Week 13 Assignment

  Course Reflection - Learning Task #1 :
     
     In this course i have had the pleasure to learn about many new and exciting technologies and new literacies.  When i entered into this course i really did not think about using ICT's and new literacies for ELA instruction however now that i have been through many of these different tools i can see the benefit in using them in  the classroom.  We followed our syllabus closely throughout the class and we covered many of the goals that we looked at in the beginning of the class.
     Throughout this course i have used our syllabus as a guide on the side throughout all of the work i have done.  In a online class it is imperative to constantly reference the syllabus in order to make sure you are keeping up with any assignments that may be due.  I personally feel that the syllabus did a great job of presenting all of the relevant information that we would need to reference.  Having this be my first ever online class it took a while to get into the whole, not having a meeting time, thing.  Having a detailed syllabus was especially important to me. 
     Throughout the semester i have produced a good amount of work that i consider to be of a high quality.  My some favorite assignments were the digital storytelling, UDL Bookbuilder, Prezi, and VoiceThread assignments.  All of these assignments had me step outside of my comfort zone as far as technology goes and i think that i really thrived in them and enjoyed making them.  I have found that all of this work that i have produced can be used in an ELA classroom to enhance lessons that deal with reading, writing, collaboration, technology, and various other aspects.
     As i went through this process of completing this work and going through the course i was able to discuss much of it with my peers and colleagues, as well as my classmates.  The collaboration and feedback that took place on the blog within the class was great for me and i think it really established a sense of community within the class.  In my workplace i also often discussed many of these new literacies and applications with my co-workers.  When discussing these things with my ELA teacher we often found ourselves wishing that we had more opportunities to use technology in the classroom and more technology availability.  Overall though most teachers agree that technology use in ELA is incredibly important as we see technology starting to penetrate every job field and college in the world.  New literacies are the newspapers, magazines, and textbooks of the future.  In order to make sure our students are ready they must be prepared to face all of this technology.

Final Keystone

                                                   Reflection on New Literacies

            As we see new technology progress and change in our society it is imperative to continue to model our educational curriculums towards this ever-expanding world of technology.  When looking at and comparing foundational print literacy with new literacies, we see many differences and similarities between the former and the latter.  Personally I feel that the future of ELA education lies within these new literacies and we must help our students prepare for college and career life by using these new literacies.

            When I was growing up in the public school system everything we used for reading and writing was the basic foundational print literacy system that had been used for many years.  We used computers sparingly until the end of high school and we mainly focused on textbooks, dittos, lined paper, and chalkboards.   These foundational print literacies were all we knew at the time period however in today’s world we have much more access to technology in the classroom and in our daily lives.  In many cases we have seen teachers using these new literacies in the classroom however as teachers we must continue to use more applications and technology resources to teach reading and writing.  Textbooks and marble notebooks just simply do not cut it any longer.

            The term new literacies cannot be defined because the nature of the term is constantly changing along with technology itself.  New literacies are comprised of information and communication technologies that use computers and the Internet to read, write, and collaborate.  Since the Internet and computers were invented these new literacies have expanded from simple word processing software all the way to what we have today.  Some examples of modern new literacies include, Google Docs, UDL Book Builder, Glogster, educational video games, Edmodo, and Voicethread, to name just a few.  All of these applications are Internet based new literacies that allow students and teachers to collaborate and use multiple media types to create and modify ELA work.   Text, voice, audio, video, and art are all combined and used together to complete stimulating assignments that evoke ELA skills and technology skills at the same time.  The whole goal of education is to prepare students for the college and career world and as a teacher it is my responsibility to make sure my students are well prepared for their future lives in education.

