Week 9 Social Networks in Education Article Review

Article: Social Media: Why This Matters To Everyone In Education

Author: Daniel Clarke

Journal: The International HETL Review Volume 2, Article 8

Publication Date: August 12, 2012

What is social media and how does it effect us as teachers, as well as students? This article aimed towards defining social networking and the social media that it encompasses. The article stated, “Social Media is a collection of online platforms and tools that people use to share content, profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself, facilitating conversations and interactions between groups of people…Social Networking is the act of connecting on social media platforms.” (Cohen, 2011) Students today have grown up around technology and consider online communication, sharing of ideas, self-publishing and collaboration to be part of their routines. Using social media has become common knowledge . One of the main reasons for this is described as the difference between “industrial media” and “social media”. While industrial media requires training and anchors itself among the intellectual elites, social media is free and requires no formal training or education. (Clark, 2012) Because students have begun learning how to use technology, and social media, at a younger age than ever before, we are beginning to see an influx in students who, by high school, have mastered social networking and all technologies involved.

According to Clark, there are three main phases of social networking in education. Phase One is aimed at helping teachers build upon their network of colleagues and help them to do collaborative research. Phase Two is directed at a teacher’s ability to deliver content through the use of social media sites like youtube, Khan Academy, iTunesU and others. However, the problem with this is that it is still mainly one-way communication from teacher to student. That is where Phase Three is so valuable. Phase Three focuses directly on the student aspect of social media. Through the use of videos, peer-to-peer learning, participation through Twitter, students blogs and more, the students begin to learn through two-way communication.

After reading this article, I couldn’t help but get excited about the future. Over the summer, I plan to create a classroom website. My goal is to use many of the tools which we learned about this term. One feature of my webpage is going to be a link to a safe and closed social networking site. I have looked a few kid-centered sites and found Everloop to be one of the best. Since I work with 3^rd and 4^th grade students, I feel that I will be able to get parental support due to Everloop being meant for students 8-13. Youtube is a valuable resource which I use on a weekly basis. However, I rarely use content I have created. In an effort to teach students the value of contributing to the internet and not always taking, I plan on uploading my own content next year in assignment video form. Since this will be linked to the website, students will be able to easily find all the content they need to work on assignments. This website is going to be a mixture of all three journal review topics: Flipped Classroom, Mobile Learning, and Social Networking. However, I feel that social networking will be at its core. Though I am hoping to utilize many of these social networking sites, due to age requirements and student safety, I feel that I will continue to be limited in what I can do. A final use will be to continue to work with teachers whom I don’t get to see regularly. I have been laid off three years in a row due to budget cuts and my start date. In that time, I have worked with dozens of wonderful people. Many of these people have far more teaching experience than me and it is sad that I only collaborate with them through email and phone calls. I feel that by creating a means of collaborating through social media, I will be able to improve my teaching and, in turn, help my students succeed.

Social networking is about creating. In order to create online, a student must exhibit knowledge of the systems and operations which each social networking site has. It is crucial when the student is thinking of which application to use or simply when they are trying to communicate with each other. For this reason, I believe NETS-S #6 is being met. NETS-S #2 is also being met. Students must engage in interactions and collaborate with each other in order to be successful while social networking. Not only that, but students must be able to interact with each other fluently. Students can learn how to do this through the use of social networking sites.

Cohen, H. (2010), DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education.  White River Junction:  Chelsea Green

Clark, D. (2012). Social Media: Why It Matters to Everyone in Education. The International HETL Review. Volume 2, Article 8, http://www.hetl.org/2012/08/12/social-media-why-it-matters-to-everyone-in-education/

 

Week 8 Journal Review: Social Networks and Educaton

Title: Social Networking Cyber Schooling:  Helping to Make Online Learning Less Isolating.

Author: Michael Barbour and Corry Plough

Journal: TechTrends Volume 53  Number 4

Publication: July/August 2009

   In our society, there are many reasons for student drop out rates: teen-pregnancy, working full time to help support their family, inability to assimilate socially and many more not mentioned in the article.  

