Week Two

Chapter Two: Learning with New Literacies

Before Reading:
The authors suggest that, “New literacies have transformed the way we read, write, think,
communicate, and make meaning.” Discuss this statement and its implications for student
learning in your content area. What types of “new literacies” have you seen used in the
classroom?

As a teacher with new literacies emerging, it’s important to realize that there will be a
generational discrepancy. I may come into contact with a generational culture I may not
understand, as my student’s literary experiences may be different than mine when I was in
school. To be an effective teacher, I need to understand how my students are consuming
information and how they communicate information. I have seen blogs and Twitter used to
communicate ideas. I have also seen texts summarized in one sentence or an image. Focus
on simplifying complicated themes are present in the classes I know.

While Reading
Two Column Notes
Read pages 28-38 and use the two column note sheet to keep track of 3-4
essential ideas from the chapter. In the first column record a quote or direct
phrases from the text in the second column record your personal response

What the text says What it means to me

“Some studies have shown a link
between using activities that involve
nonprint-dominated materials and an
increase in print literacy” (30)
I believe that if we can use nonprint
materials to key into students’ interests
and show them that they read on a daily
basis, then we can bridge that gap
between their literary and reading books.
Showing them the different types and
mediums of literary can help spark
interest (or at least stop resistance).

“All learners will have engaging and
empowering learning experiences both in
and out of school that prepare them to be
active, creative, knowledgeable, and
ethical participants in our globally
networked society” (33)
I think it’s incredibly important to prepare
students for networked society. In ELA,
this is especially relevant with discussion
boards, blogs, research, and citations.

Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal

“In new literacies classrooms, there are
meta-dialogues, such as think-alouds, by
teachers who model working through
problems using certain symbol systems”
(34)
A lot of teachers automatically think
students know how to use certain
technology. However, anything could be
farther from the truth. In my own
internship classes, I’ve seen 20 minutes
wasted on logging high school students
into their accounts and finding the online
PowerPoint function. It was a 50-minute
class. Preparing students for technology
and doing think alouds is critical.

Technology Infusion:
Read pages 38 - 46 on Writing to Learn Online. Select one of the tools mentioned
in the text, locate a website or digital app you could use in class, and discuss
how you would implement the tool into your content area. What would be the
benefits of using this particular tool? What are some roadblocks, or challenges
you would need to consider when implementing it in the classroom?

One thing I have considered using in my classroom are blogs. I would try to limit the
amount of blog assignments I gave out because they can get a little tedious if done every
week. However, I think it would be a great opportunity to do book blogs. It would provide
students with a choice of book they want to read, and gives them space to discuss the
book, the features, and maybe connect something to what we’ve been talking about in
class. Edmodo is a website that acts as an “educational” Facebook. Students write posts,
and other students can comment for discussion. In this activity, there would be a variety of
posts to comment on, and other students can check out the material others are reading. A
challenge would be having students remember to post about their books, or the activity
seeming “pointless.” The assignment would have to have a strong purpose and connect to
what we’re working on. Otherwise, it can come across as busywork.

In Class:
In small groups find a website pertaining to your content area of
interest and evaluate it using the C.R.A.P evaluation tool located here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJGC23c4CSMyGI03ZqxFBcK
Wf5wHsuJpqdTNls1Uv-s/edit?usp=sharing
Sample:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EJGC23c4CSMyGI03ZqxFBcK
Wf5wHsuJpqdTNls1Uv-s/edit?usp=sharing

Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal

 C.R.A.P. Test
Website Evaluation Checklist
Title of page you are evaluating: Native Bees of North America

URL of page: https://bugguide.net/node/view/475348

CURRENCY
When was Provide a screen capture or specific information below
the page Date: February 20, as evidence
written or 2018
updated?

Is the The date matters to the topic because new scientific

information Yes No evidence and information could have changed or been
current updated. Finding relevant information is especially
enough for important in the sciences.
your topic?

Why might
the date
matter for
your topic?

RELIABILITY Provide a screen capture or specific information below as evidence

Are there references
given for the Yes
information on the
site?

Look for a bibliography or No

any list of materials used
in the creation of the
page.

Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal

 Is the content primarily Provide a screen capture or specific information
opinion? Yes No below as evidence

Is the content biased or

balanced? Why might
bias matter for your
topic?

Created by Elizabeth Dolinger, Information Literacy Librarian Mason Library Keene State College. Posted with
permission.

AUTHORITY
Who wrote the Email: Provide a screen capture or specific information
page? below as evidence
Beatriz Moisset -
If there is no bmoisset@aol.com
specific author,
what is the name (The site is also hosted
of the organization by Iowa State University’s
responsible for the Dept. of Entomology)
site? You may
need to visit the
homepage to find
the answer.

Is there evidence Evidence: Provide a screen capture or specific information

that the author or below as evidence
organization is When you click on her
an expert on this name at the bottom of the
subject? page, it takes you to a
brief biography about her
where she states she is a
retired biologist and
studied pollinators after
retirement.

PURPOSE AND POINT OF VIEW

Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal

 Why was the page Provide a screen capture or specific information
put on the web? Information/facts below as evidence

Are there ads on There were not any ads on the website nor
Persuasion
the site? How do page. This was strictly informative information for
Sales tool academic purposes.
they relate to the
topic covered?
Other:
Example: an ad selling
ammunition next to an
article about firearm
legislation.

Is the content
primarily opinion?

What is the .com .edu .mil Provide a screen capture or specific information
domain .org .net .gov below as evidence
extension?
Other .Net is used for companies to launch their
How might this __________________ business. This influences the purpose because
.net websites may not be reliable, so it important
influence the
for students to not be fooled by the domain
purpose? extension.

Based on the Children Provide a screen capture or specific information

writing style and General Public below as evidence
vocabulary, who Students
The information provided in the website is very
is the intended Scholars or formative, using some scientific words, and
audience? professionals bigger vocabulary most children would not be
Other familiar with. The tone of the website seems
educational and used for academic purposes.

Ex:

“A very useful halictid bee is the alkali bee,

Nomia melanderi, of western United States. As
its name suggests it prefers to build its nest in
alkaline terrain. It likes to live in aggregations
or colonies, not exactly social since each bee
tends to her own brood, but companionably
close to each other” (Moisset, 2018).

Will you use the source? WHY or WHY NOT?

Yes, we will use this source. It provides facts that are cited by educational
journals and websites from Oxford University Press and University of
Maine. It is mainly fact based, has pictures and diagrams of bees for
scientific purposes, and has been updated within the last few months.
Although this is a .net website, it seems that the contributors are well
informed, and read the scholarly material presented by universities.
Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal
After Reading (To be done after class)

A colleague who has used only traditional printed material in her classroom is
interested in incorporating new literacies into a unit of study. How would you
explain those differences? What suggestions would you offer for getting
started with the integration of new literacies in your content area?

If my colleague is unfamiliar with technology infusion and other literacies, I would advise
them to take it slow. Sometimes learning these new literacies can be overwhelming, and I
would share with them that they can use simple yet engaging literacies in the classroom.
For example, if they are an English teacher, as I am, I would recommend them using
Google Drive. It’s a great way for students to share their writing with the teacher and other
students. It’s very collaborative, editing/suggesting is easy, and teachers can moderate
progress by checking in on shared documents. I would explain that one of the main
differences in using online collaborative editing programs is that responses are more
immediate, and that “filing” can actually be done with virtual folders! However, the biggest
difference is getting used to having the material virtually, and not having the tangible work.

Wiens RDG 323 Fall 2018 Digital Journal