DJE #10

"Words failed, Then Saved Me"

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."

Response:

I have to say, I knew dyslexia was more than just mixing up letters but I didn't know the extent to which people struggled with it until I read this. People need to be more aware of the various types of learing disabilities. Especially if they plan on working with children. This is a very moving article and its amazing that the author overcame everything he did. I'm so happy we live in a world today where children with learning disabilities aren't looked at as "stupid" or "uninteligent". I hope that every child with a learning disability can find this kind of strength and determination.

I also believe that a lot of children with learning disabilities believe it is their fault they can't acheive the way their peers can. This means that as teachers we not only need to be encouragers of learning but also encouragers of spirit. We need to help student's understand that their difficulties can be overcome and to never give up on themselves.

Related Source:

]

Citation:



SCHULTZ, P. (2011, August 3). With Dyslexia, Words Failed Me and Then Saved Me - NYTimes.com. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/sunday/with-dyslexia-words-failed-me-and-then-saved-me.html?_r=1

 

D, D. (n.d.). Dyslexia: symptoms dyslexia | Glogster. Drequilla's Profile | Glogster. Retrieved October 27, 2011, from http://drequilla.glogster.com/dyslexia/

 

 

Think Aloud

Think Aloud

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Website Evaluation

Feline Reactions to bearded Men: A scientific study

 http://improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html

WHO:

Has someone taken responsibility for the content of this Web site? 


-Yes. There are many people who have taken this responsibility.


Are there any links to in-depth information about the author or organization?


-Yes many. 


Can you contact the company or author through a real world postal address or phone number?


-Yes, there is a "contact us" link with names, addresses, and phone numbers of real people you can contact. 




WHAT:


Does the site's information seem thorough and well organized?


-Yes it does seem very well organized even though some of the content is more funny than scientific. 


Does the site rely on loaded language or broad, unsubstantiated statements?


-There is a lot of scientific language that seems to camouflage some of the funnier statements about certain studies


Does the Web site offer a list of further in-depth resources or links to such resources?


-Yes. The study has a bibliography and there are other links to view different types of research. 




WHEN:


Is it important that the information you're looking for be absolutely current?


-Since this site is about science I suppose it is important for the research to be current. There are dates on everything and links to where you can find this study in the magazine the website publishes. 


Is a reference date provided to show when the material was put online, or when it was last updated?


-yes. There are dates showing when the study was published in the magazine the website sponsors. 


Do the links work?


-Yes they all work. Even the downloadable content works. 






Personal Evaluation


After examining this site I do believe it is a real and credible organization. the purpose of the site is to make science funny and to make people think about the validity and credibility of scientific studies. While I have my doubts about the feline reactions to bearded men study (it seems to be more on the funnier side than the true side), the purpose of the site is to make people think. the organization seems real enough and there are real publications and real people behind the research and company. Overall, while this is a very funny type of site with funny research topics, it seems valid. 

Double Journal Entry Week #9

Internet & Anti-Social Behavior Theory Unfounded




Quote:




"First, internet users are relatively anonymous. Second, CMC is not face-to-face and therefore lacks the non-verbal features of communication such as tone of voice, facial expressions and other interpersonal features such as physical attractiveness. Much of the research in the CMC field explored how these two missing features affect social influence and interaction."

Reaction:

People are free to have opinions and be more open online than in any other form of social interaction. Because Internet users are somewhat anonymous, people have the freedom to share their opinions without being personally attacked or without the stigma of face to face confrontation. I believe that this helps individuals form stronger opinions and helps them define who they are as a person. When someone has the freedom to think and say what they want without repercussion they tend to become stronger individuals. Face to face interaction is however necessary in social interaction because we still live in a world where people need to know how to act in public. I'm just saying that I believe that the anonymity of being online can help people form opinions and express themselves in ways they wouldn't normally. The fact that physical attractiveness doesn't play a major role in online social interaction also helps people be more open online than they would in real life. This is especially true for teenagers. Teenagers can be mean and may not give someone who is deemed physically unattractive the time of day. But when this person is online they have people who will listen to them and allow them to express themselves. I believe the Internet can be a very valuable tool in helping people with social interaction.

Related Source:

https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/eamabry/www/course/com813/anstey3.htm

I like this website because it compares social relationships that are face to face verses those that are completely online.