                                                    

                                                       ELA Teacher Interview

            The ELA teacher I have interviewed uses computer-based technologies on a daily basis to help enhance her lessons.  She uses the Internet in her daily lecture and class time to show videos and use other web-based applications.  She also has the students use the Internet in class on a semi regular basis.  There are some good websites we have access to that are ELA related and my ELA teacher also has students often respond and use word processing software to complete assignments.  When is comes to web based new literacies my ELA teacher Mrs. Kennedy does not use a ton of them in the classroom for a few different reasons.  The first main reason is that up until we started working together Mrs. Kennedy had very little exposure to many new literacies that are available.  When I asked her if she knew what new literacies were she expressed that she had never heard that term before.  Another reason why Mrs. Kennedy has not used many new literacies is because in our current situation, working in an incarcerated setting, we often have limited access to many websites including educational ones.  Mrs. Kennedy told me that she often feels very limited in using technology because of the fact that it takes a very long time to unlock websites for student use because they have to be approved by a number of people on a long chain of command.  She also told me that if she had the opportunity to use more new literacies she certainly would give them a try however.

                         Final Keystone Unit Implementation and Evaluation

1.    Subject:  This will be a unit that will focus on ELA skills utilizing technology through having students create books using Bookbuilder.com.  The students will be learning about the environment and the importance of conservation in their science class, and this ELA lesson will help to enhance that.  The students will be creating an interactive book the addresses the topic of conservation.  The book may be about recycling, conserving resources, alternate energy, or any other relevant topic.

2.    Grade level: 7th^th Grade

3.    Standards addressed:

 -Common Core ELA standards:

Writing Standards

2.   Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

4.   Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

5.   With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

6.   Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

Speaking and Listening Standards

1.   Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Language Standards

1.   Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

2.   Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

6.   Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
 

 -ISTE/NETS technology standards:

For Students:

1.   Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

3.   Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

4.   Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

For Teachers:

1.   Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

2.   Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS·S.

3.   Model Digital Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.

4.   Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

5.   Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.

4.    Intended results of the proposed technology integration:  The professional development interests for my ELA teacher are that she will be learning how to utilize and implement a great online resource that allows students to create their own storybooks.  Motivation is often a problem in our educational environment and I feel that this assignment will address some of these concerns that my ELA teacher has had.  Also this program is a great way to get students involved in technology and ELA skill building at the same time.  The student will benefit form this experience because they will be enhancing their technology skills by using the online program as well as working on their ELA reading and writing skills through writing their won storybook on the topic of the environment and conservation.

5.    Support and format of training needed:  For the effective implementation of the selected technology in their classrooms I will need to train my ELA teacher to use and implement the Book Builder online program.  She will need to be fluent in all of the different aspects and details of the program so that when it comes time to have students use the program, she knows it through and through.  Our sessions will be informal, as we have team meeting time every day to discuss and go over relevant issues.  This will be a great time for us to collaborate on the project and will allow me to show her how the program works along with fielding questions she may have.

6.    Requirements:  We are lucky to have classroom computers along with a laptop cart in case there are not enough classroom computers for the students to use.

7.    Learning outcomes:

a.     Create a script for an online book that follows the conventions of standard written English

b.     Use pictures, audio, and text to create books

c.     Address ELA skills through editing your peers writing.

8.    Instructional Procedures:

a.     Students will create UDL BookBuilder online accounts

b.     Students will come up with a topic surrounding the idea of environmental conservation.

c.     Students will use UDL BookBuilder to create online books that include audio, text, and pictures to better enhance the story.

9.    Evaluation plan:  In order to make sure my training meets the goals, needs, and objectives, I plan on assessing my ELA teachers comprehension by having her create her own book using book builder that she will later model for the class.  I will make sure to go through the entire project to assure that she knows the program and will be able to field any potential question that the students may have.  For my students I will be assessing their progress by using the rubric below.  I will show them this rubric before they start the project so they realize what is expected of them.

