Chapter 3 of WACNM discusses how electronic communication tools are reshaping and expanding academic instruction, adding dimensions of learning not possible in the traditional way of getting students to learn. Do you think using electronics to promote learning is useful? What problems may students have with using electronics in the classroom?
I found it quite ironic that Kress' article English at the Crossroads, discusses how visual media and print has changed over the year and how it effects its audience, and the article itself was visually impairing to read because it was sideways. I am not that computer savvy and do not know how to rotate a web browser window. Maybe electronics should have been implemented more when I was in grade school. Anyhow I believe this article was very interesting because I never really analyzed or even considered how visual media effects people. According to Kress, "The visual is becoming more prominent in many domains of public communication. This is to realize that written language is being displaced from its hitherto unchallenged central position in the semiotic landscape, and that the visual is taking over many of the functions of written language" (68).
I fell like there was so much information on this section of readings that It was to much to cover in just one 450 word blog.
Do you think that WAC should be replaced by Communication across the Curriculum and Electronic Communication Across the Communication, since this the world is becoming more computer savvy and more a more college students are using distant learning for higher education?
Do you think learning the fundamentals of writing will become obsolete with the advancement of auto summary, spell check and proof reader?
--Morales
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17 comments:
Hi, Falyn - Happy Halloween. I read your post and I agree with your comments on Kress's "English at the Crossroads". I just thought is was my printer that distorted the copy and made reading difficult. I did agree with him that there is a the need for change in the English curricula. However, I do not believe that it should be all about visualization. People should know how to read and write and not just rely on "pictures". It is almost as if Kress wants us to revert back to children's picture books where we depended on visual cues for understanding and content. I know of students that cannot read and that is how the cover up their inability - they look at the pictures and make up a plausible story to go along with the pictures. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't - when it doesn't they quickly reply "Oh, I don't have my glasses".
To answer one of your questions, no, I do not believe that learning the fundamentals of writing will become obsolete - at least I hope not. While computers are great and make life so much easier, they cannot distinguish between words like their, there and they're. I tell my students that if they are sending a resume to a company, the person reading their resume has only that letter to go by and if there are spelling mistakes, your letter as a good chance of going to the bottom of the pile. Anyone agree/disagree?
One more thing, before trick and treaters ring the bell again - in WACM I agree that the "use of email and most Internet resources still involves primarily text, people using...are always writing, always reading" (57). This is a good thing but when you constantly text in this discourse community, you tend to continue it elsewhere - mainly in your class assignments where text abbreviations are not acceptable.
Enjoy rest of your weekend.
Ann,
It's amazing how we think alike. I'm finding as a teacher one of the major problems with each batch of new students is that they can't write out the full words! They always seem to be using abbreviations. I agree with what's being written in WACM that email does involving reading and writing; but you have to keep in mind that this book is horribly outdated. Since its publication in 2001, texting has taken the world by storm. I don't know if you'll agree with me, ( and I've said this in previous posts)this book needs a newer edition published! But I do agree with their theories here. At the time the book was written, the use of technology for student communication in writing centers was a good thing that could be controlled and monitored. But nowadays, with facebook and myspace being open to every teenager and senior citizen alike, it's harder to keep a handle on such integration for the purpose of CAC. Anyone agree? Disagree?
----Eugenio
Hi Ann,
I definitely agree. I think Texting has brought so many problems. Students are having trouble distinguishing between text language and proper English words. I can't say I think texting should be completely obliterated, because I text myself; however, the difference between me and some students I see is that, they are sometimes unable to distinguish the difference between text writing/language and "normal" writing/language. It looks like it’s just another challenge us teachers or future teachers has to take on. I say-bring it on. We'll figure out how to help them make this distinction. Informal assignments such as blogging etc. can probably help with this. It's pretty close to texting in that it gets students to engage in ongoing conversations with their peers.
