Double Entry Journal #3

Quote:

“…teachers must now ask themselves questions such as these:

...

·        How can I teach language arts (or science or social studies or math) to students who are constantly exposed to multimedia, virtual reality, and electronic communities?...”

Reflection:

As mentioned in last week’s reflection, I am aware that most of my students use facebook, twitter, and other social media website.  For that reason, I decided to blog the daily assignments.  Blogging is a good way to keep students and parents informed, but this quote has me thinking, “What is the best way to teach math content to these children exposed to so much media?”

I am lucky enough to have a smart board in my classroom.  I often like to show short, quirky math videos.  I sometimes will pause the video when it gets to the “nitty gritty math stuff” and circle things.  My students will laugh or comment on how nerdy it is, but they always remember the funny videos.  It is important to reflect on the multimedia background of the students.

Additional Questions:

1. What is meant by the term "new literacies" and give me a concrete example of how it should change teachers' understanding of what it means to literate in the digital age.

New literacies are literacies that have recently emerged like computer literacy, cultural literacy, diagrammatic literacy, document literacy, economic literacy, environmental literacy, film literacy, information literacy, mathematical literacy, media literacy, music literacy, political literacy, scientific literacy, technical literacy, television literacy, video literacy, and visual literacy.

A concrete example is a youtube video; it changes teachers’ understanding because we are now questioning the accredibility of others, but not re-inventing the wheel.  If I want to show my students quick video on Order of Operations, but don’t have a DVD or the time to create one, I can use youtube, teachertube, or several sites to find something.  The only thing is I would need to research the credibility.


2.In your own words explain what this quote means:
    "In the current historical juncture of democratic decline in the United States, ideals and images have become detached from their anchorage in stable and agreed-upon meaning and associations and are now beginning to assume a reality of their own. The self-referential world of the media is one that splinters, obliterates, peripheralizes, partitions and segments social space, time, knowledge, and subjectivity in order to unify, encompass, entrap, totalize and homogenize them through the meta-form of entertainment. What needs to be addressed is the way in which capitalism is able to secure this cultural and ideological totalization and homogenization through its ability to insinuate itself into social practices and private perceptions through various forms of media knowledges. (p. 196)"

Media is always changing.  The same media could have positive reflections one day, but negative reflections the next.

3. What does the lack of critical media literacy in schools create?

Children that believe everything they see;  children that have poor analytical skills.

4.  Why is it preposterous to claim an absolute definition of " literacy"?

Literacy is constantly changing and expanding.

5. Why does this author advocate for a more critical approach to visual literacy? Do you agree? Why or why not?

Students live in an “intermedial” world today.  Technology and media are part of everyday life.  I 100 percent agree with the author’s view.

Other Resource:

I embedded this video in a Smartboard lesson last week.  I paused it in some places like 1:19 and had full engagement in a hard math problem.  

Works Cited:

Mister C. (2010). Pemdas - order of operations rap. [0]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWyxWg2-LTY

Semali, L. (2001, November). Defining new literacies in curricular practice. Reading Online, 5(4). Retrieved from: http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=semali1/index.html