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    Fostering Global Citizenship Online

    by Clarisse Olivieri de Lima
     | Jan 16, 2015

    About 10 years ago, I conducted my dissertation research on the digital divide, which I interpreted as the differences between those who had access to technology and those who did not have access to technology, and thus, seemed excluded from being able to fully participate in society. Early on in my work, however, I discovered that the real examination of the term ‘digital divide’ did not necessarily involve whether or not people had access to technology. Rather, I realized a study of the digital divide should focus on identifying differences in how people use technology to become more socially active and to become global citizens.

    As part of my research, I administered a questionnaire to 147 sixth and seventh graders in Brazil for their opinions about what it meant to be a global citizen and how technology contributed to this 'identity'. Here are just a few of their answers:

    • "A global citizen has a lot of knowledge about politics and different cultures and how to help others. (This person) is able to fight against inequality, a factor that creates most conflicts in the world. (A global citizen) fights for things he/she believes in and takes advantage of opportunities to make a difference in society."
    • "A global citizen has a lot of knowledge about international facts. Because the world is changing and certain things influence our country, (global citizens) keep themselves updated through newspapers, TV news and the Internet, and they are careful not to be manipulated by misinformation."
    •  “A global citizen is someone who has access to major changes in technology, has knowledge of linguistic differences, and knows about world history and geography. This person knows different cultures and studies them to understand and value differences in race, gender, and socio-economic status. [This person] is concerned with the environment, participates in rallies against guns, practices solidarity, and is a good citizen who tries to address the problems of his/her own country.”
    • “I think that in order to be a global citizen, you have to believe that changes in the world can begin with you! Knowing how to use technology is also important for communicating and getting to know about other countries, which can help eliminate prejudice.”

    One of the themes that emerged from student responses on this questionnaire suggested technology use fosters the development of global citizenship by enabling people to take a more active role in making informed decisions about issues that matter. From these findings, I realized students in my study were ready to act as global citizens who think critically, make informed decisions, and actively participate in their community. However, the use of technology for social purposes was not as prevalent in their responses.

    However, a decade after, with the explosion of smart phones and mobile access worldwide, we are witnessing an important change in the behavior of our globally connected youth. It seems that now they have discovered the potential of new technologies to promote social change. For example, in his latest book titled Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age(2012), Manuel Castells described how movements such as the Arab Spring in 2011, that began on online social networks and spread like a virus through mobile media, have created a ‘space of autonomy’ for the exchange of information and the sharing of feelings of collective outrage and hope.

    Castells’ beliefs that Internet networks support a new type of political participation reinforce a major finding from my dissertation; that global citizens not only consume materials made available through technology, but they also produce materials and resources and become valued and productive citizens of a global community.

    As it could be noticed by the students’ opinions, being informed about what is happening in the world and its different cultures is one of the main traits of a global citizen. To get you thinking about the range of possibilities, I’ve pointed you to just a few examples of websites that might be useful for guiding students in finding information that promotes rich discussions about these topics in your classroom:

    • Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) briefly introduces students to several interconnected global challenges that require innovative solutions. This project, initiated by the United Nations Secretary-General also points readers to the GEFI Youth Advocacy Group homepage that features links to an Advocacy Toolkit, Advocacy, Facilitator’s Guide, A Call to Action, and a host of online resources featuring efforts of the 18-member interactional youth group.
    • Exploring Our Roles As Global Citizens: An Educators Guide for Grades 3-5, sponsored by TeachUnicef.org, provides a four lesson unit with extension activities and a student-led inquiry project designed to introduce the concept of global citizenship, educate students about universal human rights, foster skills in developing perspectives and decision-making, and empower students to make a positive difference in their local communities.
    • Worldometers provides live world statistics on population, government and economics, society and media, environment, food, water, energy and health. Interesting statistics.
    • Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator. It shows links to the news being published by countries all over the world in their original languages.

    Clarisse Olivieri de Lima is an Educational Technology consultant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association’s Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

     
    About 10 years ago, I conducted my dissertation research on the digital divide, which I interpreted as the differences between those who had access to technology and those who did not have access to technology, and thus, seemed excluded from...Read More
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    The Power of Responding With Voice

    By Angie Johnson
     | Jan 09, 2015

    Last month a mother told me her son “learned more about writing than ever before” from a recent assignment. “It was that audio message,” she said. “He listened to it over and over!” Josh was a quiet boy who never raised his hand. Writing was not his passion. However, this time my feedback came in an audio message sent directly to him. He heard my voice and found his own.