I definitely agree that visualizations should not be a student's primary source of retrieving knowledge; however, I do believe that it can be extremely useful if it helps a student to reach the next step. I think visuals can be excessively used (if that's what a student needs) to help them get passed the basics, or to assist them in understanding a particular issue, but I agree in that it should not be the absolute only way.
To answer Falon's question, I don't think the advancement of auto summary, spell check, and proof reader will make the fundamentals of writing obsolete. We should be able to use these functions to help us. I just think our world is advancing. Computers and all their abilities are advancing, and the teachers, students, and people living in this society must simply adapt and embrace the changes. We should stop dwelling on the negatives of these programs (because we may be afraid of change). If used properly technological advancements in a classroom are extremely beneficial. I strongly believe that these advancements enhance or allow both students and teachers to focus more on higher levels of learning and questioning. Why should we focus so intensely on spelling, grammar and all the technicalities, when we know that their writing programs are fixing those errors for them? Don't get me wrong I don't think the technicalities should be ignored completely, I just think that it helps us to move past stressing them, to focus on critical thinking, creating etc.
-CRYSTAL RIOS
James Coccaro-First Post
Hello Crystal,
Great post! What you said about spell-check and other automated correction devices really got me thinking. While I agree we should focus on critical thinking skills, I do not feel we can ignore teaching the fundamentals of spelling and grammar because technology can only catch so many mistakes. Whenever I receive an essay or homework assignment that is riddled with mistakes from one of my students, I always ask if he or she read it over before he or she printed it. Usually, he or she tells me no, that he or she had spell checked it. Spell checking is a poor substitute for proofreading and it picks up very few mistakes besides some very obvious spelling ones.
I think the clash between technologies and writing, such as the spell-checking debate, take place because “synaesthetic activity has been suppressed in institutionalized education, due to the social and cultural dominance of language in the written mode in the public domain” (Kress 86). People are not comfortable with the idea that writing might need to take a backseat in communication in order to allow new technologies to develop. Fear of a new medium that does not use writing, many teachers avoid technology altogether, even when it can help writing. As a result, instead of teaching students how to write and proofread using spell check, it is thrown out the window and more archaic tools such as paper dictionaries are employed. When students go home, they think the teacher an old fool, or dinosaur, and use a computer’s spell check system, thinking they have stumbled upon something teachers are not even aware of yet. On the contrary, most teachers use spell check to aid themselves, but understand how to use it wisely in conjunction with proofreading as a tool, not a crutch. In this way, a fear of CAC prevents WAC.
I like the reading in WACNM because it brings up some interesting points and ideas. For example, Reiss and Young bring up the idea of creating “projects” that “incorporate a variety of informal and formal writing tasks in various combinations of print and electronic media, thus reflecting the reality most professionals encounter in their workday lives” (Reiss 65). I really like the idea that students are being exposed to both types of media and writing because we should not be teaching students out of date skills. I vividly remember taking computer class when I was in grammar school. We were being forced to learn how to write code for an obsolete art program that seemed like it ran in dos while Windows was already out with Windows Paint. Every student knew it was a complete and utter waste of time. This is why Reiss and Young’s idea of creating work that mirrors that of active professionals is so exciting! Does anyone else agree?
James Coccaro
James -
To answer your last question first...I love seeing real world skills applied to the classroom. There are certain things that I encounter at work that most students never get to see before they attempt to get a job. Reading comprehension, text to type or type to text capabilities...."prfessionalizing" correspondence...All of these day to day things that I encounter, that were neglected in many classrooms.
"use of email and most Internet resources still involves primarily text, people using...are always writing, always reading" (57)."(Ann) I agree with this also, there is always a level of reading and writing going on, but due to the high level of integreation of text and email into students lives, there tends to be a disconnect when they encounter an assignment that requires their own eyes review it. We see it amongst ourselves when we do these peer reviews. Who missed a comma, who mispelled something, becuase we are so accustomed to having the computer do that for us.
