Sophisticated- A reflection

When I was asked by my Literacy coach if I would be interested in this class,I honestly didn't know what to expect. I just said 'yes' and came to class a day later.During our first class,I was feeling a little apprehensive about what I had got myself into.As I sat in class and listened to my classmates including Dr. D throwing terms here and there,I was in a daze.I just sat there-confused.But I must say I'm one of those people who yearns to learn new things -just to know.
So I decided to hang in there.By the time we got to Web 1.0 and Web 2.0,I wanted to quit cos I thought I didn't get it.But as soon as we veered off Web 2.o I saw what direction the class was taking-I totally got it.This class was definetely an eyeopener-do I feel more sophisticated-hell yah. You know I really enjoyed blogging freestyle-just blogging away gave me a place to vent.I loved that alot.The privacy aspect that blogging brings with it is so cool.Cos' I feel like I'm just talking to myself,ranting about my day.And don't we all need to vent sometimes but have no one to tell?
Again, do I feel sophisticated-hell ya!
Wanna know something-and I feel embarassed to say this but I'll confess anyway.I never thought that literacy had taken a whole new definition.That its no longer confined to the print but it encompasses other ideas such as fanfiction,using comics etc.New literacies are asking us as educators to think outside the box so as to keep up with the Joneses-our kids.
Signed-former 'outsider' now an 'insider'

YouTube

Since I discovered the YouTube phenomena,I must say I have become a junkie.I have no clue why I spend literally hours viewing 'stupid' videos from people.I'm glad I have a paying day time job.Well...do I need an intervention...maybe!Anyway I honestly,I think people have found a way of advertising their trade or stupidity-for lack of a better word, through this medium.It is a way of connecting with people-especially socially.Lately I've discovered the Nia phenomenon-the five year old who sings and dances beautifully.Through YouTube-she's gained national recognition and her musical talent is probably on close watch by the music industry whenever she's ready to 'spread her wings.'The entertainment value , the simplicity in navigating the camera, and immediacy of YouTube have all contributed to the popularity of YouTube.

"The Drive-by Workshop"

What a day!I'm so glad we are done testing.I have no idea how to get back to the regular school routine.The kids semed really off today.I need to reach deep down into my bag of tricks to survive next week till everything gets back to normal.In spite of that, I ended my day well...I finally got to meet Kylene Beers-author of our 'Holt and Rinehart' textbook series.She's so sweet and her workshop was eye-opening.One of the things she said that struck a chord with me was that since fluency is synonymous with reading,then we as teachers should not hesitate to have students reread a text to develop fluency.I know I've been guilty in the sense that I have often wondered why anyone would reread a book-ain't that boring?However when you think about it, it makes sense.Kylene left me wanting to hear more because she had some simple and practical approaches to teaching struggling readers.How many times have you seen a student-that one whom when you think about him/her,you'd rather call outsick!The kid comes to school every day -without fail.But yet they don't do crap-no homework,unprepared for class,constant talking while you're trying to teach.According to Kylene,we need to rethink our approach as we try to connect with this type of student. Are you 'failing' the student in the sense that you could not 'diagnose ' their learning style?This kid comes to school everyday,hoping with each new day that you'll finally get it right...I'm telling you now-I'm on the road to recovery!But wait a minute...I hope I still feel refreshed tomorrow morning.

