Infographic - Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Why I like to read (and why you should too.)

The latest assignment: a digital storytelling project.

Going digital and the vagaries of plagiarism

Going digital

I’m excited about making my Digital Story Project.  First of all, I found a new graphic organizer that I really like, easel.ly.  It is simple to use, very intuitive, and looks professional.  It is in beta form right now; I hope it sticks around.

As I began scripting my story and immediately began thinking about potential locations at which to film.  I have a friend who owns a used book store, and there is a public library right across the street from him.  I also have a few props in mind.  This should be fun.

The struggle I am just beginning to face is the collaboration aspect of the assignment.  My nature is to work by myself most of the time. I realize getting fresh perspectives and extra eyes on the project will make for a better end result, but sometimes I am hesitant to let go of “my” project to let others edit or alter it.  I need to check my ego and be open to the ideas and suggestions of colleagues.

Citing sources and plagiarism

I’ve noticed a startling increase in academic plagiarism in the past six or seven years.  I don’t think digital natives really understand that copying and pasting information from various sources on the internet is the intellectual equivalent of theft. After all, at its very core, the internet is a means of searching for information from a variety of sources and synthesizing and transferring that information in a variety of forms to many different locations and users.  It does this quite efficiently, and modern users don’t like to be slowed down by processes like citing sources for the information they share.  Issues of Copyright and Fair Use can complicate matters even more.

If we want students to avoid plagiarizing, we need to educate them on how to cite sources, and we need to make it easy.  Technology can be a partner in this, with software that automatically generates bibliographies, works-cited pages and such.  But in the end, the student needs to know what plagiarism is and what it isn’t, as well as the consequences for plagiarizing and how to avoid plagiarizing. 

I wonder if showing students real-life stories of people who got in trouble for plagiarizing would help -- Politicians like Senator Scott Brown, who cut and pasted a large portion of Senator Elizabeth Dole’s website onto his own (Hayden, 2011), or economics professor Brian Swart, who lost his job and had his PhD. rescinded after it came to light he had plagiarized at least four published articles and his doctoral dissertation. (Sullivan & Gardiner, 2013)

Sources:

Hayden, E. (October 13, 2011) Scott Brown’s Website Plagiarizes Elizabeth Dole. The Atlantic Wire. Retrieved from http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/10/scott-browns-website-plagiarizes-elizabeth-dole/43617/

Sullivan, P. & Gardner H. (February 13, 2013) Econ Professor Swart resigned due to plagiarism. Scarlett & Black (Grinnell College newspaper). Retrieved from http://www.thesandb.com/news/econ-professor-swart-resigned-due-to-plagiarism.html

Promoting libraries, Old Spice style

Why Do I Love Books So Much? (and why you should too)

I'm saving a version of this here in case I lose it elsewhere.

First Draft - Digital Story “Why Do I Love Books So Much? 

Keith Osterberg

9-12-13

I love to read. Books, magazines, comics, encyclopedias, you name it. I read a lot online too.  Sometimes people, especially students who don’t read very much, ask me why I read so much. They tell me they prefer TV or movies or video games.  “Read a book?  Ugh!” they say.

Let me tell you why I love books so much...and why you should too.

First of all, books can take you places and teach you things.  A book is a portal to different times and places. I can’t afford a plane ticket to Tahiti, or a hotel room when I get there, BUT with a book, I can experience it all...in here (points to head).  In my mind’s eye.  And if you have a library card. You can experience it for free!  

And not only can a book take you to different places, but it can take you to different times in history!  Ever wonder what life was like for someone like you back in the pioneer days?  Find the right book and you’re there.  A book can even take you to times that are yet to be...the future...Or even fantastic worlds that are pure imagination. 

Not only that, but with a good book, you can stand in the shoes of someone who isn’t at all like you...someone who is experiencing things you have never experienced, and maybe never will.  I’m never going to have a sword fight with an ogre or rock out in front of an audience of thousands of fans, but in a book, there are none of the limitations of real life.  In a book, I get to experience that.

“Wait a minute,” you say. “I can do that in a movie too. Or a video game. Why do I need a book?”  True enough, you can. But with a book, you are painting the picture. Your imagination turns the words on the page into the reality in your head.  A movie or video game dictates all that to you...how it will look and sound.  But not in a book.  In a book, it’s your call.

Reading was pretty much unavoidable in my house, growing up. My dad worked for a newspaper, so we always had the daily paper on the kitchen table. Dad was a big science fiction reader too.  My mom wasn’t into books as much, but she read a lot of magazines, and my older brother and sister were both avid novel readers.  

I read comic books.  I read fiction novels about kids my age who became spies and pickpockets and abolitionists.  I read a true life story about a 16-year-old guy who took a sailboat around the world, by himself!   And then, when I was about 10, my mom went to work for an encyclopedia company, and we ended up with a set of encyclopedias in the house.  THAT took my reading to a whole different level. 