10. Evaluation Student Rubric:

•                Story Writing: UDL BookBuilder •    Teacher Name:    Mr. Carnright •      •      •    Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Focus on Assigned Topic	The entire story is related to the assigned topic and allows the reader to understand much more about the topic.	Most of the story is related to the assigned topic. The story wanders off at one point, but the reader can still learn something about the topic.	Some of the story is related to the assigned topic, but a reader does not learn much about the topic.	No attempt has been made to relate the story to the assigned topic.
Requirements	All of the written requirements (# of pages, # of graphics, type of graphics, etc.) were met.	Almost all (about 90%) the written requirements were met.	Most (about 75%) of the written requirements were met, but several were not.	Many requirements were not met.
Creativity	The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader\'s enjoyment. The author has used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.	There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.
Accuracy of Facts	All facts presented in the story are accurate.	Almost all facts presented in the story are accurate.	Most facts presented in the story are accurate (at least 70%).	There are several factual errors in the story.
Writing Process	Student devotes a lot of time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works hard to make the story wonderful.	Student devotes sufficient time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works and gets the job done.	Student devotes some time and effort to the writing process but was not very thorough. Does enough to get by.	Student devotes little time and effort to the writing process. Doesn’t\'t seem to care.
Organization	The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions.	The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used.	The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear.	Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.
Spelling and Punctuation	There are no spelling or punctuation errors in the final draft. Character and place names that the author invented are spelled consistently throughout.	There is one spelling or punctuation error in the final draft.	There are 2-3 spelling and punctuation errors in the final draft.	The final draft has more than 3 spelling and punctuation errors.

                                                    Implementation Report

Implementation Overview:

            Overall I feel that the lesson implementation was extremely successful.   My students, my host ELA teacher, and I all had a great time doing this project and I think that the students learned a lot as far as new literacies and ELA are concerned.  Since the schedule of my ELA teacher and I are basically the same we were able to set aside the time needed to complete the project and we were also able to collaborate many times in advance to ensure the project ran smooth.  Another positive aspect is that we have computers in our classrooms so we did not have to worry about competing for a computer lab or signing out laptops or anything like that.  We really have a ton of freedom in our program, which made the whole implementation very smooth and seamless.  Along with the process, the students also seemed to do well with the project as well.  The students seemed to learn a lot during this whole process and I think they even had a good time doing it.  My ELA teacher also expressed to me that she was very glad to learn about this ELA tool and that she looked forward to collaborating more in the future.

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

- Learning Outcomes:

            -Create a script for an Internet based book about environmental conservation.

            -Use pictures, audio, and text to create an online Bookbuilder book.

            -Address ELA skills through editing you and your peers writing.

-Technical Procedure Outcomes:

            -Use a web 2.0 tool that helps students use new literacies in ELA.

            -Use Bookbuilder to create an online interactive project.

2. The adjustments you had made to accommodate students with special needs

- During the implementation process there were indeed some adjustments that had to be made for students with special needs.  One of the classes I created the unit for is a low level ELA class that has many students with IEP’s and other disabilities.  For some of the students in this class I had to make accommodations to endure that the lesson was on their specific level.  One example of an accommodation that I made was that for some of the students I had to dismiss spelling errors, as state on their IEP’s.  Another adjustment I had to make was that I had to take the unit more slowly with my lower class then the other classes.  Basically the lower level classes needed to be prompted and redirected on a greater level due to their special needs.

3. The adjustments you had made for the effectiveness of classroom management

- Because our classes in the jail are relatively small and with their being two teachers present in the class there were very few adjustments that I had to make for more effective classroom management.  We constantly deal with motivational issues in our classes however for this specific assignment our students really seemed to respond well and also seemed to have a good time with it.

4. The questions asked by the students

- My students are often very inquisitive when it comes to assignments, especially when they are unfamiliar with a specific tool or application.  Some of those questions include:

            -Where did I find the UDL BookBuilder application?

            -Why are we using it to create books?

            -Why don’t we just use some other program we already know?

            -What is the purpose of the book we are creating?

            -Can the book be a made up story?

5. The problems students had encountered during the implementation process.

- During the implementation process we did have some problems that the students faced, most of which were technology-based problems.  One of the problems I saw a few times was an issue with the computer log on that the student received.  Since the students in the classes are constantly changing it is often hard to keep up with creating log on user names for all of the different students who were doing the projects.  So in this case some students had to start by working on the idea of their book on scrap paper until they had a valid log in user name.  Another problem that students faced was the fact that there were not as many pictures as they would like that they could insert into the book.  Since the Internet is limited and search engines are disabled the students had to find inventive and creative ways to get pictures for their books.