I love to read.I always put myself to sleep with a 'good' book.Growing up as a child ,I remember reading alot.Even though books were a rarety for me as a child,what inspired me to love reading was the fact that I had nothing else to do and no access to a variety of books like our children have today.I do not cofine myself to a specific genre.I read just about anything.If anyone recommends a book,I'll definetely check it out.Right now I'm reading The Great Gatsby.Before Gatsby,I read Freedom Writers and One More Day by Mitch Albom.When I got married I lost my reading mojo .With the birth of my children, I was always so exhausted.In my classroom however,reading revolves around teaching my students to be engaged as readers by using reading strategies before reading,during reading and after reading.I model a strategy such as "Making Inferences", complete a Read Aloud/Think Aloud,then have the students practice the strategy during the Work Period and during their 10 minutes of independent reading.After they read,they make an entry in their Reader's Notebook -sometimes about how they used a preassigned reading strategy while they were reading.Some of my kids don't like to read at all-this is something I struggle with daily but I must say we are making strides towards developing as readers.I think with the onset of technology,reading is changing.For example for struggling readers,there's software available such as Read 180 that can guide them to improve their reading and set at their own pace.With this kind of technology ,students will not feel left behind and also improve their self esteem as they actually see the results immediately.Our kids are more visual and technology definetely can inspire them to read more instead of the traditional way that we read when we went to school.Technology will not replace but enhance student interest in reading.

What is "The Matrix"

I watched the movie-second time around. It is not the typical genre I like to watch cos' its a little intense.The intricate plot interestingly defines what the Matrix is -a computer generated fantasy world that's designed to control mankind therefore implying that the the human world as we know it is a farce. This begs the question-are we controlling the machines or are the machines controlling us?

For some reason, every time I tried to create the account I couldn't .I swear I think I'm the only one who has to struggle with these things.At first I wasn't sure what kind of Info I should submit for my profile ..I was little apprehensive and I needed some guidance.Because I have a fourteen year old,I was confident that he would know. Unfortunately, my son said he was clueless about it...So I decided to try it by myself.I was informed that I couldn't use my email account cos' it was already in use.I knew immediately who the culprit was...my son.I asked him and he conceded that he had a MySpace account!The good news is I took ownership of my email and I set up the account on the same day. It was pretty easy-I think.So what else do I do with it?LOL

Before I venture into MySpacedom, I have something to say............Do I have to?I wonder where we are going with this.Like I've said before, I have my reservations.Most of my students go on to MySpace..they ask me if I have a MySpace page..and my response is ...huh.Well I'm gonna try it today.I hope there are no more passwords that I need to make up.See,this is one of the things I dislike about Cyberworld. Just too much logging in..and passwords.I already have too many numbers in my head...one more and I'll go crazy.

Response to February 17 readings

Let’s give it up to anime and Manga as they have completely taken over both teenagers and adults alike! When we had our first class, I heard Dr. D use the term “Manga” and I was immediately lost in space. Most of my classmates seemed to know what the term meant but I was clueless. But since this was a new class I was hoping to learn more about it as our classes progressed. And so I did. With the help of my T.V remote and my fourteen year old son, I scrolled the On Demand Menu and found ‘Anime’ under ‘Cutting Edge’. Interestingly, I’d seen this before but never ventured to find out what it meant. Sadly, I couldn’t learn too much about it because the clip kept breaking up. I gave up.

From the reading, Rhiannon and Eileen diverted from what we as teachers might define as the ‘norm’ and creatively reconstructed complex storylines which they, according to the writer, would not otherwise feel free to share with their teachers because they felt that they would be ostracized as ‘weirdoes’.
I honestly think Fanfiction involves higher level thinking skills- skills which we continually struggle to inculcate in our students’ everyday. Anime or Manga-this is an excellent way to introduce a genre that students love to watch and integrate it into their own writing. If our students are so plugged into the media in all its forms ,why are we as teachers still unplugged?.

One of the main issues the author referenced is that according to the multiliteracies framework, Fanfiction is now a genre worth paying attention to. It meets all the criteria that the proponents of Multiliteracies framework established. One such criterion is that fan writing involves the use of ‘available designs to create redesigned texts’. Anime, for instance is the available media text from which fans can creatively generate their own pieces of writing.

Furthermore, students love to watch cartoon shows. Children have developed a fan base of characters in the games or cartoons. They know the storylines in those shows so well so why not utilize the characters to develop other story lines? Video games are bombarding most households. Teenagers are spending the bulk of their time on the Internet, where they have become to large extent creators of the content on the net.

