Hannah's Post-Vocabulary Development

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Chapter 16: I Will Tell You Just a Little

Tier 1: Laughing, Written, People, Brave, Doctor
Tier 2: Rhythmic, Irritated, Hastily, Grumbled, Hesitated
Tier 3: Halt, Nazis, Resistance, Milking, Jews

For my very first vocabulary lesson focused on the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and the content topic of World War II I would focus on tier 3 words.  I know that the Tompkins books supports teaching generally tier 2 words but it also states; “Teachers choose words that are essential to understanding the book or the unit, words that confuse students, and general-utility words students will use as they read other books or study other topics.” (Tompkins, 237)  The tier three words such as Nazis, Resistance, and Jew are words that students must know before they can really understand what happened in World War II or what is going on in the story.  The tier three words are essential for understanding the book and therefore must be taught right away. In addition, students who already know the word resistance will understand it as the refusal to accept or comply with something.  This understanding of the word will cause confusion with the Resistance in the book which means a group of people using different tactics to fight against the Nazis during World War II.   For these reasons, I would focus on the tier 3 words first to help students our book club novel. 

After teaching the significant tier 3 words necessary for understanding Number the Stars I would teach tier 2 words that would not only help students understanding our book club novel but other reading in the future.  “These words are used more frequently in writing than in oral language, and students should learn their meanings because they have wide application across the curriculum.” (Tompkins, 238)  Although students may have a general idea of what is occurring in the book, teaching tier 2 words will help students gain a deeper understanding of the story’s events.   In addition, tier 2 words often appear in other content areas the students are learning about and books they are reading.  Teaching them in conjunction with Number the Stars will not only be beneficial for the book club but other areas in the students’ learning.   After students know important content words essential for understanding their book club book tier 2 words should be taught to improve their general work knowledge.

A lesson I would use for vocabulary development with our book club books is word posters.  “Students choose a word and write it on a small poster; then they draw and color a picture to illustrate it.  They also use the word in a sentence on the poster.  This is one way that students visualize the meaning of the word.” (241)  Word sorts offer students opportunities to examine words in multiple dimensions; written, with an illustration, and in a sentence.  Many students are visual learners and developing word posters allows them to see an image to connect with their definition.  In addition, seeing the word posters around the room would remind students of the words definition, how to spell the words, and to use them in their writing.  To connect the words to our book club book even more, the sentences written by students on the word posters could be related to Number the Stars.   Finally, the one activity of word posters provide students with multiple different encounters with the new words.  For these reasons I would plan a lesson on vocabulary development using word posters.  I would not use dictionaries in my vocabulary development lesson.

There are many reasons why having students look up definitions is not an activity I would choose to improve student vocabulary.  “Sometimes the definition that students choose-usually the first one-is the wrong one. Or, the definition doesn’t make sense.” (Tompkins, 246)  When students use the dictionary they typically only look at the first definition and use it even if it does not fit with the sentence or book they are reading.  In addition, definitions often use a form of the word the student is trying to define in the definition.  This can lead the student to further confusion or to give up on even trying to learn what the word means.  If students are to use a dictionary it is important that they are taught how to use one to look up and check a definition along with a lot of teacher assistance while they are being used.  Teachers can model how to use a dictionary and help students to decide which definition makes sense with their sentence and book.  While dictionaries can be very useful they are not a strategy I would use to develop vocabulary knowledge in book clubs. 

                                                                                                                                             Tompkins, G. E. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach, 5^th Edition.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill, Prentice-Hall.  

Holly's New Literacies Final Blog

1) YOUR CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING:

My understanding of literacy has changed completely because before this class I had no idea how many types of literacies there are and how to tell what types of literacy a person uses.  As you can see on my post from week 6, the definition of literacy focused mostly on the traditional idea of literacy, in which a person has the ability to read and write.  This definition was vague and did not include that there are a variety of literacy types.  We went over each type of literacy only briefly in class and this project has given me more opportunity and time to learn more about the different types of literacy. 

Numeracy literacy was our chosen topic for our project and I learned a lot about it (posted in week 9 blog for what I learned about new literacy).   I originally thought that numeracy literacy was just about using numbers to solve a math problem, but I learned that this was a misconception.  I learned that numeracy literacy is the understanding and ability to reason with mathematical ideas and practices to help solve everyday problems.  There are two types of numeracy, one that is used often and can be self-taught (Colloquial) and the other has to be taught by a teacher and can be used universally (literate).

While reading the other projects I was able to compare and contrast the different types and recognize the characteristics a person would have in order to use those literacies.  The use of new technology made the new literacy easy to understand because it was like making an organized form with information about numeracy literacy.   I have learned new ways to incorporate the different literacies in a classroom with books and/or lessons/activities.  For numeracy, students can use the five steps of a written problem to help them solve a problem and build up their numeracy literacy.  Another example:  The book Hugo Cabret is a graphic novel that can help students enhance visual skills.

