Closing Thoughts

When I first began this course, I had no idea about the breadth of new media and new literacies that were out there and being used to the benefit of learners. This course opened my eyes to the idea that literacy is not defined simply by text any longer, and words no longer have to be read off of the written page for an individual to be considered literate. It was eye opening to see the many ways in which learning environments have changed, and are continuing to change, and I owe it to this course [and all of you] that I now have a better understanding of what it means both to read and to learn.

 The most interesting aspect of this course, to me, was the conversations held about digital natives and digital immigrants. Having grown up around technology, I think that I took for granted the fact that many learners might not have the same skillset or digital expertise that I, and other digital natives, do have; and I think that taking that into consideration is important when looking to utilize new Medias within a learning environment. Considerations have to be made, whether it is by training or designing a digital platform that is easily navigated and used by learners with varying degrees of digital expertise; because no learner should be left behind regardless of their digital skill set. Along these same lines, I believe that more attention has to be given to those learners who are lacking in their digital knowledge, so that they can gain the full benefit of learning with new media.

The impact that new media and new literacies can, and will, have on our learners is great; and as such, I will be sure to pay extra attention to the ways in which varying types of media are being used within the world around me. The potential that can be found within various media should no longer be taken for granted, something that I learned while researching the benefit of using MMORPGs for learning during my final project. 

Overall, this course has given me the foundation to begin building learning experiences rich in new media, and to never assume that benefit cannot be found in videos, social media, and other types of media that one might not suspect to be useful. 

Learning potential is everywhere. 

Information Literacy Guide

Information Literacy Guide for Adolescent Students

INTRODUCTION

1. What is Information Literacy?
2. Who are our learners?
1. Physically, Cognitively, Socially, Emotionally
3. Defining the need for Information Literacy within a specific group of learners.
1. Why is there a need and why is it important?

DEVELOPING INFORMATION LITERACY

1. Through thinking, expressing, and reflecting.
2. Throughout all content areas.
3. Through meaningful learning experiences.
4. Through research and collaboration.
5. Within various learning environments.

WHERE TO BEGIN

1. Know what question needs to be answered.
2. Know what information needs to be sourced.
3. Create a 'plan of attack'.
1. e.g.: Where do we look? How will we validate the source[s]?
4. Synthesize the information gathered.

ACCESSING INFORMATION

1. There are various means by which students can access information:
1. Libraries
2. Web searches
3. Online Media
1. Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter
4. Online Databases
1. e.g.: EBSCOhost, JSTOR
5. Scholarly Articles
6. Scholarly Journals
7. Print books
1. e.g.: textbooks, novels, biographi
8. Collaboration among peers, scholars, literary experts
1. e.g.: Librarians, Instructors

MANAGING RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

1. Determine authoritativeness and accuracy of information.
2. Consider the source material within the information.
3. Determine how the information fits together to form an overall theme and answer the specific question.

EVALUATION

1. Evaluating the legitimacy and accuracy of sources.
2. Recognizing bias, prejudice, and manipulation.
3. Evaluating the information within the sources.
4. Evaluating personal success within the process.
5. Evaluating the learning process as a whole.
1. Obtaining sources, legitimizing sources, organizing information obtained

 _________________________________________________________________

Sources

"Presidential Committee on Information Literacy: Final Report", American Library Association, July 24, 2006.

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/whitepapers/presidential  (Accessed December 06, 2013)

“Adolescent Literacy Guide”, Literacy Gains: Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2012.

 http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesLIT/AdolescentLiteracy/Vision/AdolescentLiteracyGuide_Interactive.pdf (Accessed December 8, 2013)

“Content Area Literacy Guide”, Public Consulting Group's Center for Resource Management, in Partnership with the State School Officers, August 2007.

http://corecurriculumadmin.pds-hrd.wikispaces.net/file/view/Content_Area_Literacy_Guide.pdf (Accessed December 10, 2013)

Interview - Stephanie

For my “Growing Up Digital” interview, I spoke to the nineteen year old sister of my boyfriend. Stephanie [as I will call her] is homeschooled, and so I thought that she would be an interesting adolescent to talk to for this reason, as she’s already “missing out” on a large part of the social atmosphere that most adolescents experience [high school]. I thought that I would bring up some of the topics discussed in Sherry Turkle’s NPR interview, because some of the points she touched upon were extremely interesting to me, and I wanted to see how Stephanie felt about then, and whether or not she agreed with the points that Sherry was making; and if so, why.