As educators, we need to rethink ways to tap in to this resource as a teaching and learning
tool. Rhia and Eileen define fanfiction as just fun, creative, a stress reliever and a form
of social networking. My major concern is that faced with a rigid curriculum which we
must abide by and even more so with the stringent measures outlined by the NCLB laws
and the burden of accountability left solely on the teachers to provide satisfactory results
to meet the AYP, how will the teacher track this ‘unsanctioned’ mode of writing?

Since teachers are continually seeking to provide data-driven instruction, then using
anime- inspired stories diagnostically at he beginning of the school year to jumpstart the
Writers’ Workshop is definitely a refreshing approach. In a nutshell, fan writing is a
genre worth considering in literacy education.

I finally did it!

I have a confession to make...I forgot to post my thoughts on blackboard.Well, you go right ahead and laugh.I've been trying to maneuver through everything-from understanding Web 2.0 all the way down to remembering my NetID password.Most importantly,I did it. Dr.D has nothing on me now.I love to celebrate my students' achievements.Today I'm celebrating me.

Ultimate procrastinator

A few days ago my computer broke down.Suddenly my mid week problems multiplied.Just when I thought I had finally navigated through all the new stuff such as blogging -which I'm really excited about, I had to start thinking of how I 'd get a new computer.As I was conducting my preliminary investigation in my household to find out who caused the computer to 'crash'-my three sons all denied any knowledge. These three 'boogers' are constantly using the net but as soon as it broke down they quickly found alternative games to play.And I was stuck!That was Wednesday. I knew I'd somehow find a way to complete my assignments on time but I wasn't sure I'd be doing it from the comfort of my home. So today at around 6pm, my husband bought some wires and fixed it-it works! Last week I had a different problem on Saturday... I started my assignments at the same time.Could this be a sign...

Immigrant or native...technologically

What I gathered from Chapter 1 was how literacy has evolved over the years- and that even though literacy was confined to just reading and writing, Changes in the economy and we are now talking new literacies such as
In Chapter 2, the author outlines the two different mindsets and as I read this chapter it became clear to me what mindset I belonged to.
Since I’m over 35 I’m definitely a newcomer. I cannot afford to be an outsider any longer and more so because most of our students are insiders.
A newcomer like me can be an insider, but it takes time and it depends on how motivated I’m. The people in The First World became Insiders by default because they were born into it. They grew up in both the physical space and in cyberspace hence becoming ‘insiders by default’
On one level, I agree with what Barlow says that even though there are hordes and hordes of newcomers, some are approaching it inappropriately. So is there a particular standard on how to navigate the internet? I however disagree with his view that the children will be protected against anything offensive by how you(parent/guardian) raised them ‘to find it as distasteful as you do’.

Internet Safety
What I find troubling about the access to the Internet in the classroom is the loss of moral responsibility on the part of the student. If Barlow argues that censoring the sites that students go to offers a ‘distorted experience’ I’m not sure if we’ll be upholding our moral and professional responsibilities. I think that on the same note, if students are allowed to navigate the internet as freely as they wanted they’ll still probably reap a distorted experience to a certain degree.
Student safety on the Internet relies heavily on constant surveillance of websites that students are visiting .Our kids also have learned to multitask. They are the insiders and can expertly or successfully participate in a classroom discussion while blogging at the same time.The security measures imposed in schools regarding student Internet use have both positive and negative educational implication. On a positive note, the security measures help teachers maintain their moral and professional obligation while the students on the other hand suffer in the sense that they cannot gain full access to pertinent information they might need for research purposes.

School Technology Policy
The school technology policy is self contradictory. Even though it seeks to all students school wide to gain access to technology and blah blah blah-it’s just that. Sometimes reaping the full advantages of technology is a myth. Quick example-In the past, my school has had some security lapses and as a result some classrooms lost quite a good number of laptops. Strict measures were quickly established including if the tech coordinator is away and so are the laptops. This meant that the technology workstation that had been set up for the day flew right out the window-So the teacher is left to come up with a different plan altogether. I mean I could go on and on-if you have the time-but then again you get the idea.