    When to Give Feedback via Audio

    Consistent with results of a recent study by Cavanaugh and Song, I find this method optimal in two situations:

    • When I want students to think deeply about revision. I record feedback for formative assessment only, focusing on issues that can’t be addressed checklist-style.
    • When I want to build personal connections. Audio is especially powerful with struggling or timid students, because I can offer constructive criticism in an encouraging, rather than critical, tone.

    Tools to Try

    • With the Google docs add-on Kaizena, I can attach written and audio comments to specific passages, providing students with links to those comments directly in Google docs. Kaizena supports tagging for reusing comments and allows students to request feedback. Below is an image of the grading sidebar one sees when using the Kaizena Mini add-on. (See this Kaizena blog for much more.)
    • I often use my cell phone’s voice recorder, an idea suggested via Twitter by Jim Burke, author of The English Teacher’s Companion. In Google Docs’ preview mode I can quickly click through a set of papers, recording and sharing responses via student emails. Having added my school email account to my phone and synched the contacts, student emails come up automatically.
    • I’m excited to try WriteAbout, a new social publishing site where students share their writing publicly or privately and join writing groups related to their interests. WriteAbout offers visual writing prompts and gives students the option to post a picture or audio with their writing. Of interest here is that teachers can privately annotate, record audio, and type long responses to their students’ work. WriteAbout is still in beta; the free version limits teachers to 40 students and three posts per student. Here is a brief overview of WriteAbout’s simple-to-use teacher feedback options.

    Tips for Giving Recorded Feedback

    • I reserve audio responses for issues that peer editing is unlikely to address, and I record one global comment per student. In Troy Hicks’s Edutopia post on formative assessment, teachers are advised to follow Emily Wray’s RISE Model for Meaningful Feedback: Reflect, Inquire, Suggest, Elevate. I first reflect on what I notice, then ask questions of the writer to encourage critical thinking about the piece, and finally make suggestions with the goal of elevating it to the “next level.”
    • I try to limit discussion to three minutes and one or two revision priorities. I constantly ask myself: What one revision would most elevate this piece?
    • I rarely provide audio feedback to all classes at once. Instead, I may record responses only for a special education inclusion class, for students who send requests by a specific date, or for a randomly selected group. My goal is to provide a recorded response to each student once a semester.
    • To protect students’ privacy, I don’t share grades via audio.

    As with most new things, recording audio responses takes practice to master. But isn’t this the time of year to try something new? Your students will most appreciate that you spoke directly to them—because your voice is more powerful than you think.

     

    Angie Johnson is a doctoral student in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University and teaches eighth grade language arts at Lakeshore Middle School, in Stevensville, MI.
    Last month a mother told me her son “learned more about writing than ever before” from a recent assignment. “It was that audio message,” she said. “He listened to it over and over!” Josh was a quiet boy who never raised his hand. Writing was...Read More
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    New 'Toys' for Your Students’ Publishing Toolbox

    by Julie D. Ramsay
     | Dec 22, 2014

    In today’s world, the topic of using technology in the classroom can be intimidating. In this monthly column, join one teacher on a quest to discover the best way to meet the needs of her digital-age learners…moving beyond the technology tools to focusing on supporting each student’s learning. 

    I love this time of year in the classroom. The students have learned routines, they’ve become more independent learners, and (hopefully) they have begun to take initiative. One idea that hits me this time each year is when the students return after the winter holidays, they want more—more of a challenge, more exposure to new ideas, and more options when publishing.

    To be clear, my learners always have at least one publishing project going all the time. Not all of these projects are digital. Some students choose to share their writing through a one-person performance, a puppet show, or a handwritten, bound journal. Their options are only limited by their creativity. However, some students are so overwhelmed with all the options, they need some guidance in selecting the method or tool for amplifying their writing to an audience.

    Although I do my best to keep up with a wide variety of new tools, both high-tech and low-tech, I’ve discovered my students’ favorite ones are usually the ones that they discover themselves and share with one another. In the vein of the holiday, I thought I would pay forward some of the digital tools my students are currently using. These are digital tools that they really enjoy using to share their writing with their global audience.

    Using Tackk, students can create beautiful digital brochures, posters, or websites. Because of its organization, Tackk is simple for students to organize their writing and include other types of media, such as graphic, photos, video, audio or illustrations. One feature the students particularly enjoy is that everything is automatically saved, relieving students of the fear they are going to lose hours of work.

    Students can log in using their Google or Edmodo account (other options like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are also available).  Using the intuitive tool bar, students publish their writing embedding the other media that supports their text. Then, with the click of a button, they can publish it on a wide range of social media outlets, embed it into their blog, email it, or print a hardcopy. However, the ease of publishing and sharing is not what appeals to my students most. The element they love is the robust commenting feature. Now their project is not just a static project. It welcomes ongoing dialogue and further learning through the ability of visitors to comment upon their Tackk. By not only having their writing easily read by their peers, but also encouraging an ongoing conversation lends the authenticity that today’s learner craves.

