Wrap up-Reflection

The amount that we learned over the past three months is quite remarkable. We learned to appreciate that our world is very technologically advanced and as educators we need to respond accordingly. After speaking with ELA teachers it seems that it is the duty of teachers to enable their students to be active members of society through being able to use new literacies. People communicate, write and relate to others in technological terms. New literacies can be used as a great motivational tool in classrooms to produce great results.

Wrap Up-What we learned

http://prezi.com/f3bhv6i8f-ve/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
Above is the link to my prezi presentation. The amount of important tools that we learned to use in this course is amazing and very helpful. Thank you for showing us so many practical tools that can enhance our classrooms immensely. Your students and our future students are forever indebted.

Week 13-glogster

http://azussman.edu.glogster.com/edl615

Above is the link to my glogster.

Features of Glogster	Educational Affordances
Ability to design personal pages with text and pictures	·         Students can create and publish personal literary works for teacher and classmates to view ·         Students will be motivated to create sophisticated pages of their work
Ability to insert videos	·         Students can express themselves in ways other than writing ·         Students can explain their point in a visual way ·         Teacher can present assignment
Graphics	·         Students can think of innovative ways to relate graphics to their work ·         Students will invest a lot of effort and then be proud of the masterpiece that they created
Hyperlinks	·         Students can search the internet for information connected to their projects to broaden the scope of material being researched. ·         Teachers can provide students with additional material needed to complete the assignment.

 

After exploring the glogster website, I became very excited by the new possibilities that the website offered in the classroom. In the past when I taught a unit on understanding biblical poems, I had my students pick a particular stanza and make a scrapbook page depicting the message of the words. Glogster can be a great replacement and enhancement for this assignment. This website allows students to present learned material in an innovative way. The technology will really motivate the students to produce quality work and the resources for research on the internet are endless. I am looking forward to the positive reaction of my students when this website in incorporated to my classroom.

Keystone

Aviva Zussman
Keystone Assignment

Reflection: I remember the thrill that I had as a child when I learned how to read. When I passed a sign that I was able to read I squealed in joy as I proudly read what it said. As time passes on I feel that today’s children get excited when they are able to read different things than what I read as a child. Today children are not only reading grocery store signs and newspapers. They are also exposed to text messaging, emails and other forms of new literacy that are important for them to be able to read. As time passes the integration of new literacies into our everyday lives is increasing rapidly. Although we are not holding at the point that printed literacy is totally obsolete but the reality is that printed text is becoming more and more uncommon.

When teaching children how to read educators need to be aware of the phenomena of new literacies becoming such an integral part of our lives.  Students need to be equipped with the tools to utilize new literacies in order to be successful in our technologically advanced world. In addition to new literacies being a focal point in daily activities, new literacies can be used as a motivational incentive to increase students’ participation and performance.

Although teachers need to integrate innovative technology into their classrooms, educators cannot ignore the basic principles that print text provides. It is important for students to understand the basic principles of foundational print literacy in order to ensure accurate reading and writing skills. Students need to know the structure and different uses of books and other written material and how to utilize these resources to conduct research and to enhance their daily living. Even though print literacy is becoming more uncommon, its value is timeless. Students should be well versed with reading and writing from printed text and should build on this strong knowledge to incorporate new literacies.

Interview with ELA teachers: After speaking with Mrs. Leah Muller it seems that her understanding of new literacies is that technology should be used to enhance the teaching of printed text. Mrs. Muller works with a unique student body who come from religious backgrounds who do not encourage the use of technology in their homes. Many of these families do not have a computer at home let alone internet, texting on their cell phones, ipods, etc. Teaching these children to read and write English with new literacies is challenging due to the limitations that are put on the use of technology. However after much thought Mrs. Muller came up with ideas of how to integrate new literacies into the classroom in a constructive and non-offensive way.

Since many of the students own digital cameras, teachers can administer activities where students are asked to take pictures of the words on their vocabulary lists. Also, students can make digital comic strips through uploading pictures of scenes onto the computer then typing in conversations. Students can also use their cameras to record videos of plays that they perform after having to write up a script. Students can also make powerpoint presentations after conducting a research project.  Students can also use a voice recorder to record interviews and songs. Students can also make digital newsletters to share with their family and friends. New literacies opens up many doors for enhanced learning in the classroom.

Lesson Plan:
Taskstream link: https://w.taskstream.com/Lesson/View/F25647B8FE4868DD8408CEAE1EB57AF4

Implementation Report:

To begin my implementation report, I feel that it is important to mention that minutes before I was supposed to deliver my lesson I was informed that I will not be teaching the long e rule but rather the soft c rule. Upon hearing this information I quickly surfed the internet to gain ideas of how I can transform my long e lesson into a soft c lesson. Having been a bit flustered by the sudden change there were additional glitches that could have been avoided.  