While looking through projects, I thought about how these literacies are incorporated in my second grade classroom.  When I was in elementary school, we did not use computers.  Now there are standards to meet for digital literacy that I have never heard of before this class.  It is amazing to see how much my students know about how to get on the internet, search the web, and use navigation tools.  I found this so shocking because they do not know how to type, but can search for information online.  It may take them a while to type their log in name and password to get onto the computer and what they want to search, but they know how to get it done. 

This project also helped me see how my digital literacy has changed and grown.  The types and use of technology grows over the years and I can take advantage of that for my learning and for my future students’ learning.  I have never used Prezi before this project, and it was confusing at first.  Soon it became easy to navigate and understand, with only little practice.  I learned that you choose what you want the viewer to see and in what order you want them to see it.  The viewer is able to go at their own pace and can zoom into information when needed.  I have found many new technologies by looking at other projects and what they have to offer.  This project has allowed me to recognize how we can use technology in the classroom and built up my digital literacy.

2) CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS:

In order to give “effective literacy instruction” to diverse learners you have to keep all literacy types in mind while teaching.  This does not just mean within the subject of language arts, but in all subjects you can incorporate the different types of literacy.  Digital literacy has become so important and used world-wide that there are now standards for digital literacy and use for young learners.  Teachers can include using a computer during the reading and writing process.  My students use the computer to read, but do not know how to type well so they have not learned how to use it as a communication device.  A good example is how our professor has a college level class use blogs to communicate and share ideas.  We are still reading and writing, and we are also building our digital literacy by learning about technologies that are new to us. We also still use traditional paper to communicate with our pen pals in another state.  Teachers need to use multiple methods to incorporate all literacies: numeracy, emotional, environmental, cultural, social, political, geo, and visual.  A teacher should include these eight types of literacy among subjects, so that literacy is not just about reading and writing with paper and pencil.  Instead, teachers show how literacy is used in different subjects and using different literacies.

Young learners are being introduced to new technology and need digital literacy to help them use it to the full extent and for a learning use.  It is important for students to learn tips and safety about new technology.  Students need to know that computers can get “colds,” or viruses, and ways that they can prevent that from happening.  Ignoring advertisements, recognizing it is an ad, and closing them out when possible is very important for students to know to help prevent clutter on the screen and to keep the technology safe from viruses.  For older students, they may already know this, but could still need help with the use of new technology.  Teachers can show students how to use it or let them explore for themselves.  With young learners, teachers can go through the process of how to use a search engine so students have access to it.  Allowing time to explore is critical because students learn in their own way and can figure out on their own what works and not works for them. 

Numeracy literacy also has certain skills that students should be able to know and use.  There are many ways that teachers, parents, and the child can help to improve the child’s numeracy.  A student needs three types of “know-hows,” that include: mathematical, contextual, and strategic.  Mathematical know-how is important because it is the ability to know and understand mathematical ideas.  A teacher must show multiple methods and skills for students to develop their mathematical know-how.  Next, students need contextual know-how, or understanding of the background features of a problem.  Teachers help students develop this by giving a variety of math problems with different contexts so students can see how this changes the math problem.  Then, a student needs to develop strategic know-how, which is the ability to have problem-solving strategies ready to solve a problem.  For a teacher to provide development of this know-how, they need to show many methods, use a variety of problems, and allow time to practice strategies with those problems.  Students will learn which strategies work best for them and also have ways to check their work if they use another method.

 A teacher can introduce the 5 steps to solve a written math problem, so a student can choose to go through the steps to check they did the problem correctly.  A teacher or parent can ask questions to the student to elicit the five steps also.  The student should be asked to read the problem aloud and determine what the problem is asking (steps 1 & 2).  Then, ask the student what strategy they want to use and to apply that strategy to the math problem given (steps 3 & 4).  Last, you ask the student to give a final answer and write it down as their solution (step 5).  There are many other ways that students can be helped to develop numeracy skills, and teachers and parents need to keep in mind that students need different amounts of support.  My MT allows the students to occasionally use calculators or work with a partner to double check their answers and if there are differing answers, then they can work through their method again or check their answer with another method.

Hannah's New Literacies Final Blog

1) Your Conceptual Understanding

When I began this class my understanding of literacy revolved around the ability to read and write. I did have a technology component to my literacy definition. I understood that reading and writing was different on paper versus the web and I thought it was important to teach students about these differences. To help students to learn and develop their literacy skills I believe they have experience writing and reading in many different forms. Students should write on paper but also have an online component, such as a blog to share with their classmates and teachers. Students should also spend time reading different times of text; like books, poems, newspapers, and magazines. In addition, students should learn about how reading on the web is different from reading text on a page. They need to have experience with ads, links, and the interactive aspects of online texts.

Although I understood that there was an online component of literacy my understanding stopped there. From working on this project and interacting with peers’ projects my definition of literacy has expanded to include cultural, emotional, environmental, numeracy, social, visual, political, and geo literacy. I think when most people define literacy it does not include these many different aspects. Instead I think their definitions look similar to my original understanding of literacy. Even if people are literate in one or more of these different aspects I do not think they are aware of it. I believe I have developed my visual literacy but before exploring others’ projects I would have never been able to tell someone else that I was visually literate. Many teachers may be including certain aspects of these different types of literacy into their teaching without even knowing it. Therefore many of us have somewhat or fully developed different literacies without being able to define our skills.