    With PowToon for Education, students can turn their writing into animated presentations with cartoon style videos. Students simply drag and drop the elements that they need onto their work surface. With a large collection of background, themes, and props, students can easily bring their writing to life without getting bogged down or side-tracked in the nitty-gritty technology aspect of a tool, which can prove frustrating to many learners. Learners also have the ability to import their own images, if they prefer, including their own photographs or hand-drawn images. Additionally, they are further able to personalize and customize their PowToon by adding their own sound tracks and voice-overs. If a student (or you) gets stuck, this site has a great library of user-friendly, short video tutorials that break down each of the steps in creating a great visual. Once complete, students can share their final project in multiple ways. It can be uploaded to YouTube, shared through many different social media sites, or embedded in a blog, wiki, or website.

    Smore is another site enabling a user to publish a digital flyer, newsletter, or website. With Smore, learners can publish their writing and embed a variety of different media from graphics and photos to videos. This tool also has a simple user interface with a drag and drop design. My learners love that it has many options to customize the look of their writing. I love that there aren’t so many “bells and whistles” that students lose focus on the point of this publishing…to amplify their writing for an authentic audience.

    Once a student has completed his/her Smore, it can easily be shared through social media outlets or embedded directly into a blog, wiki, or website. Much like Tackk, once a piece is published on Smore, that’s not the end of the project. Smore also has a commenting feature so that students can continue to have a conversation with other members of their learning community. With all of the different tools that we use, I’ve observed that my students tend to lean towards those, which allows them to receive meaningful feedback on their writing from their peers both, local and global.

    I hope these tools will provide you and your students something new to add to the publishing toolbox. If you have a favorite tool you would like to share with all of us, please leave a comment or email us at social@/. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and new year full of fun writing and publishing adventures!

    Julie D. Ramsay is a Nationally Board Certified educator and the author of Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing?: Collaborating in Class & Online, Grades 3-8. She teaches ELA to sixth graders at Rock Quarry Middle School in Tuscaloosa, AL. She also travels the country to speak, present, and facilitate workshops in applying technology to support authentic learning. Read her blog at juliedramsay.blogspot.com

     
    In today’s world, the topic of using technology in the classroom can be intimidating. In this monthly column, join one teacher on a quest to discover the best way to meet the needs of her digital-age learners…moving beyond the technology tools...Read More
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    Spotlighting Online Literacy Resources

    by Mary Beth Scumaci
     | Dec 19, 2014

    As 2015 quickly approaches, it is a perfect time to reflect and set some new goals. With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to some incredibly useful resources.

    First is Joan Sedita’s important work with literacy and her comprehensive website, Keys to Literacy. This website is well respected in the professional community and was cofounded with Brad Neuenhaus in 2007. Sedita earned her MEd from Harvard and has taught in the field of literacy for more than 35 years. She is a nationally recognized as a teacher trainer and author and Keys to Literacy is packed with practical literacy pedagogy, best teaching practices, and professional opportunities for literacy instructors in every grade, as well as for students and instructors in higher education. You will find the information and ideas can inform your lesson planning for learners with a range of ability levels.

    Keys to Literacy covers topics ranging from Common Core implementation to professional development. There are opportunities to subscribe to the Keys to Literacy Newsletter and the Literacy Lines blog and you can shop for books and posters in the online store. I challenge you to join me, along with thousands of other educators, and sign up for these FREE resources. Both are packed with the latest research from top experts in the field, best teaching practices, and resource links to help you improve your literacy instruction in ways that increase student learning.

    One especially informative resource on Sedita’s website is the Fall 2014 Keys to Literacy Newsletter. With the fast-paced challenges we face in the field of digital literacy, it is reassuring to have credible information that offers timely research for educators. This newsletter focuses on the differences between new literacy and traditional literacy skills, as well as online reading comprehension skills. I love integrating technology to enhance, motivate, engage, empower, and improve student learning, but I often wonder about how to most effectively teach online research and reading comprehension skills. This issue of the Keys to Literacy Newsletter provides links to Donald Leu’s work in The New Literacies Research Lab at the University of Connecticut’s NEAG School of Education and a wide assortment of related resources. From here, you can read up on current literacy research and learn more about the federally funded Online Research and Comprehension Assessment (ORCA) project. The newsletter also links you to the New Literacies and 21st Century Technologies Position Statement published by the International Reading Association (IRA); Julie Coiro’s supporting article about the importance of online reading comprehension titled Rethinking Online Reading Assessment published in Educational Leadership; and her podcast interview titled “How Offline Reading, Online Reading, and Prior Knowledge Can Help Predict Student’s Abilities to Understand What They Read Online” broadcasted on Voice of Literacy. Voice of Literacy, founded in 2008 by Betsy Baker, offers bi-weekly podcasts of interviews with literacy experts who discuss their research on improving literacy instruction and implications of their work for teachers, principals, parents and policy makers.