  The students described above make up a large portion of the students of Odyssey Charter High School.  In 2007-08, there were 1405 full-time students. OCHS uses a blended-learning model where students are on campus for four hours, one day a week, and do online coursework through course management systems.  Two hours are spent doing core coursework and the other two hours are spent meeting with mentor teachers.  Because the school was growing, each mentor teacher had 90+ students and began to get frustrated with their inability to meet with each of them.  This prompted two teachers to begin experimenting with social networking sites or SNS.  The goal was to improve the interactions  between teachers and students.  Though this was the goal, it turned into something far greater.

  OCHS was not instantly great.  In 2006, a teacher created a private-closed Facebook group for their online courses.  Their goal was to “meet kids where they hang out.”  Though the group was private and easily manageable by the teacher, the student profiles were not.  Enter “Ning”.  Ning is a website which allows the user to create a social networking site.  The teachers began experimenting with Ning and found it to be as useful as other SNS, without the fear of online security and safety.  Ning allows students to upload music and videos, have group discussion forums, create blogs and interact through profile sharing all while giving the teacher absolute control of the network and who can be within it.  The author spoke about Ning as a “Walled Garden” where unwanted individuals were blocked out, putting parents and students at ease.

  The teachers started out as individual entities housing just 60 students each.  This was not giving them the benefits they had hoped.  Seven teachers, from different subjects, then decided to  combine their course sites in what is known as the Odyssey of Mind group.   As the group grew, teachers began to see unforeseen benefits.  Where teacher-student relationships were once the norm, they began to see more student-student collaboration.  Students began creating, within the site, group tutoring, discussion boards, review pages and the added bonus of student independence.  By asking other peers for help, this freed up the teachers to meet with students who really needed help. 

  Students enrolled in online education, rarely get the social interaction which students in a brick and mortar classrooms receive.  By the end of the pilot year, 119 pages had been created within the site.  12 were created by teachers.  Through the use of Ning, the students of OCHS began building their own pages to discuss social issues as well as content.   This is communication.

  Within the article, Digital Citizenship was mentioned.  I found this fitting since it connects with NETS.  In order to be a digital citizen, you must exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity.  Since this site is centered in creation and collaboration, I feel that it encompasses NETS-S #5 Digital Citizenship.  Throughout the article, the authors spoke about the role collaboration and communication played in the success of the pilot project.  NETS-S #2 Communication and Collaboration states, SWBAT “interact, collaborate and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.”  The effectiveness of the project was based on how the students worked in collaboration with not only their teachers, but also their peers. 

  Ning costs a monthly fee.  At $25 a month for 1000 students, this seems to be a small price to pay for such a powerful tool.   Like OCHS, I would want to include parents in the development of this social network.  I have worked in Title 1 schools for almost 5 years and I have found that the parent involvement in the traditional or English Only strand is far below what it should be. There have been years where I have never spoke to some of the parents!  I feel that the presence of an online communication would alleviate some of the pressure of meeting with the teacher. In an era where  nearly one out of every two Americans owns a smartphone (Snider, 2012), communication through technology is slowly becoming the norm.  With this in mind, I have already spoken with my principal about the possibility of looking into Ning as a parent-student-teacher network, where all participants have one goal; helping our students succeed. 

Snider, M. (2012, 03 12). Nielsen: About half of all americans have a smartphone. Retrieved from http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2012/03/nielsen-about-half-of-all-americans-have-a-smartphone/1

Week 7 Article Response: Mobile Learning in the College Setting

Title: Universal Instructional Design Principals for Mobile Learning

Author: Tanya Elias

Journal: International review of Research in Open and Distance Learning  Vol. 12.2

Published: February 2011

In the world of education, there are many ideologies.  One ideology is the concept of mobile learning.  In the article, Traxler (2009) stated, “Mobile learning exploits both handheld computers and mobile telephones and other devices that draw on the same set of functionalities.”  This is one definition among many.  Though there are many argued definitions of m-learning,  experts have agreed on the challenges and opportunities that it presents.  This article described both as well as recommendations to help educators implement m-learning. 