If we could get students to 1. carry over their enthusiasm for texting to writing, 2. incorporate "real world" ideas into our assignemtnes, 3. tarnslate the world of websites into our classrooms as far as CRAP principles since so many students are more familiar with website layout than what the walls of their classrooms look like.
Heller
ps thanks doc for making the site white!
Hey, guys, thanks for agreeing with my texting difficulties with regard to my students' writing assignments. Glad I'm not the only one experiencing these difficulties.
Irene, I would love to get my students to have enthusiasm for my writing assignments and to be able to incorporate "real world" ideas into my assignments. Unfortunately, we seldom have the opportunity to do that. We are either teaching a curriculum already designed for us - like the Freshmen curriculum of Greek mythology - or teaching to pass the ELA regents. Also, believe it or not, I do not have computers in my classroom, the library computers do not all work and there are some students who do not have a computer at home. So when you give an assignment, you have to make sure all can complete the task.
I too agree with what many of you are saying about how enthusiastic about texting students can be while at the same time whining at the mention of a writing assignment. I think what we need to ask ourselves is what, why, and how we can use this. We need to ask why students prefer texting and what it is they are getting from the texting that they aren’t getting from our assignments. We also need to consider how can we use their enthusiasm for texting, email and using social networking sites to better their writing skills.
As for the writing errors I for one am so incredibly grateful for spell check I can not even begin to tell you. All through elementary and junior high I constantly had points taken off my papers for spelling errors. I am dyslexic and was diagnosed as such in the 5th grade but regardless of a reason I was always struggling with spelling. I would sometimes be so distracted by spelling that I would loose my train of though and the actual writing would suffer. So I personally agree with integrating technological advancements when it comes to writing in the classroom because I can see how some of these tools could eliminate some writing barriers.
As for the question of should WAC be replaced by Communication across the Curriculum and Electronic Communication Across the Communication (Morales) this was being presented due to the increased use of electronic devices, because of the increased use and ability of our students when it comes to computers and their use. I don’t think it’s an issue of one or the other rather then creating a third that is a blend of the two.
As for using electronics in the classroom one issue that I have yet to see being addressed is the cost of these electronics and the fact that if you are teaching in a title 1 school we generally don’t have the money to preserve the electronics we are able to purchase. The other would be the students familiarity with these devices. Some students may be at a disadvantage if they either can’t afford these devices, or simply don’t have them, in order to become familiar with them to then use them successfully in the classroom.
Hey Naomi,
I like your first set of questions addressed, what, why and how students are utilizing text messaging. I think for most students and really anybody who enjoys texting is the conversion of speaking to writing. So really I feel that instead of people speaking and using verbal communication they are actually reverting to writing.
I am not sure how texting can be used in the classroom. I definitely think social networks such as facebook and myspace can be used for assignments and students can use "Wall" from facebook to discuss assignments or just to make connections with their classmates. How else can networking be used in the classroom?
Naomi i agree with you about spell check. I think its a great tool that can improve writing and also help students to learn how to spell. We all know how it works - the word is underlined and you have to respell the word until it comes us close to the right spelling. So I think spell check can actually help students to improve their spelling. As for grammar check. I think it is what it is - for lack of a better saying - its a machine that is programmed to check grammar and no matter what age - if you are disinterested in material and you are in a rush to get something done - you may take the easy way out and use grammar check to proofread quickly, while maybe only rereading the work once. I think younger students who are just starting their writing careers should be constantly reminded that grammar check is not proofreading.
Lastly, I have to agree with James that not only is Reiss and Young's ideas to "mirror active professionals" exciting but it's also so important. I think long term (formal) and short term (informal) is everywhere and its important for students to be able to apply different types of writing and ideas in all different areas of their life.
I have a friend whose son is in a program called "Virtual Enterprise" in New Dorp High School. Through this program students can get a feel for an actual business environment. I think its a great idea for students to become involved in programs that can gear them towards long-term planning. They need to begin to visualize their life in small and large terms.