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

- The whole implementation went pretty smooth as a whole however I did have to make a few on the spot decisions to keep things going.  One decision I had to make was when we had students who did not have computer log in ID’s.  Since students may not under any circumstances log in under any other name than their own I had to have students without user names work on their projects offline in paper.  I had them write their scripts and think about pictures and ideas they wanted to implement into their books until they had actual computer log in’s.

7. The feedback from the students.

- Overall the students seemed to really enjoy the project and they seemed to work hard on the assignment.   When I asked them if they enjoyed it they said it was cool and that they would like to do more projects like this in the future.  One thing they did not like is the fact that they have limited Internet availability, however this is something that cannot be amended.  Overall though I was pleased with the feedback I got form them, as they seemed to respond well to project.

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

-The timeframe I set for this project seemed to work out perfect.  We stuck to our implementation plan and everything ran pretty smooth.

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

- One thing that I learned from the implementation is that you can never prepare too much for any project implementation.  I think that if I did this project again I would try to make sure that the student log in information was up to date and accurate.  I would also like to maybe make a folder up of pictures that students could insert into their books that are from the Internet.  We have the ability to send items such as documents and pictures out to each computer do the students can use them.  This is something I would like to do in the future to make it easier for students to find good and relevant pictures.

Week 13 Assignment

My Prezi - Learning Task #2:

Here is the link to my Prezi that i created on what i have learned through this course.  There were so many things that i had to narrow it down the best that i could so that the Prezi wouldn't be too big.  I hope you enjoy it and i look forward to getting feedback on what you think!

http://prezi.com/ghfj6zqzok8_/edla-assignment/

Week 12 Assignment

Glogster


     After creating and exploring my Glogster account I have found that this web 2.0 tool is something that could be extremely beneficial to use in the classroom.  Glogster in the simplest terms is a website that is used to create these sort of online "posters" or "fliers".  The templates within Glogster allow users to customize their posters to have text, video, pictures, audio, and also the ability to customize color size and shape.  Glogster is also great because it allows for users to collaborate with one another in a virtual classroom style setting that is controlled by a teacher.  Glogster is a great way to provide differentiated instruction for learners of various levels, from elementary school straight on through college.  Below is a t-chart analyzing the educational affordances of Glogster.

Technical Features of Glogster and the educational affordances

               Features of Glogster                                                Affordances

The ability to add and edit text boxes	Allows students to work on ELA skills while working on creating Glogs in various subject areas.
The ability to send messages and comment on other students Glogs	Creates a collaborative and technology based assignment that also increases reading and writing skills.
The ability to add pictures and videos to Glogs.	Allows for more differentiated instruction due to the allowance of different types of media platforms.
The ability for teachers to set up and manage all students within classes.	Allows teachers to create a monitored and stable environment to carry out lessons.
The ability to link Glogs so that they can be viewed by anyone publicly.	Allows teachers and students to share their work with their peers, friends, administrators and parents.
The ability to customize and design Glogs and create specific posters to establish themes.	Allows students to use visual and structural aids to help viewers gain knowledge of the theme and tone of their Glog.
Ability for teachers to access the educators resource library	Allows teachers to explore the various uses of Glogster while showing examples of what other teachers have created.
Ability to search and post links within the Glog	Allows students to utilize various ELA and technology skills to enhance their work through use of the internet and search engines.