Although there are many different components to m-learning, this article focused on the use of mobile phones.   As a teacher, I was interested, but wanted to know challenges to avoid.  The first challenge addressed was the availability of three mobile devices. “Feature phones” which we know as “flip-phones” and “brick-phones” with little or no screens. Smartphones (like BlackBerrys) which have a full keyboard and a mid-sized screen.  And the touch-phone.  Due to the screen size and capabilities, these are the most effective form of mobile (phone) learning device.  According to the article, 85% of consumers have feature phones.  These have little or no value in education.  Slow download speeds and limited internet in many regions around the world was another challenge.  In many areas around the world, broadband is expensive or unavailable. A final example is the awkward text input.  Small keyboards and screen sizes make typing a challenge.

Where there are challenges, the author also spoke to the many opportunities available.  In terms of expense, the phone is a cheaper alternative to a desktop or laptop.  Though it may lack some capabilities.  With a mobile phone, students are able to download sound, text, picture and video files associated with the content to be learned and take it with them to places without a reliable internet connection.  This is the highest degree of accessibility.  Not only are students able to download files, but they are also able to upload them.  Giving students the ability to be everywhere without needing to be anywhere. Continuous and situated learning support was the last opportunity mentioned in the article.  Since the mobile phones are small, they are able to be carried anywhere.  This gives the student the opportunity to learn anywhere.  A student walking to class can watch assignments.  Riding a bus to work allows valuable time to study at the push of  a button.  Ultimately, this leads to scaffolding and individualized learning.  Differentiation is the key. 

The overarching message of the article was how to structure mobile learning so that it is successful.  Though this article dealt specifically with college-age students from all regions of the world, Universal Instructional Design (UID) principles help to form a curriculum to educate all students.  The article listed these principles in great detail.  The UID principles were:

1. Equitable Use

2. Flexible Use

3. Simple and Intuitive

4. Perceptible Information

5. Tolerance for Error

6. Low Physical and Technical Effort

7. Community of Learners and Support

8. Instructional Climate

Each of the listed UID principles helps to create a positive mobile learning environment.  I found many of these to be interesting. Especially the tolerance for error. 

In regards to NETS, I have found many connections from NETS-S to NETS-T. However, the following standards were most prevalent within this subject. NETS-S #2, states that students will be able to “use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance.” By utilizing the mobile devices available to them, students will be able to collaborate and communicate with others while learning and fostering a sense of community. From a teachers point of view, I found that NETS-T #2 aligned rather well with mobile learning. NETS-T #2, states that the teacher will “develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.” The article spoke about the UID principles. Ultimately it is up to the teacher to put these into practice if they want their students to be successful. Many of the UID’s encompassed this standard as a whole.

My classroom is a canvas.  Everyday I research for this class,  I find more resources.   Every blog I read gives me ideas for the future. Every video we watch inspires me.  This is like mobile learning.  I am learning at my own pace.  I am developing a plan for my room. With such a short amount of time left in school this year, I feel that the most I can do is make a checklist for next year. 

 

Week 6: Article Review #3

Title: The Impact of Mobile Technologies on Distance Education
Author: Shauna’h Fuegen, East Carolina University
Journal: TechTrends Vol. 56 Number 6
Date Published: November/December 2012

For this week I have decided to learn about mobile learning. I read an article titled “The Impact of Mobile Technologies on Distance education”. “…traditional and distance setting are relevant and applicable to mobile learning and that mobile devices can be brought thoughtfully into pedagogy at the distance level.” This was one of the first quotes I pulled from this article because it made me think about mobile learning as a new branch of education. This quote helped me with the imagery. The article defines mobile learning as “the provision of education and training on mobile devices”, and after reading the article, I find this to be very accurate. Students from all walks of life seem to have a smart phone or iPod. I have seen this at every level of schooling and socioeconomic status. But instead of using these devices for Angry Birds or Bike Race, mobile learning is a model which allows students to utilize these devices for education When I was in college, phone companies were just starting to roll out the smartphones. I, being a college student, couldn’t really afford the data plan. So I went without. I look back and think how great it would have been to be afforded the accessibility and lack of time constraints which students in distance learning have.