            Implementation Report:

1.      Outcomes of the implementation: student learning outcomes and technical procedure outcomes

The original learning outcomes were supposed to be that students should learn to spell long e rules and to differentiate between ee and ea spelllings. The technical procedure outcomes were supposed to teach students the sound that a long e makes through listening to poems on the BBC website and to practice differentiating between ee and ea spellings through playing the games on the website. Furthermore, students were going to practice their writing skills while composing a story for everyone to hear on a voice recorder. The actual learning and technical outcomes were that students learned the soft c sound. Students learned how to differentiate between a soft c and and a s through playing a game on word that I designed to model the game on the BBC website. Students also practiced writing through composing their stories and unfortunately were unable to record. Instead the students were told to tell over their stories to their families and friends and to be mindful of their audiences’ reactions.  

 

2.      Adjustments you had made to accommodate students with special needs

For struggling students and ESL learners, they were only expected to choose three words from their word list of soft c words and write a shorter story than the other students. Additionally, when playing the game they were allowed to look at the list in front of them to assist with their spelling.

 

3.      Adjustments you had made for the effectiveness of classroom management

As mentioned in the introduction, I was a bit flustered on the quick change of plans which definitely had an effect on the overall atmosphere in the classroom. I was expecting that the students were able to sense my bewilderment and react in a more boisterous fashion than usual. Thankfully, the students were more subdued than I expected. They got a bit uneasy when the voice recorders did not work and openly expressed their disappointment. To pacify their displeasure I took one of the student’s stories and dramatically read it to the class. Once I modeled a fun way to share their stories they were more satisfied and were able to continue their former cooperation.

 

4.      Questions asked by the students

Some of the questions asked were why the English language needs so many ways to spell the same sound. The ESL learner especially felt that whoever made up the English language wanted to trick students! Most of the questions asked were technically based. For instance when I explained in the game that the c or the s needs to be dragged, they seemed to be a bit confused about the terminology. After modeling what I had meant however, they understood. Other questions were on the voice recorder and how the voice recorder worked. I wasn’t able to explain the mechanics behind the device but I explained how to use it for the assignment (which did not work unfortunately). Other questions were to clarify how many fingers to raise for the s sound and the c sound when they read over their stories (refer to the revised lesson plan). Students also asked if their stories needed to be real or make sense.

 

5.      Problems students had encountered during the implementation process

The main problem that students encountered was that the voice recorder did not work as planned. Students were looking forward to hearing their original stories on tape and were disappointed that they could not share their work with their friends and family in a technologically sophisticated way. Students also struggled with developing ideas for a story based on the word list. Since this was the first lesson teaching the soft c rule students needed occasional reminders of when to use a soft c and when to use a s. With more time and practice however I think that this will no longer be an issue.

 

6.      The decision(s) you had to make on the spot to make the implementation easier and smooth

A decision that I needed to make on the spot to make the implantation smoother was to distract my students from the fact that the voice recorder did not work. The voice recording was a big part of the lesson that I and the students were looking forward to. As mentioned above, after I dramatically read one of the student’s stories and took suggestions from the class of how to read our stories in an interesting way, the lesson was able to continue smoothly. Some of the suggestions from the students on how to read their stories were with an accent, or in a baby voice etc. Also, a decision that I needed to make not so much in front of the students but shortly before the lesson was how to adapt the games and poems from a long e rule to a soft c. I modeled the game that I wanted to use from the BBC website called “Snap-it” on a Word document. Although it was not as sophisticated as the original plan, the students were able to practice differentiating between c and s effectively.

 

7.      Feedback from the students

The students seemed excited to be able to share their stories in interesting ways to their family and friends. They were disappointed with the voice recorder glitch but were overall satisfied.

 

8.      Timeframe (was there enough time as you planned for)

In my original lesson I had planned for students to make a class powerpoint to record everyone’s reactions to their stories. This however was impossible to accomplish based on the timeframe that I was allowed. For the other parts of my lesson, there seemed to be sufficient time for students to complete their work.

 

9.      Things you have learned from the implementation including proposed changes for future lessons?

One of the main things that I learned from this lesson was that teachers need to be flexible. Whether it is finding out shortly after the lesson that plans have changed, or adapting your ideas for students with special needs, or reacting to the class’ disappointment, teachers always need to be ready to adjust their plans. Additionally, I learned that students love to write for real audiences. The fact that the students were going to share their stories with people that they knew motivated them to put in their best effort to create a quality story. With this in mind I feel that in future lessons I will also have my students write for a real audience in order to produce the best results.