Through exploring and interacting with my own new technology and my peers’ I was able to learn about the many different literacies in a fun and quick manner. I learned that “cultural literacy is the knowledge of history, contributions, and perspectives of different cultural groups, including one's own group, necessary for understanding multiple forms of media,” from Lindsey, Hope, and Dan. I now know that emotional literacy is the ability to recognize, understand, deal with, and express our emotions because of Lauren’s project. I learned that environmental literacy has five components from Sam; awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and action. My own research and project development taught me that numeracy is more than just numbers. It involves the understanding and ability to reason with different mathematical concepts and processes. Lorraine, Lauren, and Jaymie taught me that social literacy involves social skills in social settings to help people communicate and be part of a community. I learned that visual literacy is the ability to understand the meaning and message being portrayed in a visual text from Jessica and Kaitlynn. Finally, I now understand geo literacy to be “the relationship between human (political, cultural, and economic) systems and their interactions with and impact on our environment (water, plant, and animal ecosystems) from Caroline. This project allowed me to learn about many different literacies without having to search and search the internet. The many different groups created interesting projects using all new technologies to me to transfer knowledge about a certain literacy.

This project also developed my digital literacy. I learned a lot about using one new type of technology, Prezi, while getting a glimpse into many other types of technology I could use in my classroom or have my students explore during their learning. Creating a project in a technology I have never used before gave me more confidence in my ability to figure out the internet and in my digital literacy knowledge. I have always consider myself not very skilled when it comes to technology but on this project I learned to navigate Prezi and created a very cool project with little time and no assistance from a Prezi expert. In addition, I navigated many other projects that used technologies I had zero experience with. I learned about the set up of these different technologies all by myself and did not worry about not having anyone to call to help me play around on the sites. The project taught me a lot about literacy and technology while also increasing my online confidence.

2) Classroom Implications

Providing effective literacy instruction no longer just includes reading and writing in the classroom. Teachers need to take some responsibility in teaching their students about the wide variety of literacy skills they will need in the world. Even to just teaching reading and writing must now include paper and online components. Students need to learn how to write and communicate effectively on paper and online. Teachers should offer students to practice their writing in these different forms in such ways as class blogs, pen pals, email, and pencil and paper. In addition, teachers need to take the time to teach students how reading on paper differs from reading online. Just as students must learn the differences and how to read narrative and informational texts, there are differences to how we read online. There are links, videos, and images that are intertwined between text. These interactive components of online text are meant to be used by readers to meet their needs. Students must be able to decipher what is relevant information along with what should be ignored, such as ads. Along with teaching literacy with technology teachers must include literacy learning beyond reading and writing. Teachers need to create activities to develop their students’ cultural, emotional, environmental, numeracy, social, visual, political, and geo literacy. Finally, teachers need to incorporate all of these literacies into all of the subjects, not just language arts. By doing so, teachers will prevent their students from believing that literacy is something that only relates to reading and writing.

To be able to develop their digital literacy student need to know about the internet. They need to understand the safety implications of publishing on the internet and learn about what it means that anyone can put anything on the internet. Teachers need to spend time teaching their students how to search on the internet and how to decipher reliable from unreliable sources of information. Students need to be taught about ads on the internet, links, and videos. It is important that they develop the ability to stay on task and be able to pick out relevant information from such an expansive source of information. If students are learning and creating projects with a new technology they have never used before it is important that they have time to explore and experiment with its different features. The teacher may need to spend time developing their visual literacy of the new technology so that students understand what different symbols and icons mean within the site. Younger students will need more support than older students, and they may need the teacher to walk them through how to create different projects step by step. For older students the teacher should be there for assistance but the students should be given more freedom and flexibility to create individual projects. Teachers need to be aware of the concerns and problems that come up while using the new technologies and take the time to trouble shoot them with the entire class so that everyone expands their digital literacy, not just one student. Support is need for all students when using the internet, but it is needed to a higher degree among younger students.

There are also certain things students need to know and be able to do to develop their numeracy literacy. Students need mathematical know-how, or knowing and understanding the mathematical ideas of their math problems. To develop these skills they need to be taught the mathematical skills and concepts appropriate for their age. The teacher should offer support to their students, provide authentic learning experiences, and incorporate the new math concepts into other subjects. Students also need contextual know-how, or understanding the contextual features and how they relate to the math problem. Teachers can support this know-how in their students by providing context in as many problems as possible and varying the context so that students can see how these changes impact the math problem. By providing a context as often as possible, students will not think of math problems in isolation. Instead, students will see problems as having a context that must be considered to successfully complete the problem. Finally, students need strategic know-how, or having problem solving strategies readily available to use to help them solve the problem. Students need to be able to pick which strategy would be most beneficial for the problem then successfully implement this strategy. Teacher should support students by teaching them many different strategies, offering them many opportunities to practice with the strategies, and the ability to share new strategies with their peers. Along with teachers providing support to their students to help them develop their numeracy literacy parents can provide support to their children. Parents know their children better than any teacher and can offer one on one interaction that most teachers cannot provide for their students in a classroom of twenty or more students. While parents can provide a lot of support for their children it is important that they keep in mind that to stay positive, wrong answers can be beneficial, there are multiple ways to solve a problem, and it’s okay to use a calculator.