The author noted some of the options for teaching with mobile learning devices. A few of the mobile strategies were using voice recording software, mobile response system applications, simulations, and interactive images. There were many benefits that were listed in the article, however, I was more interested in reading about the limitations. I am already sold on how great mobile technologies are and that they are the future of education. I wanted to know what I need to focus on in order to implement a successful teaching model. Transactional Distance Theory was one such limitation. This is defines distance education in terms of not only the separation of the physical separation of teacher and student, but of the psychological separation as well. (Park, 2011) This was very interesting to me because I simply hadn’t made that connection with my own schooling right now. But it goes on to explain how to improve this issue. Open and constant communication through email, video conferencing or phone calls dramatically decrease transactional distance. There were a few other limitations as well which are worth looking into.

In the article, the author wrote about a study done within two distance courses. Each student in the course was given a Sony PRS-505 e-book reader. Throughout the course students noted many benefits to having the personal device. They found the flexibility and portability of the device to be very helpful. They enjoyed being able to per-load course texts and then take it with them to study on the go when they had no internet connection. The instant on and off functionality is a great feature which allows students to study with a few minutes of extra time. The bookmark feature was also talked about. “In summary, the mobile device helped students make more efficient use of their time, and many students reported that the device has affected how they studied.”

I think the article spoke to a lot of great points but it leaves me wondering to myself, “How will I apply what I just learned to my classroom?” As it is I am struggling to implement many of the things I am learning because they are all so cool that I want to try it immediately, but it is not best practice to throw a lot of changes at students of any grade level. So I feel stuck in limbo, hoping that I don’t forget what I have learned. I see mobile technologies as a cornerstone of my classroom one day, but like the article that Whitney read about last week said, “scaffolding is necessary for learning to be successful.” NETS-S #6 states “Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations” I feel that this article touches most on this standard. In order to thrive in a mobile learning environment, students need to be comfortable with the technology and what they are asked to do with it. Though it may be scaffolded to meet their individual needs, they still must be able to produce a final product which demonstrates their potential.

Article #2 Flipped Classroom Web Resources

Resource: Science 360

I have to thank my wife for this resource.  I was talking to her about my assignment and she introduced me to the Science 360 app.  This application and website gathers the latest videos provided by scientists, colleges and universities, science and engineering centers, the National Science Foundation and more.  The videos consist of the latest sciences, technologies, engineering, and math wonders.  On the home page there is a “Topic” drop down menu which consists of Astronomy and Space, Earth and the Environment, Chemistry, K-12 Education, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Medical Sciences, People and Society, Physics, and Technology and Engineering.  One of the best attributes is that it is directly correlated with STEM concepts within the standards.  In a flipped classroom, the teacher is constantly looking for interesting content which they can embed into their online curriculum.  That is why I believe it  is a great website for practicing NETS #3: Digital Citizenship.  The website states: “Each video is embeddable to put on your own personal websites,  blogs and social networking sites.  After watching many videos on this website, I believe that it will be a website with longevity and as my wife says, it is captivating for all grade levels.  While on a weekend getaway we found ourselves watching videos on this application. 

