Media Ecology Case Report

Google Docs Report

Above is the link to my Media Ecology Case Report.  I hope that the link works!

Changing Literacies; Changing Pedagogies

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 7
"The students' presentation of their classroom experience suggested that schools, and individual teachers within them, were at different stages in their integration of technology within the curriculum." (Burnett, p. 121).
This statement is true for a lot of different schools in different areas throughout the state.  I know for a fact that the county I teach for uses technology in the classrooms daily whereas the neighboring county doesn't use technology hardly at all.  It is amazing to me how much of a difference there really is in a 20-mile radius.  There are even some schools within my county that do not have classroom iPads or mobile labs.  I believe that if one school in your county has these devices then all of your schools should also have them.  We should all be working together within the county to help get our students back on track and keep them on schedule.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 8
"An awareness that not all students are expert or confident with digital technologies, and that they require the support of teachers with relevant expertise, is fundamental not only to overt instruction but also impacts on critical framing discussed below." (Kerin, p. 139-140).
I like how this text also goes back to making sure that students have the proper instruction and guidance when it comes to the modern technologies.  It is important for teachers to assist their students with things that they don't understand and teach them the skills needed to use the newest technology.  Some people may think that creating a PowerPoint presentation is really easy but others may need some assistance figuring it out.  We cannot assume that our students are automatically programmed with this information.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 9
"Using the case of composing personal memoir, I consider how personal memoir contains a number of dimensions that retain their importance and impact, regardless of media." (Leander, p. 160).
I have always been told that "out of the box" thinking was a bad thing; I do not agree with that whatsoever.  I personally believe that you have to break out of the mold once in a while and let your students create something off the wall.  Let them use multi modal texts for a project instead of just a generic report or poster.  I also like the idea of having the students to keep an "interactive notebook" in the classroom for different subjects.  My colleagues have told me so many wonderful things about interactive notebooks and I will be using them in the Fall.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Conclusion
"We believe that teachers should be prepared to move towards structuring classrooms as learning communities where new knowledge is generated and distributed." (Robinson & Carrington, p. 167)
I have already attended one professional development workshop this summer focusing on implementing the strategies needed in the mastery of operations in base ten for grades 2-5 and am planning on attending two other trainings before schools starts back.  I am fully willing to do anything that I need to do to create an open learning environment for my students.  To say that I agree with the quote from the conclusion would be an understatement.


I am not sure if I am fully prepared to teach my students the design, construction, and critique of digital text.  I will say that I am prepared to learn alongside of them and help them as much as possible.  I do, however, think that I may have my students use iMovie, PowerPoint, or some other type of media designer to create lessons or projects for the class.  I love doing student centered activities where the students have to teach a lesson to the rest of the class without assistance from me.  This teaches them to be more dependent upon themselves and their peers instead of the teacher.


Illuminated Text
I chose to create my illuminated text using the quote from the Conclusion.

Analyze the Interview

Hanging Out: My young person uses her devices to keep connected with her friends via Facebook and Instagram.  She mentioned that numerous times during our interview and she uses Facebook frequently (as we are Facebook friends).  She also uses FaceTime to communicate with some of her closest friends from school.  She will take screenshots of her FaceTime chats with her good friend and posts them on Facebook and Instagram.  My young person is very technology driven and enjoys using the different modes of technology.

Messing Around: The fact that my young person is technology literate gives her the upper hand when it comes to completing classwork on the iPads.  She can easily navigate her way around an app and knows how to access her online classwork without any instruction.  When she comes over to visit, she easily connects our Wii to the television without any assistance (which she has been doing for many years) and can easily work on an iPad.  She said that her favorite computer game is called Crossyroad because it is entertaining to her.

Geeking Out: I believe that my young person has a skill when it comes to navigating technology.  As stated in the above category, she knows exactly where to go to locate her homework and how to turn it back in to the teacher.  She does not need any assistance from her parents to access the apps or the sites on the Internet.  She told me that she wants to be doctor one day and I believe that she will have the skills needed to achieve that dream.