First, I started our discussion by asking Stephanie about her digital media use. She is an avid texter [and had her phone out during the time that we spoke; and, yes, she was sending messages]. She also has a Facebook account, a YouTube channel, and a Tumblr. She uses her Facebook account to keep in touch with friends that she’s held on to since leaving public school over six years ago, as well as using it to keep up to date on what her family is up to, as many of them live out of State. She says that if she had to guess, she spends about two to three hours a day on Facebook, browsing posts and occasionally playing the games that are offered when she’s bored, as well as using the chat feature. Her YouTube channel hosts a plethora of fan videos which she has made for her favorite movies, and her Tumblr account is used for reblogging pictures of actors she likes and other areas of interest. Stephanie agrees that a large portion of her day is spent online doing any of the above mentioned activities. She also agrees that she spends more time using digital media for personal enjoyment than she does for school, and that she spends more time online than she does outside with her friends. When it comes to texting, this is an all-day event; she doesn’t set aside times to partake in it, and she rarely uses her phone for actually conversation. In this instance, I had to confess that I am very similar, as that is typically how I use my phone as well.

I spoke with her briefly about the NPR interview, and how Sherry Turkle mentioned how in her experience, she’s learned that people no longer know how to hold a conversation – that they don’t like how they can’t control what they are going to say, and that they don’t know how long the conversation is going to take place or where the conversation might go. Sherry mentions that texting eliminates that uncertainty as it gives the people involved in the conversation some semblance of control over those variables. Stephanie tended to agree with this statement, saying that there was less pressure to respond to a conversation when conducting it via text; that she didn’t feel as though she had to agree with anything on the spot because she was allowed an undetermined amount of time to get back to the discussion. When asked if she wanted to start having conversations with actually speaking as opposed to texting, she said “Not really.”

I also wanted to speak with her about Sherry’s discussion about how people feel the need to create an online persona that is “pretty”. She said that she agreed with this, because online, that’s all people have to go on; that they judge you based on presentation, and so when she puts a picture of herself up online, it’s only if she’s pleased with the angle, the style of her hair, and how her makeup has been put on. I asked her if she thought there was more pressure to present herself a certain way online than there is when going out in public, and she said yes. She said that people are meaner online, because they can say whatever they might like under anonymity.

Overall, I thought my interview was eye opening in that adolescents are willing to admit that they would rather hide behind screens and an online profile than they would participate in the actual public. I can understand that to some extent, as I also have an online personality in some forums, but I still make a point to participate in life outside of digital media. I think a lot of the dependency on digital media has to do with the fact that people can be whoever they want, whenever they want, online; whereas in “real life” it isn’t that easy. That was the impression I got from Stephanie, at least; who would rather participate in life online, than outdoors. 

Advertisement Deconstruction

Jim Beam TV Spot for Red Stag Bourbon

I first found this ad while watching television, on the Investigation Discovery Network, and then again on the Food Network, as these are the two channels that I watch primarily. Typically, I watch television in the evenings once I get home from work, so it's likely that the advertisement was run after 6 p.m. The total cost to run this advertisement was unable to be found during an internet search, but I would imagine that it cost at least over ten thousand dollars, because of the animation involved.

I suppose that there is a mild connection between  the channels that I viewed the commercial on, and the product being sold. Since the advertisement was for an alcohol, it makes sense that it would be shown on the Food Network, a channel that dedicates itself to food and wine. The Investigation Discovery Network is a channel that is very graphic and shouldn't necessarily be viewed by children without parental discretion, and so it makes sense that a commercial promoting alcohol would be shown.

The target for this audience is primarily adults, aged twenty-one and older. Even so, I can see how this advertisement would appeal to a younger crowd as well, mainly teenagers. The slogan is something that I can see adolescents asking and bring drawn too, just as much as an older crowd. The suggestion that alcohol could solve such a conundrum is also something that many people are likely to buy into as well.

I feel as though bourbon ads typically reach out to an older audience, as younger drinkers tend to go for beers and wines, especially underage drinkers. I think this advertisement is a valiant attempt to get a younger crowd attracted to bourbon.

I think this advertisement brings about a feeling of adventure, the emotion of “taking life by the balls” for a lack of a better term. The commercial portrays power, breaking ground, and cutting new paths. It's successful in evoking these emotions, I feel. 