Allison's New Literacies Final Blog

1.      My conceptual understanding

 Overall, my conceptual understanding of literacy has changed since the beginning of this class.  At the beginning of this class, I thought of literacy in relation to its use in Language Arts.  My original definition of literacy was the ability to read and write.  I knew that more had to be added to this, but I had no idea how much more.  In TE 301, we learned that literacy helps a person survive in a culture, but I could not articulate what all of those skills are.  Therefore, I was ready to learn how much more should be added to this original definition of literacy.

 During this semester, I have learned about ways to better enhance this definition of literacy.  First, reading the Tompkins book showed me that in our modern times, children need to learn how to be digitally literate.  There is so much technology in our society that children are constantly exposed to it.  However, being able to navigate through, interpret, and analyze information presented in digital technologies are completely different skills than those involved with printed information.  So, it is important for students to know how to successfully use technology to become literate.

 Also, researching about my new literacy (numeracy) allowed me to learn in-depth about a specific type of new literacy that is different from anything I had ever thought of.  Learning about numeracy taught me that literacy involves much more than just Language Arts.  Numeracy is defined as the ability to use mathematical concepts and processes to solve everyday problems.  In addition, I learned there are two types of numeracy.  The first type of numeracy involves math in the everyday world.  The second type of numeracy involves math done within the classroom.  Therefore, I learned literacy involves other subjects and it is used both inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom.

 In addition, reviewing a few other new literacy projects has taught me even more about other types of literacy.  For example, looking at a visual literacy project taught me that the ability to interpret images is also a part of literacy.  I always saw literacy as involving speech or text, but now I know it also involves images.  In addition, after reviewing a couple of geo-literacy projects, I learned literacy also involves knowing about the world around us and how one person’s decisions affect the entire world.  Therefore, literacy is also the feeling of interconnectedness with the world.

 Finally, working with Prezi as my technology has helped me develop my own digital literacy.  This technology allows the creator to present information to an audience in a nonlinear way, which is completely different than the linear way printed text is presented.  Therefore, I was able to explore how to present information to an audience in a nonlinear way that would make sense to an audience.  Also, I got to practice how to condense my writing in a way that was to-the-point so as to convey ideas to an audience in a shorter way.  In a Prezi, there is not much room for text, so it is important to be able to write ideas in a more condensed form than in printed text.  This is also important so the audience does not feel overwhelmed when viewing the project.

 Thus, after completing this project, I have learned new knowledge and skills involved with literacy.  First, I have learned new knowledge about what literacy involves.  I have learned specific ways to articulate what exactly literacy is.  Literacy is the ability to navigate and interpret technology, use math to solve everyday problems, interpret visual images, make informed decisions that affect the entire world, and know how the world is interconnected.  This project has given me the knowledge that literacy involves much more than Language Arts.  This knowledge is contrasted with more traditional literacies because traditional literacies usually only involve Language Arts.  Second, I have learned new skills in developing my literacies.  I have gained the skills on how to use a technology, in my case Prezi, to present information to an audience.  I was able to condense my writing and present information in a nonlinear way, both of which I did not have much practice with.  This is similar to traditional literacies because some of my ideas were written down, and they were presented in a way so the audience is required to read the information.  However, this is different from traditional literacies because traditional literacies usually present information in a linear way.

 In the end, my conceptual growth has affected my conception of learning in Language Arts.  This exploration of new literacies allowed me to see the many ways in which students can be literate.  Just because a student is not literate in traditional ways, this does not mean they are not literate.  Therefore, it is important for teachers to develop Language Arts lessons that involve various types of literacy, including the new literacies, to help cater the lessons to the various learners in the classroom. 

2.      Classroom implications

 After engaging in this project and reflecting on my learning, I have determined ways to implement literacy into my future classroom.  Providing effective literacy instruction for diverse learners involves incorporating literacy into all school subjects, not just Language Arts.  It is important for the teacher to provide students with a well-rounded idea of what literacy is so they do not get caught in the typical trap of seeing literacy as only being connected to Language Arts.  For example, numeracy is a type of literacy that involves mathematics.  Also, visual literacy can be incorporated into all school subjects because it involves the interpretation of images, all of which are incorporated in every school subject.  In addition, it is important for teachers to incorporate literacy instruction throughout the entire day so they help students develop into well-rounded individuals.  For instance, if teachers only focus on helping their students learn to read and write, then the students will not be literate in any other ways, which could damage them in the future.  Additionally, I will integrate subjects together so the students can use these new literacies throughout the entire day.  For instance, if I integrate math into each subject, the students will be able to use numeracy during the entire school day instead of just during math time.  I will also assess students with each literacy to see where each student is at with each type of literacy.  This will help me provide each student with the appropriate scaffolding to help them develop each type of literacy.  Finally, I will allow students to use as many technologies as I am afforded in my classroom so they become familiar with the wide range of possibilities provided to them by digital means, and to help them develop digital literacy skills.  When I have students use technology, I will ensure the technology is being used to develop a specific skill or set of skills so the students make use of the technology in meaningful ways.

