Weekly Reading 10

How does the project detailed in the video support research process that consistent with the kind of research people encounter in the workplace?

        In a way, this project reminds me of a citizen's journal.  Research had to be done to raise awareness for deforestation.  Nobody is just taking a picture of grasslands and "guessing" that a forest used to be there. First-hand authentic research had to be done.  Either the deforestation was experienced primarily, or careful research was collected to prove the effects of deforestation.  The research is authentic in meaningful, much like the research people encounter in the workplace.  It is community-based.

How does this project support new literacies?

       In the course reading What Wikipedia can teach us about New Media Literacies it was stated that, "Students are responsible for the accuracy of information they provide, and they cannot point to Wikipedia or any similar source that may appear in the future to escape the consequences of errors."  In the project, the presenter is responsible for the accuracy of information and delivery of the message.

       The project notes state,"Leveraging the power of social networking, collaborative online tools, and new pedagogies, the collaboration was chartered with proving a model by which young people could demonstrate powerful 21st century skills by taking meaningful, powerful action. Now with hundreds of thousands of students across the planet, this project is changing lives and defining what learning could be."  In the course reading New Literacies and 21st Century Technologies, it was stated, "Finally, networked communication technologies such as the Internet provide the most powerful capabilities for information and communication we have ever seen, permitting access to people and information in ways and at speeds never before possible."  The connection is obvious between both of these quotations.  New literacies though the Internet have taken this authentic project to a whole new audience so vast.  This project encorporates new literacies within social networking and online tools.

Week 10 Final Citizen Journal

Weekly Reading #9

Quote:
"Some debate exists over whether educators should embrace SNS and use it for learning
purposes or whether they should leave it for youth to have as their own form of networking
and communicating. Will the fun of social networking be lost if it is incorporated into 
classrooms for different purposes than what students normally use it or will this mode engage 

students further in the learning process?"

Explanation of Quote:
I chose this quote because I never considered "losing the fun" when incorporating Social Networking Sites.  After last weeks reading, I was completely on board for incorporating social networking in school.  I still think this.  However, this did have me consider to not make it something miserable.  We don't want to use social networking to post a boring 10 page, double-spaced paper, with no discussion.  We don't want to lose the "social" aspect of SNS.  I think teachers just need to teach proper usage and use SNS as a way to have digital classroom discussions and sharing.  It is important to not completely blend home life with school life.  You're students don't need to see your Facebook pictures from your recent vacation.  Its the enjoyable social environment that needs duplicated in the classroom.  It's the fact that the student that has been sitting quietly in the corner all year, might share and express themselves through social networking.

Additional Reference:

Source: http://www.shinyshiny.tv/24-pupil-fb-friend.jpg

Explanation of Additional Reference:
Agreeing that Social Networking would be beneficial in the classroom doesn't mean that all your private home social networking sites now need to be in the classroom.  Teachers should ask themselves, "What make social networking enjoyable to my students and what aspects of that can enter the classroom?"

Questions:
1. What makes a literacy practice a "new literacy"?

• New literacies are not merely technical or ‘operational’ competencies but are situated within a new mindset about knowledge. Lankshear and Knobel (2006) distinguish new literacies from conventional literacies in that the more a literacy practice privileges participation over publishing, distributed expertise over centralized enterprise, collective intelligence over individual possessive intelligence, collaboration over individuated authorship, dispersion over scarcity, sharing over ownership, innovation and evolution over stability and fixity … the more we should regard it as a ‘new’ literacy. (p. 21)

2. How does might Citizen Journalism support the development of "new literacies"?

• Citizen Journalism definitely "privileges participation over publishing, distributed expertise over centralized enterprise, collective intelligence over individual possessive intelligence, collaboration over individuated authorship, dispersion over scarcity, sharing over ownership, innovation and evolution over stability and fixity."
• Citizen Journalism involves high levels of collaboration and sharing.

3. What is critical literacy and how does your Citizen Journalism project encourage critical literacy? How might you change your project to encourage critical literacy?

• "A critical literacy framework views discourse, including information, through a political, social, and economic lens (Fabos, 2004; Kapitzke, 2003; Lankshear & McClaren, 1993). Teachers of critical literacy encourage their students to deconstruct the text by understanding the foundation and conflicts that lie beneath the surface content and the relationship that the text holds with other text(s). They encourage readers to examine issues of class, gender, race, culture, and hegemony in the aim to advance democracy. Students need to understand that all text including the complex text of the internet is built on economic, political, and ideological interests (Selwyn, 2009)."
• Citizen Journalism causes students to sharpen their analytic skills.  Students search for valid answers. They conduct their own primary research.  In a way, they shape their projects based off their own ideological interests.

4. What problems may arise when students use Web 2.0 tools for learning in school and how might teachers capitalize on these opportunities to promote information literacy?

• "In partaking in collaborative wiki contributions, problems may arise surrounding ownership of work. Does the whole story belong to all students who contributed to it? Do students only have ownership rights to the portions on which they contributed? These questions need discussion and facilitation at the outset of such projects. Researchers claim that infusing new genres such as wikis, blogs and txting into content learning, not just language arts, needs more attention (Selwyn, 2009; Walker, 2010)."
• Teachers can capitalize on these opportunities to answer these questions.  Teachers can show students how to responsibly use and browse Web 2.0 information.  

Citation:
Asselin, M. & Moayeri, M. (2011). Practical Strategies: The Participatory Classroom: Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Literacy Learning: The Middle Years 19(2).

Week 9, Citizen Journalism draft

Weekly Reading 8

Quote:

"Consider first the concept of lifelong learning. Almost without exception, the literature notes that the ultimate goal of IL is to impart the skill of lifelong learning or learning how to learn" (Grafstein, 2002).

