As I write my blog entry, I'm thinking quite a bit about my own New Literacy practices, particularly around collaboration on writing projects in digital spaces. This blog is one example, but it is probably the least collaborative of what I've had to work on. One project we (and that is me and my research collaborators, none of whom are at OU) are working on is analyzing data from interviews that each of us did of teachers who are exemplars of knowledgeable teaching. We have copies of each others interview transcripts in Dropbox, we enter our coding notes into a Google form and will all leave comments on what we see as themes as comments on the spreadsheet. Ultimately we will write our article on Google docs. Then there is my Uganda team who is creating a professional development program (and writing the textbook to go with it) and creating curriculum guides for interdisciplinary units for use in the different levels of the curriculum. This week we spent four hours together examining the Ugandan primary (grades 1-7) curriculum for overarching themes we could use to spiral the curriculum and turn a curriculum for children into one for adolescents and young adults. It is all now on Google docs (or will be).
You are going to be reading about writing and collaboration in digital spaces. Before you read, I'd like you to think about the following terms or ideas:
zines, blogs, wiki, vlog, digital story, digital anchor charts, mentor texts, genres, websites, cloud computing, writing craft, audience, purpose, writing notebook. Are there any of these you don't know what they are? or at least aren't too sure? If so, identify them and make a prediction in your response to this blog about what you think they are. If all of these are familiar to you, tell me how they are related to collaborative writing in digital spaces.
As you write your own blogs, I'd like each of you to include at least 1 hyperlink in your comments. hyperlink needs to be related to your topic of discussion. In addition, I'm inserting a picture of a piece of text that has suggestions for comment starters that you can give to students to help them getting started in commenting on a blog post to start a discussion. Use one of them in your commenting.
A couple of questions and ideas I'd like for you all to discuss in your blogs as well. For what kind of activity do you think it would be better to have students collaborate on a wiki and for what kind should they collaborate on a blog? Why? Look up your topic or look up New Literacies on Wikipedia. What did you find? How accurate was it? How do you know? Which of these ideas that you read about would you like to try with students? which have your tried?
Finally, please complete a Virtual Check In this week by Friday morning. I'll check them regularly and respond to questions or requests as I can. Here is the link: VCI
Have a good weekend and Good Week!
As I begin this blog, there are a few of the things mentioned that I was either totally unfamiliar with or just haven’t used or explored very much. So here is my attempt to predict what I think they are!
ReplyDeleteZines: I have no idea, but perhaps these are related to e-magazines or digital book publishing. I recall seeing the word when opening up a digital textbook I use in my classroom. It reads aloud and has a few other features in it.
Vlog: I have heard this term and understand what blogs are. I am unsure exactly what vlogs are. virtual blog? virtual log (this is virtual nature that you sit on and look around- ha)? I could keep going but have no idea.
Digital Anchor Chart: I use anchor charts in my classroom all of the time. I think that this tool is probably similar in concept. When a student needs to verify knowledge it is something they can look back to the chart and reference prior knowledge.
Cloud Computing: I am not sure what this is. My guess would be that it has to do with computing data online through a tool like Google Spreadsheet or another data gathering tool.
Zines: I have no idea whatsoever what this could be. Cathy's guess sounds like it could be accurate though.
ReplyDeleteCloud Computing: Whenever someone mentions the cloud, I understand it as a way to hold information, websites, links, data, etc. in an online space. So when you add computing to that, it makes me think that it is a way to manipulate, analyze, or compute some data in that online space.
I am familiar with blogs and wikispaces. These are ways to share information and can provide ways for people to comment and edit things on the pages. So, it can lead to collaborative work with whoever is invited to the blog or wiki.
Any terms or ideas that you don’t know what they are? If so, identify them and make a prediction of what you think they are. lol This will be a long entry for me...:)
ReplyDeleteZines—I have no idea…I’ll predict it is something on the computer. Lol Maybe it’s like a vine…like a small branch but it’s written on the computer so it’s a small part of something bigger…
Wiki—Again, no clue…But since it is the root word of Wikipedia, and I know Wikipedia is like an encyclopedia or dictionary online…I predict that a wiki is a smaller version of this. The only problem is I know these words should somehow relate to collaboration and a dictionary isn’t very collaborative. So I know my prediction isn’t very good, but it’s all I got. There must some avenue or way to share and collaborate on this, but I don’t know how.
Vlog—I know what a blog is, so I think maybe a vlog is like a blog but it’s with your voice and video instead of writing.
Cloud computing—Since it contains the word cloud…I would assume that this terms means something about the cloud that stores all of our computer work and pictures….which I do not understand! Lol I remember when cloud referred to the weather and now it means that unseen space all of our computer stuff is stored.
Writing craft—I think this is talking about the craft of writing; therefore it must teach you the techniques of writing via the computer. Again…how this is collaborative I don’t know. There must be some avenue to edit or share but again I do not know for sure.
