Week 14

I chose to do a screencastify narration to a Storybird that I composed off of Michell's 10 points of literacy shifts. I have wanted to do a Storybird since I saw it showcased in our app of the week. I tried to encompass the lecture materials that the majority of you mentioned, and also include some quotes from our discussion board. I loved putting the Storybird together, but when I recorded my narration, I wish that I had thought to be in presentation mode of the Storybird. I only realized my error after I had completed the screencastify, but I think that it works, so I left it raw for you. Thank you so much for being such great teammates on this journey. I have enjoyed every bit of our time together.  Here is the link to my narrated Storybird. Enjoy! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sAq7MCl5oxpycjasRqoCAIKAzzWeYDzd/view

Week 13: Social Reading

This week, we discussed social reading and a pattern emerged: as librarians and educators (and readers, ourselves) our job is to continue to facilitate what people and kids have been doing since the beginning of the written word: make connections with other people through books. The ways in which we do this are new, since we have access to technology, and our position is to find ways for kids to connect. We can do this in person through book groups, summer reading programs, or having multiple copies of the same popular books on hand, or online, through exposing them to communities on Biblionasium, Bookopolis, GoodReads, or other social sites. We can also facilitate online book groups and help students recommend books to others.

Please take a look at my video discussing these connections. I decided that, since we had shared our thoughts in three-minute FlipGrid videos this week, I would challenge myself to synthesize the great discussions in the same format!

Things to think about for next week: what are the issues and controversies around students being connected online? What can we do make sure they stay safe?

Week 12- Gaming

To see this piktochart as a full image, click here

Week 11 - Computational Thinking and Coding

Week 10

Week 10

This past week has dealt all with numbers and graphics—how can they mislead us? What is their import? Why should we be careful of the numbers and statistics we encounter, as well as the graphs we see? Moreover, why might someone want to mislead us?

Source: http://themonkeycage.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/1-8-13-CC-2012-warmest-bargraph-CONUS.jpg

But let’s take it back a step. What kind of literacy are we talking about here?

Data literacy—how do you read the numbers? How do the numbers correlate with the sources, or do they?

Source: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81PSDGFiXGL.jpg

Causation and Correlation are two different beasts

1. So, how do you begin to disseminate the real statistics from the “fake news”?
   
   Remembering that causation and correlation are two different matters. Studies and the people who interpret them tend to perceive correlation as causation: i.e., if you drink too much alcohol, your risk for cancer may increase. (This is a real study: http://time.com/5015058/alcohol-cancer-risk/) However, people will read this as cause and effect, rather than there being a link between the two.

Having a background in data literacy/statistical literacy. A few people brought this up—how can librarians be expected to help wade through the information waves (“It’s possible to drown in an inch of information, let alone a sea.”)? Schools often do not teach such courses and this class was the first to mention it, at least in this program. However, it can be vital to helping patrons and students understand what’s really going on.

Sense Making versus Opinion Making

2. Another facet of data literacy is “sense making” versus “opinion making”. http://datalit.sites.uofmhosting.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Abilock-and-Williams.pdf An infographic here demonstrates what students need to know to create infographics—it’s not just about what’s aesthetically pleasing. It also involves having multiple sources and ways to gain information.

A few students mentioned the Voices of Literacy video and how “data is interdisciplinary”. Numbers don’t exist in a bubble. As much as it might unsettle people, we need to be able to locate where the numbers came from, make students skeptical about the numbers they encounter, and figure out how numbers link from one discipline to another.

How Much Ground is There to Really Cover?

3. One must consider how large the subject area really is. Gina Policastro said “I really liked Fontichario and Oehrli's article, "Why Data Literacy Matters," because they address the issue of the enormity of data literacy as a topic; the best way to address it: "One bite at a time" (22).”

Numbers can seem overwhelming at first and therefore, need to be regarded with both an open mind and a critical eye. For example, as Elizabeth Norris mentioned, even colors can be used with an aim to confuse and obfuscate the issue. We also tend to get overwhelmed by the statistics, graphs, and charts, and overlook them or ignore them outright. This harkens back to my point about librarians needing some background in data literacy, to better serve their population.

Personal Investments

4. Another interesting point brought up is the idea, as mentioned by Erin Plummer, that we need to invest students personally in why data matters and why we need to look critically at it. Students are told why they should care about the environment, but not why they should care about numbers and statistics, nor why they are so important.

Data as a Weapon or a Manipulation

5. How can data be used against you? This is something, again, that people don’t think about all that often. Fitbit, which was mentioned as an example, could be used against you. The FBI and the police are involved with Apple in trying to gain access to criminal’s iPhones to check for incriminating data. (https://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/29/apple-vs-fbi-all-you-need-to-know.html)

Moreover, data can be used to, as Mary-Catherine Jenkins said, “Make you feel good.” The census, she noted, has a way of skewing the numbers so certain parties are underrepresented or information they consider undesirable has been removed. For example, EPA removed information that it considered unsavory from its website. In an era where “truthiness” is more than just a Colbert word, but a truism, we must be careful where we step, and we must back up our data accordingly.