Citation:

Owens, L. (2009, April 23). Internet & Anti-Social Behavior Theory Unfounded: Facebook, MySpace, Online: Research Refutes Cyber Socializing Fears | Suite101.com. Laura Owens | Suite101.com. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from http://laura-owens.suite101.com/internet--anti-social-behavior-theory-unfounded-a111897

 

Ansty, S. (n.d.). Module 3: On-Line Personal Relationships. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Retrieved October 25, 2011, from https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/eamabry/www/course/com813/anstey3.htm

 

The Holidays are Here!!

Web 2.0 tools for the classroom

Prizes.org

• This is a fantastic website where anyone can create a contest with a problem to solve and people can respond back in an attempt to win prizes!

• I would use this tool in my content area of Social Studies. Since Social studies is a social science, one of the goals of teaching social studies is to have the students solve real-world social science problems using the scientific method. This tool seems like a perfect medium to use to get students interested in the problem solving process. What's a better motivator for secondary students than prizes?

• I could easily use this web tool in a lesson in my future Social Studies classroom. One example of the content area in Social Studies I could use this for would be Sociology. After having a brief lesson on the similarities and differences of simple societies and complex societies, I would pose the question, "Which society would most likely have a healthier population, (physically, mentally, and emotionally) a simple society, or a complex society?" I would then create a contest on prizes.org and have my students create an account (with parental permission of course). Once the students have created an account and can access my problem they will be given the assignment to use the scientific method to answer the sociology question. The students who best answer the question using the proper scientific method will be given a prize of my choosing (not a cash prize) such as a free homework pass. I believe this would motivate the students to complete the assignment and put in a full effort in order to win the prize.

• Before using this tool in the classroom I would need to consider the age of my students. Since this site is not an educational site I would need to consider weather my students are responsible and mature enough to handle the content of the website. I would also definitely need parental permission to use this site in my classroom. I would also need to make sure when I create my contest that I created it under the "just for fun" tab. I think it is illegal to illicit a cash prize to students so I would need to create a just for fun contest and maybe come up with a prize of my own I can give my students. I would also need to make sure I created the contest so that only verified users can participate in the contest. I wouldn't want anyone other than my students making comments on the contest I create.

Overall I think this would be a very useful and fun tool to use in the classroom as long as I keep my student's age and maturity in perspective.

   screenshot of the prizes.org website

My Teaching Philosophy Voki

A Lesson Plan I can Use with the Voki as a Social Studies Teacher!

Double Journal Entry #7

Teaching Media Literacy

Quote:

"Unlike reading assigned textbooks, reading online challenges students to make judgments about the reputability and validity of the information they see. Researchers who directed several hundred college students to three bogus Web sites about fictitious nutritional supplements found that half of the students lacked the skills to identify the trustworthiness of the information, yet most thought they had strong research skills (Ivanitskaya, O'Boyle, & Casey, 2006)."

Reaction:

Many people who believe they have the skills necessary to critically evaluate sources and data are mistaken. These skills need to be taught and since there are so many untrustworthy sources out there these days, it is getting harder and harder for even skilled researchers to find valid information. If we don't teach students how to research with a critical eye for validity, they can never be expected to learn these skills on their own.

Reading a textbook is easy from a researchers point of view. If something is in print, especially in an educational setting, we can be fairly sure that it has been reviewed and re-reviewed over and again by credible people. Therefore we don't really have to worry about the validity of a text book. However, more and more schools are opting out of using textbooks all together. In an attempt to engage the student's interest by using the Internet for information rather than texts, we have created a whole new problem of how to help those students distinguish the difference between what is credible and not.

In my senior year of high school in my World History/Civics class, we had a student who just didn't understand why he had to check out all his sources. Our teacher convinced a few students (including me) to create a false website with ridiculous information about the topic of this misguided student's research paper. He used the website we created as a source in his paper and once the papers were turned in our teacher revealed the plot against this student. The student was obviously embarrassed but he, and the rest of the class did learn a value lesson. Don't worry, the teacher didn't deduct a grade from the student since it was all a learning experience.

This un-couth way of showing students how valuable it is to have the skill to properly evaluate media is just an example (I'm not saying any teacher should publicly embarrass any student) of one way to make students aware of this growing problem in our ever changing technological society. We as educators need to make it our responsibility to teach students these valuable skills just like we teach any other skill in the classroom.