You know what else all that reading did for me?  It made me smarter.  If you read a lot, you can’t help learning more about life and the world we live in.  You get a bigger vocabulary.  You learn to write better because, even if you don’t know all the rules of grammar, you know when something doesn’t sound right.  That’s a gift all those writers give to you.  Oh, and you get good grades.  No kidding.  Readers do better in school.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?  You learn to write better. You get a bigger view of the world. Your vocabulary gets bigger.  If you start reading books, you’re on your way to earning A’s, my friend.

So, if you aren’t reading, you’re missing out.  Get a library card, buy a paperback at the used book store, check something out at your school library.  Get started changing your life.  (stare)  Go on, do it.  (leave the frame. pause)  What are you still doing here.  Go! Get a book!  Be a reader.  

My experience with computers and digital technology

My experience producing information utilizing computers and digital technology is a long and storied one. Back in the early ‘80s, I was part of a computer users group, a bunch of hobbyists who were trying to see what we could accomplish with our Commodore 64s and TRS-80s (a few of us had slightly more advanced Apple IIs and PCs).  As limited as we were technologically speaking, we did manage to produce a computer-based newsletter, a CUG bulletin board, and even a community access TV show on a junior college cable site. This was all pre-Internet.  I had no access to computers at my teaching job, so technology there consisted of creating the occasional audiotape or videotape project with cassette and reel-to-reel machines.  

In the late ‘80s, I got out of the teaching profession for a while and went to work for the publishing house of my denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) as a copywriter/editor. I helped create advertising, Sunday School curricula, and print materials like catalogs and the monthly magazine, The Disciple. Combining my writing and editing experience with my hobbyist computer background, I was involved in converting the company from traditional print production to desktop publishing. Eventually, I became the news editor of the magazine, where in addition to copyediting and writing, I was responsible for page layout and design and providing “hard copy” photo-ready pages for the printer.  At this stage, very few printing houses were set up to accept print projects via e-storage device, phone or email.

Eventually, as director of communications for Christian Theological Seminary, I became a jack-of-all-trades producer of print and video materials for the school. More and more, the technology advanced and I struggled to re-learn, adapt and take advantage of it to reach my communications goals. When I returned to teaching high school in the ‘90s, I saw the school being wired for internet and computer labs being set up, but the school still struggled to keep pace with changing technology, and actual classroom activity changed very little. My biggest uses for the new technology were teaching students to create documents like brochures and PowerPoint presentations.  I also used Mac-based software to show students how to make multi-track recordings and to use non-linear videotape editing to create short videos, but without the capability of Web 2.0, distribution was largely limited to the classroom or, occasionally, setting up a rolling video cart in the cafeteria so students could see the videos while they ate lunch. 

I haven’t been in a classroom lately that affords me the opportunity to develop podcasts, wikis or blogs or class websites. I’ve done most of those things now in the context of the MET program at Missouri Baptist University, but truthfully, most of what I do is hypothetical.  I am anxious, once I have my degree, to find a position where I can utilize everything I’ve learned in the past year.

Choosing a Web Tool For the Learning Task

Choosing the appropriate digital tool for the learning task is important, but to be honest, I sometimes choose a tool because I am interested in it and want to see if it can work in a learning context.  It may be putting the cart before the horse, but if a particular tool is a motivation for the students and for me, why not create a lesson to fit the tool, rather than limiting yourself to only finding tools that fit lessons?

One example of this would be what I have done with audio editing tools. Back when I was teaching high school, there wasn’t much in the way of online tools for digital editing, but I had an Apple Mac with Garageband, which I used to teach my technical theatre students about editing music and sound effects for theatre productions.  The program was so successful that I had students who weren’t even in my class wanting to come use it on their lunch break to record their own rap compositions.  These were kids who had no interest in my class (or almost any class for that matter) but this piece of technology had hooked them.  

Nowadays, I would use a Web 2.0 tool like Audacity to accomplish the same thing. I would also want to steer them toward some sort of webcasting situation, perhaps using the webcast or audio weblog as a way for students to  critique literature assignments or debate with others on which character was their favorite and why.  In a creative writing class, I would want to introduce the students to spoken word poetry and have them recite their poetry for webcasting. This would motivate them by giving them an audience to express themselves.  I think that could be very empowering and much better than having the teacher be the only one who reads what they write. 

Incorporating literacy into my content area

Blog Assignment:  How are you going to incorporate literacy into your content area? If you are an elementary teacher, how would you integrate literacy into science, math, or social studies? Detail a specific example, including an assessment strategy. Don't forget to think about your diverse learners and something you may need to do differently for below or above average readers.

Since I am a writing instructor, incorporating literacy into my content area is central to what I do each day. The program I work in is largely a self-directed online program from Pearson, where students log in and work through a series of modules on grammar and sentence structure that are custom tailored to their needs, based on their scores on a pre-test that evaluates what they already do well and what they need help with. My role is primarily that of a tutor. I track their performance and give one-on-one instruction in the content areas with which they might struggle. Often this involves going over the tests they have failed to pass and examining with them individual questions they answered incorrectly in an effort to help them understand where they went wrong. After this one-on-one remedial review, they can re-test and improve their scores.

