Week 6 Reading 6816

1.How can schools meaningfully support the development of all students' new literacies; particularly those literacies engendered by Web 2.0 that foregrounds interactivity and collaboration around shared content?

I think the use of blogs in the classroom is the best way to support the learning of new literacies.  Students can post the information they learned (which can count as an assessment) and reflect on the work of their classmates.  What I like most about using blogs, is that it seems to be a safe way to collaborate online.  As the teacher, you can control what personal information your students put on their page. 

2.Why should schools engage students in the new literacies engendered by Web 2.0?

Schools should integrate new literacies in the classroom, because the new skills they learn will help them prepare for life out of school.  New literacies teach us critical analyzing skills that can be used to interpret images, videos, TV programs, etc.  These literacies can teach us additional skills about the world around us, and not just the typical reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. 

3.What are the differences between new literacies and conventional literacies?

Conventional literacies refer to the standard way we learn information—reading texts, taking assessments, researching topics, etc.   New literacies require new forms of collaboration.  We can learn and share information by posting to blogs, contributing to wikis, using videos and images, etc. 

4. Provide your own example of a classroom use of Web 2.0 that promotes a "Mindset One" approach and a classroom example that promotes a "Mindset 2" approach (the examples do not need to be from your own teaching or learning experiences; you can make them up).

Mindset One-- Students play the game Selene to learn about how the moon was created.

Mindset Two-- Students use Diigo to look for websites about how the moon was created.  Students then post a blog about what they discovered and comment on their classmates’ discoveries. 

Week 6 Reading 6809

1. What surprised you, concerned you, or intrigued about students' access to technology in their homes?

I was surprised to learn that economic status does not determine how much access to technology a child has in their homes—the amount of access of technology is determined by the attitude of their parent.  Sure families with a higher economic status are able to purchase high speed internet, but lower income families that have access to technology may not control how much their children surf the web or play video games as much as parents with higher incomes.  I would think the education level of the parents would be a determining factor as well. 

2. What kinds of household spaces related to technology, or rules about using technology, were similar or dissimilar to your own household environment?

I had my own computer since I was in middle school.  The computer was in my bedroom then later moved into the office.  But both locations offered privacy from the rest of my family.  I had a good upbringing, so I knew what I could do and what I shouldn’t do.  My parents trusted me, but still warned me to be careful what I say and do online. 

3. Could this chapter be helpful for teachers who seek to integrate technology into their classroom activities in more meaningful ways? Give an example from the chapter.

The issue of safety and privacy exist not only in the students’ homes, but in the classroom as well.  Teachers not only need to monitor what their students are using the internet for, but also inform them about how they portray themselves online.  A bad Facebook profile could prevent you from going to a good college or getting a good job. 

Week 6 6816

1. Do other people's annotations add to your understanding of content or hinder it?

I would hope that other’s annotations could help me to better understand the source, but unfortunately it could also hinder my understanding.  We have to be very clear and precise when we describe something because the description could lead to an incorrect interpretation.  But an annotation could provide a summary that would be useful to determine if this is a source we need or not.

2. Provide an example of a Diigo annotation that in your view is useful rather than spamish.

An example of an annotation that would be useful would include a short summary of the source, useful features of the source, and provide examples of how the source could be used.

3. How did you use tags to make searching more efficient and beneficial?

Adding tags makes searching for a particular topic more efficient because the source directly related to the topic you are searching for.  You could narrow down your source choices by looking at other tags selected for that source. 

4.  In your opinion what is the potential of social bookmarking to promote content area learning and/or information literacy.

Social bookmarking allows students to research topics and save their sources to a site that they can access outside of school.  Students can research a topic, post their sources, and comment on their classmates sources.  This is a great way to teach information literacy, other than just using a textbook.  Social bookmarking could be used in every subject and is easy for everyone to use.

6816 Week 5

What does the term "discursive practices" mean?

Discursive practice means that you are not about to apply what you have learned to a real-life situation. 

What does "discourse" mean?

Discourse refers to the different situations that may or may not occur that are further discussed.

What is the "rock" and what is the "hard place"?

The rock is the current conception of information literacy and the hard place is the translation of information literacy practice with understanding of how this practice happens from the education sector to into workplace performance. 

What are the differences between the skills prescribed for information searching in academic and workplace settings?

Information searching and reporting in academic settings is usually stated in a “how we did it” form.  The information searching skills in the workplace are less structured and systemized. 

How do academic notions of information literacy undermine workplace notions information literacy?

We are taught that information literacy originates in academic settings.  However, the production, reproduction and circulation of information occur in the workplace. 

How are information needs identified in work place setting like nursing and emergency workers?

Information needs are an ever-changing, on-going process that requires a collaboration of people.  This is what nurses and emergency workers deal with everyday.

Why do issues of plagiarism not resonate in workplace settings?

Knowledge in the workplace is considered a collective possession and distributed in a story-telling fashion.

Are information literacy skills transferable across contexts and settings? Why or Why not?

Information skills are transferable, but complex.  It is difficult to reduce the information into a specific set of skills.  There is on-going research to test whether literacy skills are transferrable. 

What is "practice theory"?

Practice theories analyze ways of engaging the world through human activity, language, and power. 

How does the author of this article define information literacy?

Information literacy is socially constructed, on-going, and involves human coexistence. 

How do educators need to change their understanding of information literacy in order to prepare student for the information literacy practices they will encounter in workplace settings?

Educators need to help their students realize that they will continue to learn new knowledge past high school into their chosen careers.  Learning occurs all the time, everywhere.

What do the terms "ontological" and "epistemological" mean?

These refer to the structures that create the conditions for sanctioning of information and knowledge. 

After reading this article, how useful is the traditional research paper we expect students to produce in school in preparing them for workplace settings? What are traditional research papers useful for? Should we still assign traditional research papers?

Traditional research papers should still be assigned to teach students how to research a given topic and to analyze information.  However, teachers need to assign research that is relevant to their students so that information literacy can continue through the workplace and become concrete. 

What is one of the biggest challenges to changing the way information literacy is conceptualized in school settings?

A lot of teachers do not accept change, especially change to technology.  However, if teachers can be shown the positive impact that changing the way we view how information is acquired and used, maybe teachers would rethink their teaching practices.  Some teachers have guiders on that lead them to believe that learning from the textbook is the only way.  This is an obstacle we need to overcome. 

What attributes of the 21st century make it essential that educators change their approaches toward information literacy?

The 21^st century is centered on technology and is ever-changing.  This generation will obtain the majority of their information from digital and social media.  As teachers, we need to accept and embrace this change and teach them in ways that are relevant to them. 

What changes can teachers make to their classroom activities to engage students in the  information literacy practices they will encounter in 21st century workplace settings?

Teachers should teach students how to analyze information and how it can be applied in their everyday lives.  This can be primarily achieved through the use of technology.