Week 8: Hypermediated/collaborative assignment

Bruffee and Shaughnessy’s emphasis on collaboration reinforced the idea that many teachers already knew was true, but perhaps didn’t want to admit to themselves: two minds are better than one. Collaborative learning is a way for students to combine their knowledge, interests, and abilities into one final product displaying their understanding of a concept. I have always had students work together on “projects” that tasks could be easily divided on. While this is logistically easier on students who would prefer to work independently (and easier for me to grade as they could explain the specific tasks they completed), I think Kenneth Bruffee values the sharing of knowledge and having each party bring their very best to the table.

Traditionally, we have students write an “argument essay” in which they pick a controversial topic and argue their side with appropriate research to document their claims. This is a full-blown research paper, limited to two to three pages, and we require works cited page. One of the things that this course has taught me is that the product is always valued, but the process should never be overlooked. If I were to have students work in groups to where they argue on the same side, and work as a team to formulate a clear thesis and supporting paragraphs with data that supported their claims, I think they would learn so much more than independently writing a paper at home.

The idea of “peer tutoring” doesn’t have to be formal or take place at a writing center like I initially imagined in my head. I think it would be rather difficult to ask students to do research and form a thesis collaboratively, and the conversations that they would have in order to agree on specific ideas and directions that they should take would be rather valuable.

So let’s talk product. If they are going to collaborate (probably in partners because groups more than three don’t work well) to write on a “hot topic” (though, luke-warm is usually better as the discussions get too emotional and heated, they can seriously lack an appropriate amount of the logical appeal!), I really like the idea of created a multimedia project. While powerpoint is okay, I think I’ll make a rule to not use powerpoint in the traditional way. They could create a collage or something that is more “prezi-esque”. I would push for them to use prezi or glogster, because they could learn a new form of technology. This has proved to be a very good tactic with high school students: if a lesson is presented to them in a new or fresh way, they are considerably more likely to pay attention. If they create an assignment in a new way, they won’t burn out on writing just another essay.

I would like to have a holistic rubric for this type of assignment. I can’t seem to find an example of one that I’ve used before, but it would consist of three grades: exceeds expectations, meets expectations, and fails to meet expectations. I would rate the quality of the product equally to the information presented to the audience from their research (yes, I would ask for this to be presented to the class and may even have them grade each other so they can get feedback!)

Check out this glogster presentation: http://mrsparky.edu.glogster.com/palmyra-haiti-wiki-project-home-page/ I think it’s a great example of how multimedia can be used for change in a school project. We have had students write letters to their congressmen and have offered bonus points to anyone who actually got a movement started, like this example shows. Kony 2012 anyone?

Week 7: Literacy Defined

My daughter, Adelina, is ten months old. She has had a book in her hand as soon as she could hold one and has been turning the page on command for about three months now. Her parents enjoy reading and are college-educated. Does this guarantee that she will be literate? Not exactly. Does this mean that she has a better shot than a student who grows up in a home without dozens of books to read with parents that don’t/can’t spend time reading with them? Probably. Traditionally, literacy means the ability to read written language. But there are numerous types of literacy, many of which the “illiterate” are fluent.

My paternal grandmother was illiterate, as in she could not read or write, not even her name. She was born and raised in Texas but never went to school. She worked at a very young age and the last job she held, was at the dry cleaners. She would professionally starch and iron clothes making the most casual of denim look sharp as hell. She could talk to you all day about the “right” way to make tamales. You wouldn’t know she had any kind of educational shortcomings unless you asked her to sign her name.

I found the history of literacy at the beginning of “Blinded by the Letter” particularly fascinating. It made me think about what my grandmother would have felt around the people she encountered at the mission neighborhood she lived in. Did people think that she “lacked intelligence and humanity”? (Johnson-Eilola and Wysocki 725) She certainly was literate in many other regards.

Literacy is not black and white. It is not something that is attained or not attained, but rather something that is experienced through us, “moving through [information]and making and changing conscious constructions as we go” (Johnson-Eilola and Wysocki 735). This idea while intriguing, leads me to our roles as teachers. What does this mean that we should do or not do in the classroom to lead our students to the desired academic communities that we are already apart of?

According to Mina Shaughnessy, we must change ourselves. We must decide that “teaching them to write well is not only suitable but challenging work for those who would be teachers and scholars in a democracy” (297). I’m not so sure that I’m ready to “dive in”, though I’d like to think that I’m close! Kathleen Blake Yancey has an idea that I think could solve a big problem in college-completion: the idea that FYC is used as a gateway rather than a gatekeeper will perhaps change the way that many teachers are teaching. If our goal was to focus on the students that need the most assistance and do all in our power to help them succeed at writing, this could give them the confidence and ability to continue through all four years of college.

Week 6: Podcast Peer Review

I reviewed Amelia’s podcast and I will note what was well-executed along with where there is room for clarification or improvement. Initially, all I was able to do is note all of the things that I should have done that she did in her podcast. It was overall well-developed and quite cohesive.