Why this Quote?: 

I agree that that we need to provide active learning environments that prepare students for lifelong learning.  Students that know how to learn know how information is organized.  If students is not familiar with how information is organized in the 21st century, they will have trouble learning the information in today's society.  Drill memorization is not going to impart the skill of lifelong learning.  Active learning environments with the current literacies of today will provide lifelong learning opportunities.

Extra Related Resource:

Image Source: http://www.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/bloom1(1).gif

I chose this image because I thought it really "nailed" what information literacy incorporates.  It's not just library instruction; It's not just the print that you read; It's everything that can be synthesized and evaluated in life!

Questions:

1. What is the difference between IL and BI and why is this distinction important?
• IL stands for Information literacy and refers to all forms of literacy, period.  BI refers to bibliographic information; this is much more specific to traditional library sources.
2. Why should classroom faculty teach IL?
• Teaching Information Literacy (IL) will help bridge the gap between school and workplace.  Often times students are just taught Bibliographic Information (BI) in school and that knowledge stays in school.  Students need to know the literacies in the world around them so they can "conquer the world." 
3. What is the role of classroom faculty in developing information literacy?
• The roll of classroom faculty in developing IL is to develop the critical thinking skills that students need not only in school, but outside of school as well.  Students need to know how to evaluated all types of literacies in their world. 

Article Reference:

Grafstein, A. (2002, July). A Discipline-Based Approach to Information Literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 28(4), pp. 197-204. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from http://westmont.edu/_offices/provost/documents/Senate/Full/2009-2010/Discipline-Based%20Approach%20to%20Information%20Literacy.pdf

Continuation of Citizen Journal

I made some edits to my TRACKSTAR.

I also created a Storyboard to help guide students along with the process.

The Digital Media Tools used will be PhotoStory, and Google Docs (for StoryBoard creation and easy sharing).

Weekly Reading #7

Quote

• "While students and teachers noted some level of engagement at the start of the project during the planning phase, it wasn’t until the filming and editing that engagement peaked. This level of engagement at this point was quite unexpected by the classroom teacher, who predicted that students would be most cognitively engaged during the planning phase (Addlinton)." 

Explanation of Quote

•   It is important for us to realize that even if we "think" we know how our students will react, we will not know until we try.  Teachers felt that the pre-discussion and pre-activities would be most engaging. However, the challenges of using a camera, interviewing people and finally editing the work proved more engaging for students. I thought it was interesting that students found the reflection time as "monotonous overtime."  Although class discussions and reflections are important, it just goes to show how implementing new technology can create an engaging and authentic learning environment. The project reported here demonstrates that students may be behaviorally, cognitively and emotionally engaged when undertaking technology-rich projects.

Questions:

• 1. How might your citizen journalism project resemble a technology rich project?
• The students are using new resources.  They are exploring the internet through TrackStar. They are conducting primary research and interviews.  These type of of technological tasks can create engaging and authentic environments.
• 2. What did you learn about successful implementation of technology rich projects?
• As mentioned above, 
  students may be behaviorally, cognitively and emotionally engaged when undertaking technology-rich projects.  
• I also learned to be careful. Using new strategies that may improve engagement, such as cooperative learning, are likely to be less successful if students are not carefully scaffolded in learning how to learn in new ways.

Extra Resource

• Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px-Z68EUEMw

Resource Description

• I found this video of a Middle Schools News cast. What a technology rich broadcast!  I guarantee that high engagement and learning took place in these news broadcast.  I would love to have an elective "NEWS" class for my 8th graders to take to create this for the school on weekly or biweekly basis.  In fact, I plan on sharing this with my principal.  How cool!

Article Citation
Addlington, R., & Harvey, H. (2010, April 6-9). ACEC2010 - ENGAGING YOUNG LEARNERS: THE MULTI-FACETED AND CHANGEABLE NATURE OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY-RICH LEARNING PROJECTS. ACEC2010: DIGITAL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE. Retrieved July 7, 2013, from http://acec2010.acce.edu.au/sites/acec2010.info/files/proposal/172/acec2010engagingyounglearners.pdf

TrackStar for Citizen Journal

link to TrackStar

Weekly Reading #6

Reading # 1

Quote

• "When teaching the research unit, we should ask our students to do authentic research; we should remind ourselves and our students that research is something that happens across disciplines to answer genuine questions; and we should consider that research is often presented in various formats" (Herrmann).

Explanation of Quote

• I realize this quote is rather lengthy, but I just could not part with any of it.  The author summed up the article with this quote.  Authentic research is key.  Research is not just a collection of quotes from other articles.  Research does not apply to just English class.  Research happens across disciplines and answers genuine questions.  It is also important for students to realize that research does not always need to be presented by paper; videos, blogs, wikis, etc. are all ways of presenting research.

Extra Resource

• Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbZbyCXxoVTzIPAojx3-e2zItEzwAlUKpax0YophPoQTDVAQ5u1ynhS4ilNberbksUn3O5VLMg0rRBGjrX77NGPbkyZ0hEuy6-KJTJovezlgmbDwzcGgAqLc8YgaGoGteXxDtXF34BIuj/s1600/reportcard+plagiarism+cartoon.gif

Resource Description

• When given an unauthentic project, this is what you'll get ;).