User Friendly
According to the author, Google – born from Web 2.0 –has made it easier to gain information. ‘Google bombing’ and ‘Google whacking’, and ‘tagging’ are some of the terms that have emerged to provide quick links or pave the new literacies path .It was interesting to learn that Google's success actually relies on consumers’ collective participation. The consumer becomes the yardstick that shapes what new trends are evolving in the digital world.
Being a newcomer, I have found myself sometimes relying on my students to help
me resolve some tech glitches. I hope that I'll soon be the tech guru-the insider.

Nutty!

I almost lost it yesterday.My babies were literally flying into class after lunch.They seem to have drunk alot of soda during lunch and some sugar concotions.So I decided to use the power of imagination-I went on vacation.Some island in the Caribbean but I didn't stay there for too long.I was jolted back to reality when one of my nutty kids poked another student with a pencil and that student screamed so loud I had to go back to business as usual. As the day progressed,I couldn't help but dread my last group of the day.I was so exhausted. By this time I knew in my heart I had had it(Well, I was PMS-ing too!).Right before I began my lesson, a little angel in the back of the class spoke to me. She said as if she knew, "I know someone is going to say something upsetting to you and I'll be upset too". Right then,I melted.I looked at that angel for a second then walked away because I was tearing up.Don't you know miracles still happen.From then on,my babies(who hadn't even heard what the little girl had said) were on task-I didn't even have to say anything to them.They were on task throughout the two periods I had with them!They made my day! So keep hope alive-I know that's so cliche but what the heck?

Reconstructing childhood

The main issue being discussed in "What Next? Toddler Netizens" is that there's a new generation of learners emerging and as a result we can not sit back. The writer asserts that the concept of childhood as we knew it when we grew up is being redefined since we now live in an Information technology saturated world.Our children are spending a lot of their time watching T.V and playing video games. Thus, as teachers we too need to change our approaches to teaching in order to keep up with these new crop of learners.Even though we've met new technologies with apprehension we can no longer take a back seat and assume that our children will still grow up as traditionally defined by Piaget,Kohlberg or Chomsky.I feel that in order to produce "sophisticated learners" we need to understand their learning styles and be in tune with what they are being exposed to .We have a choice to either being savvy consumers and spearhead the content these new literacies brings or be passive and allow our kids to be blown away by the advertising of software that in essence fails to address significant issues. Children are being introduced to different media at a very young age due to parents or guardians being busy.Playing video games or watching T.V has become the easy quick fix in most households so we can free ourselves to do other things. Within the classroom, I think that learning should take a different approach. The traditional “I’m the expert and I’ll model this strategy for you and then you’ll practice it on your own” is not the only best practice anymore. Children should be exposed to different learning opportunities such as "brainstorming, trial and error, practice, and discussion.” I agree that letting students learn naturally in groups without any of them being specific experts-just through interactions and collaborations in learning communities will go a long way to developing “sophisticated learners.” It's amazing how the children in "Gathering of the Elves" emerge as a sophisticated learning community without being even aware that they are learning.Wow!

I'm so excited about this class because its a "hands-on use of a range of new digital technologies."In addition, this course will go a long way to jumpstart my graduate program which I have for so long wanted to start but for some inexplicable reasons(lazyness included),I didn't know where to begin.

Blogger: Imanitele - Manage Posts

Blogger: Imanitele - Manage Posts

I just got back from the gym...I wonder if I lost a pound seeing that I feasted away this past weekend.How do I get my kids(students) to do their homework assignments -especially if they are related to the following day's lesson?Anyone with better luck?I get so frustrated sometimes when I spend so much time explaining to my kids the direction our writing classes are taking and so I need them to hold their end of the bargain.What do I get in return-excuse after excuse.Can I bring it tomorrow with a note from my mother? Yes dear,I reply .The following day-nothing!