I feel as though this advertisement assumes that bourbon is the type of drink that urges you to tread a new path, or take on challenges head first. I don't believe these assumptions are true, because I find that alcohol tends to inhibit a person's decision making process, often leading to incorrect assumptions and/or decisions. Of course this isn't true for everyone, but it's something that is well understood and accepted. In this way, I find the message and the reality of the advertisement contradictory. Alcohol doesn't help you leave the ordinary behind, it just helps you forget about it for awhile. It shouldn't be a solution, and it shouldn't be portrayed as one.

 I did not see a gender bias in my ad...I honestly didn't. While bourbon can be seen as a male drink, I would say that there would be more of a male bias if the announcer was a woman talking in a sultry voice. [I personally found his voice attractive and it got my attention, and I am female].Not to mention that there was no overt sexuality in the ad at all. Towards the beginning, when they go on about how the liquor is infused with honey, green tea, and cherry..I find that to be something that women would be more interested in than men. Since I saw the ad going both ways for this reason, I didnt feel like there was a bias - though I can understanding a differing opinion on this. 

Participatory Culture

While reading “Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21^st Century” by Henry Jenkins, I was drawn to the sections on Enabling Participation and Affinity Spaces. On page 9, it states that “…Affinity spaces offer powerful opportunities for learning because they are sustained by common endeavors that bridge differences in age, class, race, gender, and educational level, and because people can participate in various ways according to their skills and interests, because they depend on peer to peer teaching with each participant constantly motivated to acquire new knowledge or refine their existing skills, and because they allow each participant to feel like an expert while tapping the expertise of others.” This quote alone bridges the aforementioned sections of this reading together, as it provides a sort-of cause and effect type response as to how participation can be empowered through the use of these informal learning cultures.

When I think about the skills that are being gained as a result of informal learning cultures, I find it rather difficult to see any reason why they shouldn't be embraced as a useful learning tool. As we all know, digital media and technology are skills that learners need to be active participants in today’s society, and so to deny them the opportunity to hone and further develop those skills seems counterproductive to the whole point of education. While there may be valid arguments to the benefits of a formal education, the article pointed out some aspects of the intuition that makes it seem almost lacking in its purposes. The following limitations of formal education can be found on page 9: Formal education is static, conservative, and beaurocratic, whereas informal learning cultures are innovative, localized, and provide flexibility to the learner. As educators, our goal should be to encourage and engage our students in learning; it shouldn't be a chore for our learners to come into a classroom and open their minds to new information – they should be eager to explore new information and gain skills that will shape them into participants in 21^st century society. If there are methods of learning that draw students towards them, it makes little sense to pull them away. We should embrace any learning culture that promotes necessary skill-sets and engages our learners.

One example given within the reading that I could relate to was the use of expressive participation in these informal learning cultures. Posting fan fiction or other types of written expression within one’s own blog or on a writing forum, allows the writer to gain feedback from other members of the writing community that can, in turn, promote improvement in each other’s writing and promote collaboration. This type of culture can also support and promote creativity, self-expression, and confidence in one’s own work and expertise; which ultimately leads me to conclude that there is an increased need and importance for utilizing  affinity spaces within various learning environments.  

In the video, I really liked the emphasis on young people taking ownership. I feel like we see this a lot today in blogging sites, fan fiction, fan videos, and social networking sites. People are taking a personal interest and pride in  their own works, like receiving feedback, and are eager to put their work out there for the world to see. They aren't as afraid to make mistakes, to learn something, or to ask questions in these affinity spaces, and it almost seems as though these spaces remove some of the pressure to perform that learners run into in formal education or professional settings. I also enjoyed how he said that forms of play, become forms of professionalism, an example being individuals who learned how to film political documentaries by first filming themselves skateboarding. Jenkins did a phenomenal job at showing the cause and effects of participatory culture, and I look forward to reading more from him. 

Literacy and the New Media Landscape [excerpts]

 When we consider the definition of what it means to be literate, we must now take a look at new medias and the ways in which they have changed the implication of the term. No longer does being literate allude to one’s proficiency in reading and writing basic text; it now includes a plethora of other mediums, such as online blogging, social media, and fan-based websites, just to name a few. As new technology emerges, so does new definitions of literacy and what it means to be literate.

Today more than ever, internet and technological proficiency is a required skillset for success in the 21^st century, both within and outside the classroom. Individuals are expected to have knowledge and varying degrees of proficiency in technological navigation, typing, and accessing resources via the internet.  Children being born today are being raised in a digital era; and often times are far more proficient in digital technologies than their professors, who are not. While some educators may be resistant to the importance and use of technology within academia, it should not be an excuse to dissolve digital literacy as a legitimate alternative and/or supplement to archetypal forms of literacy instruction.