 

Resource:   Explain Eveything

In the flipped classroom, teachers need to be able to annotate, animate and narrate explanations as well as presentations.  Explain Everything is an app on the iPad which is like having a screen casting application and an interactive whiteboard in one place. First this app lets you design new lessons or annotate previously created ones or pictures.  Before you design or do anything though, this app lets you record all your movements as well as any object movement which occurs.  You can also record you voice while teaching this lesson which makes it an ultimate tool for teachers in a flipped classroom.  I myself already thought of using this app to have a bank of explanations for room activities and work tubs in order to teach the students independence and to allow me time to work with other students instead of answering unimportant questions about “Who starts the game?”  For this reason, I felt that this would also be beneficial in the flipped classroom because it would allow the students to replay the video describing how to complete an experiment, or what the next step in an activity was.  Helping students become independent is a NETS standard.  NETS #4:  Critical Thing, Problem Solving and Decision Making is one of my favorite standards because it forces students to work on life skills which will be crucial to their success in life as a whole.

 

Resource: Youtube 

Youtube has become synonymous with people getting hurt and cat videos. Although it has largely been popularized as a form of social entertainment, it has many other uses.  For example, in the realm of education, YouTube is a critical component.  This is doubly true in a flipped classroom.  The basic class model of the flipped classroom starts with the teacher recording a lesson on any topic.  That teacher then uses an online video uploader service (YouTube) to upload the video he or she just made in order to make it public to the world.  Lastly, the teacher shares the link for the video lesson with their class and the students learn at home on their own time and come back to school to implement and practice what they learned. YouTube is widely known as the most popular video service like this and therefore it has become a beacon of the flipped classroom.  Even now, you can go on YouTube and find thousands of videos on almost any subject.  I feel the best NETS standard that fits this resource would be NETS-T #3: Model Digital Age Work and Learning.  The teacher “uses digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation”.

 

 

Resource: Khan Academy

A lot of work went into creating this website.  Salman Kahn is the founder and he has since been the commencement speaker at MIT and had his own TED-talk.  Simply put, this site is crucial to any teacher either just starting with the flipped classroom or a seasoned veteran.  Khan Academy is a collection of prerecorded video lessons which were created with the sole purpose of educating students.  This platform allows students to create their own extensive library of videos, interactive challenges, and assessments.  The teacher has the ability to see student details through the use of classroom reports which allows them to develop better lesson for the students in the classroom.  By looking at the progress of each student, the teacher can differentiate the rate of learning for each student.  Khan Academy has a model which was very successful in Los Altos, CA and they listed some of the practices:

 

• Small group instruction between the teacher and a few students in the classroom while the rest of the class is engaged with content on Khan Academy
• One-on-one sessions between the teacher and a student to set weekly goals, and provide specific coaching to the student
• Peer-to-peer tutoring, in which one student explains a concept to another, which helps both students understand the concept better (the struggling student gets clarification, and the person explaining deepens his/her understanding)
• Project-based learning with a group of students who have mastered or are ready to explore a specific concepts

These all seemed to be great practices and the Khan Academy was crucial in there success.  In the flipped classroom, students are assigned videos on the site which they must watch and come prepared to use the next day.  Since the site also includes some assessment and challenges for its content, the students can get practice before the hands on learning.  I feel that NETS #6: Technology, Operations and Concepts is the greatest standard for this site.  This is a fiercely student-independent website which allows the students to practice and demonstrate a sound understanding of all three.

 

Resource: Jing

Jing is Screen Casting application which you must download to you computer through free software.  I was hesitant at first because I don’t usually like downloading a lot of software but, I found this to be an amazing tool and resource for anyone in need of a way to describe something with audio and video.  Screen casting is a relatively new technology and it allows the user record their mouse movements while recording audio as well.   This is helpful when explaining how to complete a task (much like many of our professors do).  In order for this to work, you must first choose an area of the screen which you would like to focus on while recording.  Next, click record and begin doing what you want your viewer to see while recording your verbal directions as well.  Once the video is done, you can send the video to anyone you want.  This makes this such a great tool for the flipped classroom.  Any topic which the teacher would like the students to learn about could be taught through the use of this application.  Not only can the teacher utilize this software, but students can as well.  While learning about a topic, any student with a question could collaborate with another by sending a screen cast answering a question about the topic.  And for this reason I believe that NETS #2: Communication and Collaboration, is the best suited NETS standard.  Not only are students able to communicate within a learning environment, but they can also collaborate at a distance. Making this a truly great tool for this standard.