Writing notebook—Okay, I know what a writing notebook is...an actual notebook to write in, like journal or take notes…like a composition notebook. But I’m assuming this is more techie than that. Maybe it’s an app or website or something to help you take notes? Or is it referring to the computer the “notebook” in some way?
Ouch…I’m embarrassed by how many of these things I just don’t know what they are. “Computereze” is definitely not my native language. But I am an open book, no wait, an open blog—just ready to learn!
As for the rest of the terms—They are all collaborative ways to communicate and learn in the 21st Century. The affordances they offer for collaboration are highly effective in today’s classroom.
I have no clue what a zine is! I am thinking that a vine is a short video so maybe it is related to that in some way? Maybe it is a short blog? That leads me to vlog. I'm assuming it is pushing vine and blog together to be clever. So maybe it is a short video blog? I'm super curious to find out now though and maybe explore some of them.
ReplyDeleteI have identified 5 terms that I either don’t know or am not sure of, that is, zines, vlog, digital anchor charts, writing craft, and writing notebook. 5 out of 14, not a bad starting, but I am really curious about the 5 terms. Here goes my prediction for the terms. Zines, initially sounds like “za-in-s” to me, so I was quite lost about the meaning at first. However, as I read and eagle eye the word several times, I come up with an idea by thinking, “oh, this word might be something about magazine.” So, zines could be a new form of magazine, e.g., interactive e-magazine.
ReplyDeleteVlog is a new term for me as well, but I think v may stands for “virtual” or “visual,” and the suffix, -log, comes from blog. Vlog, with this prediction in mind, might mean a virtual or visual blog, which has more dynamic contents than traditional blog – which had textual contents predominantly. Digital anchor charts made my brain have a big question about it, but a mere guess guided me to predict it in this way. Digital anchor charts could be a graphic organizer that can be a source for writing, such as a digital venn diagram. Writing craft sounds like a writing tool for me, such as a pencil and a piece of paper. So, it could be, under the concept of new literacies, any types of tools either in analogue (pencil/paper) or digital forms (notepad/MS-Word). Lastly, writing notebook could be a type of journal that allows writers to do anything before, during, and after writing. Writers brainstorm, organize, and revise ideas using the writing notebook. However, I am not sure about this prediction as well.
I really like writing both in hands and in computer – and of course the collaboration parts of it – I like the mixed feeling of anxiety and propelling when I ask proofreading to my colleagues. This week’s readings will give me a good time to grapple with insights about writing and collaboration in digital spaces. I’m looking forward to the reading and discussion as well as how well my predictions hit the points.
Hmmm I am not sure what a zine or a vlog is, but my guess would be that they are both some sort of virtual magazine/blog. One thing I'm sure of is that they are some form of digital collaborative communication tool. The rest of the list is related to collaborative writing in digital spaces because they allow people to post, comment, and edit writing. I'm interested in learning more about them because this topic goes right along with my iBook chapter!
ReplyDeleteI know what a traditional anchor chart is, but I am not sure what a digital anchor chart would look like. It probably organizes ideas/information like a traditional chart. Cloud computing is another one I am not sure of. The cloud is important and it stores data, but I have no idea how it works.
ReplyDeleteSo for someone who used to consider herself pretty tech savvy, this class has certainly humbled me and squashed my confidence in my technology skills. ;)
ReplyDeleteOf the terms listed, there are several that I have not heard of. Some of them I think that I can fairly easily predict what they are, what they might look like, and what they might be used for. There are others however, that I have not heard of and have no idea what they might be.
Zines- I have never heard of this term, but from morphological perspective I would assume that they are somehow related to a magazine. I have already printed off the articles for this weeks' reading and I noticed the title of one of them referred to men writing zines. This peaked my curiosity because it was focused on men, which I found to be unusual. I'm not really sure why, but perhaps it's because education is such a female-heavy profession. This statement is based on the assumption that the article is related to education somehow, but since I haven't read it yet, who knows?
Vlog- I have not ever heard of a vlog. I wonder if it is a collection of fairly brief videos that relate to a specific topic or person, similar to how a blog is a collection of writings from the same person over a period of time or a group of people who have some topic in common. Although I don't watch them, I know there are quite a few people who post videos to their own YouTube channel on a regular basis. These videos feature them talking about events or experiences, and once posted become available for viewing by others, who may or may not leave comments or even share the video with others. I became very familiar with these types of videos when teenage twins (who had been posting videos for months and possibly even a few years) made a video of them calling their dad and telling him that they were both homosexual. The dad responded very positively and told both of the boys how much he loved them. This video went viral and I ended up seeing it because an activist friend shared it via social media.