Article Citation

Herrmann, B. (2012, Fall). Writing as an Exploration: Rethinking the Research Paper. Wisconsin English Journal, 54(2), 49-51. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from http://journals.library.wisc.edu/index.php/wej/article/viewFile/538/579

Reading # 2

Questions

1. What is the difference between writing a report and "doing research"?
•  The typical assignment does not require students to do research, but to report and reflect on the facts and findings of others and to draw conclusions based on reading.  "Doing research" causes students to become active participants of the process.
2. How might doing authentic research better prepare students for the 21st century work place? Give specific examples from the "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" reading.
• As last week's article suggested, "While education has been seen as the critical ground for information literacy research, I would argue that it is workplaces that should be used to inform the library and education sectors' provision of information literacy education."  Authentic research will prepare students for authentic work place situations.  Authentic research would include that which intermixes school and home/workplace.
3. Why might Constructivist type type learning better prepare students for the 21st century work place than Behavioral approaches?
• Constructivist type of learning is transferable to situations in the real world. Students learn to think through issues that do not have prescribed responses or preset solutions. Students learn to identify what is important to them, to construct new meanings, and to explain their new understanding to others in some way that is authentic to the topic.  Behavioral approaches are not easily transferred to situations in the real world.
4. How does authentic research support new media literacies?
• As Henry Jenkins stated, "Today’s digital youth are in the process of creating a new kind of literacy; this evolving skill extends beyond the traditions of reading and writing into a community of expression and problem- solving that not only is changing their world but ours, too."  Today's new media literacies extend beyond the traditions and into the community and real world.  The new media literacies do not have to be just for school or just for the workplace.  The versatility of today's literacies is what makes them authentic.

Article Citation

Gordon, C. (2013). "Students As Authentic Researchers: A New Prescription for the High School Research Assignment" Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume21999/vol2gordon

Citizen Journal

Topic:Drug Abuse Problems in Greenbrier County: What Help and Prevention Is Available?

Resources:

• Blog Posting about Prescription Drug Abuse Rising Among Teens
• Local News Article about a local drug bust
• Prevention - Federal and State Officials talk to local school students about drugs.
• Youtube video with Senator Rockefeller discussing proposed bill for a solution to fighting prescription drug epidemic.  I thought it was cool because Senator Rockefeller wanted "to hear from you" by twittering #stoprxdrugabusewv
• I followed the hastag on twitter and it was very neat to see the youth opinions on how to stop drug abuse: #stoprxdrugabusewv.  I thought this could even be something that students could share there research and ideas on.

Lesson Plans:

• This site gives educators several lesson plans for teenagers about drug abuse education.  Most of these have to do with raising awareness of what various drugs can do.  There is one lesson plan that deals with researching articles on drug abuse (I would really use a variation on this lesson plan).

Media Tools:

• Blogging (Blogger by google), and/or
• Digital Story (PhotoStory)
• Twitter: #stoprxdrugabusewv

Weekly Reading # 5

1. What does the term "discursive practices" mean?
• The words, signs, symbols and ideas used to represent material practices.
2. What does "discourse" mean?
• Means of communication.
3. What is the "rock" and what is the "hard place"?
•  The rock is the current conception of information literacy, which is unsatisfactory, because it is confined by the discursive practices of the education sector and does not account for the complex social processes that inform learning to work. The hard place is the translation of information literacy practice with an understanding of how this practice happens, that is, from the education sector into workplace performance. 
4. What are the differences between the skills prescribed for information searching in academic and workplace settings?
• The education sector is a particular type of social setting underpinned by a discourse that shapes the information landscape of teaching and learning. For teachers, librarians, and students who are co-participating in the practices of teaching and learning, this engagement with information is systematically organized and enshrined in authorized bodies of knowledge. In this setting, primacy is awarded to knowledge that is canonical, objective, and explicit, and there is a focus on individual performance and the development of self-sufficiency through independent learning.
• Workplaces offer another type of social setting, where the information landscape is often described as messy, complex, and distributed through a range of practices that entwine to contribute to the collective performance of work. Workplace knowledge is not only shaped via the use of canonical and content-based sources but is also shaped through noncanonical sources such as the experiences of embodied performance, which are created when workers engage with the physical and material space of their workplaces, and through the tacit and implied nuances that construct the workplace narrative.
5. How do academic notions of information literacy undermine workplace notions information literacy?
• There appears to be an acceptance that information literacy focuses on individual information use rather than information use as a collective activity. This approach to explaining and describing workplace information literacy appears to undermine important workplace concepts of teamwork and group problem solving aimed at building collective knowledge, where information skills are spread across a team rather than being centered on an individual.
6. How are information needs identified in work place setting like nursing and emergency workers?
• In nursing, the discourse of another profession (doctors) shapes the information seeking activities of nurses, a profession in its own right..
• Evaluation of information is referenced against the social, embodied dimension, with workers using other workers' embodied knowledge and experience as a source of evaluated information. An important information skill in this setting is an ability to map out the information landscape, and to develop the capacity to make judgments about the veracity of information against noncanonical sources of information.
7. Why do issues of plagiarism not resonate in workplace settings?
• This type of knowledge is considered to be a collective possession and disseminated and circulated throughout the workplace, by storytelling, and extended through the distributed networks of professional practice.
8. Are information literacy skills transferable across contexts and settings? Why or Why not?
• Numerous studies on skills transfer indicate that the ability to transfer skill from one setting to another does not necessarily occur primarily because of situational and affordance factors that influence the modalities of information, which are valued in learning about the practices and performances of work. These factors act to sanction and thus enable the use of specific information skills, while at the same time contesting the efficacy of others. Fenwick (2006), who draws from the workplace learning research, suggests that spatio-temporal arrangements "actually function as pedagogies that induce particular knowledge in participants" (p. 694), which effect the application of skills across contexts, for example, the way equipment, tools, and work are scheduled-"actually compel workers to move, act and even think in particular ways" (Fenwick, 2006, p. 694). This suggests that the setting and its social, material, and embodied affordances furnish participants with opportunities to engage with situated knowledge and ways of knowing.  
• If we create situations in education that are more transferable then I believe that the skills can be transferred.
9. What is "practice theory"?
• Practice theories emphasize the analysis of ways of engaging with the world. These social theories are concerned with exploring human activity, subjectivity, intersubjectivity, embodiment, language, and power in relation to the organization, reproduction and transformation of social life.
10. How does the author of this article define information literacy?
• The author defines information literacy as an information practice: "An array of information related activities and skills, constituted, justified and organized through the arrangements of a social site, and mediated socially and materially with the aim of producing shared understanding and mutual agreement about ways of knowing and recognizing how performance is enacted, enabled and constrained in collective situated action."
11. How do educators need to change their understanding of information literacy in order to prepare student for the information literacy practices they will encounter in workplace settings?
• While workplace information literacy practice research is still in its infancy, the lessons that have emerged suggest that it is critical that we acknowledge the role of the community as central to the enactment of information literacy. Secondly, we should acknowledge that information literacy is not a skill but a practice that is constituted through a range of social activities that need to be studied, understood, and ultimately represented as part of our theorizing of information literacy.
• Educators need to acknowledge the role of the community and view literacy as a practice!
12. What do the terms "ontological" and "epistemological" mean?
• Ontology deals with the nature of being.
• Epistemology deals with the theory of knowledge with regards to methods.
13. After reading this article, how useful is the traditional research paper we expect students to produce in school in preparing them for workplace settings? What are traditional research papers useful for? Should we still assign traditional research papers?
• Traditional research papers do cause students to become more informed about a topic.  However, students are bored with them.  They are not learning the analytical real world researching skills that are useful in the workplace.  Research is good, but why not teach beyond education skills and teach the "How" and "why" of researching?  Why not come up with a situation based research question and lead students through a TrackStar?
14. What is one of the biggest challenges to changing the way information literacy is conceptualized in school settings?
• Teachers already have an existing understanding of information literacy.  When you already have what you believe to be an accurate understanding of a topic, it is hard to change that opinion.  
15. What attributes of the 21st century make it essential that educators change their approaches toward information literacy?
• The environments of the workplace are ever-change which in turn makes the literacy practices of the workplace ever-changing. That means that this change of thinking will not be a one time thing.  Educators will need to continually change their literacy practices in this ever-changing world.
16. What changes can teachers make to their classroom activities to engage students in the  information literacy practices they will encounter in 21st century workplace settings?
• For starters, implementing analytical tools like TrackStar, instead of the traditional research paper.  Teaching students how to anaylze and research on the Internet (a source that many will use in the workplace) is a skill that needs to be taught in education.