In the first segment, she did a great job of introducing herself. I don’t know why I didn’t even think of that. I liked the music in the background because it sounds less boring NPR-ish (for the record, I’m an NPR junkie!). The piano kind of gives the dialogue more unity and sets a mood, similar to a documentary would.  Or a narrative typed podcast, like This American Life.  I enjoyed the general biographical information about Berlin. I thought it was fascinating how he died! But it would be cool to maybe end on this note, to show his dedication to the field? Not sure how this would work with your current conclusion.

Identifying what the author said directly and quoting it added a nice purpose to each segment. Adding some personal discussion,( like on a radio program or something?) would add a different tone that’s a little more conversational? Maybe like a commentary from your own experiences after you defined and identified his theories would be a nice addition.

The concluding segment with an excerpt from his eulogy is very nice. It kind of brings it back around. I had a really hard time with this part! Your final thoughts were the perfect conclusion.

There are a few instances where I wish the dialogue was a little bit louder (mostly in the first segment, but a little in the second). I can hear the piano fine, but I think it might be the feed back/echo thing. 

In “Inviting the Mother Tongue: Beyond ‘Mistakes,’ ‘Bad English,’ and ‘Wrong Language’”, Peter Elbow discusses how it is important to not force students to conform to the language and culture of mainstream English. Amelia seemed to have no problems writing (and then speaking) in Standard Written English or SWE, and I would assume that like Elbow, her own “mother tongue” isn’t too different from the one presented in her podcast. It was interesting to me to try and decide whether or not to sound conversational or to sound like I was reading from a script. Since this is a podcast rather than a traditional essay or research paper, I tried to sound more casual and as a result, I’m afraid that I said “um” way too many times. Elbow notes that “speech and writing are different dialects and for writing, there is still a need to acquiesce” (645).

Week 5: The Safety of Anonymity

Back in 1997, I was in 8^th grade and absolutely positively loved getting into chat rooms on AOL (remember AOL?).  I wasn’t exactly an active participant in these chat rooms; I would kind of just sit there and see what would happen. A cyberspace wallflower of sorts. But if I did want to chime in with my ideas, I wasn’t concerned about how I would be judged because I didn’t know any of those weirdos (though, I was admittedly one of them). The idea of a bunch of strangers from all around the country discussing random issues in virtual anonymity was a completely safe social experiment in my book. I could see how people interacted with each other, watch cyber friendships emerge, and feel like I was socializing without having to ask my parents if they could take me to “so and sos” house.

Fast forward to 2012. I sign up for my third and fourth online graduate classes, but my first classes that meet “virtually” in a classroom. I was genuinely giddy with excitement. Two things that I love: learning and socializing all in the comfort of my own home. I get to wear pajamas, drink a Shiner summer brew, and have academic discussions about literature and writing.

Virtual classrooms like the MOO have many advantages that are similar to chat rooms from the late 1990s and early 2000s. There is a sense of camaraderie and it strangely feels more social than in a traditional classroom, but it's also more anonymous. Students are able to attend to the information presented to them with very little visual distractions (people walking in late, observing non-verbal cues from the professor or classmates, etc.).  Everything is in front of you in black and white and if you missed something said, you can scroll back up to see what you misunderstood. There have been instances in both of my classes when the professor asked a question and I wasn’t sure what he asked exactly. If this was on Skype or in a normal classroom, I would not be able to answer the question. Other students (who are usually faster processers or not as easily distracted as I am) are able to answer the question and the professor would move on. In these instances, I am given an opportunity to participate when I would otherwise not have. Additionally, the MOO creates an environment that is more safely anonymous (because of the geographical distance between us?) and as a result, feels safer to a person who would not normally share in class. It seems to make sharing, which could result in learning, more equitable. Because this is a course in writing, the “black and white” print format of the MOO is an interesting example of a dialogue or text. As Nancy Sommers discussed in her research, speech is “irreversible” (44). This begs the question of whether our course classroom is closer to being a “speech” or a form of writing. Since I tend to type on the fly in MOO, it is sometimes “irreversible” for me! Though saving the courses transcripts tends to add a sort of permanence to everything that I state.

I have never had a class with skype, but I have interacted with a linguistics professor who was teaching in Japan. In those days it was 100% free (only 6 years ago). Using skype in a classroom format would eliminate the perceived anonymity some. The same problem with different personality types would exist (more extroverted and confident students will participate more willingly than the introspective types), and the loudest talker will prevail! I’m sure there is a way to make skype more organized, but I imagine lots of talking over people and confusion. This is a problem in the MOO too, but it is easier to scroll up to see what you missed. Since this is a writing course, MOO seems better. But if this was a speech communications course, I could see how skype would have its purpose.

The idea of becoming whoever your heart desires online is fascinating and I can see how this type of format may one day become more popular than a traditional classroom. I think that it encourages more learning and participation from a variety of personality types.

A note on the writing process: As I am typing this, I have been hyper-conscious of my writing process. There has been next to zero “pre-writing” and the revision process is happening simultaneously with my writing (Sommers, 49). I typically get all of my thoughts out on a certain subject, then return to each of the paragraphs to clarify to figure out what I want to say in the first place (50). I am constantly examining and reexamining what I am trying to communicate and how effective I have been. While I am far from an "expert" writer, I consider this a good sign in my ability to revise.