the ability to make meaning from provided information, connections to prior knowledge, and express understanding in a personalized way.
ReplyDeleteThere is much research to support the statement that vocabulary and fluency are directly related to comprehension, and that a deficiency in either area has a direct impact on the ability to comprehend. I believe that the impact of any deficiency would be minimized in a digital space if navigated and utilized to the maximum capabilities. For example, when needing to determine the meaning of an unknown word in a digital space, a reader has several options at the click of their mouse or finger. The text may have a built-in dictionary and/or the reader may access a web resource such as dictionary.com or vocabulary.com. If the reader finds themselves struggling to decode the text, they can utilize a read aloud program such as naturalreaders.com, an in program feature such as Windows Narrator, or a voice recording built-in to the website or app itself.
If you had asked me a few weeks ago if there was much difference between a digital environment and a print environment I would have likely responded with "not much", however I am beginning to realize that there are significant differences between the two. Perhaps the most basic difference that must be addressed upfront is the ability to navigate the technology itself- ability to scroll, use a mouse or touch screen, open and close a program, adjust the volume and/or use the camera, etc. If a reader is unable to navigate the technology, the transition to digital stops there.
If a reader is able to navigate the technology they must then adapt to different conventions of print. Directionality remains the same, yet punctuation, the use of spacing, letter case (upper and lower), grammar, usage, and spelling are all subject to modification in digital text, as not all digital resources are edited for correct usage. Orientation in print does not change, while orientation in many digital environments can change with rotation of the device, allowing the reader to stretch and turn the text as desired. Additionally, in regards to text features that are explicitly taught for printed texts, many do not take on the same role in digital text. For example, there may be no cover or significantly fewer illustrations provided or even photographs or diagrams accompanying a fictional text, which in print would likely be accompanied with illustrations. While certainly not exhaustive, each of these differences have a significant impact on comprehension.
Comprehension is that ability to understand and interpret what is read. This is a simplistic definition but includes many things like making inferences, predictions, identifying details, sequencing, understanding main idea, making text-to-text, text-to-life and text-to-world connections. It combines reading with reasoning and thinking.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary and fluency are related to comprehension in the digital world similar to that of the “paper” world. Both of these are huge pieces that affect comprehension. The larger the student’s vocabulary the greater their understanding will be. This is why vocabulary instruction is so important to students. The greater the student’s vocabulary, the more fluently the student will read. Students might need to know words related to technology. Fluency online can also be affected by the way books act online and the various hyperlinks. It can be harder to track print or save a spot, etc.
What does it mean to comprehend? To comprehend means to make sense of what if presented to you through print, audio and visual arrangements.
ReplyDeleteHow are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces? Just as if someone is reading a book, in digital space, if persons do not have a wide vocabulary or knowledge of what certain prompts mean, they won’t be able to navigate to their desired location. Persons would need assistance from others about what to do and what not to do to get what they want done.
What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one? When moving from print to digital environment persons would need to know how to navigate and follow instructions to get to where they want unlike using a book where one only needs to know the front and back covers and the fact that we reading left to right. A digital environment sometimes also requires people to download different software such as adobe for programs to run or else the purpose of what they want to do/see cannot be fulfilled.
I believe in order to comprehend one should be able to successfully take in or internalize spoken, written or other types of information that may be presented to them. I think that vocabulary and fluency are related to comprehension in digital spaces in that they are both essential and needed as the base, just as if you were reading a book. Through fluency and comprehension in digital spaces one is able to make sense of what is presented to them just as if they were in a print environment.
ReplyDeleteAs I move from the print to a digital environment, some differences may include the way I’m able to first hold or touch the information. With books, I am able to turn pages with my hands and even smell the book like I know some people like to do, but through digital environments I can only scroll through pages using a mouse. Also, with print I can share information from hand to hand while through digital environments information can be passed via a plethora of ways. For example, emails, blogs, text messages, wikis, online dictionaries and so on. Through digital environments information is spread at a faster rate. Moreover, through print environments information may not be as easy to find as it can be in digital environments. Today, as a result of technology, finding information on anything is right at your fingertips. Last, the weight of print can become considerably heavier than the digital information, for example taking books from a library verses reading the books on my iPad or Tablet.
What does it mean to comprehend?
ReplyDeleteTo me, to comprehend means to understand. You understand the text and what the author is trying to convey. You understand the various elements of the text and how the various pictures, graphs, captions, etc contribute to the book or story. You understand what is spoken and can analyze it compared to your own views or perspective. There are so many different things that we are required to comprehend everyday. It just means making sense of what you see.
How are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces?
Vocabulary knowledge and fluency are both needed in order to be able to reach the goal of comprehension. An online source may use different language than a student is used to. They also have to be able to navigate the online tool and understand how it is used. It is likely that without the vocabulary knowledge, the student's fluency will suffer. We need to make sure that the student is aware of the important vocabulary that they need to know before they begin reading.
What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one?