I chose a rather simple format. Like I mentioned before, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with data. I was likewise overwhelmed by all the responses from our classmates. I thought it best to keep it simple, providing only a few concrete examples that our classmates can peruse.

Week 9

MEDIA LITERACY

Week 9 - Top 10 Take-Aways

#1 will blow your mind!

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10.

Where is the Truth?

There is an old saying that there is your truth, my truth, and the middle. The truth lying somewhere in the middle is something that was brought up several times during our discussion. Dr. Valenza’s blog on truthiness was brought up as was the idea that sources on each end of the spectrum have some validity, one just needs to look at them all critically and be willing to absorb information that isn’t already in line with your point of view.

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9.

Analyze EVERYTHING

There were a lot of great ideas put out there in the discussion about how to analyze everything from colors in branding, company logos, advertisements, television shows and news articles. “Fake News” was brought up a lot, but it was pointed out that this isn’t the only thing we need to look at critically when thinking about Media Literacy. Great Ideas regarding the ways and shows to analyze such as South Park and Steven Universe were also shared.

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8.

Good Source/Bad Source

What is a good source of news and what is a bad source? Can we really ever discount or credit a source with validity based souly on their history? The answer is no. The buzz word seemed to be BUZZFEED and how that even though there are silly quizzes that tell a person what Hannah Montana character you are, there are also potentially very valid news stories in BuzzFeed. On the other side of the coin, just because a news source is well known, such as The New York Times, doesn’t mean that everything found there is quality. Again, everything needs to be looked at with a critical eye.

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7.

Penetrate Your Bubble

Michelle gave the example of kids who come to a research project with a thesis in mind without ever doing research. We often approach news the same way. We have our opinion formed and so when we search we don’t always search or read to learn, but to support the views we already have. We need to open our Twitter and Facebook feeds to views that are different than our own so we can grow.

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6.

Different Views

It is important to step out of our bubbles or let others step in. We need to read news or visit websites that make us cringe, and we need to do it with a willingness to learn from views which are different than our own. We don’t always have to agree with the differing views, but in order to get the full picture of a story it is often important to view the story on two different news channels or read articles on the same event from different sources.

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5.

Find the Source for your Source

One part of the First Amendment is that a journalist doesn’t have to reveal their source, so there is always the potential of a dead end, but that doesn’t mean there will always be a dead end. It is imperative that we source check our sources when consuming news. One example of this was brought up when talking about how Wikepedia isn’t the best place to end your research, but it is a good place to start. Wikipedia articles often are full of footnotes and annotations explaining where the information came from.

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4.

Reverse Image Search

Several people pointed out the importance of teaching students how to do a reverse image search. This is a great tool for many reasons, one of which is to debunk fake news and propaganda. Stock photos or photos from one event can be used to talk about a totally different situation, and reverse image searching can help bring clarity to these situations.

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3.

Nothing is Free

A great point was made by several classmates that nothing is free. What we see as free is often being paid for with information. This can happen when paying for conveniences such  as Disney Bands and EZpasses which then have the potential for others to track our where abouts to a degree. And, it happens regularly with our internet usage and the data collected in the form of cookies, that then feed us advertisements and even news articles that we are interested in. So, when we aren’t paying for something in cash what are we using to pay?

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2.

Paying for News?

Should we have to pay for news or do we have the right to it as citizens. I would say there is a little bit of truth to both statements. We already know that nothing is truly free, so we are paying for news in some way shape or form. At the very least we are paying with the advertisements that litter  the page when reading news online. The First Amendment does garuntee the freedom of the Press and so we do have a right to the news, but in order to get quality, (mostly) objective reporting should we support the outlets monetarily? I don’t know that this question was ever fully answered but it an interesting thing to think about. I, for one, say that like all things we have to pay for quality, and should pay for our news.

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1.

Question Authority
Gone are the days were children just do as they’re told. We learned this week that we need to not only allow students to question authority, but how to do it. This goes beyond the normal kid stuff in which a child pushes limits to see what they can get away with, but delves into not accepting anything at face value, and become critical consumers of their worlds, including their learning. We should all strive to be residents of Missouri in slogan at least and help kids learn to say, “Show Me.”

Compiled by Mary-Catherine Jenkins

Idea credit to Erin Collier-Plummer

Week 8 : Communicating Knowledge & Creative Expression (Digital Information)

Week 7: Communicating Knowledge & Creative Expression

This week, we've been examining ways in which we can help students communicate effectively and express themselves creatively. One common way of communicating in educational settings is digital storytelling (DST). Digital storytelling is like any other kind of storytelling, but it uses any of the hundreds of digital tools available.

Here is a story I created in Storybird for this week's synthesis:

Some students will gravitate more easily to storytelling, while some may be reluctant. We should aim to meet these students where they are; not all stories need to be dramatic page turners.

This is a YouTube video from a 2011 of 2nd/3rd grade classrooms using DST, (found on TED Ed)


In this video, we see students working on their plans for their stories, as well as the stories being recorded in Garage Band. We also get to see the students reflect on their favorite parts of the process. Their creativity and passions become clear.