 

Taskstream Link to Rubrics: https://w.taskstream.com/RubricWizard/RubricPrintView/PrintView?encLegacyRubricId=ajzqzpzhzfzkzbzk&platform=LAT

 

Taskstream Link to Original Long E Lesson:

https://w.taskstream.com/Lesson/View/F25647B8FE4868DD8408CEAE1EB57AF4

Taskstream Link to Soft C Lesson: https://w.taskstream.com/Lesson/View/7C2F3FA23EF071DCB33C3784C00A77D8

 

 

Week 11

After reading the article I was especially impressed by the graphs that showed the different ways that using Voice Thread in the classroom. The way that students can share and comment instantly on others' work is a great way for students to collaborate ideas. Furthermore, it is extremely beneficial to receive immediate feedback on work. The feature of zooming in objects is also another way for students to gain a new and different perspective on what they see.
The article pointed out that even though this technology may not have been intended for educational purposes, the possibilities for using Voice Thread in the classroom are endless. As with other forms of technology teachers need to be  mindful and dynamic when utilizing Voice Thread in the classroom to ensure that students gain as much as possible from the technology.
Below is the link to my voice thread...enjoy! https://voicethread.com/share/5188986/

Week 9-Keystone Draft

After speaking to ELA teachers who I work with it sounds like they see the use of technology as a way to motivate their students to write and share their writing. Mrs. Muller is the co-head of an afterschool program that is geared to teaching Israeli children English. Most of these children have one 45 minute session per week that is meant to equip with proper reading and writing ability. Often times these children need extra motivation to complete extensive assignments since the work in this program in on top of their regular school program. Therefore Mrs. Muller tries to integrate technology in as many ways as possible to motivate the children to practice their writing and reading skills. Mrs. Muller finds this to be a bit challenging since the parent body of these students does not support the use of the internet. After discussing this for a bit we brainstormed on some ideas of how to integrate technology into the classroom in a safe and user friendly way. We thought to improve the student's reading skills to record their voices of them reading a book so that they can share the recording with family and friends. In addition, to motivate the children to practice writing, students can write scripts for videos to record, for digital comics, electronic magazines, etc. Mrs. Muller emphasized that in addition to using technology as a motivational tool, students need to feel that they are reading and writing for a purpose. When these students are given an audience, the quality of their working increases tremendously.

Draft Lesson:
Objective: Students will learn the "ea" rule.

Procedure: The teacher will introduce the rule of "ea" through describing its sound and mentioning examples of words with ea-seat, meat, heat, beat, neat, wheat, etc. Students will then copy these words into their notebooks. Students will then be asked to create a story using as many of the words on the list as possible. Students will then record these stories on to a voice recorder to share with their families and classmates. Students are going to be told to be mindful of their audience's reactions since they will have to write up an article about it for the class' powerpoint presentation.

Week 9

After reading “The Impact of Using Blogs on College Students' Reading Comprehension and
Learning Motivation” by none other than our professor and her colleague, I was impressed by the amount of research that went into the use of blogs in college level classrooms. Effective teaching needs to be based on methods founded on sound research. Based on this article, there was extensive thought and testing that was put forth in order to evaluate the use of blogs for college students. Using concrete facts and statistics is the only way to influence educators to integrate blog use in their classrooms.

Another thing that struck me about the article was the fact that this study was done on students who were in remedial reading classes. The instructors believed that using a mode of reading that the students are familiar with will increase their motivation thereby improve their reading skills. Upon reading this I was reminded of when I taught reading to first graders. The school decided to implement a remedial reading method in the mainstream classroom hoping that the struggling students will be able to catch on alongside the stronger students. Initially when I heard this I thought that using a remedial method would hold back the stronger students putting them at a disadvantage. When I began teaching however, I came to realize that regardless of the method the stronger students were able to develop and thrive. I feel that the same mindset can be applied to the use of blogging. Even though this study was conducted for struggling college students who were trying to enhance their literacy skills, blogging can be beneficial for college students of all academic levels. The cohesiveness that is created between students is a very positive aspect to blogging that does not necessarily exist in a traditional classroom. Furthermore, utilizing tools that are used in the “real world” is also helpful for students to apply their knowledge with devices that will be instrumental to them in the future.  

Digitial Story-It Pays to Do the Right Thing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J53dyN_vyeM

Above is a link to my digital story titled "It Pays to do the Right Thing". This story has a positive message for children to share the good things in their lives. I chose to repeat the same terminology throughout the story to help young readers improve their literary skills. Enjoy!

Weelk 8

"Adolescents’ Web-Based Literacies, Identity Construction, and Skill Development"-submitted by Brocha Rabinowitz

This article discussed a study conducted to research five students. These students were apart of a EYR program for adolescents who were not necessarily college bound. The researchers gave each of these students a laptop with internet access in order to be able to evaluate their activity on the web. Each student had a unique set of circumstances thus influencing their web activity. For instance, one student was very religious, another was an avid shopper, another was a rapper, another had a candy store and one was a big sports fan. Each of these students was involved in social networking (besides for the religious student). In regard to these students' improved literacy skills as a result of their internet activity was not very solid. It seemed that to complete homework assignments, these students used basic search engines that lacked sophistication. Although it can be noted that because these students were very active on the web, they felt the most comfortable to do schoolwork online as opposed to using traditional text books.