Digital story- Prior to this class if I had been asked what a digital story was I would have responded that it is the retelling of a published written work via technology, such as those found on Storyline Online or Reading Rainbow. Now I realize that is different from a digital story, yet I am still unclear as to what actually makes a digital story what it is and what formats it can be presented in to still be considered a digital story.
Digital anchor charts- I am very familiar with anchor charts, so I think it is safe to assume that I know what a digital anchor chart might be, however I have numerous questions. What is considered to be a digital anchor chart? Must it be digitally produced or is a digital picture of a paper anchor chart now considered to be a digital anchor chart? Would an infographic be considered a digital anchor chart since they are both used to share information (and the relationships within the information) in a visual appealing manner?
Mentor texts- A mentor text is a piece of writing that can be used as an example to teach a characteristic or feature of writing. The 6+1 Traits program is very heavily focused on the use of mentor texts, as are many other writing programs. My uncertainty about mentor texts being associated with all of these other "tech" terms is that I wonder if it plays the same role in a digital space, meaning finding online works of writing to use as examples as you teach the skill of writing online OR is it the presentation of printed books in a digital space to teach the skills of writing?
Genres- Again, very familiar with the term genre, but am wondering how the list would change when speaking with regards to digital spaces. Would a wiki and a blog be considered different genres because they are two different things, or is it related to the style and characteristics of the writing like in printed works? OR is it a combination of the two?
Cloud computing- I am familiar with the term cloud, but uncertain about the addition of the term computing to it. I would predict that cloud computing refers to the process of inputting information into the cloud, such as writing in a Google Doc, which is different than uploading an already written document into the Google Drive. I also wonder if there must be more than one person involved in the production of the work to coin the term cloud computing?
DeleteWriting craft- I think it is safe to assume that the term writing craft refers to the skill of writing. What I am uncertain of is similar to my uncertainties with the term genre. I wonder how the craft of writing changes within digital spaces? Is it still the idea that the writer must utilize specific techniques to convey the information or message effectively, such as tone/mood, point of view, dialogue, etc? Do the actual elements of craft change when speaking of writing in a digital space OR does what is considered to be effective techniques change in a digital space? Or is it a little or lot of both?
Writing notebook- My response for writing notebooks would be very similar to my response for anchor charts. I know what a writing notebook is and have utilized them with my students for many years, but have questions about the actual formatting and presentation of them in a digital space.
I've got a lot to learn. :)
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DeleteAs I was reading through the terms given to us this week my eyes sort of opened up in disbelief and shock. I couldn’t believe that these things (the ones I’m not familiar with) actually exist). Honestly, I have never heard of zine, digital anchor charts, mentor texts, cloud computing or writing craft as it pertains to digital spaces. As a result of looking at the words in each phrase I came up with the following.
ReplyDeleteZines- Could they be online magazines or a place online where different articles or pictures are placed for the enjoyment of the public.
Digital anchor charts- I honestly have no clue what this is but I’ll take a guess and say it can be a safe place to store information such as links, pictures, music, and websites so that they can be viewed at a later date. There can be different categories (like what I listed above) so it is easier to sort your information.
Mentor texts- These could be examples or samples of different texts, either from books, poems, journals, and or stories. Mentor texts can be viewed by persons who need help with their writing pieces or inspiration.
Cloud computing- I know of iCloud, where my emails, notes and other things like pictures can be stored in an online space (cloud). So I’m guessing that cloud computing is has something to do with tallying information (hence the computing part) in an online space.
Writing craft- I would say that this is an online area where we can learn how to perfect our writing skills, as we are given different ideas and pointers on what we should do when writing a particular paper. For example, an essay, story, or poem etc.
Well here is the list of terms I don’t know and what my predictions of them are-;
ReplyDeleteZine- This sounds like an online magazine to me, where persons can read and contribute to it at any time.
Digital anchor charts- I guess this is an online tool to help you organize ideas, something like a mapping too.
Mentor texts- I have no idea what this is but it sounds like persons are able to upload their own personal information/experiences of what they have been through to help inspire others that are going through the same problems as them.
Cloud computing- Maybe this can be where you store information. Persons that you communicate with can have access to the information you store likewise you will have access to the information they have stored/saved.
Writing craft- I think this can teach people how improve their writing skills. On how to formulate letters, poems, essays or even love letters.
Writing notebook- To me, this sounds like a regular book that you can write in, only that it is online. You can draw, scribble or take notes using this.
zines- Is this an magazine that you can view online? I have not heard of this term before.
ReplyDeletedigital anchor charts- Is this a way to organize information - like a digital graphic organizer?
cloud computing - I have not heard this exact term, but I am going to guess that this is a service like Google Docs. The cloud allows you to view your work anywhere that you have an internet connection. Gone are the days of flash drives (or floppy discs! lol)
writing craft - I am not sure what this means as a reference to an online tool. Is this an online app that lets you practice handwriting? I have used the app Handwriting without Tears before.
writing notebook - I am going to guess that this is a digital notebook. I know that Microsoft Word has a template that acts as a notebook. You can have your work split into different sections for different projects, classes, etc.
