Virtual Horizons: Using Online Applications to Enrich New Literacies

Tasha A. Thomas, SWP Director, USC Upstate [email protected]

Dawn Mitchell, SWP Partnership Coordinator [email protected]

Essential Questions

 How do we establish a community of learners that extends beyond the classroom?

 How do we engage students in ongoing literacy conversations outside of class?

 How can we provide students with the necessary critical literacy skills to navigate and manage today’s world of digital media?

Think, Pair, Share

 What do you already know about wikis and

virtual libraries

?

blogs

,  Do you currently use any of these technologies in the classroom? If so, how?

Why are we sometimes reluctant to integrate technology?

 Experience level of teacher with technology  Student accountability  Teacher control  Questions of assessment  Return on time and investment  Safety concerns  Availability of resources

Why integrate online applications?

   Technology is ever-present and

increasingly invasive.

Wikis, blogs and virtual libraries encourage group social interaction and collaboration.

Students find that their learning is most effective when they are actively involved in the construction of their knowledge.

Why integrate online applications?

 Participation in online learning communities promotes critical thinking skills and causes students to explore topics in a more in-depth manner.  They facilitate communication between

teachers and parents and guardians.

 They increase student engagement

and participation.

What are blogs?

 Weblog: a shared on-line journal where people can post “diary” entries about their personal experiences and reflections.

 Blogs provide authentic audience  Blogs build community  Blogs can extend and connect classroom activities with real-world applications

What do Blogs look like?

 Blogical Minds Classpage  Sarah Plain and Tall Book Blog  Wrestling with Writing  SWP Summer Institute Course Blog

How can I use blogs?

       To ensure that every student has a voice To teach the importance of audience

awareness

To build community and share new ideas To extend classroom conversations To keep parents up-to-date on classroom happenings, upcoming assignments, etc.

As an alternative to book reports: online book

reviews

As a whole class reader response journal

Definition of Virtual Libraries

 Traditionally, a collection of digital texts, stored online and available for public access  For our purposes, a virtual library is a shared collection of book titles with descriptions, reviews and classroom application

Our Virtual Libraries

 “Envisioning Units of Study” SWP Professional Development Course – http://swpunitsofstudy.pbworks.com/  “SWP Summer Institute” – http://teachersteachingwriting.pbworks.com/S WP-2009-Summer-Institute-Virtual-Library

How can I integrate virtual libraries?

   As part of your class wiki to recommend books for reading and share writing that was influenced by those texts To create a bank of text sets related to various content areas and umbrella topics To allow students to collaborate and share research sources as well as their own ideas for the use and implementation of those sources

What are wikis?

  “Wiki” is Hawaiian for “quick” W hat

I

K now I s Thus a wiki is a web site that can be quickly edited by its visitors with simple formatting rules which means that the content can be edited by anyone who has access to it and the content is therefore the result of a collaborative, community effort.

What do Wikis look like?

    “The Right College for You” Created by High School Juniors “Wild Wiki Writers” Created by English 102 Students “Introduction to Teaching” course wiki from Dawn’s SMC course “Teachers Teaching Writing” from this course SWP Summer Institute to which you will post resources

How can I use Wikis?

       To promote collaboration (group research, literature circles, etc.) To promote critical evaluation of sources To teach responsible dissemination of

information

To promote sharing of resources As an authentic alternative to traditional research reports To publish student writing To provide a forum for students to demonstrate

and record knowledge

Brainstorm Time!

 With a partner, think of the various ways in which you might incorporate the applications discussed today within your existing curriculum: –Blogs –Wikis –Virtual Libraries

Additional Resources

 K12 Lesson Plans: Free Teacher Websites: http://www.k12lessonplans.com/  Free Educator Blogs: www.edublogs.org

 Free Educator Wiki/Website Builder: www.pbworks.com

 eLearners: http://www.elearners.com/resources/virtu al-libraries.asp

Questions?

“ We have a much larger and more complicated obligation to fulfill—that of trying to understand and make sense of, to pay attention to, how technology is inextricably linked to literacy and literacy education in this country.” -Cynthia Self CCCC