 Specifically, it is important for students to develop digital literacy skills.  To develop digital literacy, students need to be able to navigate the technology they are using.  If the students have no idea how to navigate their given technology, then they will have no way of learning information from it.  Students will need support on how to navigate through their technology.  I will provide this support by allowing the students to explore the technology on their own, and be able to ask me or their peers about any questions that arise as they are using the technology.  Also, students should know how to make meaning from the technology they are using.  Often times, information is presented in a nonlinear way in technologies.  Therefore, students should know how to gather meaning from this nontraditional way of presenting the information.  So, students will also need support with how to make meaning from nonlinear text.  I will provide this support by scaffolding the students in reading in a nonlinear way.  Therefore, the students will have a lot of practice in doing this before they have to read nonlinearly on their own.  In addition, it can be easy to get distracted by unimportant information, so the students should also know how to determine what the “big ideas” are with the information being presented.  Students will need support on picking out the important ideas in the information presented to them.  I will provide this support by allowing students plenty of practice in picking out the “big ideas” as a class and in groups before they do this on their own.  Finally, students need to know how to alter their traditional literacy skills (e.g., reading and writing) to best use their given technology.  For example, students may need to condense their writing, skim the information presented, and so on.  Thus, students need support in altering their pre-existing traditional literacy skills to meet the demands of their given technology.  I will provide this support by showing students several examples as a large group, and having them brainstorm as a class on how they would alter their traditional literacy skills to best accommodate the technology.

 Also, students need specific skills to develop numeracy.  First, students need mathematical know-how, which involves the understanding of mathematical concepts involved in the problem.  To develop this aspect of numeracy, the students need support in learning about the various mathematical ideas that are appropriate for their grade level.  I will provide students with this support by teaching them the mathematical concepts in multiple ways (e.g., group lessons, small group lessons, individual help, etc.).  Also, I will integrate the math concepts students are learning into other subjects so they are constantly using these skills throughout the day.  Second, students need contextual know-how, which involves the understanding of how context relates to the problem.  To develop this aspect of numeracy, the students need support in relating the context of the problem into their solution.  I will provide this support by providing a context in as many math problems as I can.  This way, the students will not see the problem in isolation, but with a specific context that they will need to use to successfully solve the problem.  Third, students need strategic know-how, which involves the ability to determine and utilize a strategy to successfully solve the problem.  To develop this aspect of numeracy, the students need to be provided with various strategies they can use to solve everyday problems.  I will provide this support by giving students various strategies to use, as well as many experiences practicing the use of those strategies.  Also, I will allow students to share their strategies with each other, so they can learn from one another.

Hannah's Post-New Literacy and Technology

1. What am I learning about the new literacy I am researching?

I am expanding my definition of what it means to be literate throughout this class. Just exploring the different areas of literacy, such as political and visual, pushed me to think beyond just being able to read and write. I also never thought of math as a component of literacy. I choose to resource numeracy literacy because I like math and was interested in what it entailed to be numeracy literate. From my investigation and research into this topic I learned that numeracy literacy does not just involve numbers. Instead it involves the understanding of and the ability to reason with mathematical concepts and numbers. I also learned that there are two types of numeracy literacy, colloquial and literate. Colloquial is everyday numeracy literacy that people develop to solve problems. This type of literacy is often situation and doesn’t transition to problems other than the one they were developed for. Although this type is not transitional it is more efficient when solving the problem they were designed for. Literate is school numeracy literacy the students learn in school. This type of literacy is universally applicable, meaning one mathematical concept can be used for a wide variety of problems. But this type of literacy can be inefficient compared to some of the colloquial methods people may develop.

I also learned that there are many people who can help the student develop their numeracy literacy. Students need mathematical, contextual, and strategic know how to become numerate. Students need background knowledge, contextual knowledge, and knowledge about which strategy to use and how to use to successfully solve a problem. There are strategies students can use to help them develop their numeracy literacy and solve math problems. The five steps help students to have a strategy that they can apply to every problem to help them solve it correctly. In addition, teachers can help students develop their numeracy literacy. Teacher should integrate math into other subjects, incorporate technology into their math teaching, build on students’ background knowledge, and include context with the math problems they give students. The last two of these suggestions overlap with the skills students must have to be able to successfully solve a problem. Parents can also help their children become numerate. Parents should not feel unqualified or be afraid of helping their children with their math homework. There are many positive factors that parents have; they know their children better than any teacher, they have already had experience teaching their children many important things, and they can offer a one on one interaction. When assisting their children parents should keep in mind that attitude matters and to stay positive about their and their child’s ability, there are many different ways to solve a problem, wrong answers can be helpful, and it’s okay to use a calculators.

