I felt like conversations were at the center of both of their messages. In order for people to communicate effectively, there needs to be a balance between face to face conversations for sharing ideas and using technology with a purpose. People need to learn conversational skills such as, how to introduce themselves and start a conversation, how to respectfully disagree, and how to share what we are feeling, which are all part of our social-emotional health. Additionally, these are skills used in both the real world and the classroom when we collaborate. We also need to be aware of how and why we are using technology. There is definitely a need for people to "unplug" and learn to limit the tech use as Turkle points out but there is also a need for us to learn how technology can support connectedness and drive social change. I think Wesch was using technology as a way to take people's ideas and turn them into action, as a way to give students power and make their learning more significant.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Turkle and Wesch
In reading these two articles I felt like they were both discussing the current state of human interconnectedness. Turkle focused more on the individual and how media, and smartphones, in particular, can connect people on a large scale but also make us more disconnected and lonely in our real lives. While Wesch focused more on the educational implications of how we use technology and grouping and also how we can take what is happening in our classrooms and expand it to how it affects people on a global scale.
I felt like conversations were at the center of both of their messages. In order for people to communicate effectively, there needs to be a balance between face to face conversations for sharing ideas and using technology with a purpose. People need to learn conversational skills such as, how to introduce themselves and start a conversation, how to respectfully disagree, and how to share what we are feeling, which are all part of our social-emotional health. Additionally, these are skills used in both the real world and the classroom when we collaborate. We also need to be aware of how and why we are using technology. There is definitely a need for people to "unplug" and learn to limit the tech use as Turkle points out but there is also a need for us to learn how technology can support connectedness and drive social change. I think Wesch was using technology as a way to take people's ideas and turn them into action, as a way to give students power and make their learning more significant.
I see them as allies because they are both arguing for people to be less alone and in their own bubble and more connected to the world around them. They just take different approaches. Turkle is talking more about unplugging and connecting to family and friends, while Wesch is talking about using collaboration and technology with a purpose to teach people how to connect.
I felt like conversations were at the center of both of their messages. In order for people to communicate effectively, there needs to be a balance between face to face conversations for sharing ideas and using technology with a purpose. People need to learn conversational skills such as, how to introduce themselves and start a conversation, how to respectfully disagree, and how to share what we are feeling, which are all part of our social-emotional health. Additionally, these are skills used in both the real world and the classroom when we collaborate. We also need to be aware of how and why we are using technology. There is definitely a need for people to "unplug" and learn to limit the tech use as Turkle points out but there is also a need for us to learn how technology can support connectedness and drive social change. I think Wesch was using technology as a way to take people's ideas and turn them into action, as a way to give students power and make their learning more significant.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Maker Space: Gender/Power
We started our project thinking mainly about gender roles/norms, but as we were working our idea evolved into more of a power relationship. Using the green cup we are showing someone who feels hurt. The pins in them represent the challenges they've faced and the pain they feel in their society. They also have bigger eyes to show that they are observant. They also have multiple arms to show that they are a multi-tasker and overwhelmed. Their heart is "on their sleeve" to show that they do have emotion, but their mouth is taped shut because they cannot share how they really feel. We added the netting to show that people who feel hurt or powerless often wear a "mask" to hide their emotions. Finally, their "world" feels limited.
In contrast, the second character in the background is the powerful person. They have legs because they are able to stand on their own and feel like they have more freedom and are smiling because they are not "masking" their emotions.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Looking for the Girls
I was drawn to this chapter of the book "Looking for the Girls" because I work with young people who are navigating the transition from being children to becoming young men and women. I worry when I see these young women who looked so young and innocent in the 5th grade allowing themselves to become sexualized, and changing their appearance to please other people in just a few short years. I know that the media has a huge impact on these girls sense of self-image and was interested to see what Andrea Brown-Thirston had to say about music videos influence on young people.
She begins by explaining the images she sees of black women in music videos, specifically R&B and hip-hop. She describes scantily clad women twerking and grinding in the background while men (and some women) sing degrading and sexual lyrics. She then goes on to describe the effects she sees this having on teens. On page 188 she describes a student "still looking for the girls in the DMX video" and says “I think he meant that the girls in the videos represent a lifestyle that blends money. Power, respect, material wealth, and beautiful women. This lifestyle does not just dominate music videos; much of the “curriculum” in mainstream media focuses on this lifestyle as the essence of the American dream.” (188) She continues to explain how the problem of promoting this lifestyle affects both boys and girls. She says that the dangerous part is “the basic message for African American young men was that money can buy you beautiful, sexy and seductive women.” (189) and that “Black girls may internalize these images and begin to accept the role of sex object.” (189) As we have discussed children needing to develop a critical lens for looking at media and film.