This article was very interesting because it looked into the lives of real adolescent students as opposed to discussing theories based on ideas. As seen in the study, students today are regular online users and therefore tend to want to want to complete assignments using the web. Therefore, it is a good idea for teachers to take advantage of this reality and maximize the learning benefits. There are of course things for teachers to be wary of. For instance, teachers need to ensure that the quality of research students are doing is at least equivalent to the information found in text. We can not limit our students to the simple articles of the web if we wish to produce the intelligent leaders of tomorrow.

"The iPad Effect: Leveraging Engagement, Collaboration and Perseverance" submitted by Niki Jo Rotolo

In this article the author discusses a study done to determine if ipads improve students' performances. The overall results were that the use of ipads increases students' engagement which is deeply connected to student performance. Therefore if ipads are utilized correctly, they can have an impact on improving students' literary skills.
I feel that student performance is deeply dependent on his engagement to class. I also feel that ipads are not the only way students can become engaged in a lesson. Especially when speaking about first graders, ipads are not the only way to attract and maintain their attention. Teachers can use other quality techniques that do not cost a lot of money to effectively teach their students.

"How Teens Do Research in the Digital World" submitted by Henry Chiu

In this article the author discusses how although students mainly do online research, there are many drawbacks. 94% of students use search engines such as google and only 17% use an online data bases which would offer more sophisticated material. Although it is very beneficial that students feel comfortable with conducting online research, not always are their research skills as sharp as they should be.
I have to say that I agree with this article whole heartedly. The reality is that students are technologically savvy and therefore are familiar with the perks of the internet. However just because students are regular online users does not mean that the information available is of the highest quality. It is no question that as educators we should adapt to our students and try our upmost to utilize teaching tools that best relate to them. However we also have to keep in mind that although this is the reality does not mean that it is the ideal. Teachers need to ensure that our students are gaining as much quality information with out the other distractions and setbacks as possible.

 

UDL Book Builder

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=2e348960d6ca15ecb6ba948d560fb01e&sid=14330

Above is the link to the digital book that I made with my student Rachel Hess. Rachel Hess is learning English as a second language. Originally the main teacher Mrs. Muller wanted Rachel to learn the long a rule-ay. We brainstormed and came up with that Rachel should make a calendar of her week thus practicing the "ay" with each day of the week (Monday, Tuesday etc). Rachel took to the idea nicely and wish to expand on the project. We then discussed what her week feels like and what type of things she looks forward to. I believe that the idea of the Shabbos queen was adapted by a lesson she heard in school from her Judaics teacher. She was able to relate to the story because it was describing something having to do with her. Her connection with the project enabled her to describe in greater detail what she wished to express. This idea of book building based upon personal experience with ESL students can be extremely beneficial for students. When students see that there work was published it gives them a sense of accomplishment and equips them with the confidence to go further in their writing.

Week 7- Assignment 2

Above is a snapshot of my Second Life avatar in Moscow. I chose to be a female student (pretty original) and was fascinated by the amount of choices there were. It amazes me how the whole Second Life world was created by its residents. The amount of detail that is involved in each destination is so complex that it is very impressive for people to create such a sight on their own time. At first I started off at a beach and enjoyed the peaceful scenery. I then decided to go exploring and ended up in Moscow. The city appeared well developed and there were a number of people visiting there as well, or maybe they were residents?

After speaking to an ELA teacher about incorporating Second Life into her lessons, she was extremely hesitant. She was concerned that because her students come from sheltered homes and their exposure to media is limited that to use Second Life would be too dramatic of a technological shock for them. We then discussed ways to ease the transition for her students in a way that would make them feel comfortable and maximize the learning benefits. We brainstormed and decided to refer to Second Life as a game. All children are able to relate to games and each person gets to chose to be a different character in this game. The teacher can use Second Life to have students act out important scenes in the books that they are reading in exotic locations. This technology enables students to embody characters in a way that is much more real than to plainly dress up. In addition students can either use text to perform or voice which enables all students to feel comfortable with their performances. The teacher made sure to mention that students would have to be closely monitored to prevent them from being distracted by the wide array of destinations on the Second Life website. (The teacher I discussed this with was Mrs. Leah Muller from Jerusalem)

Week 7-Assignment 1, Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners

Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners

 

 

Being an online student myself, reading the above article was very fascinating. I was not surprised to discover that the amount of students who complete their work is less with online learning than with face to face learning. The reasons for this is obvious. When students feel a lack of personal connection to their professors or classmates, they feel less of a responsibility towards the work. For instance, if an online student fails to complete an assignment they do not have to experience the guilt trip of staring his professor in the eye that would happen with a face to face meeting. When students are represented by avatars as opposed to being able to represent themselves in person, students do not have the same level of accountability.

 

The idea of Second Life seems like a great solution towards creating more of a personal atmosphere for online learners. The struggle is, that the profiles that people can create online can be very contrary to  who the person really is. For instance, if I really wanted to represent myself as a retired millionaire man living in Hollywood (even though I am not) there is nothing preventing me from doing so.  Once I am represented as a pseudo identity, my level of accountability is still not high since the student in class is not the real me. On the other hand, I can see how using Second Life as a motivational tool for online students can be beneficial. Having the professors post assignments using their voice as opposed to texts makes the professors more real. Additionally, in a Second Life environment, students can feel more comfortable expressing their ideas if they are generally shy.   