I also learned that numeracy can impact many different areas of your life. Poor numeracy literacy can make someone feel embarrassed, effecting their self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, those with poor numeracy are more likely to be unemployed and truancy. Finally, they have a high rate of school exclusion. For these reasons and many more it is important that my student develop their numeracy literacy. Much of what they are learning in school currently is literate or school math. The problems involve predominantly symbolic tools. Although my mentor teacher may be able to incorporate more colloquial numeracy by including more real world problems, colloquial numeracy literacy develops mostly spontaneously so teachers do not need to focus on this type as much. The combined work of teachers, parents, and the students themselves will help my students to develop their numeracy literacy.

2. What am I learning about how my digital literacy is developing as I use a new technology to create my product?

I sometimes struggle with learning how to use a new piece of technology and for that reason was a little nervous about using a new technology to create my project. But after diving into Prezi I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I caught on to the different features of the program. It is kind of like a PowerPoint presentation in that information is grouped into different sections, or circles in our format, much like different slide. In addition text could be incorporated with different features such as pictures, links, and videos. Although these are all possible with PowerPoint I actually found it easier to include these features into the Prezi. You just had to copy the link into a tab on the page and the feature would appear in the middle of your screen. You could then move it to any area of the Prezi. The easy of adding these features was a huge plus because today presentations include so many additional features to the flat text of the project. It was also very easy to move the features and text between bubbles to switch the order of the information around, which we found ourselves doing multiple times.

Another feature that I liked about using Prezi was the ability to not only share a Prezi with friends but multiple people could edit the same Prezi at one time. Allison, Holly, and myself were able to work together while not being in the same room. With everything everyone has to do in college it is nice that everyone can meet at the same time without having to meet in the same location. Everyone was able to see what the others were doing, edit, and add at the same time. In addition, everyone who was working on the Prezi had an avatar on the project that showed where the person was working on the presentation where they were moving around to and when they entered and left the project.

In addition, I think this technology would be interesting and fun for all age groups. Younger students would enjoy the movement of the project and this may keep them more interested in watching a Prezi. Older students would appreciate the move from PowerPoint and the ease of incorporating features and using features once they are incorporated into the presentation. If professors used this format their lecture may be more dynamic and students who were not in class would be able to see videos and links that would expand their learning beyond the text. Before using this technology with younger students it is important that teachers spend a lot of time helping them learn how to navigate the different features. In addition, they may need support during the creation of their project with formatting issues. But with continued support younger students could use this new technology.

Although I liked this new technology for the most part there were a couple of challenges. First there were many different features that I saw in the demo videos that I was not able to find when I was creating my project, such as text written around pictures. Although I am not sure, I think part of this problem comes from me downloading the free version instead of paying for a more complex form of Prezi. I am a poor college student and did not feel the need to pay for Prezi, but if I found myself using this technology a lot as a teacher I would invest in one of its many upgrades. Second, some of the boxes were rather small and I was not able to include as much information into each bubble as I had originally intended. The boxes were formatted to fit into the bubbles without overlapping the outer rings but I found with the right colors you could still see the text if it was over the bubble rings. There is still a lot that I do not know about Prezi but I am enjoying exploring this new technology and like everything I have been able to do so far.

Holly's Post- New literacy and Technology

1. New literacy: Numeracy Literacy

I am learning so much about literacy, and to be more specific, numeracy literacy.  Before I came to Michigan State University, I thought that literacy was about being literate by having the ability to read and write.  I had no idea that there are so many different types of literacy and what those entail.  I wanted to learn about numeracy literacy because it seemed interesting and new to me and math is used on a daily basis in the real world and in school.  In order to learn about numeracy literacy, I started by looking up the definition.  I went to Google and searched "Numeracy literacy."  There was so many sites that at first it seemed overwhelming, but I was able to pick out a couple of good ones easily by looking at the words in the URL (like math, curriculum, students, teachers, etc.).  I found many definitions for numeracy literacy and my understanding is that numeracy literacy is important because it is not just numbers (the way I used to think in school that literacy was just books, reading, and writing), but it is using mathematical concepts to help solve problems in your life.  When we first talked about literacy in class I thought that numeracy would only be about numbers and using numbers to solve problems like I did in school.

After working with my partners (Allison and Hannah) on this new literacy project, I have already learned a lot about numeracy literacy, but still have more to learn about all the different literacies to help me become a better teacher.  I learned that students, teachers, and parents can all play a role in helping a person become more numeracy literate.  After reading about the five steps students do in order to solve written math problems and watching a short video as an example, I can see how these steps are helpful for a student to think of when working.  The steps include: 1. Reading the problem, 2. Comprehending the question, 3. Transforming the word problem into a strategy to solve the problem, 4. Process skills- apply the strategy to the problem, and 5. Encoding- having a written answer to the problem.  I never thought about solving a problem in steps, but watching a video about these five steps showed how a teacher or parent can help a student through a problem by going through each step and asking questions for each step.  For example, after the student has read the problem aloud to a teacher or parent, then the student should be asked, "So what do you want to find?"  The student has to read the question, but then has to find in the problem what they are being asked to solve.  A teacher or parent can question the student's strategy to see where they go wrong or how the student applies strategies to written problems.