Brown-Thirston then proposes three ways to help counteract this effect on the young women of color in our communities. First to help young people develop their critical lens and ask them to question what they see in the media and if it is positive and realistic. Secondly, to recognize the power these images have and present them with other ways, and finally to recognize the impact that parents, teachers and mentors have and to intentionally guide them to show them that "our confidence comes from who we are rather than what we have." (190)
Finally, to reflect a different perspective I found an article where Cardi B pushes back against the idea that female musicians perpetuate this problem, and that instead, they are showing they are empowered by making their own decisions about their bodies and how they present themselves.
She begins by explaining the images she sees of black women in music videos, specifically R&B and hip-hop. She describes scantily clad women twerking and grinding in the background while men (and some women) sing degrading and sexual lyrics. She then goes on to describe the effects she sees this having on teens. On page 188 she describes a student "still looking for the girls in the DMX video" and says “I think he meant that the girls in the videos represent a lifestyle that blends money. Power, respect, material wealth, and beautiful women. This lifestyle does not just dominate music videos; much of the “curriculum” in mainstream media focuses on this lifestyle as the essence of the American dream.” (188) She continues to explain how the problem of promoting this lifestyle affects both boys and girls. She says that the dangerous part is “the basic message for African American young men was that money can buy you beautiful, sexy and seductive women.” (189) and that “Black girls may internalize these images and begin to accept the role of sex object.” (189) As we have discussed children needing to develop a critical lens for looking at media and film.
Brown-Thirston then proposes three ways to help counteract this effect on the young women of color in our communities. First to help young people develop their critical lens and ask them to question what they see in the media and if it is positive and realistic. Secondly, to recognize the power these images have and present them with other ways, and finally to recognize the impact that parents, teachers and mentors have and to intentionally guide them to show them that "our confidence comes from who we are rather than what we have." (190)
Finally, to reflect a different perspective I found an article where Cardi B pushes back against the idea that female musicians perpetuate this problem, and that instead, they are showing they are empowered by making their own decisions about their bodies and how they present themselves.
Imagine if we treated men the same way in music videos...
Easel.ly Tutorial
Tech Tool: Easel.ly - an online program to create colorful, personalized posters, infographics,
comparisons, and flowcharts!
comparisons, and flowcharts!
Quick Facts:
- Free version, with limited (10) but a good variety of choices for templates and
- Can upgrade to “Pro” for 1 annual payment of $48
- Under the “Getting Started” tab they have a blog with great tips! There are also
- Easy to use!!
Tutorial:
- Login with your Google account or email and password
- In the “My Visuals” screen, which opens automatically, click on blank template box.
- Across the top of the screen you will see options such as Templates, Objects, Media,
5. I would begin by choosing a template to work with, but you can also create your own.
6. After you choose a template you can choose the background (if you want to change
it) and then you can begin adding your text and data.
it) and then you can begin adding your text and data.
Classroom Ideas:
- Timelines
- Plot Map/Sequencing
- Identify areas on a world map (Biomes, Where are we from?, Natural Resources, etc)
- Compare and Contrast
- Before and After
- Flowchart for steps to solve a problem
- Student Presentations
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Disney Myths
Being a child in the '80s and '90s I grew up watching many Disney movies and cartoons. I remember when Aladdin, The Lion King, and Pocahontas each came out and how excited we were to go see them in the theatre. My favorite princesses were Cinderella and Ariel from the Little Mermaid. Although I never felt like I was hugely influenced by this media, now as an adult I think I bought into the idea of a "happily ever after". As if there was some event, not necessarily a marriage, but some rite of passage like graduating or getting your first "real" job or buying a house where you suddenly just became an adult and things just got easier after that. I am also struck by how often I catch myself rethinking the gender roles that I grew up thinking were normal.
It wasn't until I was in high school that I was even aware that there might be underlying messages or lessons in any of these films. Although I have since learned about some of the dangerous messages that cartoons and animated films can have, Christensen's chapter helped me to think about it in a way that I had not considered. On page 176 she says, "Children's cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre "read." Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again, often from the warmth of their mothers' or fathers' laps." I don't often think of media, in the same way, I think of literature, but for little ones, especially those who do not read on their own Disney and other animations are often their primary source of entertainment, and hence observation, besides their family. This makes them much more influential than I had originally thought, especially when their family is supporting that message by making it feel safe.
