Characteristic #1: “Classrooms feature daily work in multiple forms of representation” (Kist, 2005, p. 16).
According to William Kist, students and teachers in new literacies classrooms use different modes or “texts” to express themselves on a daily basis. Multiple forms of alternative media are encouraged and celebrated in situations where print alone may typically be used to “read” and “write.” One aspect of Kist’s view that I appreciate is the fact that he acknowledges and includes both technology-based forms and more “old fashioned” modes of communication and representation, like dance and painting. Please share a few “forms of representation” that come to your mind. Feel free to describe them in words or through a link.
Here is a video that illustrates dance, music, and sign language.
I think that this video is a great example of an expository piece using an alternative type of media.
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1. MP3 Feedback--I recently read in an article that a teacher was using MP3 files to give her students feedback on Language Arts assignments. She saves the files in the students' personal folders on the school's network. The students log onto their account and listen to the teacher's feedback with headphones. The article suggested using http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ (a free program) to record and edit audio.
2. Cameras (digital or other)--Recently, our third graders learned about Orville and Wilbur Wright. In one of the classrooms, the teacher had the students tell the brothers' story through pictures. The students dressed as the brothers (and some other characters) and acted out important parts of the brothers' lives, while the teacher took pictures. They put the pictures, in order, on a large sheet of paper. I believe the teacher called it a "pictobiography."
The Phonics Dance: This program teaches phonics skills using visuals, chants/songs, and
movements. For example, when practicing /sh/ (referred to in the program as a "hunk and chunk"), students see a card that has "sh" on a picture of a sheep; the chant said is "s-h, /sh/, /sh/, /sh/, s-h, /sh/, /sh/, /sh/"; during the chant students move their pointer fingers back and forth towards their lips to show /sh/ as if they were trying to tell someone to be quiet. This program is designed to support an existing language arts program and appeals to many kinds of learners. It helps students remember important and difficult sounds encountered when reading and writing. My first graders absolutely love it and regularly apply their knowledge of the "hunks and chunks" when reading and writing! More information can be found at: The Phonics Dance
CBL: A CBL is a neat way to collect data in a math or science classroom, especially in the middle and high school grade levels. I have heard awesome things about it. A description of this electronic device can be found at: CBL
1. Interwrite Pad: Students and teachers use a mobile board to show work that is shown
through a projector. Teachers can download assignments to their computer, project
them, and complete them as a class using the Interwrite Pad. The Interwrite Pad is
similar to an overhead projector but takes up less space and is more convenient to use.
Check out some success stories:
http://www.interwritelearning.com/resources/share.html#kazenas
2. clickers: Students use clickers, which are similar to a remote control, to answer questions that are shown through a projector. Clickers are a great way to review for
any subject area. Questions are created in a multiple choice, true/false, or yes/no
selection. The question is projected and students "click" the correct answer. After all
students answer the question, the program grades the questions. This allows the teacher
to see what skills are strong and what skills need work. It is also a lot more fun than a
review worksheet! Here is an example of a clicker:
http://www.irespond.com/p/products/lite.shtml
Cell phones are a great form of representation. They are probably the most underused tool in the classroom today. And the great part is (We already know this, don’t we teachers?) that many students already own them. Students can use them for podcasting or for transcribing. This may be done with just the cost of a phone call. If students don’t own a cell phone, this service can be completed by use of a land line phone. Some of the businesses have 800 numbers as well. Here are a few of the businesses that offer the aforementioned service of recording podcasts/voice to text service/voice mail service.
Gabcast-Lets you record pod casts with your phone. For more info, please visit: http://www.gabcast.com/index.php?a=episodes&id=48
Gcast-Also lets you record pod casts with your phone. http://www.gcast.com/?nr=1&&s=370987128
Hipcast-Unlimited band width for a monthly fee found at http://www.hipcast.com/
Jott- transcribes voicemail you leave on its service as text, and then sends that text to you via e-mail. This can come in very handy for students who have a hard time with writing. All they have to do is speak into a phone and 5 minutes later it will appear as an email. For more info, please visit: http://jott.com/jott/about.html
For Smartboard lesson podcasts using Jott.com and myshoutbox.com, go to: http://pdtogo.com/smart/?p=69
Smart Boards are quickly making their way into classrooms. It combines the simplicity of
white boards with the power of the computer. With this technology, teachers can
download material from the Internet or teacher-made materials. The touch-sensitive
board connects to your computer and digital projector to show your computer image. You
can then control computer applications directly from the display, write notes in digital ink
and save your work to share later. Students become extremely motivated because they
get to interact with technology.
Well done ladies!! I have had a rough three weeks sorting and sifting this information. Honestly, it's not that the thinking associated with what learning and literacy is is new. It's what it means to incorporate this into the practice of "new literacies." These last weeks, I have been working to reconcile what I considered to be theoretical in conceptual my understandings of reading and writing and the instruction of these constructs,to this some of the levels of media presented in the Kist piece.
For the first time in 19 years of teaching, I am working to plan instruction that will more fully incorporate at least three of the five characteristics Kist discusses. I teach second grade language arts and we are working on a recipe for pizza making. As I am looking, there is nothing out there in terms of Kids cooking shows. my kids are always talking about them. I have been thinking, not about having some big project like "why don't we put on a cooking show?" Rather, I am thinking, what is the process behind it? Teaching my kids the process will set them up to go far beyond "putting something together for a grade." but, if they know this, "If I know this, I can do that..." and as I am finally getting it, that's what this module has been about!!
This is the way I instruct from a print rich perspective, it simply makes sense to do this from other media perspectives because as he's said, "All voices in our classrooms need to be heard, regardless of preference of medium. It makes sense of course for all my readers, but especially when I think about my struggling readers!!
If you have any thoughts please respond!
My team got this going for me but you have "brought it all home for me!!"
Please try to keep this going. get you teachers at your schools involved!!
Thank you Team B! I'll be back!
Cheryl
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