Think Aloud

Education 2201

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DJE 10

Quote: "We know now that dyslexia is about so much more than just mixing up letters — that many dyslexics have difficulty with rhythm and meter and word retrieval, that they struggle to recognize voices and sounds. It’s my profound hope that our schools can use findings like these to better teach children who struggle to read, to help them overcome their limitations, and to help them understand that it’s not their fault."

Reaction: I really enjoyed this article. In this class we talk a lot about students in general struggling to work with certain media forms but we don't always think about the students who are struggling with the basics such as reading and writing. It is hard to believe how little we knew about different types of learning disorders and how little research was done. Most kids got no help at all and, as was stated in the article, had to "pretend not to be stupid." These kids of course are not stupid, they just simply need to be taught how to learn in a way that works for them and may need some extra lessons and help. I think research like this is extremely important because it not only helps students being affected by these specific learning disorders but could lead to new discoveries about other disorders and better ways to teach struggling students.

Resource: SCHULTZ, PHILIP. "With Dyslexia, Words Failed Me and Then Saved Me - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/sunday/with-dyslexia-words-failed-me-and-then-saved-me.html?_r=1>.

Related Resource: http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/learning/learning_disabilities.html

Website Evaluation

Website: http://www.thedogisland.com/index.html

Who?

Has someone taken responsibility for the content of this Web site? No. Two people are named as being responsible for the idea, but no author of the website itself can be found.
Is information about the author or organization clearly stated? No. Though their is a lot of information about the organization, much of it is written with poor grammar and in a very unprofessional manner.
Are there any links to in-depth information about the author or organization? No.
What?
Is emotion used as a means of persuasion? Absolutely. The website wants you to feel very bad about how dogs live and shows pictures of playful animals to make you think that dogs are happier on this island.
Does the site offer more than one viewpoint? No. In fact, it is stated more than once that they think the only right thing to do is to send your dog to Dog Island. Their answer to every question is "Send you dog to Dog Island."

Are there links to other or alternative viewpoints? No. Most of the links posted on the website have to do with other "free dog" ideas.
When?
Is it important that the information you're looking for be absolutely current? Yes. If someone bought into this idea and thought the island was real and wanted to send their dog to dog island, but this website was actually made years ago and the information is no longer relevant, then they would wind up shipping their dog off to a place that doesn't exist.
Is a reference date provided to show when the material was put online, or when it was last updated? The website is copyrighted for the years 2003-2010. The site also has a weather box that is updated daily, but it is not obvious whether or not the website itself has been recently updated.

Do the links work? Yes, the links work.

Summary
Honestly, I could have evaluated the credibility of this website without answering these questions simply because the idea itself is so unbelieveable. However, after answering these questions, it becomes even more obvious that this is not a website you should trust and certainly not one that you should send money or your pet to. This site is definitely a scam and is no where near legitmate. It actually has a section on the directions that tells you to go to Tallahasse, look up all the dog groomers, figure out the pattern of their names, then start putting red tape on their business doors, and someone from Dog Island will approach you if you seem to be doing this correctly. This page is just unbelievable.

Facebookers Unite (DEJ #9)

Quote: "The relative anonymity of being on-line promotes self-expression. In addition, the relative absence of non-verbal cues (e.g. attractiveness) and the ability to link with others with similar interests, values and beliefs facilitates the formation of relationships based on deeper connections such as shared values and beliefs."

Reaction: I never really bought into the idea that social networking was going to be the end of all face to face communication between people. I think people still know the difference between spending actual time together and virtual time together. However, I never thought about social networking as actually being beneficial to people's social relationships. How many times have you not spoken to someone or decided not to be friends with them simply based on the way they look? How many times have you not said what you were really think or done what you wanted because people were looking at you? Just think about that. The internet allows you to connect to and relate to people that you may have never thought to have talked to in person. Instead of worrying about the clothes or makeup they are wearing, you are more focused on their personality, thoughts, and opinons. I don't think this means that face to face interaction has less value, but a person's social relationships (existing and new) can certainly be enhanced by communicating via the internet and social networks.

Resource: Owens, L. (2009, April 23). Internet & Anti-Social Behavior Theory Unfounded: Facebook, MySpace, Online: Research Refutes Cyber Socializing Fears | Suite101.com. Psychology Suite 101. Retrieved October 20, 2011, from http://laura-owens.suite101.com/internet--anti-social-behavior-theory-unfounded-a111897

Related Resource: http://socialmediatoday.com/dirktherabbit/226552/social-media-increases-face-face-interaction

Web Tools 2.0: Trailmeme

The Web Tool that I chose is called Trailmeme. It is a web trail making tool. A person finds different websites that relate to a subject and then links them together in a "trail" of sorts. So for example, if you wanted to look up information on The Beatles, you could go to Trailmeme and see if someone has created a trail about them. The trail might start with a website that talks about who The Beatles are, then go to a website that talks about their albums and concerts, then eventually get to a website that explains how The Beatles came to an end. I think this would be a great tool to use with my English students. In English, I think it is very important to teach students how to do accurate research and to explain and argue things intelligently and clearly. Teachers usually accomplish this with ten page research papers and a forever long works cited page; however, I think Trailmeme would be a great way to teach all of these concepts without forcing students to do an assignment they dislike. I think students would really enjoy this assignment and it would allow me to evaluate what they consider to be reliable sources. They would have to find references for each aspect of thier research topic and organize them in a clear way that flows through the topic. Before using this tool, I would have to talk to students about posting inappropriate websites, making sure they read everything, and I would have to be careful about inappropriate adds showing up on the websites that students have no control over.
http://trailmeme.com/

What's Your Favorite Holiday?