In rewatching Frozen I was pleased to see that there was a more progressive take on the gender roles. Although some of the more traditional prince/princess conventions are present both male and female characters also take on non-traditional characteristics. For example, Anna being outspoken and adventurous, whereas Kristoff is more of a social outcast and humble character compared to a traditional prince. I also liked that the "true love" in this movie was not the traditional heterosexual romantic love. Although that was still a part of the movie, it was not what "saved" either Elsa or Anna. Another site I found that supports this opinion is called gender norms thaw in Disney's Frozen.
Monday, June 24, 2019
"It's Complicated"
In Danah Boyd's book, "It's Complicated", she explores the complications of assuming today's youth are inherently digital natives, whereas older people are considered digital immigrants. I believe that to a degree this is true. Young people today are born into a world where they are surrounded by technology and media and grow up with a "twitch speed" mentality. Whereas in past generations people took the time look information up in a book, or write each other personalized letters, now most people "google it" or send a quick email or text, expecting an immediate response. However, just as with learning a language or culture you cannot acquire all of the necessary skills some of them need to be taught. Especially when it comes to safety on the internet or higher level skills, such as coding and programming. So while some skills are acquired as part of technological culture, such as speed, interconnectedness, or parallel processing there are also skills that can be learned through interaction, practice, and instruction.
I also think there is a socio-economic component to this. People who have access to use computers, tablets, or smartphones at home have more time to "play" and discover how to use various tools. However, there are both children and adults who are lacking in this free time to discover and learn new technology. As a teacher of emergent bilinguals, especially in an inner-city neighborhood, I have seen this first hand. I have had new arrival students who are expected to keep up with a demanding online curriculum in English, when they have never seen or used a real keyboard before. Not all children are growing up exposed to this technology revolution, some are struggling to keep up just as much as their parents are. Here is an infographic that shows some of the digital divides between who uses the internet and how.
Finally, although I don't feel like being a digital native vs a digital immigrant it is as simple as age, there is a relationship between the terms and how people are able to relate to digital technology and media. I do feel as though learning about technology is learning a new culture. There is a lot of language that is unique to various forms of technology and coding, and there is a new communication system. A friend of mine comment recently on how an older woman said look at those kids just looking at their phones and not communicating, but what she didn't know was that they were texting and sending pictures and communicating in a way that was completely different to her. So I think there is a lot of communication barriers between the new and the old ways of doing things, and there is a lot to be learned.
Digital Native or Immigrant?
I was born in the mid-'80s and grew up at a time when the concept of home computers was still new but not unheard of. Like Dr. Bogad we had a computer that we got from my uncle who was a teacher, and I remember the floppy discs and the printer paper that you had to feed in with the holes on the side and then tear apart (see example here). However, I also had a cell phone almost as soon as I knew how to drive and I remember getting my very first text message from my very first boyfriend and walking around asking my friends (here at RIC) if they knew what it was?! THEY DIDN'T!!! We all figured it out quickly and within months, if not weeks, we couldn't believe we had ever lived without texting.
In some ways, I feel like a digital native because I did grow up as many modern technologies were being created, I used computers in school and at home, and I am much more tech-savvy than my parents and even older cousins. However, I also feel like a digital immigrant because there is so much I don't know, and I tend to rely on the forms of technology that I am most familiar with. I feel like I learn things quickly when exposed to new technology but I am also hesitant to try new things. For example, this is my first attempt at blogging and at first I was like this isn't so bad...then it took me about 20mins to add a photo, haha!! But I think I've got it now? I think like most of us, I fall somewhere in the middle. (marc prensky)
In some ways, I feel like a digital native because I did grow up as many modern technologies were being created, I used computers in school and at home, and I am much more tech-savvy than my parents and even older cousins. However, I also feel like a digital immigrant because there is so much I don't know, and I tend to rely on the forms of technology that I am most familiar with. I feel like I learn things quickly when exposed to new technology but I am also hesitant to try new things. For example, this is my first attempt at blogging and at first I was like this isn't so bad...then it took me about 20mins to add a photo, haha!! But I think I've got it now? I think like most of us, I fall somewhere in the middle. (marc prensky)
First Blog
My name is Courtney O. Although, I have used many types of online communication this is my first ever blog!! I am an ELL teacher in Providence and have a love of baking. In the past week my students who I have had for several years now "graduated" and are going on to high school, which was a very bittersweet moment. I was also able to attend my nieces pre-K graduation which was adorable!
Friday was my first day of vacation, so my husband and I went to Boston for the day and although it was very cloudy we had a wonderful day roaming around the city and checking out some beer gardens. I am really excited about this class because I know I have a lot to learn about digital literacy. I think it will be fun to have time to experience new tools and learn to think more deliberately about how and why we use digital resources in the classroom.
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