Throughout discussions this week there were a few common ideas that came through, illustrated here through Storyboardthat (apologies for the size)



Made with Storyboard That

Overall, what Kathy Schrock says at the beginning of this week's lecture holds true: Digital storytelling must be about the story first, then the tools.

Students are the ones creating the stories, the teachers and librarians are available to assist with the tools. As such, we must encourage creativity by assessing more than just the end product. We must assess the process and the journey as well; sometimes the most important part of our stories are the journeys we embark on.

Week 6: Mobile Learning and Apps

Week 5: Curation for Teaching and Learning

Week 4 Synthesis: Digital Leadership & Information Ethics

Week 3 Synthesis: Connected Learning

Week 2 - PLN Master Plan

Defining Literacy in a Digital World

There is no doubt that technology has changed the way that we read, write, learn, and think. According to Holly Clark, “students spend up to 5 times as much time dealing with media than print.” What skills do our students (of all ages) need to navigate this digital world? How can we foster these skills in ways that create memorable experiences for our students and patrons? Technology creates new opportunities for collaboration and creativity, but not every problem requires a digital solution. As future librarians, we should think carefully about what skills we cede to apps and online programs, and which literacies we expect our patrons to practice without the aid of a mobile device.

We live in an interconnected world, thanks to technology. That doesn’t necessarily mean that kids are “born digital,” or that they inherently understand every new program or piece of technology they encounter. Being comfortable with technology, and willing to experiment with it, is not the same as knowing how to use it effectively. The digital world can be a scary and overwhelming place, but we, as librarians, should stand ready provide a safe, sane space in which to explore technological frontiers. Kathy Schrock offers 13 sets of literacies in which students should be versed if they are to succeed in today’s world. Traditional literacy is perhaps the most recognizable category, and reading, writing, and communicating effectively provide a foundation upon which we can develop other literacies. If kids are spending so much more time with multimedia, however, is there really such a thing as “traditional” literacy anymore? Kids read, write, and think in shorthand. Our digital world, with its instant feedback and rewards, encourages short attention spans and impatience. Must we accept this as the new normal?

Teaching thirteen literacies sounds like a potentially endless task, and teachers (and librarians) have limited time as it is. Do we privilege some literacies over others, or is it possible to scaffold these skills over a series of grades, projects, or activities? As Schrock and my classmates have noted, these literacies can be taught across content areas. Imagine a group of students studying World War I. They can practice historical literacy skills as they search for primary sources, visual literacy skills as they analyze propaganda posters, critical literacy as they analyze the written sources they’ve collected, and tool and/or digital literacy as they create a multimedia presentation to share their research with classmates. The world is a classroom and technology makes it possible for students to access “new” sources and information every day. Students have the potential to become more creative and efficient researchers, as long as librarians can be there as “guides on the side” to help them understand how to find reputable and trustworthy sources.

 Technology offers libraries an opportunity to become transformational spaces. Transformations require action, and in order to make our students’ and patrons’ learning experiences meaningful and memorable we need to make them more interactive. What does that look like? A participatory culture flourishes when teachers provide safe spaces where students can pursue interest-driven projects or self-directed opportunities. In order to feel authentic and natural, learning should be interactive and as hands-on as possible. Learning is messy! Give students room to make mistakes, experiment, and reflect on their experiences. Students should be allowed to delve into the process of developing a question or identifying a problem and seeing it through to completion. Make them care about what they are doing and why, and perhaps they’ll learn without even realizing they are learning. We will never escape the need to teach traditional, foundational skills, but we should always attempt to find ways for every student to explore their own interests within the library.

 If we are committed to following the digital road we must also be committed to promoting the rights and responsibilities of digital citizenship. Students need to know how to keep their information safe on the web and how to use Creative Commons. They also need to know how to collaborate with people they will never meet in person (random example!) and how to deal with internet trolls. As we teach students to use technology we should still feel compelled to teach them how to function without it. What does one do when the wi-fi signal is lost or the tablet runs out of battery life? As teachers and librarians it is our duty to ensure that kids can cope in the absence of electronic devices and apps that organize information for them. We must also be prepared to acknowledge that we don’t always know how the technology works. Cursive might be a dying art, but critical thinking will never go out of style (although Alexa is getting a little too smart for my liking…).

 My colleagues provided me with some wonderful points to ponder for this week’s synthesis. Since our discussions took place via Flipgrid during week one, I thought I would try a more visual presentation style. I chose to use smore, which I had never used before. I found it intuitive, and the templates provided are easy to manipulate. This was great for me, since I have virtually no graphic design sense. The format wasn’t quite as visual as I would have liked, but I hope viewers find it more visually stimulating than a series of plain old paragraphs!
 

Welcome to our class blog for the Fall 2017 Rutgers School of Communication and Information Emerging Literacies: Learning and Creating with Digital Youth Class. This semester the class is numbered and identified as 599 Special Topics IV, but it will become 515 after this semester, so we are using the hashtag #RU515 for all Twitter postings. Each week, one member of the class will be responsible for leadership in the Canvas discussion forum and for creatively synthesizing the week's learning here in this blog. We look forward to your weekly postings! And, of course, you are welcome to respond to classmates' syntheses in the comments.