    As you can see, this post started with a focus on Sedita and her work with Keys to Literacy and quickly migrated into a mashup of experts and resources in the literacy field. Make it your New Year’s resolution to visit the website and sign-up for the Keys to Literacy Newsletter and the Literacy Lines blog so you don’t miss a beat (or a syllable)!

    Mary Beth Scumaci is a Clinical Associate Professor with the Division of Education at Medaille College in Buffalo, New York. She can be reached at mscumaci@medaille.edu.

    This post is part of a series from the International Reading Association’s Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE SIG).

     
    As 2015 quickly approaches, it is a perfect time to reflect and set some new goals. With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to some incredibly useful resources. First is Joan Sedita’s important work with literacy and her ...Read More
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    Telling an Animated Story

    by Tim Flanagan
     | Dec 05, 2014

    Integrating technology into the classroom can be motivating, exciting and rewarding for both students and teachers.  It can also be scary and uncomfortable to try something new.  Teachers who hesitate to use technology in the classroom may not realize, however, that doing so does not mean abandoning what has worked for them in the past.  

    Take digital storytelling, as Abi Smart writes about “Combining traditional and new literacies in a 21st century writing workshop.” The writing process of planning, drafting, conferring, revising, and creating/publishing is the same, whether using digital tools or paper and pencil.  Teachers can still teach the writing process, including their favorite mini-lessons about the craft of writing, but digital tools can enhance what they have always done.  

    Using digital tools is not a new way to teach writing; it is a way to engage students and even deepen their understanding of the writing process.  In an earlier post, educator Hani Morgan cites many of the benefits of digital storytelling, especially for struggling writers.  Digital stories can also challenge gifted learners, as discussed in Lynda Kieler’s article from Gifted Child Today.  

    I first tried digital storytelling with my seventh grade language arts students last year using GoAnimate for Schools, a tool for creating animated movies.  I created my own video on GoAnimate so I could become familiar with the tools.  I knew I would not be able to answer every question that came up during the process, but being familiar with the tool made me more comfortable and better able to assist my students.  The students were so excited they actually clapped after watching my video introduction—not a typical response for seventh graders!

    Following the writing process, the students then brainstormed possible themes for their story and used a planning sheet to identify the story elements and create a storyboard.  The students were eager to create detailed plans so that they could begin exploring the tools on GoAnimate.  Class time was then devoted to “playing” with this new tool.  Along the way, some students took the lead and learned how to do many things that I hadn’t yet learned.  These students became the experts as students delved into constructing their story.  We created a shared Google Doc for students to contribute tips and suggestions for creating a GoAnimate video.   

    At this point in the writing process, students were ready to confer with other groups and provide feedback for each other on their movie drafts.  I taught mini-lessons on improving the quality of the videos, incorporating more authors’ tools and strengthening story elements.  The students then had time to revise their movies before sharing them on our movie preview day.

    The final products, as expected, varied in quality.  Some students went beyond what was expected while others completed just the basics.  This is not because I used GoAnimate; it would be true had I taught this unit with the traditional writing process and no digital tools.  This video shows one student’s story about gender stereotypes.

    Overall, the students found it challenging to create a short video and gained a new appreciation for all the planning that goes into each detail when telling a digital story.   In order to improve the project, I will make several changes this year.  One of the biggest will be that students will actually write a short narrative first, and then boil their narrative down to a GoAnimate video.  I may provide the option of using another tool I have just learned about, Pixton, which will allow students to turn their story into a graphic novel.  This project enabled students to achieve the traditional narrative writing goals as well as gain practice with important digital literacy skills.  

    Tim Flanagan is a seventh grade language arts teacher at Pawcatuck Middle School in Stonington, Connecticut.  He holds a Sixth Year degree in Instructional Technologies and Digital Media Literacy from the University of New Haven.  You can read his blog and follow him on Twitter (@tflanagan01).

    This post is part of a series from the International Reading Association’s Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE SIG).

    Integrating technology into the classroom can be motivating, exciting and rewarding for both students and teachers.  It can also be scary and uncomfortable to try something new.  Teachers who hesitate to use technology in the classroom may not...Read More
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