Schooling: My young person did not mention the use of traditional literacy practices or any type of school-related activity.


Possible Quotes:
"One technological determinist view represents contemporary children as increasingly 'active' and 'worldly' because there are now technologies that enable and encourage this." (Carrington, p.66).

"This exposes the tension that exists between the idea of using an immersive and literacy-rich virtual world as a context for incidental but purposeful uses of digital literacy and the focus on teaching literacy, which was understandably foremost in some of the teachers' minds." (Merchant, p.101).

Changing Literacies

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 4:
"The lengthy apprenticeship in learning to read and write in order to access information is linked, in this view, to maturation and the path to adulthood."(Carrington, p. 67).
I do agree with this statement to some degree.  Learning to read and write is a lengthy process and continues well into adulthood but I don't think that it is the path to maturation.  Being able to read and write is critical when it comes to holding a job and supporting yourself.  Some people never truly "grow up" and become a mature adult.  Maturation is more a state of mind, to me, than it is a learned skill.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 5:
"We therefore believe it is useful for teacher to accommodate this notion of multiple literacies and to understand texts as constructed differently when literacy is used to perform different functions in our everyday lives."(Davies & Merchant, p. 83).
Teachers should absolutely accommodate multiple literacies within the classroom.  As we look at online texts, such as blogs and social media sites, we can make those connections to the social aspect of things.  We can incorporate a classroom blog or a classroom Facebook page (if allowed by your school) as a way to have the students to communicate with other students and share information.  I love the idea of being able to have " electronic pen pals" with other students from other schools.  I think this would benefit our students and have them to develop those multiple literacies.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 6:
"The whole concept of gameplay, and the notion that students might actually learn in game-like environments, contrasts with dominant interpretations of the curriculum." (Merchant, p. 103).
Chapter 6 was a little bit confusing to me.  I don't really understand the concept of gameplay within the classroom.  Are they talking about a virtual world where the students communicate with one another and role play?  I don't know if this would be something that I would consider trying this in my classroom.  I don't think that the students in my area would be able to handle that type of learning without taking advantage.  There are still some forms of technology that I am uncomfortable with and this is one of them.


As I have previously stated, I do like the idea of blogging in the classroom.  I think it would be nice for the students to keep an online notebook to write down their ideas and discussions and have other students leave feedback.  I am not a fan of Wikipedia.  The fact that anyone can log in and change the information makes it a very unreliable source for information.   I have always been told to never use information from Wikipedia because you never knew if it was true or not.  Our students need to know where to find reliable and trusted information.  And I have also said that I probably would not try the virtual world gameplay.  I don't think that the students in my district could handle that type of activity without constant monitoring and proximity control.

I am not sure about the CCSS for the blogging and the Wikipedia because I do believe that we are moving away from these standards.  The only reason I say this is because I am currently at a workshop and we have discussed the shift in the Common Core Standards.  Topics that we used to teach in third or fourth grade are now being shifted into fifth or sixth grade.



Illuminated Text:
Illuminated Text from Chapter 6

Media Ecology and Learning Case-Interview with a Young Person

The following is my interview with my niece, "Lynn"

1. Do you have a computer/iPod/MP3 player/Wii/etc?

• I have a phone, an iPod, and a tablet

2. What kinds of things do you use the computer/phone/iPad for?

• I use my tablet for Facebook and to message my friends

3. What is your favorite thing to do on the computer?

• To check Facebook

4. How did you learn to do that?

• I learned by watching my mom check her Facebook

5. What are some other things you use the computer for?

• To check Instagram and keep contact with my friends

6. What is your favorite game? Why?

• I like to play Crossyroad because it entertains me

7. Do you know other people who do this?

• Yes I do

8.  How do you use the computer at school?

• I use it to complete my classwork and homework assignments

9.  How would you like to use the computer at school?

• I would like to be able to check Facebook and Instagram and download my own apps.