 

Furthermore, I believe that is  safe to assume that students who are doing online learning are individuals with busy lives that are trying to fit their education into their busy schedules. Online learning has the flexibility that face to face learning does not enabling students from all stages of life to succeed. With that being the case, I am not so sure that online students are looking to make friends. After all meaningful relationships are dependent of physical interaction, not virtual interaction.  Additionally, I feel that online students are determined to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals in the most effective and time efficient way possible. Therefore, I feel that the use of Second Life as a social network for online students would be unintelligent. However, I do feel that a lot can be gained from collaborations and discussions. It is important to receive feedback from people doing the same things as you. After all there are so many talented and intelligent people in the world, why not take advantage of their advice?

 

In conclusion, it sounds like the use of Second Life is similar to other technological devices. Second Life carries numerous learning benefits that can truly enhance student learning. Educators need to be knowledgeable with these modes of learning to ensure that students are receiving the best education possible. Educators also have to keep in mind the struggles that come along with using Second Life and evaluate if it is truly the best method of obtaining the desired results.  

Week 7- Assignment 1, Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

 Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

 

 

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. After reading the above article it became clear that pictures, and other modes of text, speak very loud to the reader. In this article, the authors discuss the different ways that book writers express their ideas. No longer is plain text a means of expression. Today, people communicate through images and multimedia to convey ideas, emotion and thoughts. In a study of recent children's books, professionals analyzed the ways the authors expressed underlying messages beyond the basic storyline. Results found that the font, font size, font color, shapes, illustrations etc. were all means that authors used to give over a complete story.

 

When teaching literacy in primary grades, it is important to relate different modes of expression. Being able to tell over a story in a creative way enables writers and readers to gain a fuller picture of the story and a deeper appreciation for the finer detail. Especially in younger grades where students are unable to dedicate pages to descriptive terms, teachers need to enable students to think beyond the pen and pencil to describe a complete story.

 

This way of thinking does not only produce stories that are more expressive, but also enables all students with all different types of learning styles to succeed. For instance, if a student does not have strong writing skills they can still create a story full of detail and excitement through telling over the story in a creative way. The extra creativity that is being invested in writing is sure to enrich the literature produced by students.

 

As an after thought, I have the merit of being married to someone who is very creative and is extremely in tune to the finer details of life. Going on a walk through the neighborhood is always an adventure since he notices the color of the flowers on the porch on the top floor, the new apron of the baker, the forgotten lunch at the bus stop etc. Being able to pay attention to these things enhances every experience and can make reading and writing a sensational adventure. 

Week 6, Assignment 2, part 2

Above is a picture of edmodo page that I made.

After spending a lot of time exploring the site, I was very impressed with all of the helpful tools that the site had to offer. To begin, the blog that connected all of the teachers who teach the same subject was fascinating. It was such an excellent idea to connect teachers from around the globe who teach the same subject to share in ideas and provide support for one another. Posts are constantly being created carrying on meaningful conversations between educators. Another tool on edomodo website was the option for creating quizzes. This tool offers the teacher five different formats for a quiz: fill in the blank, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and true or false. The teacher can than formulate the quiz in any way she desires and each of her changes are saved and the outcome is a clear and professional looking quiz. The library option is also extremely helpful for teachers to provide their students with the resources necessary to complete assignments. Teachers are able to upload the desired material to make it available for their students to use whenever they wish. Another tool that was very interesting on the edmodo website was the assignments tool. Teachers can post assignments with their details and due dates to be sent out to their students. This provides for clear communication between teachers and students. The student badges is an adorable tool on the edmodo website. Teachers are able to reward their students with badges of recognition for things like perfect attendance, good questions, being a good citizen etc.

Teachers can use edmodo to enhance their ELA instruction through a number a ways. To start the website creates a clear and easy to follow framework for teachers and students to work together. The organization and professionalism of the website makes the learning process smoother and more technologically advanced. Furthermore, the apps(the flashcards specifically)  that are available on the website can enhance ELA instruction tremendously. In addition the blog that connects everyone in the group can be a great way of communication between everyone in the class thereby improving everyone's communication and writing skills.