 

 

Article Review #2: Flipped Classroom

Title: Case Studies and the Flipped Classroom

Author: Clyde Freeman and Nancy A. Schiller

Journal: Journal of College Science Teaching Vol. 42, Issue 5

Publication Date:  May/June 2013

 

Response:

A flipped classroom, to many, may seem like a term used to describe what a classroom looks like after a pizza party.  However, it is not. The term “Flipped Classroom” actually refers to a classroom model.  In this model, “what is normally done in class and what are done as homework is switched or flipped.”  Meaning, the teachers use videos, screencasts, websites, and podcasts to give students access to content prior to the school day.  Students in essence are learning on their own time, and then coming into school where they conduct experiments, engage in active learning, play content specific games and have labs.  This model gives teachers the freedom to utilize student-time working with students and meeting the diverse needs of the classroom.

According to the article, there are many reasons for the “flip”.  The article listed 13 teacher given reasons for the flip.  A few crucial reasons I hope to someday accomplish this are: homework in class gives teachers better insights into student difficulties, classroom time can be used more effectively and creatively, and students who miss school often aren’t left behind because the content is made accessible to them from any computer or media device.  Yes, this includes iPods and tablets.  There are many strategies that are implemented in this form of educating.  Many teachers teach through digital media and then test the next day to find discussion and teaching points. 

Aside from sounding highly effective, there is peer reviewed literature that supports the information given by teachers in the article both through data collection and SALG (Student Assessment of their Learning Gains) survey.  “Results showed that RI (Reverse Instruction) students outperformed the standard lecture-based students, with higher final exam scores and overall success in the class.”   Students enrolled in the RI classrooms were more interested in the content and felt less intimidated.  

With so many positives, it is hard to think of any “pitfalls” as the article describes.  But there are some.  Two to be exact.  The teachers who responded to the article’s poll stated two reoccurring problems within every RI classroom.  The first is the idea that students must do work at home and if they come to school unprepared, it could throw off a whole day of learning.  The second being that the homework must be carefully tailored for the students in order to prepare them for the in-class activities.  The article goes on in length about how teachers solve these problems, but I feel that this case study was done in affluent populations.  I can almost guarantee this to be true because I ask my students every year if they have computers at home.  And most of the time I have about 50-60% with computers and of those, only 30-40% actually have internet hooked up. This may be another pitfall that many who worked in affluent areas would not be aware of.

When I started reading for this assignment, I originally chose a different article titled “Using Lean in the Flipped Classroom for At Risk Students”  and found myself fantasying about the future of my teaching.  What could I possibly do to get there?  The original article was more about setting up a community of, and for, change, whereas the second article went into the detail necessary for this assignment.  I see this article changing my teaching practices in a tremendous way. Though it may start small, I feel like I will implement a “Flipped Classroom”.  Pause for a moment and think of all the effects of having a classroom of learners who are totally in charge of their own success and enjoy that responsibility.  This article was my absolute favorite peer-reviewed article I have read to date.

The NETS standards which are mainly addressed in this article include:

NETS-S #3 Research and Information Fluency

In order to be successful, student apply the knowledge they learn on their own time through the creation of projects, labs, presentations, activities and experiments.  Many of these require that the student be able to accomplish the two components of this standard.

NETS-S #4  Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

The students in this article are given the opportunity to learn content on their own time and then come to school and use their knowledge for experiments, presentations, labs, and more.  All of which require a large amount of all three components of this standard.

NETS-T #1-5

This model is teacher’s dream.  One of the greatest downfalls it has though is the overwhelming startup time.  However, if one could get it going, every standard would be covered among the NETS-T.