10.  Do you think teachers would let you use the computers to do those things?  Why or why not?

• No because they are too strict

11.  Anything else you would like to tell me?

• School needs to stop assigning so much homework on the iPads and computers because a lot of students do not have Internet connection at their houses.

Possible Quotes from the Readings:

"It is becoming increasingly clear that online social networking has become embedded in many people's offline lives across the world; while it is clear that many people learn the necessary skills to participate without tuition, there are implications for teachers in all this." (Davies, p.29).

"Crucially, even for youngsters with technological access, their activities may be constrained by social goals as well as limitation in terms of their technology skills, or in their ability to see the possibilities available to them in different online spaces." (Davies, p.33).

Digital Texts In and Out Of School

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Introduction:
"In contemporary societies, we must now include texts created via digital technologies when we speak of the texts that cocoon us in our everyday lives and allow us to make our way through the city as we navigate our various social, political, cultural and economic obligations." (Carrington & Robinson, p.1).
As we move through today's society, we are incorporating technology into our everyday lives.  Digital literacy becomes a more important aspect of our education because we see more technology in places that you wouldn't have seen it 20 years ago.  As the introduction pointed out, New York City is a great example of digital texts and technology.  If you look at Times Square, almost all of the buildings have an electronic sign on them that is promoting some type of product or production.  We need to ensure that our youth has the ability to understand these digital technologies so that they can navigate their way through society.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 1:
"Media education, therefore, needs to draw on the cultural experiences of young people, recognize the barriers to participation, and provide students with skills to analyze and produce media in ways which extend and build on their existing knowledge." (Willett, p.16).
This is what we have been discussing for awhile now.  It is vital to build upon existing knowledge rather than to start from scratch.  The idea of using iMovies in the classroom is wonderful.  My colleagues used iMovies as a supplemental activity in ELA and the students really took to it.  I think that exposing students to these forms of technology is beneficial to them because they are learning digital literacy and using background knowledge.  I hope that I will be able to incorporate these types of learning modes into my classroom next year.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 2:
"Further, in exploring meanings, we can take into account not just the written word, but also images, layout, font, sound, gesture, movement and so on." (Davies, p. 30).
The written language goes so much further than just words.  When I think of written language I think of books.  When I read a book I want to be able to imagine the characters in my mind; what do they sound like? What do they look like? What are their mannerisms? To be an effective writer you need to be able to give the reader these types of feelings.  The written word does not give the mood that the reader is looking for.  It is the images, the sounds, the moods, the layout, and so forth that make the story flow.

Digital Literacies: Social Learning and Classroom Practices Chapter 3:
"In order to succeed socially, as well as academically, across the myriad opportunities for text production available in the early twenty-first century, children must possess the ability to interrogate and recognize the power relations and forces that play upon and around their text production." (Dowdall, p. 51).
This particular chapter was devoted to a study of two children and the development of a profile page. Social media is a huge thing in today's society and more children are signing up for Facebook and Instagram.  The children need to know how to handle being on these social media sites and what is expected of them.  They should understand what type of text is appropriate for these sites and what type is not appropriate.  It is up to us as educators to ensure that they have the skills needed to recognize the forces that play upon their text production.


I believe that technology in the classroom is a wonderful thing if it is used appropriately.  I have used the classroom iPads many times in math as a supplemental activity for the students.  I also think that using age appropriate apps and games should be used whenever possible in the classroom.  We need to be building upon the background knowledge of our students and introducing them to technology that they may not be familiar with.  The only downfall to using the technology is that you cannot 100% prevent the students from straying away from the assignment and getting onto the Internet and looking up other things or playing other games.  I ran into that problem in my classroom a few times and often had to confiscate the student's iPad.  There has to be rules and consequences set before any type of activity begins.  That was the problem that I had with my class.  I learned that I had to give my rules and consequences up front before allowing  the students to participate.  Monitoring is also a key to using technology in the classroom.  You always need to be watching and walking around to ensure that everyone is on topic and doing what they are supposed to be doing.

Illuminated Text
I chose to create my illuminated text using the quote from the Introduction.