Week 6- Assignment 2, part 1

After reading the articles Middle School Science Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Practices of New Literacies and Using Social Networking Sites to Enhance Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom, the use of technology in the classroom seems to be not only beneficial but essential. In the first article, the author correlated a teacher's comfort level with icts to the amount of icts integrated into his lessons. The results showed that the more confident a teacher feels about his technological skills, the more technology will be used in his lesson. No one can deny the benefits of incorporating technology into our classrooms. After all, the students of today are deeply embedded in technology and social networking that it would almost be impossible to shy away from this new phenomenon. Yet we do have teachers from the "previous generation" who are not as familiar with social networking and other means of icts and therefore are hesitant to use these helpful learning tools into the classroom. In addition, the use of icts requires a great amount of resources for the students that not every school or child is able to afford. This lack of funding makes it extremely difficult to maximize the uses of icts in schools.
If one were to honestly evaluate these issues, there are a variety of solutions that can be implemented to help the situation. For instance, in regard to the generational gap between teachers and students, teachers can easily be taught the technology by their students. This provides the students with an excellent opportunity to boost their confidence. When doing this however, the teacher has to make sure that his dignity remains intact and that his authority is not undermined. Additionally, in regard to the budgeting issue, if schools would calculate how much money is spent on printed material I believe that the amount of money would be similar to the amount of money needed to invest in the resources needed to properly use icts. Today it is very common to eliminate printed material and use digital books instead. Between kindles, nukes, ipods, ipads, etc. to carry around heavy expensive books are things of the past. Both of these articles carried true information that can deeply impact today's classrooms if the issues above mentioned are addressed. 

Week 6-Assignment 1

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zqkcv4crujp0uj6/FgbxtCAfXq

Above is the dropbox link to the article that I chose in reference to adolescence, technology and writing. In this article the authors researched if adolescence with language difficulties composed less "readable" emails than students without language difficulties. The results were that in general the students with the learning difficulties made more spelling mistakes than the students with out language difficulties. Overall since the test was done in an informal setting both sets of emails were not of the highest level of writing. After all, how can one compose an eloquent response to a question like "what is your favorite tv show?". The authors also noted that even though email has corrective devices to help with spelling, these students still struggled and failed to properly edit their work. Since emailing has become such an integral part of communication in the work force and in educational settings it is vital for students to be equipped with the tools to email properly. As educators, I feel that we need to take this into account and improve our students' writing and communication abilities despite their language difficulties.

Week 5-Assignment 3

http://screencast.com/t/PfSDsfPf

Above is the link to see my game, enjoy:)

Week 5- Assignment 2

My philosophy of game playing in a classroom is basically in moderation and under supervision. I see the motivational value in game playing and the benefits of students enjoying to learn. However I feel that in this mode of learning the fun aspect outweighs the educational value. The same content can be learned in a number of ways. Teachers can decide to dedicate many hours to creating an electric game to convey the message, or teachers can think in different creative ways to accomplish the same goal in less time. The social benefits and problem solving skills that are attributed to game playing can also be gained through other activities.

Week 5- Assignment 1

After checking out the gamestar mechanic website, I was impressed by the myriad of games available for children's use. There was a Scholastic Art and Writing award  contest that required all applicants to create a storyline through pictures and then add the text. Teachers can use this to motivate children to express themselves in creative ways. Furthermore there were other games such as "It's Story Time" which was a game created by a student in connection to a literary assignment. Truthfully it seems that the games on the website lacked educational value. Although perhaps teachers used these games to motivate their students to write creatively, I feel that the games were not sophisticated.

Week 4-Assignment 2

Assignment#2 Create a simple ELA lesson plan addressing the following components (where to post this assignment: Blog)

Grade Level:  2nd grade

Common Core Standards and Learning Outcomes:
11. Respond to literature by employing knowledge of literary language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of American and world cultures. (pg. 16)
Students will learn how to use their literary skills to connect a message to themselves.
Students will learn how to use their literary skills to connect a message to their surroundings.

Instructional Activities:  In this lesson students will be learning how to interpret different forms of literary items particularly political comics. Students will get together in groups to play the game Daily Jumble. Class discussion following the completion of the game will go through the different outcomes of each game. This game will help students strengthen their language skills through working together in groups and communicating their proposed answers with their classmates. In addition, students will need to use their prior knowledge and deductive reasoning to formulate the unscrambled words. Furthermore, students will have to read and understand the comic in order to create a logical answer to the puzzle.

Assessment: Based upon the discussion after the game the teacher will be able to gather how many connections the students made between the comic and themselves and the world around them. Additionally, the teacher can quiz the students by taking some of the comics that were discussed and ask the students to write down the meaning of each one.

Debriefing: After playing this game students will learn that there are many different ways people can communicate a message. In reference to comics, a picture is worth a thousand words. To reinforce this concept students will be asked to find a picture online to depict a strong message that is going to be the front page of a magazine. Next the students will be expected to compose a short and powerful caption relating to the picture in a way that catches the reader's interest.  

Cognitive Skills:  The cognitive skills that this game cultivates are problem solving and reading comprehension. Students learn how to interpret meaning from messages other than words and how to convey a broad idea in a short message. In addition students learn how to apply prior knowledge to solve problems like unscrambling words. In order to succeed in this game students need to have some inkling of what the answer is through tapping into previous schemas of the information.