Reference:
Lloyd, A. (2011). Trapped between a rock and a hard place: What counts as information literacy in the workplace and how is it conceptualized? Library Trends, 60(2), 277-296. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/918114303?accountid=10797

TrackStar Final and Reflection - Are Calculators Good or Bad?

TrackStar Link

• What are the strengths of your TrackStar in terms of promoting content learning and information literacy?
• I include sites of different domains - .com and .org.
• I include opposing views - an article that includes example of college that does not approve calculators and a site that believes in the "time and a place" view.  
• I show students how to analyze sites - consider domain, purpose, links, ads.
• This shows students that opposing views do exist on the internet and just because something is on a website does not make it fact.

• How does your TrackStar differ from typical classroom research projects and how it better prepare students for research in the workplace.
• This makes students be much more analytical.  Traditional research projects would involve students researching this any way they wanted.  This leads students through the "how" of researching.  It gives students a clear direction.  It makes them consider the validity of sites.  If it wasn't for TrackStar, the student might end up copy and pasting something they find off of the first site they encounter.  The Internet can be overwhelming; it is vast.  This allows student to conduct the research, but analyze and consider where their information is coming from.  

Weekly Reading #4

Questions:
1. What surprises you about the strategies digital age students use as they conduct research for course assignments?

• "Librarians were tremendously underutilized by students. Eight out of 10 of the respondents reported rarely, if ever, turning to librarians for help with course-related research assignments. (Head & Eisenberg, 2009)."  Maybe FSU just has a tremendously nurturing and caring library staff that I felt as ease turning to during my time as an undergrad, but it was surprising that so few utilized the library staff.

2. How accurately do the findings from this study reflect your own research strategies?

• Besides the fact that I utilized the librarians as an undergrad, I am with the majority in this article.  I use course texts first, then google.  I often use scholarly databases from the FSU Library site(and was shown this long ago in class by a librarian).  I use convenient and nearby resources.   

3. This study provides a detailed description of the parameters of research assignments typical required for academia. How does it differ from the kinds of research people do in the workplace?

• It depends on the workplace.  Often, academic research is very narrow and guided by professors or a text.  We are often graded on our academic research so accuracy is key.  It is not that we want inaccurate research in the workplace, but it is more lax as we are just trying to research something to answer a question.  For example, as a teacher I might just research the best way to teach slope to get an idea of what I want to do in my classroom.  In the workplace (and every day life), students are more inclined to go to Google, Wikipedia, and friends for finding context.  I know that if I have a quick question in the workplace or life that need answers, I grab my Smart Phone and do a google search.  

4. Do you think the recommendations to improve research process for college students will better prepare students for the world outside of school?

• Yes! Especially if librarians are reviewing student needs now (not what was needed in the past). "Librarians may want to initiate their analysis by asking what percentage of their campus are using the library, for what particular resources or services, and why or why not? At the same time, we recommend librarians seriously question whether they are developing a set of “niche services,” which only reach a small percentage of students (Head & Eisenberg, 2009)."  If librarians are providing up to date and need-based services, I don't see why it won't help students outside of school in every day research.

5. Find an image that relates to searching for information. Embed the image in your blog and provide proper attribution.

• How appropriate- The Top 10 Things 21st Century Librarians Do!
• Image Source: http://ginajmillsap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/21stCenturyLibrarian10cs.jpg

Source:
Head, A.J. & Eisenberg, M.B. (2009). LESSONS LEARNED: How College Students Seek Information
in the Digital Age. Retrieved from: http://kennison.name/files/zopestore/uploads/libraries/documents/student-info-seeking-2009.pdf

Week 4: TrackStar Rough Draft: Are calculators harmful or helpful?