According to Dana J. Wilbur [2010], new literacies are “…more collaborative in allowing for the open sharing and creation of information on sites like wikis and blogs.” In fact, blogs are finding their way into modern day classrooms more than ever before “…because their format is similar to a personal diary, where recounting tales and autobiographical events is prevalent…blogs provide an arena where self-expression and creativity is encouraged. Its linkages to other bloggers establish the same peer-group relationships found in nonvirtual worlds” [Huffaker, 2005, p.94]. I have known students who struggle to sit and read through a traditional text, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, but have an easy time engaging in digital literacy.

One student in particular that I worked with, a twelfth grade student who was reading at a sixth grade level, struggled to find the enjoyment in reading books but would spend hours reading and writing fan fiction on http://archiveofourown.org/, a fan-created and fan-run site that hosts fan fiction, fan art, and fan made videos. While her mother found little value in her spending so much time on this site, I found it to be extremely valuable in the sense that she was actually reading and enjoying it. Her use of this site also encouraged her to start writing fan fiction of her own, which was wonderful as you could see the proficiency in her writing increase the more she wrote, and the more feedback she received from readers of her works. For me, I found her progress in digital fluency to be extremely valuable; she was growing as a writer, growing as a reader, and she was engaged in something that was increasing a necessary skill set.

In essence, in a technology driven society, it is important for us as educators, to consider the new and emerging forms of literacy and the ways in which they can be utilized to promote achievement within our learners. No longer can the internet, blogging, and online forums be discredited as a form of literacy, and in an age when digital fluency is just as important as traditional literacy, the value of online communication should not be discredited as a beneficial method of learning.

sources:

1.    Wilber, D.J. (2010). Special themed issue: Beyond ʻnewʼ literacies. Digital Culture & Education, 2:1, 1-6.

 http://www.digitalcultureandeducation.com/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/dce_editorial_wilber_2010.pdf

1.   Huffaker, D. (2005). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom. AACE Journal, 13(2), 91-98.

How to Further Your Own Learning With Various Texts - Week 1 Assignment

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives." (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9)

Discussion

I have found the increase in the variety of texts and the variety of text uses to be rather remarkable, and have found myself gravitating towards them all. From text books, to paperback novels, to online blogging, and social media, I have delved into them all for various purposes and uses, and have had both good and bad experiences with them all. 

Some of the texts that I use more often than not, and will likely refer back to as I begin to learn more and discuss this topic further are blogging sites like Tumblr and Livejournal [Blogger is new for me], online forums and message-boards such as the Dis-boards and Wowhead, online news sites such as cnn and TimesUnion, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. My use of these texts vary from gathering information, reading and writing for pleasure, and sharing and receiving advice on various topics of interest. 

When reading the editorial written by Diane J. Wilbur in the Digital Culture and Education online journal, I was struck by something she said; "...new literacies change so quickly, they can be thought of as deictic, or dependent on the context on which they are used at the moment they are used." The truth of this statement becomes obvious the more time you spend browsing digital texts in particular. 

As an example, the other night I was reading an article on cnn.com regarding an illness in Massachusetts related to a particular type of shellfish. I thought it was interesting, and so when I went to click on the article once more to read it aloud to my significant other, the article had been removed! It was not replaced or even edited, and so whether or not the information I initially received was inaccurate in some way, I will never know. But it happened so quickly, in a matter of seconds - which I almost found hard to believe. Even so, this is, to me, a prime example of the rapid pace the information we obtain through new literacies can change and be altered, rendering the information we gained just moments before useless. [Of course, this could have a great deal to do with the lack of editing in online forums, but I am sure this is a discussion for another time]. 

Even so, I believe that these various texts do have their plus-sides, the main one being that information is now available right at our fingertips. Searching for movie-times, breaking news, and the weather [as an example], has never been easier; and I believe that such easy access to a knowledge base can spark the desire to search new topics and expand existing knowledge on certain subjects. To refer back to my original example of the shellfish article, during a desperate Google search to find the article somewhere else, I learned that back in August, there was an outbreak of illness in Connecticut linked to clams and oysters, as well as other shellfish, due to high levels of the naturally occurring bacteria Vibrio parahaemolticus.

reference:
Diane J. Wilbur http://www.digitalcultureandeducation.com/uncategorized/dce_editorial_vol2_iss1_2010/