Another thing I learned about numeracy literacy is that a person needs certain things in order to be numerate.  A person needs to know and be able to understand mathematical ideas of a math problem (mathematical know-how), understand the situation of the problem (Contextual know-how), and the person needs to have availability to problem-solving strategies in order to solve a math problem (Strategic know-how).  The five steps that a person uses to solve written math problems would really show all of these numerate needs because the person has to understand what the problem is asking, have mathematical strategies to solve the problem, and apply those strategies to the problem.

A big idea I learned about numeracy is that there are two types of numeracy.  I was surprised to learn that there was more than one type or numeracy because there are so many types of literacies that I am already learning about, so I thought of numeracy as a part of literacy overall and the types of numeracy as part of numeracy (like subunits or a big circle with many smaller circles inside of the big circle).  The two types of numeracy are colloquial (primary) and literate (secondary).  Colloquial numeracy is everyday math that you develop almost naturally, or without much instruction and can only be used in certain situations.  Literate numeracy is  classroom math, in which a student will have a teacher guide them through strategies that can be used for many situations.  Colloquial, or primary, numeracy can be forgotten if not used often in your every day life, for example:  I often have to add up what my grocery bill will be before I go to the check out, but if I did not do this so often I may forget how to easily add numbers (or subtraction, multiplication, or division).

2. New Technology: Prezi

At first I was somewhat nervous to do this assignment because some times it is difficult for me to learn how to use new technology.  I am still finding things that confuse me, but overall Prezi is fun to learn about.  It was hard for me to navigate at first because I was expecting it to be like PowerPoint where you make slides for a presentation.  In Prezi, we did make something like slides, but it is so much more interesting than a regular PowerPoint because you move around the page to new information, but it is still in an organized manner.  Also, on Prezi you share what you are creating with other people, so all of our group could be working on it at the same time.  To me, this is a really cool way to work together without actually sitting right next to each other.  There are little avatars on the screen of your Prezi that shows who is also working on it at the same time as you.  This also allowed us to edit each others' work and communicate with each other easily.

Prezi would be good to use in any aged classroom because it is fun and engaging to use since you can add text, videos, pictures, and add other things like links to websites.  This will allow a teacher to have a lesson that is not just text as information, but the information/videos/pictures/etc. is in different spots on the page that you move around to.  Students need a different setting sometimes, in which the teacher is not in front of the whole class talking.  This is how the videos come in handy, by conveying what the teacher wants the students to know through a video with this technology.

I learned how easy it was to add a video onto your Prezi.  All that is needed is to copy and paste a YouTube link or upload an already saved video from your computer.  I was surprised to see how easy it was to add a video, which helped me see how a teacher could use this even more.  Prezi gives a teacher, or any person, an easy way to make a fun presentation and the person creating the Prezi chooses the "path" that the viewer goes on to find information.  Not only is it easy for a teacher to create one, but it is easy for a student to navigate one.  If a teacher had students go through the Prezi individually, then the student can go at their own pace, move forward or backward if they missed something, and is easy for them to move around the page in order to learn new information.

It was confusing for me to figure out what you can do with your Prezi.  I saw examples of other Prezis and got some ideas of how to format our Prezi, but could not figure out how to use that formatting with out messing up what we already had completed.  I wonder if it is because we are using a free demo version that had a quick sign up option, rather than using the fuller version?  Once I figured out the path chosen for the viewers and how to add different types of text (change size, color, and font) it became a little easier to use Prezi.  There is still more I could learn about both Prezi and numeracy, but I am taking one step at a time to work on both individually and together to create a Prezi about numeracy that I hope the class will enjoy!

Allison's New Literacies Project Notes

1.  What am I learning about the new literacy I am researching?

I am learning a lot of new content, as I am exploring numeracy.  First, I learned the definition of numeracy, which is using mathematical concepts and processes to solve everyday problems.  Therefore, people who are numerate know about various math ideas (e.g., place value) and processes (e.g., addition), AND they can apply this knowledge to help them solve problems in their world.  Second, I learned numeracy involves more than just numbers, which surprised me.  Before researching this new literacy, I thought it would only involve numbers because the word "numeracy" makes me think of numbers.  Third, I learned there are 2 types of numeracy.  The first type of numeracy involves math in the everyday world (called colloquial).  The second type of numeracy involves the math that is done within the classroom (called literate).  Fourth, I learned that more than just the learner themselves can be involved in becoming numerate.  In fact, the learner, teachers, and parents can all help the learner become numerate.  Finally, I learned there are several negative impacts on a person who is not numerate.  The person can feel embarrassed, skip school, become unemployed, and so on.  In addition, people with social, emotional, or behavior problems are more likely to have poor numeracy skills.  Thus, numeracy is an important new literacy because it involves the ability to solve math problems in everyday life, and it can cause serious negative consequences to those who are not numerate.