New Literacy Skills: With the new definition of new literacy being to equip our students with the proper tools to communicate, read write, and thrive in our current technological workforce, I would say that the game Daily Jumble does just that. Daily Jumble uses the same system that a website would use to have people sign in. The players need to select certain letters and put them in designated boxes which is the same process used in many areas at work. Furthermore, students will learn how to make sense of words that don't appear to have meaning at face value and will learn to think harder to decipher meaning. This idea is vital in life and communication skills.

Week 4-Assignment 1

Assignment#1 Answer the following questions (where to post this assignment: Blog)

1. What gaming elements provide users the learning content and how? (Refer to the journal article page 4).

• Text:
• Visual-graphic elements:
• Audio elements:

 

The game that I chose for this assignment was Daily Jumble from Shockwave.com. I chose the Daily Jumble since I felt that this is a familiar game to me and to my students and I thought that it would be neat to do the game in a technologically advanced way as opposed to using the typical paper and pen. The text gaming element used in this game is that there is a cartoon on the side of the screen depicting a message. It is the job of the game player to unscramble a list of words on the other side of the screen to come up with the solution to the puzzle. In this game the players need to be able to read and understand the content of the cartoon as well as use their problem solving skills to unscramble and decode the answer to the problem. The visual-graphic element that is used in this game is simple. When the player wants to type the unscrambled word, the selected letter turns green which draws the payer's attention to it thereby assisting him to find the answer to the puzzle. The audio elements of the game is that there is soft music in the background and every time a player clicks on a letter, the letter makes a bing sound. The sounds are meant to be soothing and motivate the player to continue and playing and to specify which letter is being selected.

2. What is the goal of the game?

 

The goal of this game is to increase the game player's ability to understand the content of the comic as well as to utilize problem solving skills. In addition, the comic can be depicting a variety of subjects such as current events, literary information, etc. and reading the comic can broaden the player's knowledge in that area.

3. What are rules of playing this game?

 

The rules of playing this game are to unscramble the words and use the highlighted words in the unscrambled word to solve the solution to the comic. There is a timer and the less time it takes to solve the puzzle the more points the player scores.

4. Does this game have any scenario design? (Refer to the journal article page 5.) If yes, is this a fabricated or embedded in curriculum-related content?

 

Daily Jumble does not have an embedded scenario design. The players do not control what goes on in the game at all, they just control their answers.

Week 3-implementing technology with ELA teacher

In Week 2 I researched the use of audiobooks in the classroom. I discovered the benefits of audiobooks with ELA students because it minimizes the pressure of the reader and enables him to focus on the big picture without being distracted by technicalities. In addition, audiobooks are helpful in teaching pronunciation of words which enhances these students communication skills. Furthermore, audiobooks are extremely helpful with handicapped and blind students. After speaking to Mrs. .Muller about the concept of audiobooks, she became very excited. She expressed how frustrated her students got when they struggled over the words in the book and this discomfort prevented further progress. She also related how audiobooks makes reading more fun and teaches the children how to read with expression. It is important however not only to rely on audiobooks and to have the students do some reading on their own. The way that Mrs. Muller can implement the audiobooks is to introduce a book through having the children listen to the story. While they are listening for the first time they will be able to understand the storyline as well as pick up on the underlying expression of the characters. Next Mrs. Muller can read the story with the children. At that point the children will be able to read more confidently since they already heard the story and their comprehension will increase with the repeat of the words. This would be done with first graders who are just beginning to learn how to read. The book should be of something of interest, like a story about children going on a treasure hunt for instance. The standard that is listed in the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy addressed here is: “11. Respond to literature by employing knowledge of literary language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of American and world cultures.” The second time the students read the story after hearing the audiobook the teacher will stop the students to ask them questions to ensure that they really understand the story, the setting and the characters involved. The learning outcome of the lesson would be that the students would have a deeper understanding of the story after both hearing it, and reading it themselves. In addition, students will be able to model the intended expression in the story as well as properly pronounce the words.   The technologies needed for this class would just be the audiobook and speakers. The timeline for this lesson would be just one class. The class would listen to the audiobook in class then read the story aloud in class. The assessment for this lesson would be the teacher pausing to ask her students questions on the content of the story and the teacher checking that proper expression and pronunciation is being used.

 

Q & A Week 3

The ideas from the video did not really reflect the ELA teacher that I interviewed. Since Mrs. Muller (the ELA teacher) teaches in an unique program dealing with children from sheltered and ultra-orthodox homes, she does not have many opportunities to utilize the important benefits of technology. Despite her limitations, Mrs. Muller does try her upmost to integrate technology into her lessons to maintain her students’ attention and increase interest in the subject matter. Although in the world at large technology does take up a large portion of everyone’s day as mentioned in the video, with Mrs. Muller’s student body technology use is at a minimum.

In order to change Mrs. Muller’s style one has to bear in mind the sensitivities of the religious community that she is serving. One idea could be to provide a special lab that is fully equipped with computers with internet access. Each computer will be protected by a filter to ensure that only information that the parent body would approve of would transpire. This lab would be under the direction of Mrs. Muller who will guide her students in maximizing the uses of the computer and the internet. Other forms of technology that is not as offensive to the community can also be used. For instance voice recording would be acceptable as well as photographing are all forms of technology that is encouraged in this special group.