I don't know what writing craft is, but I think it's probably a tool similar to google docs that aids collaboration and allows for multimedia and comments.
ReplyDeleteMany of these are media that allow for opportunities to collaborate—zines, blogs, wiki, vlog, etc. Cloud computing supports the sharing and transfer of files and data, which aids in long distance collaboration. Some of the terms are tools and topics that teachers can use to support students' writing, creation, and collaboration in digital spaces—genres, audience, purpose, mentor texts.
I have to admit I have no idea about zines, vlog, or cloud computing. I know that zines rhythms with wines, but aside from that, I’m not sure how to even make a prediction on that one. Cloud computing I might assume has something to do with the Internet Cloud, or some type of writing that connects to images of clouds as a graphic organizer or some other writing connection. A vlog might connect to blogs with some type of twist—perhaps the “v” stands for virtual blogging where you can blog in real time. I feel my predictions are pretty weak. All of the rest of the terms easily relate to writing in digital spaces in different contexts.
ReplyDeleteWriters interact with other writers (those that post, or add text to existing documents) in blogs and wiki. Digital stories additionally can be interactive in that the story can be read to the reader as if they were participating in the experience together, as well as links connecting stories to other fans and related links. Digital texts can be shown on a SmartBoard and read and discussed as a whole class, and discussed in small groups or pairs to “close read” looking for underlying messages or meanings.
Digital anchor charts have saved me! I have no more wall space and my poor kiddos that come to see me are at times mesmerized by the anchor charts, colorful literary posters, and helpful tools that line the walls of my room (I’m working on that). Digital anchor charts enable me to feature an anchor chart I’ve downloaded from Pinterest or Teachers-Pay-Teachers and use it to give support to my students when appropriate (Discussion Response Starters, or Conversation Bridge Connectors to remind students how to build on their peer’s comments and conversations when working together. I have an anchor chart I made of specific genres (Fiction & Nonfiction) that stays up usually until January—3rd graders have the toughest time articulating genre until authentic connections with books are made. I have a card game with short passages and kids practice with partners backing up their opinion of what genre the passage should be categorized (love this!).
Using children’s literature is one of my favorite ways to get kids talking amongst each other. Like many teachers, I have many children’s books that I use for read alouds to get kids thinking about themes such as, civil rights, slavery, cultures, moral decisions, etc…My favorite is reading books about the Underground Railroad and having the kids role play—one being a slave, one being the Master, one being an abolitionist, etc…The conversations and perspectives are eye-opening for all the kids and me to listen to each student’s perspective. It is at the heart of sharing perspectives and discussion where the real learning happens. A writing notebook is an essential tool in any classroom. I like to give response starters and then have kids share their responses with other students or the class. Even those that never raise their hand feel empowered by their writing when given the opportunity to have a voice. Students learn by practicing writing, discussing their writing, developing a style, and reading other student’s styles. They share how to use words for purpose and to be cognizant of the audience and what that means. For me, kids working together to discuss how to project meaning when having an awareness of the purpose of their message, and to whom the message is being directed toward is very energizing. Words are power—seeing kids beginning to use their words in meaningful ways is incredibly rewarding.
I realized I hadn't responded to this week's blog! I'm sorry this is late, but thankfully, I know all of those things. I, too, work in a highly collaborative environment, especially because of the kinds of work I do. I always work for some kind of a client, whether it is this or that department at work or this or that person at work or an individual or business that I'm freelancing for. I have to remain in close communication with whoever the client is, typically through Slack, Google Drive, or email. They are all examples of possible methods to communicate with a large or small audience (emphasis on the large, because if it can communicate with a large audience, it can also communicate with a small audience though the opposite is not necessarily true).
ReplyDeleteHowever, some of the things on those list are print precursors to modern-day communications. Zines, for example, were precursors to blogs (regardless of what the word may be used for now). In the 90s, we didn't really have blogs yet, and when we did (in the late 90s) they weren't online magazines like they are today. Rather, in the late 80s-early 90s, we had access to printers. I could type on my Commodore to make a zine, go to a Xerox place to scan in some of my art, and then staple together a cute little sharing of my writing and poetry (that no one read, but that had the potential to reach many people, had it been good and had I not grown up in a town of 4k people who thought reading was a waste of time).
Vlogs are the new blogs are the new zines. Video is the new medium for personal expression. No longer are kids stealing their dad's camcorder to shoot a horror movie, circa my whole childhood, but rather, they're using their phones and webcams to share the feels with their followers. Sometimes, something amazing comes of it. Usually, it's just someone talking about themselves. Either way, expression is common and vernacular creativity is everywhere, and typically, these are the forms (for the most part) that online creativity takes.