Related Source:

Citations:

David, J. (2009). Teaching Media Literacy. Literacy 2.0, 66(6), 84-86. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching-Media-Literacy.aspx

 

Thomas, C. (n.d.). 12 shocking Eco-Truths with one small problem: they’re false | The Ethical Nag. The Ethical Nag | Marketing Ethics for the Easily Swayed. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from http://ethicalnag.org/2010/05/16/false-eco-truths/

 

 

Magazine Cover for Teacher of the Year

Deconstructing Arnold

Picture #1

1. What do you see? How does he look?

I see Arnold showing his arm muscle and looking mean. He looks like he's mad at something. I think they are trying to make him look scary and tough because of the kind of magazine this is. I also see red flames as Arnold's background. This gives the viewer a sense of anger and harshness. All the words on the cover are in capital, bold, letters which makes it look like shouting.

2. How does he make you feel?

This photo makes me feel put off. I feel like Arnold is someone who I wouldn't want to hang around. He is showing his muscle which makes me feel like he thinks he's something special and I don't like people who are full of themselves. I also feel like he is someone who is mean and tough which also makes me not like him initially.

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

I think he is a person who is cocky and full of himself. I also think he wouldn't be very pleasant to be around because of the scowl on his face.

4. How does he look? How do those "looks" influence how you feel?

He looks tough. He is wearing sunglasses which masks a lot of his facial features. All you can really notice on his face is his hard set mouth which makes him look like he is scowling. The way he is flexing his arm muscle just shows off his toughness more. This influences me to believe he is a tough guy and may be a bully. This photo sort of villainies him.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted?

This magazine cover obviously values toughness and fierceness. Only a target audience of people (probably mostly men) who want to be rough, tough, and muscular would be attracted to this cover. A lifestyle of body building is represented. Arnold is showing off his huge muscle which gives a representation that muscles are something to be valued and wanted. And since this is a muscle and fitness magazine I can assume that the people who would be reading this would value Arnold's physique and would want to look like him.

Photo #2

1. What do you see? How does he look?

I see a well-dressed Arnold with a cheesy smile pointing at me. Why is he pointing at me? I don't like people pointing at me! I also see a seductive picture of a woman next to the picture of Arnold. I think this is maybe placed here to make Arnold look more appealing. He looks like he is trying to hard to be pleasant. The smile is way too overdone. He definitely looks like a politician which isn't appealing to me either.

2. How does he make you feel?

He makes me feel uncomfortable. Like I said before, I don't like people pointing at me. I also feel that maybe he has something up his sleeve. His eyes look like they know something I don't. He looks a little sneaky.

3. What do you think about this person now? How does he make you feel?

I think this person is like most other politicians. I think he is sneaky and an over actor. The fact that he is an actor just makes me think he is putting on this facade of pleasantness. I think he is trying way to hard to look nice and its coming off as looking a little scary. I think babies would cry if they saw his face looking like this.

4. How does he look. How do these "looks" influence how you feel?

He looks like he's trying to be nice and confident. He also looks like he wants me to do something since he's pointing at me. He looks well dressed. His hair looks a little messy. I think he is trying to make his eyes look seductive and appealing but they come off looking sneaky and over-confident. His looks give me an overall impression that he is a politician. Which is what he is so I suppose that is a successful representation of how he wants to look. I however don't like politicians, so I don't like how he looks in this picture.

5. What lifestyles, values, points of view are represented or omitted?

Since this is Esquire magazine, a wealthy and political lifestyle is represented. Arnold is very well dressed and is wearing a rather large diamond ring which also targets a wealthy upper class. Maybe that is why I don't like this picture, because I am not upper class and I don't value the things that an upper class would value. A wealthier class may value over-confidence which is something I do not value. The target audience for this magazine and photo is definitely a wealthy, and political minded one.

6. (For both pictures) What are the differences between the two covers? What techniques are used to attract your attention? Pay attention to body language, clothing, camera angles, lighting, color, eye contact, ect.

The differences between these photos are drastic ones. The first photo gives off a sense of fierceness while the second photo is trying to depict a niceness and confidence. In this first photo Arnold's body language is one of not caring about the audience. He is turned away and not making eye contact. In the second photo Arnold's body language shows he is trying to engage the audience bu looking at them, leaning in, and pointing to them. The clothing in the first photo is ragged and poor looking. It shows the viewer that once again, he doesn't care what they think because he knows he looks good. In the second photo Arnold is very well dressed which shows he wants people to think highly of him. The colors in the second photo are all bluish which gives a calm and pleasant veiw. In the first photo, the red coloring and bold letters give off an angry and feirce appearence.