Also, I am learning about skills and strategies that can be used to help a person develop numeracy skills.  For example, for a person to be numerate, he/she must have three skills: mathematical know-how, contextual know-how, and strategic know-how.  Therefore, the person must have the background knowledge to be able to solve the problem, understand the context of the problem, and determine/use a strategy to solve the problem.  Another example is the 5 steps that a student should know to be able to solve a written math problem.  The student must read the question, understand what the question is asking, determine a strategy to use to solve the problem, solve the problem (using the strategy), and write the answer.  In addition, there are strategies that teachers can use to help students develop numeracy skills (e.g., include context, integrate math into other subjects, etc.).  Finally, there are strategies parents can use to help students develop numeracy skills (e.g., be positive about math, allow the problem to be solved in many different ways, etc.).

However, just because numeracy involves mathematics, this does not mean one does not need other traditional literacy skills to become numerate.  First, people need to be able to read and/or listen to a problem that is presented to them (especially when in school).  If someone does not know how to read or listen, then he/she will struggle with the problem because he/she will have no idea about what is being asked of him/her.  Also, some people need to write out the solution to a problem, especially if it is long or complex.  Therefore, they need the ability to write to be able to do this.  Finally, people might be in a situation where they need to present their solution to others.  In this case, they must be able to speak or write because others cannot read their minds.

In my field placement, the students are learning about numeracy skills.  However, much of the math they do is literate, or school, math.  Therefore, the problems they solve often do not involve any type of context.  Also, they use a lot of symbolic tools to represent math problems.  Therefore, to become fully numerate, my students would also need to engage in colloquial, or everyday, math.  For this to happen, my MT might need to use a different math lesson structure to allow for students to be involved in everyday math.  In addition, she could integrate math ideas into other subjects, and she should include context with problems to make them more meaningful to the students.  If my MT takes these few simple steps, my students would become even more numerate than they already are.

2.  What am I learning about my digital technology?

Using Prezi can be useful in teaching because it allows for the teacher to create a digitally engaging lesson.  With this technology, the teacher can add multiple types of media into her lessons.  For example, you can add text, videos, pictures/comics, hyperlinks, and so on.  Also, Prezi is engaging for students because it is like watching a moving picture throughout the presentation.  Typical presentation medias (e.g., PowerPoint) go from slide to slide in a uniform, and sometimes boring, way.  However, Prezi allows the teacher to move around the screen as the slides continue.  Finally, Prezis are fun to create, so it allows the teacher to be entertained while creating it, and it allows the students to be entertained while watching it.

In addition, there are various ways to communicate information to an audience by using Prezi.  For exmaple, the teacher can include typed text, but use text features (e.g., size, color, font, etc.) to convey certain ideas to her students.  Also, videos can be added to the presentation, so the teacher does not have to flip between screens when teaching her lesson.  Usually, videos are useful tools that allow the teacher to display certain ideas to her students.  Additionally, pictures can be added to the Prezi to better show or explain ideas presented to the students.  The teacher can also include hyperlinks in the Prezi, which allows the audience to go to various Web sites.  Finally, the teacher can be creative about the path of the presentation (how the Prezi moves) to help convey information to the students.  For instance, one can zoom in and out, move sideways, and so on.  All of these help promote interaction with the audience becuase the presenter does not have to be in the same room as the audience, yet the audience feels a connection with what the presenter is conveying to them.

Also, using Prezi has allowed me to use my literacy skills in new ways.  For instance, I am writing in a different way because I am making ideas concise and to-the-point.  In Prezi, each slide is not very large, so you have to consolidate your thinking to be able to convey the big picture to the audience.  Another reason I had to write to-the-point is so the audience does not get bored during the presentation.  If there is a lot of writing for the audience to read, they will likely skim over it, and not comprehend the ideas presented.  Also, I am viewing in a different way because Prezis are not linear displays of information.  Therefore, I have had to figure out what is the best way to view this Prezi so the audience can understand what is being presented to them.  So, Prezi has allowed me to view and present information in a nonlinear way.

However, there are also challenges to using Prezi.  First, the only videos that can be inserted into a Prezi are those saved to the person's computer or from YouTube.  However, our group had a particular video from a Web site that we wanted to use in our Prezi, but we could not save it to our computers, and it was not a video on YouTube.  Thus, we could not add this video to our Prezi, even though it was a short and excellent display of the steps students should take to solve a word problem.  Second, it is hard when you want to do something with the Prezi, but you do not know if you are able to do this with Prezi, or how to do this with Prezi.  Our group was playing around with our Prezi to try to get it to do certain things, such as add text along the side of a circle.  We have seen this done in other Prezis we have watched before, but none of us could figure out how to do this when editing our Prezi.  So, we have figured out a lot about how to work with Prezi, but there are some things we cannot figure out how to do just by exploring the technology.  Finally, the coolest type of Prezi costs quite a bit of money.  Since we are all college students, we did not want to have to pay for the technology, so we signed up for the free version of Prezi.  However, the free version of this does not allow us to do as much special effects as the other versions of Prezi that you pay for do.  Therefore, it would be nice to just have a free version of this technology that was capable of doing everything, so nobody would have to pay to use it.