Week 11 Article Reflection

   The article titled, "Evaluating pedagogical affordances of media sharing Web 2.0 technologies: A case study," by Kevin Burden and Simon Atkinson takes an interesting in depth look at the web tool known as VoiceThread, and shares a ton of useful information.  Burden and Atkinson look through and evaluate VoiceThread to show its potential uses for both teachers and students and to show the pedagogical affordances they enable.  Overall i was intrigues by this article because i have indeed used VoiceThread previously for a different grad class and other than using it for a few assignments i never really read about or looked into case studies on the tool.  The authors of this article did a great job of showing how this tool can be used as a Web 2.0 tool to help teachers or tutors to direct stimulating and engaging lessons with students via VoiceThread and the Internet.  Through reading the short article i learned about many uses of VoiceThread that i really never knew existed.  I learned that you can add outside audio and video to the thread along with the audio and video you yourself record using a webcam.  I also learned about some of the methodology and affordances that VoiceThread features may have.  It is always good to take a look at a breakdown of all of these potential uses and practices so as a teacher you know that you a truly helping your students learn and succeed through using fun and technological applications.  Overall i enjoyed this article and i think it gave me great insight into this wonderful tool which is VoiceThread.  I look forward to using it more in the future and trying to use is to its potential limits so as to create meaningful and worthwhile VoiceThread's for my students and I to use.

Week 11: VoiceThread Assignment

Here is the link to the VoiceThread that i created for class.  It is about the MAIN causes of World War One.  I hope you enjoy it!  Feel free to comment!

http://voicethread.com/share/2963610/

Digital Storytelling Video


here is the link the my digital storytelling video on The Tower of London, i hope you enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nhC85E_4EQ&feature=plcp&context=C4d09ba4VDvjVQa1PpcFMnf0UoXdF6Y5vWTLk6xabX9UXyZsAvsk4%3D


Sorry if you tried that old link and it didnt work... i posted the wrong one... whoops!

Week 9: Keystone Unit Plan Draft


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22816861/EDLA%20615%20final%20keystone%20draft.doc


Above is the link the my Keystone Assignment Draft. It's just a start but i like what i've got so far.

Week 9 Article review

Week 9 Blog Entry


     The article by Hui-Yin Hsu and Shiangkwei Wang titled, "The Impact of Using Blogs on College Students' Reading Comprehension and Learning Motivation," was very interesting and was a little surprising to me.  The article is about an experiment done with 3 college level reading classes that were preparing lower level college freshmen students to improve their reading comprehension and ability.  The whole purpose of the experiment was to compare students who learned via traditional paper and pencil college work with students who used technology in the form of blogging to complete assignments.  After completing the semester the scores and feelings of the students were compared and studied to see if in fact using technology can better aid college students in acquiring reading comprehension skills better than traditional methods.  When the outcomes were studied i was very surprised to read that there was little evidence through this study that students who used blogs learned and gained more than those who did not.  Even student motivation seemed to be very similar in both classes as well, which to me seems interesting.  The one place where there was a difference was in the retention rate of students.  The students who took the reading class with blogging and technology had a much higher retention rate from one semester to the next while the students in the classes where standard teaching was used saw a much poorer retention rate.  I think that this is an interesting point to look at and may be a telling sign that students who engage in technology in their learning may feel more personally invested in their own learning and in their specific learning community.  They will feel a closer sense of community and furthermore may gain more friends and colleagues that they can talk to and socialize with, in class and outside of class.  Blogs are an awesome way to create this community vibe in education, as was shown in this specific article.  I would like t see more studies done on this topic because i feel that if teachers sued technologies better and more confidently, than it in fact could have a better impact on student learning and motivation!