The part of the program that I have a bit more latitude with is the writing portion of the class. In addition to the Pearson modules, they are assigned a series of writing assignments (descriptive, narrative, persuasive, process, etc.) I edit their writing and review them with the students to explain how they could improve their writing. These are community college students, quite a diverse bunch, and individual attention is needed to help them improve their writing. Some require very basic instruction in sentence structure, paragraph use, and organization. They are given almost unlimited drafts to get their essays up to acceptable levels. Assessment reflects not only their final draft quality but also the effort they expended in improving their work.

More advanced students are assisted in refining their writing. Their one-on-one instruction involves looking at options and alternatives in how to they express their ideas and organize their writing. Though their writing may be technically correct, it often can be improved with some editorial polish. Assessment for these above-average learners goes beyond mechanics to elements of style and personal expression.

Evaluating Wikis on Reading and Writing

I evaluated two writing websites developed by teachers for their students: Mrs. Badgley’s Wikispace (http://mrsbadgley.wikispaces.com) and Mr. Sheehy’s English Website (https://sheehy-english.wikispaces.com).  Mr. Sheehy’s students are identified as high schoolers; Mrs. Badgley’s are not specifically identified by grade, but I would assume by the content that they are middle schoolers.

Mr. Sheehy’s wiki is visually striking. It is clear and readable, with high contrast between the text and the background. Good use of graphics and layout (white space, columns, photos and captions, etc.) is appealing and draws the reader in. It feels familiar, like a magazine. The home page starts with a joke, which puts the student reader at ease, and provides learning goals as well as a block of quick access keyword links to tools and instruction.

The navigation bar is well organized and links to various readings, assignments, syllabi, extra credit options and a writing workshop. What the website does not seem to do is create a place for interaction and collaboration between students.  One is left with the distinct impression that this is Sheehy’s show and he is calling the shots.  His lessons are great. He has created some wonderful learning opportunities here, but it is very one-on-one oriented. I don’t get a sense that anyone beyond Mr. Sheehy can edit or expand the parameters of the wiki. While I enjoyed looking at his creative lessons, I wasn’t sure they were taking advantage of Web 2.0. Most of it could be just as easily done with traditional paper and pencil.

Visually, Mrs. Badgley’s wiki is lackluster. It is text heavy, with simple black type in one column on a white background. The boarder, where you find the navigation bar, is fuschia with purple lettering in a small type. Maybe younger eyes don’t have as much trouble, but I have a hard time reading it. There is very little in the way of graphics or pictures to liven up the page or make it more engaging. 

What Mrs. Badgley gets right from the start is spelling out her purpose for the wiki, “to provide a place for students (of all ages and needs) to collaborate to create useful collections of information.”  Her intention from the start is to get the ball rolling and get out of the way.  She defines what a wiki is and addresses how to join the site and post or make changes, leaving the impression that she does not intend to call the shots as much as to facilitate. Mrs. Badgley’s wiki navigator bar links readers to writing assignment pages as well as collections of useful links and tools for learning things such as creating HTML tags. The wiki encourages a lot of student writing but also emphasizes the importance of learning to edit. Searching through the editing changes shows that students have worked together to meet the objectives of the assignments.

Each of these wikis is a helpful example, both for what it does right and for what is lacking.  Ideally, I would strive to combine the attributes of both into my own wikis. Perhaps this serves as an example of the value of collaboration. If Mrs. Badgley and Mr. Sheehy would collaborate with each other, both their wikis would benefit from the strengths of each teacher.

Our class readings seem to be in agreement; new technology is here to stay and we would be foolish to ignore it.  As Nancy Frey, etal., say in Literacy 2.0: Reading and Writing in 21st Century Classrooms, Literacy 2.0 does not replace Literacy 1.0. It builds upon it. We need a different mindset regarding what literacy is and how we teach it. Rebecca Anderson and her co-writers say much the same thing in Technology to Teach Literacy: a Resource for K-8 Teachers, "In one sense, computer technology is so pervasive at all levels of education that the question is no longer whether a teacher should use technology, but instead it is how should it be used to support literacy." 

While I agree with these writers, I think it is important to maintain a level of competency in reading and writing in the traditional sense and not lose track of it while we are redefining and rethinking how we define "literacy." All communication takes place through symbols, and even in the digital world, words are a big part of that lexicon of symbols. 

Introduction:

I'm Keith Osterberg, and I've created this blog for my Technology to Enhance Literacy course at Missouri Baptist University, where I am working towards a Master in Educational Technology degree. I teach at the Writing Lab of Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri, where I see the current state of literacy every day. There are students who are reasonably adept with language, and there are students who need considerable remedial help. 

My expectations for this course are many. As a writing teacher, I hope to learn ways that digital technology can be used to improve student writing.  Of course, the word "literacy" has several meanings, not all of which are about language mastery. There is also technology literacy. In today's digital world, we need to synthesize those two concepts: language literacy and technical literacy.

One article I was reading dealt with both. In "Leveraging Technology to Improve Literacy," Rick Allen reports on several classroom programs that combine teacher instruction with technological-driven instruction, with positive results.  Leveraging Technology to Improve Literacy.

I am hopeful this sort of synthesis of traditional and digital approaches will continue to yield successful results, especially in situations where the traditional approach alone has not.