 

Week 4: Journal Responce #1

  Initially, I had a hard time finding an article to use for this assignment. That was until I came across an article titled Technology-Supported Literacy in the Classroom:  Using Audiobooks and Digital Storytelling to Enhance Literacy Instruction. This article was both informational and intriguing. The main topics focused on technology in the classroom.  More specifically, audiobooks and digital storytelling.

  The article opens with a hook that paints a picture of students and the different forms of technology they already use in their daily lives. By using the technologies that the students already know and understand, the classroom becomes an atmosphere which supports the integration of 21st century literacy.  “A 21st century learner is defined as having the following literacy skills: digital literacy, global literacy, technology literacy, visual literacy, and information literacy.” (Robin, 2008) We always think of literacy as reading and writing through books, pencils and paper.  According to the article, the introduction of technology fosters high levels of motivation, independence, peer-support, and achievement levels among the students who use them.  This was not new information, but it made me think of my classroom.  There are many times where my students beg to use the computers or the iTouchs.  This simple truth shows me that they are ready to use technology more often then I allot time for. This also shows me that I need to begin introducing new technologies as well as applications.  This was where the new learning came in.  

  Audiobooks are an amazing technology which many students have access to and can easily be set up in the classroom.  An audiobook is simply a book that is in audio format.  Whether its an iPod, Kindle, CD Player, or the internet, these are valuable resources.   I have always been under the assumption that audiobooks were limited in their uses.  The article proved me wrong.  They model reading, teach critical listening, as well as build on prior knowledge use and comprehension. There were some great ideas for implementing in the classroom.  Such as: making guidelines for listening, creating a rubric for a reading response, introducing a text, letting students use them to listen to the first chapter to peak interest in a book, whole group to hear examples of reading fluency, intonation, and pacing as well as small group discussions about the effectiveness of a well read book. 

  As interesting as I found the audiobooks portion of this article, I found the section on digital stories even better.  This is due to my not knowing what a digital story was.  A digital story is defined as “a short, first person video-narrative created by combining recorded voice, still and moving images, and music or other sounds.” (www.storycenter.org) After reading this article, I found myself researching websites to use in order to make a digital story. 

  In my class we are wrapping up our Native American Tribes of Oregon Unit and after reading this article I found a digital story online to show my students.  I really want to have my students make these as a final project in their response teams. By doing this I would hit on many of the NETS-S standards.  The most important being NETS-S #2: Communication and Collaboration.  The power of these digital creations is how they apply both reading and writing skills to create one.  In order to create one of these, students must write a script or text to accompany images, sequentially plan images and text, utilize technology, integrate 21st century literacies, conduct research, and communicate with an audience.  Wow!  I don’t know of a single teacher who, if told about an assignment that could do all this, would not be intrigued enough to at least look into this as a possible learning experience for their students.  What an amazing opportunity as a learner.  I plan on doing this for sure next year, but I hope I can do one this year.  One of my resources that I will be using for next week’s assignment is Glogster, and it is a form of digital storytelling that I have been playing around with. If you are reading this, I highly recommend taking a look at this great resource.

  Ultimately, I believe I chose this article because it is the start to what I want in my room.  I want to see students utilizing technology and learning.  I want them to go home and brag to their parents about what they created online and then be able to pull it up and show them.  I feel this dream is very close to becoming a reality.  All it takes is a little more planning.   

Title: Technology-Supported Literacy in the Classroom:  Using    Audiobooks and Digital Storytelling to Enhance Literacy Instruction

Author:    Kïrsten Hett

Journal:   Illinois Reading Council Journal Vol. 40, No. 3

Publication

Date:      Summer 2012

NETS-S:    NETS-S #2: Communication and Collaboration

           NETS-S #3: Research and Information Literacy

           NETS-S #4: Critical Thinking, Decision Making, and 

                      Problem Solving

Tags