Physical prints are just that - physical. You can feel the pages and write in the pages. Some students may respond well to tactile activities and may prefer physical books. We need to be aware of this. Digital texts are different since you can't physically turn the pages, but you can still make it your own with digital highlights and notes. One great thing I love about digital texts is that you can highlight a word to look up a definition immediately. Some books also are able to read to you, which can be helpful for ELLs or struggling readers. I think digital texts can be motivating to students because it is something different than paper books they are used to using.
What does it mean to comprehend?
ReplyDeleteI think that comprehension is the act of constructing meaning from a text (which I believe can include just about any form of communication). That construction of meaning should bring in the reader's background knowledge, personal context, linguistic foundations, etc. The construction of meaning should, however, be limited to the symbols being interpreted and should not leave out major gaps of meaning that can be determined from the text.
How are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces?
Most digital spaces contain writing that resembles writing found in print texts, so general vocabulary knowledge is important. Digital texts require other forms of vocabulary to navigate and talk about that print texts may not require. As for fluency, reading fluency in the traditional sense can apply in terms of how quickly and fluidly readers are able to decode and interpret the linguistic text in a digital text. Fluency with digital texts can, on the other hand, also include the ease and speed with which readers are able to navigate the digital space and the particular tool or medium used.
What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one?
Digital environments require more extensive, more dynamic knowledge about how to navigate and talk about the text. Digital texts require the use of technological tools that print texts do not require, and digital texts are often interactive and ever-changing rather than one-sided and static. Reading digital texts is not just about interpretation--it's also about response and interaction.
To me, to comprehend means that we decode, identify, and understand the given “texts,” either in the traditional textual mode or in other modes (e.g., YouTube Video), so that the readers can appropriately act upon the “texts.” This is because that a real comprehension means not only receiving the information passively, but also working on it actively, e.g., writing notes, following the directions, or even crying.
ReplyDeleteIn digital spaces, vocabulary and fluency work with comprehension bi-directionally and simultaneously. Back in the literacy 1.0 era, people tended to increase vocabulary knowledge and reading fluency as a step 1, before reading texts, the second step. For instance, if I had been confused with the meaning of one word in a book, I would’ve grabbed a thick dictionary to look for the meaning; which usually costs long time. So, it could distract readers to follow the context – hence, what I did in the past was that I underlined all the new words while reading, inferring the meaning out of the context instead of cutting the storyline. Then, I looked up the words later for about an hour. The relationship was quite isolated. However, in digital spaces, we search the words promptly by typing or even verbally commanding to a voice-detecting app (e.g., Siri), so that we can keep our reading pace. Also, today’s readers archive meaningful phrases, sentences, or paragraphs in their own digital spaces, e.g., a blog and a Google doc, which enables them to access the sources whenever they want in order to (re) self-regulate the knowledge. Therefore, the relationship between vocabulary and fluency with comprehension may work bi-directionally and simultaneously.
The example already mentioned about “e-archiving” can be one of the different aspects that occur as we move from a print environment to a digital one. The biggest different factor that overarches others, however, is the fact that people recently think, thus act based on, that they are active meaning makers about any “texts” using the new literacy tools. For example, whenever we have any questions that we cannot answer by ourselves, we go Googling, twitting, of Facebooking to ask questions and work with others to make meaning. We cite the archived resources and create sources in a new mode. Furthermore, using the cloud technology, this type of co-constructing processes begins to happen ubiquitously. People in this modern society already feel this move and subconsciously try to utilize it no matter they are from old-school background or iPad lovers. This big paradigm shift seems to affect the rises of other numerous creative tools, features, and ways to communicate, collaborate, create, and comprehend.
What does it mean to comprehend?
ReplyDeleteWhen you comprehend something, you understand something that you have read, seen, heard, etc. and are able to explain it in your own words to someone else.
How are vocabulary and fluency related to comprehension in digital spaces?
Stronger fluency leads to greater comprehension because there isn’t distraction in pausing, decoding words, etc. Fluency in reading leads to greater comprehension. When a student understands the vocabulary in what they are reading, comprehension is also greater. I think they are related in traditional and digital spaces.
What do you think might be different as you move from a print environment to a digital one?
On top of understanding book handling skills, they need computer skills. This could be mouse skills, reading on the screen, how to navigate an ebook, etc.
I think I've come in a little late, but my idea of comprehension is the ability to derive meaning from communication and then to use that understanding in real-world application. In a digital space, I believe this extends to include being able to access the communication in addition to my previously listed items. Access, in this case, would be the ability to click on the right thing, know how to play a video, know where to go to find the information and so on.
ReplyDeleteIf one is able to access the information comprehending is so much easier with the addition of the web. When I began writing research papers, I had to find the time to go to the library, make flash cards with my quotes and notes and references, then go through the whole complicated thing at home to write on something that didn't delete. Now, when I research, I can highlight digital text as I go, click on words I don't know for automatic lookup, write notes with a click and a highlight, and the tap the little notes icon to aggregate all of the things I thought I needed for the paper, all in one place, all sorted just for me. What more, when I cut and paste, it gives me the citation. Totally an editor's dream!