UDL Book Builder Assignment

UDL Book Builder Assignment

     After discussing this project with my ELA teacher Mrs. Kennedy, i decided to build my book around the idea of tolerance and accepting others.  Through working in a jail i have noticed that many of my student lack many of these characteristics and are often judgmental towards people they see as being different.  This book is meant to help the students see that just because someone is different from them does not mean that they are a freak or a loser.  The world is made up of all different types of people and Mrs. Kennedy and I thought this would be a great topic to use for her ELA class.  With that being said we both also agree the using UDL Book Builder in the classroom would be a great way for students to create their own stories to share with us.  My students often have great ideas and stories that they like to discuss in class and Book Builder would be a cool tool for them to use to express these ideas and work on their ELA and technology skills.  I could see us using UDL Book Builder as a way to assess the students creativity, planning, and ELA writing skills by having them create a story of their own that shares a message of tolerance.  I think it would be awesome to see what our students can do with this project.  Furthermore i think that other teachers could use the book that i created int heir lessons as a way of teaching tolerance to their students.  While it may not be an award winning book, i still think the message given is strong and concise.  Many different classes on many different grade levels could benefit from using my book in their classroom.  The lessons set forth in the book do not only apply to students in jail.  We are seeing the topic of bullying starting to become a mainstream issue that schools across the US are tackling.  My book shows this bullying and how it is unfounded and wrong.  I hope you all like my book and feel free to leave comments and suggestions!

Link to my book:

 http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=3f0dfd3b1abda87fc1d84abaf22b3f5d&sid=7498

Week 7 assignment

Week 7 Assignment:

Assignment #1:

Article 1:  

"Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: 

The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms"

     After reading this article i think that using Multimodal practices in the classroom is a great way to enhance reading and prepare students for a more dynamic age of reading and deciphering text.  In this modern world it is apparent that simply reading text out of a boring old textbook is not properly preparing our students for an increasingly digital and confusing world.  The purpose of multimodal learning in these primary classrooms is to collaborate with students to look at the different elements in picture books that help to convey the meaning of the author and illustrator.  The article gives us examples of how teacher implemented these designs into their classrooms through having students create their own book pages after reading a book about a doughnut.  The students showed good knowledge and understanding of how these different elements such as text size, color, orientation, and use help to convey certain ideas.  Personally i think that this multimodal education is just an extension of teaching literacy to students who learn in different ways.  It points out all of the different elements that come into play and how they all shape reading and writing.  I think elementary school teachers should continue to use this practice in order to help our young students prepare for a different world.

Article 2: 

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

     Through reading this article I have learned that Second Life (SL) is an interesting game and definitely could be used to help facilitate education and learning.  This particular article discusses how a class of graduate students were tasked with learning and interacting on SL in order to complete certain assignments that helped the students learn more about the game.  The near face-to-face aspect of Second Life was utilized to set up class meetings and little "field trips," to places like museums, all of which took place in the game on the students home computer screen.  The article goes on to discuss the pros and cons associated with Second Life and how it can be used in education.  Some of it's good characteristics are the ability to chat both via text and by using a microphone and headset.  Teachers can also use Second Life to set up virtual field trips to cool places that will help students learn.  Some of the negatives associated with Second Life are that it is basically a free roaming world, so at any time a person could wander into your group and interrupt the lesson that is taking place.  Another con is that when multiple people are talking at once the ability to understand who is saying what can be difficult, which is why headsets and microphones are the best ways to communicate.  Furthermore i think that in our increasingly technological world, Second Life can indeed be a great way to facilitate education and collaboration.  I am interested into looking into its use in educational circles more closely because i do indeed think that this game has a lot of educational value.

Assignment #2:

Second Life

(drew886 (my character) screen shot)

      After creating an avatar and roaming through the Second Life world i have found many cool and interesting things about the game.  I have discussed the game along with multimodal learning with my ELA teacher Mrs. Kennedy and through our discussion we have come up with what we fell are some good ways to use the game for ELA learning.  Some of the ways Second Life can be incorporated into ELA instruction are:

-using the microphone chat feature to give oral presentations

-using the microphone chat feature to hold class discussions and interactions

-using the text chat feature to respond to questions posed from other students of the teacher

-going on educationally based field trips to relevant areas

-having students work together in class and outside of class via Second Life to improve their ELA and technology skills

-collaborating in groups to solve problems and work with one another.

-allowing students and parents to meet virtually with teachers for homework help or any other questions.

-having students listen to the teacher and interact by asking questions or gesturing in an online lecture style classroom.

-having student interview random SL users to work on journalism and writing skills.

-having students understand meaning and importance via voice recognition and text recognition when speaking with others on SL