What's Your Favorite Holiday?

My Teaching Philosophy Voki

It is important to include technology in education because it has become a mainstream tool in the work force. It would be impossible for a student to be expected to be successful in later life if they have not been properly exposed to and taught to use technology. Technology can be used to get students excited about lessons by making them more interesting. As an English teacher I would have students create digital stories as opposed to writing a lenghty research paper, use PollEverywhere in order to post and respond to student's writing while remaining anonymous, and incorporate different forms of media (movies, music, art) that relate to the literature that we are learning.

Voki Lesson Plan: http://l-www.voki.com/open_pdf.php?file=Animal Farm and Voki.pdf

Magazine Cover

DJE #7

Quote: "Choosing appropriate search engines, following relevant links, and judging the validity of information are difficult challenges, not only for students of all ages, but also for most adults, including many teachers. More than half the adults surveyed in Great Britain were not able to use search engines or databases at a basic level (Buckingham, 2007). In the United States, almost two-thirds of a national sample of adults doing online searches were not aware of the difference between paid and unpaid search results and believed that search engines provide fair and unbiased results for any given search (Fallows, 2005)."

Response: This quote really struck me. I knew that there were many adults with limitied profiency in computer skills, but I had no idea just how many. I think it is extremely important that adults, and certainly teachers, learn these skills and learn more about how the online world really works. There is just no way that a teacher can be expected to incorporate media literacy skills into the classroom if he or she does not possess those skills. It is scary to think that many students have no clue about how to decide whether or not a source is reliable and how to recognize online marketing schemes that they encounter everyday. These skills are extremely important if we want our students to be able to take advantage of, interpret, and learn from the mass amounts of information that is literally right at their finger tips. Education needs to go beyond just telling students to stay away from Wikipedia. Students need to be critical thinkers when it comes to the internet.

Resource: David, Jane L.. "Educational Leadership." ASCD. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2011. http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx.


Related Resouce:

Deconstruction The Terminator



1. The first thing I noticed was how buff he is and I also noticed the colors that are being used and how large all of the text on the cover is. He looks very intense and strong. It's almost like he's about to get in a fight. He also sort of looks proud, because his head is tilted upward and he has a very tough look on his face. The cover is obviously geared toward young men.

2. When looking at this, I feel like he is very strong and intense. It almost makes me feel like he is fake because he is so huge.

3. I think this person is of some importance and that he is obviously being praised or held in high esteem for his buffness. I think he is serious, because he is not smiling or really showing much emotion at all. I also think he might be a little cocky because he is flexing his muscles and showing off how strong he is.

4. The way he looks influences how I feel about him in a few ways. He looks serious and even stern so I feel that he is intense and even proud. If he were smiling or having some fun, I might take him as a less intense person who is just enjoying himself. The seriousness of the colors and the text and of his picture are all just a little too much for me.

5. The points of view represented are that of body builders and fitness fanatics. The entire cover is all about being beyond tip top shape and having bulky muscles. It makes you think that if you read these articles and follow these tips, then you'll be able to look like a body builder just like Arnold. The view of Arnold is not represented (whether or not he supports this magazine and it's tips or how he got so big) and also the view of people who are not interested in becoming muscle machines is ommited.

1. In this photo, Arnold looks much more friendly and even slimmer and more normal. He is smiling and is made to look like an everyday business man. The suit is a dark serious color and the tie is red and white (two colors of the American flag). It is obvious that they want to hide his previous image of wild body builder and make him seem more serious and down to Earth. They want everyday people to feel like they are just like him. He is also the main focus, the text is much smaller around him and he sort of has a power stance.
2. I feel like he looks fake, but that could just be my own prejudice's against politicians. He has a big smile on and clothes that hide is huge muscles and make him look slim and serious and he has his hair done and is addressing the world through his pose. That is just not the Arnold that everyone knows and it is obvious to me that he is trying to fit into a category in order to get votes.
3. I think this person should try harder to be himself and focus on his politcal plans rather than try to change his image so that people will vote for him.
4. The way he looks influences me in a negative way as I have said, however, other people would probably like the clean cut look and the typical politcian dress and attitude. People might say that he looks like he is serious about being govenor and is mature.
5. A political point of view is represented. The magazine is geared toward those who are interested in politics and wants people to view Arnold as a serious man who is just like anybody else, not a body building movie star who does not actually live anywhere near an everyday life. The colors used and the pose he is in are all to make people see him as a serious and patriotic man.
6. The differences between the two covers are immense. The first cover uses bright colors, huge fonts, and a very intense, almost sensual picture to get your attention. The other uses dark, serious colors and makes Arnold look more like other people so that the everyday man will want to pick up the magazine and read the article. The angle of the picture in the first magazine is looking up at Arnold, which makes him appear to be even bigger and puts him in a power stance, while the second magazine has him sitting down and making direct eye contact with the camera, which makes people feel as if he is speaking to and thinking about them specifically. In the first cover, Arnold's arms are crossed and you can't see his eyes but his head is tilted away from the camera, as if he is just too cool to be botherd with someone as puny as you, but if you read this magazine you'll be just as cool as him. In the second cover he is trying to be the one that is an average Joe. He wears a bright smile, has his hair done, wears nice clothes and looks right at you, because, hey, he's just another citizen.