TrackStar Link

Week 4: TrackStar Reviews

Overall, I thought it was neat how this TrackStar presentation led the viewer through step by step critical analysis.  It really gives students an idea on how to synthesize the sites in which they retrieve their information.  I think it is very neat how the sites come up, but you still have the slide links and an organizational probes at the top of the screen.


Is No Child Left Behind Working?
I liked this TrackStar as it doesn't just answer the question with a website.  It shows both sides to the question.  It also has the student think thoroughly through each website: "Why is this information being presented?"  "Are there any biased statements."

Drawing Conclusion on Bilingual Education
This TrackStar would help students realize reliable vs. unreliable sources.  It has the student question, who the author of the work is and what the author's purpose is.  As a math teacher, I thought it was very neat that this project worked its way towards data representation.

Is Time Travel Possible?
As with the previous two, I like that there are a series of probing questions so students can judge the validity of authors/speakers.  I like the this investigated the .org domain name.  Students might assume that .org is a safe source, but it this TrackStar helped students further investigate the domain.

Textbooks, Wikipedia and Schooling

Reflect:

1. How do you feel about using web-based resources instead of textbooks in school?

• As a math teacher, it is easier for me to assign problems from a textbook.  The textbook teacher's manual does offer a pacing guide and clearly stated objectives.  However, all of the reasons I like textbooks only benefit one person, me.  It makes my planning and pacing easier.  The truth is, THE KIDS HATE THEM.  They lose them, leave them, and hate copying down problems from a book that they can't write in (in 8th grade, some choose to draw inappropriate anatomical drawing in them). Rarely do I have a kid say, "I like doing this!" or "This is neat!" or "This is new!" when I am working out of the textbook.  The activities that my students like are web-based and project-based; these not only incorporate 21st century skills, but they typically are relevant, new, and fun.  So although web-based resources and creating my own curriculum(using the standards and objectives as my guideline) seems more time-consuming for me, its better for the students and we don't teach for our own comfort and well-being; it's always for the students.  

1. What opportunities for the development of information literacy skills for students if they began to learn without textbooks?

• "My students learn particularly well when they work together to discover scientific ideas and apply them to new situations (Ruth)."  
• Do we all have a stack of textbooks to go home and use in real life? NO.  So why not develop students abilities of finding the answers without the textbook?  I do show my math students helpful math sites or how to use the Internet when you (or your parent) can't figure something out; whether it be researching solving equation or figuring out a real world problem, "How to build a structurally sound deck?" "How much stain do I need to buy for my deck?" "How could I create a blue print of the patio furniture layout on my deck?"  Students that have been doing problems on 1-30 every day out of their textbooks will not be prepared  for these real life information literacy tasks.

1. How do these articles change or support your stance on using Wikipedia as learning resources in the classroom? 

• It supports my stance.  Wikipedia is a great way for students to exercise critical analysis, a skill they will need in the real world.

1. Find an image that relates to information literacy and schooling.Embed the image in your blog and provide proper attribution.

• I chose this image because this is a perfect facial expression for how students feel about textbooks.  They are bored; they know they will not use or need them outside of school year.   
• Image Source: https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTr50WX6HLZuKuKZ0oGIbv18PUVQyLhLFGCMdnPYzP63dBZGaVO

Sources:

Ansary, Tamim. A Textbook Example of What’s Wrong With Education. (November 2004). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/muddle-machine

Ruth, Geoff. No Books, No Problem: Teaching Without a Text. (February 2005). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/teaching-without-text

ThinkAloud

Article- Arming Untrained Teachers Puts Kids Greater Risk

It is obvious that this article is biased. The author is Shane F. Krauser, a partner with the law firm Davis Miles McGuire Gardner, and the director of the American Academy for Constitutional Education; sure he has a somewhat of a background in education, it is not explained how he could possibly know the clear answer to this question.

The breadcumbs lead me to find that this is part of the "opinion" tab of the Fox News website, therefore this IS OPINION and not fact.  The conclusion is opinion-based, not fact-based which is a BIG indicator of bias.

 It is from foxnews.com; Fox News is known by being run by Republicans, but besides that, this article is a .com (commercial enterprise) site.

SlideShare Presentation:

Weekly Reading #2

Questions:

1. What is Henry Jenkins main arguments about Wikipedia? His main argument is ultimate goal is not to convince you to use Wikipedia in your classes, but rather to argue that in a world where many young people are turning to this as a key source for information, educators need to understand what is going on well enough to offer them meaningful advice and guidance.
2. What is "participatory culture"? A participatory culture is one where there are relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, where there is strong support for creating and sharing what you create with others, where there is some kind of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced gets passed along to newbies and novices, where members feel that their contributions matter, where members feel some degree of social connection with each other at least to the degree to which they care what other people think about what they have created.
3. What is the relationship between "old literacies" and "new media literacies". Not all of these new digital literacy skills are dramatically new — they are extensions on or elaborations of aspects of traditional research methods, text-based literacies, and critical analysis that have long been valued within formal education. In some cases, these skills have taken on new importance as young people move into emerging media institutions and practices. In some cases, these new technologies have enabled shifts in how we as a society produced, dissect, and circulate information. Those interested in reviewing the full framework should download the report.
4. What are the reading and writing behaviors associated with "new media literacies".  These are not individual skills.  It is about what we can do together.  It is not necessarily "Can I read?" or "Can I write?"  It encompasses social skills and social engagement.  
5. According to Henry Jenkins why is it important to teach "new media literacies" in school? Access to this participatory culture functions as a new form of the hidden curriculum, shaping which kids will succeed and which will be left behind as they enter schools and workplaces.  This goes beyond the school.  Students need to be prepared for the 21st century. 
6. What can young people learn through contributing or even consuming Wikipedia? "At their most passionate, they see Wikipedia as part of a larger process of insuring a more democratic culture by taking seriously what each member has to contribute."
7. How do you feel about Wikipedia after reading or listening to Henry Jenkins? Do agree or disagree with his arguments? Why? I agree "that the Wikipedian movement might be one space where young people could acquire the kinds of social skills and cultural competencies necessary to meaningfully participate in the new media landscape."  We are facing new medias and we shouldn't discourage these collaborative learning experiences
8. Find an online resource that supports your position on using Wikipedia as a resource for learning in school. Summarize the argument being made in the resource and explain how it supports your position.The Good and The Bad of Wikipedia
   "It showed people Wikipedia isn't rubbish," Wales said. "It's actually pretty good. It isn't perfect, but it's pretty good."  Wikipedia isn't complete 'rubbish.'  "It's that sharing of ideas that's at the heart of Wikipedia."  In a time where sharing and collaborating online is at the heart of our society, why not explore sharing information.  
   This article does explain that bad information can exist.  I think that this news story just explains that readers should pursue cautiously and skeptically.   
9. Find an image that relates to Wikipedia and schooling.Embed the image in your blog and provide proper attribution:

image source: http://0.tqn.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/y/O/4/The-Thinker-Wikipedia.jpg



Resources:
Jenkins, H. (2007, June 26). What Wikipedia can Teach us About New Media Literacies (Part One). Retrieved fromhttp://henryjenkins.org/2007/06/what_wikipedia_can_teach_us_ab.html

Jenkins, H. (2007, June 27). What Wikipedia can Teach us About the New Media Literacies (Part Two). Retrieved fromhttp://henryjenkins.org/2007/06/what_wikipedia_can_teach_us_ab_1.html

Is Wikipedia Becoming a Respectable Academic Source? (Sept 2008). Retrieved from  http://digitalscholarship.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/is-wikipedia-becoming-a-respectable-academic-source/ 

Assignment #1: Wikipedia Analysis

note: Being that I was always taught and believed that carelessness(harmful pollution) of humans contributes to Global Warming, this assignment was hard for me to find biases at first.  Once I began to find them ,I began to realize how often I take the word of others as fact- not that I should critically analyze everything in life.  However, it made me aware that other research is out there.

Step One:

• Does the Wikipedia article appear to be biased in any way or does it maintain neutrality?  It does seem to lean towards, "blame the humans for this" side.
• What facts has the author omitted? The author has omitted the 10 percent of uncertainty: " and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation."
• What additional information is necessary? The site immediately jumps to research on Greenhouse Gases, and provides little information about alternative theories.
• What words create positive or negative impressions? "likely" - either it is or it isn't
• What impression would I have if different words had been used? If words like "likely" or percentages, like "90 % certain" were omitted, I would view this information as fact
• All in all, I could find biases, but nothing that was overly obvious.

Step Two:

• Quote:

"Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation."

• Supports Claim: National Geographic Article

Name of page: Causes of Global Warming
Address/URL: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes/
Date Accessed: June 2, 2013
How did you find the page? google
     (Example: linked from another site, search engine, recommended by friend, etc.)


DOMAIN

What is the domain of the page?
      .com,  

Do you feel that the domain type helps add to or lessen the page’s credibility?
lessens- it is a commercial website



AUTHOR/AUTHORITY


Is the author of the page identified? hard to find any information about specific author


AUTHOR/AUTHORITY, cont.

      Does the author provide his/her contact information (usually an e-mail address)? no contact info apparent.
      In conclusion, do you feel that the author is qualified to present the information found on his/her web page? I CAN'T even find an author name.

If the author is a corporation/institution/organization or other group:
      Does the organization have a reputation for credibility? Yes, National Geographic has always been given praise by educators of my past.
      Does the organization explain its purpose, mission, goals, or guiding principles? They want to "keep nature spectacular."    
      Does the organization display any obvious signs of bias? Above this article a picture of a Power Plant of some sort releasing some sort of smoke into the air.
      In conclusion, do you think that this organization is qualified to present the information found on its web page? I do not think the resources are documented correctly despite this organization's reputation for being reputable.


INTENT


What is or appears to be the purpose of the page?
            For example, to:

            Persuade - convince you that Greenhouse gases are to blame for Global Warning.

Does the page contain advertisements?  YES
Do the ads distract from the page’s content, affect the page’s reliability, or appear to be the main focus of the page?YES- and ad for subscriptions to National Geographic keep popping up.
Might they be necessary to support the organization responsible for the page?It seems like that is the sole purpose of the site- money maker.






INTENDED AUDIENCE

Who appears to be the intended audience for this information/page?
                      Researchers


CURRENTNESS


When was the information on the page created or last updated? Seems very current, but no exact dates are given.

RELIABILITY

Is the content peer-reviewed, authenticated by experts, or subject to some sort of editorial scrutiny?
no
Does the page display any awards given by reliable sources, or link to favorable site reviews by reliable sources? no
Considering your answers to the previous questions, other observations you’ve made, and your overall sense of the page, how reliable does this source seem? It is seeming less and less reliable.

CONCLUSIONS
 I don't think that this source is necessarily inapproriate, but a more reliable source would be needed if I were researching this topic.

• Goes against claim: Global Warming is Natural

Name of page: NAPS(North American Precis Syndicate) NET
Address/URL: http://www.napsnet.com
Date Accessed: June 2, 2013
How did you find the page? google



DOMAIN

What is the domain of the page?
    .com

Do you feel that the domain type helps add to or lessen the page’s credibility?
Yes, because it is a commercial website.



