https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5 ECI 541 (601) en-us 2018-04-15 23:46:45 UTC 2018-04-16 00:45:22 UTC hello@padlet.com llmather https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952103 There are certain cognitive processes involved in reading both traditional text (print) and reading via online sources. As teachers, we want to train students to approach a text with a plan, whether they are reading traditional text or new literacies. A well-structured plan will involve activating background knowledge through pre-reading activities, determining the purpose for reading, monitoring comprehension during the reading process, and responding to the text (Coiro, 2011). In other words, whether reading from an online source or a book, the instructional goals are the same - fluency, comprehension, expression, and response to the text. Additionally, most all reading activities and teaching methods can be implemented with either type of reading. New literacies are simply another platform for taking in information and making meaning of it. 

Though the instructional goals of both types of literacy may be the same, there are also many difference between online sources and print. The most major difference are the skills involved in accessing and evaluating information from online sources. As the "Taxonomy of Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies" page suggests, students must be able to successfully use a search engine to lookup certain topics, they must critically evaluate the information they are reading, and they must either confirm or reject what they read. Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz (2016) provide a clear picture of these new skills needed for new literacies, explaining, "Some of the new literacy strategies that learners are likely to use may include generating digital questions, examining search engine results, and making sens of the multimodal aspects of digital text" (pg. 27). Just as there are many differences in using new literacies for students, there are many changes to a teacher's instruction about new literacies, as well. Unlike simply opening a book to begin the reading process, teachers must model how to access information on the internet and use it responsibly. 

One final difference between printed text and new literacies is how multifaceted new literacies are. Whereas students are very familiar with the use of traditional books, magazines, or articles, there are a plethora of online tools to be discovered. So many apps, devices, websites, and search engines exist, and new, more advanced ones are constantly being developed. This means students will be continually learning the best ways to use technology as a means of learning and digesting information. Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz sum up this idea well, saying, "The changes in thinking about literacy are seen by some as a radical shift away from long-held traditions of what it means to read and write and have given rise to new literacy communities not imagined two decades ago" (pg. 28). ]]> 2018-04-15 23:49:42 UTC https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952103 llmather https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952151 Driver: According to Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz (2016) one motivating factor in teaching new literacies is that students and teachers can interact and communicate with other individuals (like students or authors) instantly. Before the age of emails, a student might write a letter to an author and wait for weeks before receiving a response in the mail. Now, communication can happen instantly. For example, in December my class communicated with students in Germany to learn all about their schools and education. The capability to email really helped me, as a teacher, connect with a family in Germany and receive a response the very next day! Another driving factor is that students tend to respond with higher levels of motivation when technology is involved in the learning process (Vacca, et. al, 2016). Using technology tools opens up a variety of ways to differentiate learning and tailor activities to students interests and abilities. Finally, perhaps the greatest motivation to incorporate technology should be to prepare students to thrive in the twenty-first century (Vacca, et. al. 2016). 

Barriers: One barrier for using technology is time limitations. Every teacher understands the value of each instructional minute, and training students on how to use technology (passing out iPads, getting to the same program, learning how to use certain apps) can be time consuming. One solution for this problem would be to provide scaffolding by using technology during whole group instruction, until students are ready to use devices on their own. Another equally difficult barrier is teaching students to critically evaluate the information they are reading online. Students must be taught that not all online sources are accurate, and learning how to filter what sites can be trusted is a difficult task. According to Vacca et. al. (2016), students must be taught how to determine the author's bias, determine the reliability of the site, identify if the information is accurate, and synthesize the information in a meaningful way. These are advanced skills that will take a great deal of time and practice, but it is vital to train learners in these twenty-first century skills. Finally, online security is an issue which can be a barrier for learning. Communication tools, like blogs, emails, and sharable files must be closely monitored for students' safety. These are just a few challenging tasks that educators will encounter when teaching new literacies. ]]> 2018-04-15 23:50:03 UTC https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952151 llmather https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952186 The main challenge of assessing and evaluating new literacies, specifically learning outcomes, is that so many programs have more creative and abstract ways to present information. In other words, when simply using pencil and paper to answer a question, assessment can tend to be simplified and straightforward. In order to assess students' work presented in a multimodal tool, a teacher must be prepared to spend time considering how to correctly assess each project. Some questions that must be asked are: Does this students' project/presentation reflect a thorough understanding of the concept? What rubric will be used to determine mastery? Did this students' work thoroughly and completely address the questions being asked? Though technology tools are great for differentiating learning, a challenge that comes with that is knowing how to assess each student's individual project or response. ]]> 2018-04-15 23:50:27 UTC https://padlet.com/llmather/j86lsj93hzn5/wish/251952186