Naomi,
I like the idea of blending the WAC and CAC and ECAC for the classroom. I try to do this with my classes. While I want them to embrace technology, I don't want them to rely too heavily on it either.
As far as your comments about working in a Title I school are concerned, I agree with you only somewhat. Sometimes the less your school has the more it gets you. And, I can tell you, the members of the school community that seem to need the most education on how to use these electronic devices is not the students but instead the teachers! I spend many an hour each day giving SMART board training to my coworkers and some of them still don't get it! That's why I like your idea of a blend; it doesn't leave anyone out in the cold but still forces some to get with the times without alienating them.
---Eugenio
James Coccaro- Second Post
Heller,
I think you have a great idea about using e-mail and trying to tap into kids' love of texting. I think as teachers we need to make writing fun, but I sometimes worry we are too focused on trying to make school "fun" and forgetting that it is primarily an institution of education, regardless of the fun factor. I think students need to learn to write properly before they can apply these skills to e-mails and texting assignments. However, I definitely see their potential as writing to learn assignments.
James Coccaro
Ann- Thank you for replying to my post. I understood when writing it that the words and the reality would not blend seamlessly...I have observed in classrooms where the students were busier texting than (fill in the blank) and was wondering if anyone would be able to come up with a viable way of integrating this kind of technology or idea who has real classroom experience. What I seem to be hearing is that a lot of this tech-class room theories and hopes are not always realistic. I am thinking that perhaps twitter would be a good way to link the class and web, even if the students don't have acces to computers...just use the 150 words or less format for an assignment on "summarizing" and have students leave their messages on a dedicated board... just an idea...
Naomi- I had a mild dyslexia as well, and when i finally got a computer that had spell check I was elated! It helped me immensely with my typing...
James C. - I also agree that the classroom is not just a place for students (and teachers to have fun) it is first and foremost a place of learning. But we all know that "time flies when you're having fun" and making a lesson or assignment memorable (for good reasons) is always a good goal for a teacher to have in mind.
~Heller
I'm glad we're all on the same page, and we share common difficulties with students texting.
Thanks James for responding to my post, and expanding on what I was trying to say. After i posted it and read it over, I was worried that some might misinterpret what I meant when I said that, "we shouldn't focus on the technicalities". You were defintitely right when you said that teachers go home and use spell check themselves. It's true! teachers think that it's ok to use it if you know how to use it, but no one is teaching younger students how to use it. All teachers want to aviod working with these useful technological devices. We have to teach students that they are not there to do the job for us. It's there to assist us, and we need tp show them how to use it properly.
I definitely agree with you when you said that,"This is why Reiss and Young’s idea of creating work that mirrors that of active professionals is so exciting". I think this is very true. Reiss and Young's ideas are significant for all teachers to understand. why should we have students working on pointless or useless assignment that won't have any true meaning or value to the students. They have to know and understand that the activities and work that they do in the classroom is reflective of real life importance.
- CRYSTAL RIOS
Ann, I am making a strange comment I know about Greek Mythology--but could A-Rod's use of the Centaur be used to make this real? I mean couldn't there be some sort of way to mix this into the classroom--into a real world writing assignment?
Paul
Yo Heller,
Didja read about how comedians use twitter? It was in a recent "Wired." They use it for peer review. They write jokes, post them, and use or change them depending on feedback.
There has gotta be a way to use this sort of thing in a classroom.
Paul
To Sloven:
I see your point but I think even though technology is growing fast and alot of people are computer savvy, alot of people dont have access to them. It is easier for those who are savvy but when the access to it is not there than it makes it all that difficult. Along with difficulty, too many people depend on computers as a source of editing, summarizing and proof reading. I don't know about others put I'd prefer doing things by hand. Yes I use them to type of my papers but I use it for nothing else.
Christina Diaz
Coccaro:
I definetly agree with you on maintaining focus on the fundamentals because as I said students dont do the work when they have the computer available. I always pick up on the mistakes that Word misses thats why I do the editing and proofreading by myself.
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