AUTHOR/AUTHORITY


Is the author of the page identified? The article- yes.
      Is the author of the page an individual? yes
 
If the author is an individual:
      Is the author clearly affiliated with a corporation, institution, organization or group? Yes, NAPSA
      If so, does this affiliation lend credibility to the author? The site does have editors.
      Are the author’s educational, occupational or other credentials identified? both
      Is the author a professional in the field or a layperson interested in the subject? N/A
      Does the author present any other evidence that supports his/her ability to accurately present the information that he/she is presenting? The author doesn't use evidence, but lack there of to prove against a point.
      Does the author display any obvious bias (religious, political, commercial or other)? It is obvious what side the author is on.
      Is the author the original creator of the information presented? yes, but research is based on work of others.
      If not, does the author acknowledge the sources of the information he/she is presenting? not citations are recorded.

AUTHOR/AUTHORITY, cont.

      Does the author provide his/her contact information (usually an e-mail address)? Just the college that he is a professor at.
      In conclusion, do you feel that the author is qualified to present the information found on his/her web page? Yes, his position suggests so.

If the author is a corporation/institution/organization or other group: University of Missouri
      Does the organization have a reputation for credibility? It is a university, but not all universities are necessarily credible.
      Does the organization explain its purpose, mission, goals, or guiding principles? the NAPS website does
      Does the organization provide the names of its officers, editors, staff or other major participants? some
      Does the organization provide contact information (phone, address, or at least an e-mail address)? there is a "help" link.      
      Does the organization display any obvious signs of bias? Hard to find obvious signs.
      In conclusion, do you think that this organization is qualified to present the information found on its web page? Yes, but just because something is edited does not mean that it is true.  It could still be opinion.


INTENT

Is the purpose of the page clearly stated?
No "about" or "mission statement," but it is stated that this site offers copyright free, free readings
What is or appears to be the purpose of the page?
            Both inform and persuade and stance on global warming.

Does the page contain advertisements?no



INTENDED AUDIENCE

Who appears to be the intended audience for this information/page?
  Researchers
         
Does the level or complexity of information provided, the vocabulary used, and the overall tone of the information/page match your needs? Yes


CURRENTNESS

When was the information on the page created or last updated? Hard to find a date of article.
Are the dates of articles, news stories, newsletters, reports and other publications given? not that I can find
Is the page properly maintained or does it have broken links, outdated events calendars or other signs of neglect?It seems properly maintained


RELIABILITY

Is the content peer-reviewed, authenticated by experts, or subject to some sort of editorial scrutiny? There are site editors, but it is hard to find how valid these editors are.
Does the page display any awards given by reliable sources, or link to favorable site reviews by reliable sources? no
Considering your answers to the previous questions, other observations you’ve made, and your overall sense of the page, how reliable does this source seem? Somewhat reliable, but not valid as a sole research site


CONCLUSIONS

Do you feel that this source is appropriate for your current assignment or information need? It's not what I would deem inapproriate.
Would you recommend this source to a friend doing similar research? no
What reservations, if any, do you have about the source? Not enough information about purpose.  The articles are not copyrighted (not that copyright is completely necessary.

Step Three

General Sanctions:

• This means that editors can be on probation: "Editors making disruptive edits to articles which are on probation may be banned by an administrator from further editing of such articles as well as related articles and/or project pages." 
• Those sanctions are listed here.

Step Four

Question and Answer:
Q3: Did global warming end in 1998?[hide]
A3: One of the strongest El Niño events in the instrumental record occurred during late 1997 through 1998, causing a spike in global temperature. Choosing this abnormally warm year as the starting point for comparisons with later years produces a cooling trend; choosing any other year in the 20th century produces a warming trend.
Scientists do not define a "trend" by looking at the difference between two given years. Instead they use methods such as linear regression that take into account all the values in a series of data. 10 years isn't long enough to detect a climate trend. The World Meteorological Organisation specifies 30 years as the standard averaging period for climate statistics so that year-to-year fluctuations are averaged out.[6]

In a BBC interview on 13 February 2010, Phil Jones agreed that from 1995 to 2009, the global warming "trend (0.12C per decade) is positive, but not significant at the 95% significance level", though close.[7] This has been misleadingly reported by some news sources.[8] On 10 June 2011 Jones told the BBC that the trend over the period 1995 to 2010 had reached the 95% significance level traditionally used as a threshold by statisticians.[9]

While HadCRU reported an extreme peak in global temperature in 1998, the GISS and NCDC estimates showed a lower peak in 1998, and more subsequent warming.[10] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the decade 2000-2009 was the warmest on record for the globe, with 2005 the warmest year.[11]

Online Source to back up Information:
Real Climate Site

Name of page: Real Clime
Address/URL: http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2009/10/a-warming-pause/
Date Accessed: June 2, 2013
How did you find the page? google

DOMAIN

What is the domain of the page?
           .org

Do you feel that the domain type helps add to or lessen the page’s credibility?
 Yes, it is not a commercial website.


AUTHOR/AUTHORITY


Is the author of the page identified? yes
      Is the author of the page an individual? yes
   
 
If the author is an individual:
      Is the author clearly affiliated with a corporation, institution, organization or group? The auhor is a Climate Scientist.
      If so, does this affiliation lend credibility to the author? He would have some advanced degree of education in the field of study.
      Are the author’s educational, occupational or other credentials identified? no
      Is the author a professional in the field or a layperson interested in the subject? yes, mentioned above
      Does the author present any other evidence that supports his/her ability to accurately present the information that he/she is presenting? yes, several charts and graphs are provided.
      Does the author display any obvious bias (religious, political, commercial or other)? just researched-driven data.
      Is the author the original creator of the information presented?his information is supported by other research.
      If not, does the author acknowledge the sources of the information he/she is presenting? sources cited.

      Does the author provide his/her contact information (usually an e-mail address)? there is contact info, but not personal contact info.
      In conclusion, do you feel that the author is qualified to present the information found on his/her web page? yes, he is a Climate Scientist
 
      Does the organization explain its purpose, mission, goals, or guiding principles? Yes: "RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science. All posts are signed by the author(s), except ‘group’ posts which are collective efforts from the whole team. This is a moderated forum."