Being that Mrs. Muller herself is an esteemed member of this community, it is very possible that she too lacks the familiarity with computer and internet use. Therefore an extensive training in how to use a computer and how to research using the internet as well as tutorials on other uses of the internet would be necessary. In addition, raising the awareness of computer use among the children would also be vital. In order for technology to be effectively integrated into Mrs. Muller’s curriculum she would need a computer for herself, and personal computers for each of her students. Smart boards, digital cameras, and voice recorders would also be important for Mrs. Muller to have to execute a technologically based lesson.

In reference to grouping the students, many of Mrs. Muller’s students are siblings. Perhaps instead of purchasing a computer for each individual student, one computer can be bought per family for each of the siblings to share. In addition the families in this community live in apartment buildings. Therefore, it would be helpful if one family in a building had access to the proper equipment to be paired up with a family that does not. That way travel time is at a minimum for those who do not have access to the necessary equipment.

 

Summary of articles

After reading the articles it became clear that new literacies is an important piece of education. Since technology has become a major focal point in everyday life, it is vital for students to maximize all of the benefits that new literacies have to offer. The revolution of technology is rapidly growing and becoming more and more essential. Although these advancements did not exist a short time ago, it is the responsibility of educators to update their skills to give over the best possible tools to their students.

Interview with ESL teacher

After interviewing Mrs. Leah Muller, an ESL teacher in Israel, I discovered a new set of challenges that didn’t occur to me before. Mrs. Muller expressed the difficulties of incorporating technology into her lessons since her students not only verbally speak a different language, but technologically as well. For instance, Mrs. Muller’s students don’t have televisions in their homes and some do not even have computers. This presents a unique set of circumstances for this ESL teacher working with kids who have less than the standard technological devices in their homes than in the United States. Mrs. Muller has to really pull at her creative juices when forming her lesson plans to incorporate technology. She ventures to use tape recorders and digital cameras to enhance her lessons, quite different than the technology we are discussing in this semester!

Research of technological tool

One technology tool that is helpful with ESL students is audio books. Audiobooks are beneficial in assisting these students with reading comprehension and word pronunciation. Often, ESL students can feel overwhelmed by the complexities of the English language as well as the high expectation that exists in the schools. This overpowering feeling can distract these students on focusing on the minute details of reading and ignoring the bigger picture. Therefore the use of audiobooks enables students to only concentrate on the meaning of the story without getting caught up in technicalities. In addition, when ESL students are reading on their own, it is almost impossible for them to know the proper pronunciation for many words. Audiobooks clearly indicate the way each word is supposed to sound enabling these students to communicate effectively later on.

Reflection on Common Core Reading Standards for ELA/Literacy

After reading the Common Core Reading Standards for ELA/Literacy and the reasons behind them, I can only agree on the importance of these rules. As with all areas of education, it is important for teachers to instruct their students based on evidence supported material. Additionally, creating a uniform standard for literacy skills throughout the nation is invariably important to ensure the success of the next generation.  These standards address all areas of literature and writing providing each student with a well-rounded education. If teachers implement these standards they will produce students who are competent readers, writers, and communicators. In today’s day in age especially where there are a lot students whose first language is not English, these standards are imperative. When teachers incorporate effective teaching tools and technology while teaching English as a second language, they are sure to be successful.     

 

Airplane

Israel

1. Hello, my name is Aviva Zussman Balsam. I live in Israel with my husband and my brand new adorable baby girl. To introduce myself I posted a picture of an airplane since I feel that in all areas it is important to reach the sky. I believe in pushing the limits and going beyond expectations and I plan on making my students into stars.

2. If I were to write a book about myself 

chicken


 I would name it "Spring" since my name is the Hebrew word for the season spring. In addition to being born in the spring, I feel that the season has a deeper meaning to my personality. In the spring the trees blossom with new flowers and there is life and growth everywhere. As a person I love life and search for better ways to improve myself.

3. My favorite jokes are the chicken jokes crossing the road because one time when my friend was on vacation she actually saw a chicken crossing the road! 

4. I taught in a formal classroom for two years. I taught first grade, sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and tenth grade. Now I am tutoring Israeli children in my home how to read and write in English. I am in my third semester in the Teacher Education Program.

5. In addition to teaching, I also assisted a language arts teacher for about two months. We were teaching middle school girls and managed to read the book “The Call of the Wild” and cover some grammar rules. This was my only experience teaching language arts and I am looking forward to enhancing my future “language arts teaching” skills.

6. I am unfamiliar with new literacies.
7. My concern about this course is that I have a preconceived notion that language arts and literature is evaluated in a very biased fashion. The quality of a piece of writing in my opinion is bases on the reader’s taste. I hope that this mindset will change and not interfere with my performance.