Teaching Journal: Week 8

Well, we are officially over the half semester mark! Only 6 weeks of classes left (not including time off for holidays)! I am not sure if I am excited or terrified...probably a mixture of both! The fall semester always seems to drag on and on, and it is at about this point when everyone really wished there was a break! But alas, we have another month before Thanksgiving, so we will just have to push on until then!

This was a rather interesting week--campus was disrupted by President Obama on Wednesday--and so quite a circus gathered Monday through Wednesday to prepare for his visit. Monday and Wednesday class was held, again, in the 3rd floor library computer lab for group work. As I did last week, groups had set goals for the day, I checked in with each group, answered questions about project two, performed one on one conferences with a few students, and collected written work at the end of class. On Friday, groups came prepared with "rough drafts" of their projects. I divided the room in half and each group presented to another group their work thus far. Each person was expected to take detailed notes of the projects and ask questions. Group members supplied digital information/locations of their projects so that peer reviewers would have additional access to the projects over the weekend.

I have nearly met with all of my students for one on one conferences--it has been great to give them back their project one and have the opportunity to go through their papers with them. I have given each student very detailed comments on this project as they will all be expected to revise this project for project four. By and large, my students have done well with this project--there are a few who missed the mark, but I am very pleased overall with the work--I am especially proud of my high school students! They really worked hard on their first college projects and it showed!

This coming week we go back to normal classes with readings prepping for project three (ethnography), large class discussions, and group work! I am looking forward being back in my class room :)

Teaching Journal: Weeks 6 & 7

It's been a busy time on campus! We are now officially half way through the semester and the first major project is finally complete!

Week 6 was the wrap up of project 1 and the start of project 2--I was worried this might not work out very well, but my students did an excellent job staying on top of everything. All project one's were turned in on time and I am in the process of grading them now. Additionally, at the same time they were handing in project one, they also needed to write and present their literacy narrative. Each member of the class produced short, one page vignettes which they read out loud.

Between week 6 and 7, students completed their "self study" interview (460-461 Writing About Writing), which would be used as "data" within their project 2 groups.

Week 7 went a lot better than I expected. I was very concerned that project two would be a disaster for my class--it has been difficult explaining the collaborative, multi-modal concept, but after we went over it again on Monday and they had time to talk with their group members and go over data, they had a better grasp on it. Wednesday and Friday showed everyone moving closer and closer towards realizing project 2--by the end of the week, I was receiving excellent group work detailing concepts, questions/arguments, possible conceptual ideas, as well a defined roles for group members.

While project two has been going on, I have been having one on one conferences with students--handing back project one, going over minor work, attendance, and asking questions, etc. These have been great since it gives me the opportunity to get to know my students even more--plus, I think one on one time is good for students, they get to talk to someone who really cares about them--even if it is only a few minutes, I see my students walking away from those meetings feeling a lot better in general :)

It is now the start of week 8! It always surprises me how fast semesters go by! I am looking forward to seeing how much further my students have got in their projects, so hopefully, I will be report more good things next week!

Dialectical Journal: Baron

Author/Title:

Dennis Baron: From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies

Summary:

What can I say? Baron does indeed spend a lot of time with the mighty pencil in this piece. Tracing the histories of literacy technology, Baron provides us with often humorous tales of old and new ways of writing.

Reflection	Quote
Defined: The study or forecasting of potential developments, as in science, technology, and society, using current conditions and trends as a point of departure.	“futurologist” (423)
Setting up the stages of writing technology (and technology in general). I like that Baron is demystifying the process of how technology gets to the public—it is important we understand that many of the items we use, that we think of as “new,” have been around for awhile either in “testing” mode or being retained for private use.	“Each new literacy technology begins with a restricted communication function and is available only to a small number of initiates. Because of the high cost of the technology and general ignorance about it, practitioners keep it to themselves at first—either on purpose or because nobody else has any use for it—and the, gradually, they begin to mediate the technology for the general public” (424).
This is deeply important because it brings awareness to how economics impact our ability to gain literacies.	“As costs decrease and the technology becomes better able to mimic more ordinary or familiar communications a new literacy spreads across a population. Only then does the technology come into its own, no longer imitating the precious forms given us by the earlier communication technology, but creating new forms and new possibilities for communication” (424).
Yes! Very important! The piece eventually gets to the use of signatures as a way of authenticating, reminds me of how we are now attempting to use digital signatures—most commercial enterprises have a digital pad for you to sign (like UPS, checking out at a store, etc), but the average person does not have a signature pad hooked up to their PC—when will that change??	“In order to gain acceptance, a new literacy technology must also develop a means of authenticating itself” (429).