      Does the organization display any obvious signs of bias?nothing completely obvious

      In conclusion, do you think that this organization is qualified to present the information found on its web page? Yes.


INTENT

Is the purpose of the page clearly stated?
Yes, Stated above

Does the page contain advertisements?  no



INTENDED AUDIENCE

Who appears to be the intended audience for this information/page?
           Researchers

Does the level or complexity of information provided, the vocabulary used, and the overall tone of the information/page match your needs? Yes.



CURRENTNESS


When was the information on the page created or last updated? Article updated in 2009


RELIABILITY

Is the content peer-reviewed, authenticated by experts, or subject to some sort of editorial scrutiny?
Only Climate Scientists can post information, but it not mentioned how this authenticity is validated
Does the page display any awards given by reliable sources, or link to favorable site reviews by reliable sources? Yes
Considering your answers to the previous questions, other observations you’ve made, and your overall sense of the page, how reliable does this source seem? The source seems somewhat valid, but I would want to cross-reference the material

CONCLUSIONS
 As stated above,  the source seems somewhat valid, but I would want to cross-reference the material.

Step Five
What did you learn about issues related to global warming?
I learned that there is scientific controversy as to when the Arctic will be "ice-free."  Some scientists estimate 2037, while others estimate as early as 2025.  I found that scientists tend to agree that global warming is occurring; however the "when" "why" and "how" lend to different theories and different time frames.

How does Does reading this section influence you perception of Wikipedia as a resource for learning in school?
I think it is valuable for students to witness skepticism of research.  It teaches learner to critically anaylze information.  For example:

I've had a look at the section of the article on "ecological systems". In my opinion, the section should be revised. I don't agree with how ocean acidification is described. I find the existing text alarmist. I'm comparing it to an assessment by the US National Research Council (US NRC, 2010), and a 2009 joint-statement made by 105 science academies (the Interacademy Panel). I recognize that the impacts of ocean acidification could be highly significant, but scientific understanding of these impacts is limited. US NRC (2010, p.5) state:

"Unless anthropogenic CO2 emissions are substantially curbed, or atmospheric CO2 is controlled by some other means, the average pH of the ocean will continue to fall. Ocean acidification has demonstrated impacts on many marine organisms. While the ultimate consequences are still unknown, there is a risk of ecosystem changes that threaten coral reefs, fisheries, protected species, and other natural resources of value to society"

Step Six
After reading the profiles of NewsAndEventsGuy and Enescot, I actually feel better about wikipedia and the peer reviewing and editing takes place.   If you put something biased or inaccurate, it seems as though you will be "called out" on it.  As an educator, I actually enjoy reviewing and reading the collaboration that takes place.


Step Seven

How do think Wikipedia could be integrated into classroom activities?
I believe that students could use Wikipedia to learn how to critically analyze information that is presented.  They could be encouraged (like we did) to find sites that support and go against statements on Wikipedia and then do a Website Evaluation on each site.

What do you think about using Wikipedia as a source of information instead of textbooks?
I think a combination of both sources would provide the best learning for students as students could easily compare the information of both.

Has your opinion changed? How? Why?
This assignment has provided me with insight on how valuable it is to be skeptical and critically think in the 21st century as misinformation can be intermixed with very valuable information all at the same time.

Why Information Literacy is Important in a Democratic Society.

The Need for Information Literacy (3 Concepts)

1. Internet firewalls won't work;  people can send personal files to one another.  It is too hard to monitor every action on the internet.
2. Limiting digital freedoms engages cyber warfare.  Cyber patriots try an break "the code."
3. The internet and the real world have been seen as two separate spheres that need to become one world.  Freedom of speech and information literacy should not have limitations on the internet.

Should Wikipedia be used as an information resource in school? Why or Why not?

• Should Wikipedia be the only information resource a child uses? no.  However it could be used a great way to find references or to seek the truth.  For most Wikipedia searches there is a "Reference" section.  For example, my Algebra I class has been working with Quadratic equations- solving them, graphing them, factoring them, etc.  If I go to Wikipedia and search "quadratic equation," this is what comes up.  As a math teacher, I know that this information is correct.  However, a students may want to check the references.  Cross-referencing this source of information could actually be a very educational experience for the student.  

Introduction

• A. Hello! I am Sarah Cline(Pryor-maiden name).  I did my undergrad. at FSU and graduated in May 2011 (Elem Ed and Math 5-9). Within a month of graduating, I got married, moved to Lewisburg, WV (due to my husband's job), bought a house,  and got my first teaching job (7th Grade Math- Summers Middle School- a 45 minute commute).  My second year of teaching I lucked out and got a job 5 minutes from my house and will probably be in this position for a while:) (8th Grade Math - Eastern Greenbrier Middle School).  I will be finished with my Master's at the end of the summer.  Looking forward to this class and looking forward to having a Master's at the end of July!
• Other side info about me: I am a Zumba Instructor.  I love the outdoors; hiking, kayaking, camping, skiing, etc.  I will be very busy this summer teaching summer school 3 days a week, instructing zumba, taking vacation on my off weeks, and doing the outdoor activities I previously mentioned (minus the skiing, of course, but I already have my season pass for Snowshoe this winter!). I love teaching middle school math (Strange, I know, but would prefer it over kindergarten any day).  
• B. I hope that this class enables to grow professionally.
• C. Watched the video :)
• D. Guilty of googling "information literacy" and finding this definition: "Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques" (http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/).  The video dealt with several of these areas: finding information, understanding the organization of information on the internet, locating information on the internet,  and sharing information (i.e. this blogpost).
• E. I combined this with the above.
• F. Reviewed the tips - very helpful