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Great illustrations on how to appropriately use hashtags in the classroom - awesome teaching ideas!!

"Live-Tweeting" for Comprehension and Analysis:

Our students make deep connections and analysis through social media every day, minute, and hour. why not bring this skill into the classroom?

Through the use of #hashtags our students can form deep connections and analysis. 

Through the use of live media we can make reading for our students an interactive activity. 

This is how I am incorporating this idea into my classroom.  

BEFORE: As a class we discussed the use of #hashtags in different platforms specifically Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It is important to address that although the # started out as a means of CATEGORIZING posts it quickly became a language of its own. Through examples using the student’s own Twitter and Instagram accounts we came up with the different uses for hashtags such as:

Categorizing 

Description

Humor

Sarcasm

Emphasis

Connections

Relationships

Satire

Trends

Groups

Etc.

We then looked at some examples and discussed the connections they have to make in order to understand the hashtag.

GETTING STARTED:

Due to security concerns and because Twitter is such a public forum I decided to use:  http://www.todaysmeet.com

I started a room for each class period and shared the URL with my students. Using my classroom Activboard I made sure to walk my students through the process of posting which is incredibly hassle-free on this website since it requires no sign up or registration. This is an example of a practice tweet that my 1st period wrote as a class using my teacher Twitter: 

                                   Different Uses For The Classroom

Monitoring Reading Progress: My students like to spread out in the halls and read to each other in groups, while others like to read independently and silently. In order to accommodate and monitor I asked that every student complete five tweets during a 50 minute period. They could write down important events that happened in the novel, ask questions that they had, comment on a scene that they found interesting, etc. Every tweet had to include a relevant hashtag. In my own Ipad I would scroll through the feed and it was easy to point out the students that were not reading when their name stopped popping up on the live feed.

Summarizing:

While we read Flowers for Algernon my students were so engaged in their reading that it seemed counterproductive to stop them while they read. So after every 40 minutes of reading, they were asked to send a 140 character “tweet” to their TodaysMeet group summarizing their reading. Students could also set up their own “room” in TodaysMeet and have an online space where they could come back to their own timeline of the events that happened in the novel by briefly scrolling through their feed.

Analysis:

As I continue in this activity I will print out the transcript of the conversation and have them cut out their own tweets and arrange them in chronological order and they will then have to analyze the changes in their character, plot, setting, etc. through the use of their tweets. Another way to use this is to use the tweets as character maps, pick the best analysis, build screenplays or comics from the tags. The opportunities are endless!!

MOVIES: When my students saw the film version of To Kill A Mockingbird they were asked to “tweet” out to a special room in Today’s Meet as they saw differences between the film and novel. It was incredibly telling to see their hashtags evolve as the film did not live up to their expectations and it turned into an excellent form of analysis as well.

*This gave our students the ability  to use their “social media voice” which is often so much stronger and honest than their classroom voice. Our students value and protect their image in social media so much that it is icnredible how much more responsible they feel for their work, analysis, and thinking when it actually affects them in the world that THEY live in. *P.S. If you have any questions feel free to email me as I know this is a complete ramble. 

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Prompt 8

When searching #picturebooks on Instagram and Facebook, I found many posts of different texts. When using these search engines, I quickly found many images of books being released. When compared with a Google search, they produced varying results. I found on social media platforms, the majority of the images were trying to ‘sell’ the books. I also discovered many articles and opinion pieces for how picture books can be used and are useful for student learning.

Reflecting on the variety of results I had from using the hashtag, I believe it can be a useful tool. The results provided a broad range of information on a picture books. Additionally, the results were given in a contemporary manner; brief, accompanied by a picture and a link to further information. As hashtags and social media are part of modern society, tapping into students everyday social practices can engage them in learning. They also provide opportunity to incorporate multimodal literature. As discussed in ECL310 class and seminar, experiencing multimodal forms of literacy is important as it helps students understand the flexibility of literacy and how it is incorporated into everyday living. However, considering all this, I believe students need to be taught how to appropriately research. As a teacher, I do not believe a hashtag search can take the place of proper research (encyclopaedias etc), instead it should be integrated alongside other research styles. The hashtag could be a fantastic device within the classroom, yet students would need to be in a safe online classroom environment which careful teacher guidance to ensure it is a successful research tool.

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Prompt 7

While searching #picturebooks in Tumblr, one book in particular caught my eye. Interstellar Cinderella is a story of a fiery girl who wants nothing more than to fix spaceships and be a space mechanic. I was initially interested in the artwork of the book. I am majoring in Visual Arts and was keen to see how different creative techniques could be integrated with literature. The illustrated used a variety of techniques of sheets of rubylith, ink, shape, washes and pencil – all meshed with digital process into a cacophony of colour, shape, texture and pattern. The result is a collection of unique artworks which distinguish the texts illustrations from other picture-books. However, as I continued to read the story, I was further engaged by the lyrical, clever rhymes which journey the reader through the modern Cinderella story. This fantastic take on the classic tale of Cinderella follows the traditional story, yet rather than the damsel in distress, Cinderella is the hero of the story. She is an independent figure who is a skilled mechanic, fixing the Prince’s ship and saving the day. The Prince finds Cinderella after she runs off at midnight, yet to his proposal she responds “I’m far too young for marriage, but I’ll be your chief mechanic”. The book finishes with Cinderella exclaiming “Dreams do come true”. As a woman, I believe the morals and values this book is conveying are fantastic. The girl in the story is self-assured and has a passion for something that ultimately helps others. Additionally, she does not disregard the Prince, yet is able to work alongside him, in a traditionally male dominated vocation. The ability of this text to appeal to a diverse range of students (both male and female) is fantastic. It will be useful in the classroom as students discovery their identity and uniqueness. The rhymes also provide opportunity to teach a variety of literacy text structures.

Text: Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood 2015.

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Ngarra: A Record of Life

Ngarra’s art, like his life, was a synthesis of informed action and contemplative celebration. When he died in November 2008 he anticipated that his work would project life affirming values that would inspire people to see the importance of, ‘Living properly and looking after the country.’

His conceptualisation and articulation of allegory was particular to his Kimberley worldview formed initially by his gatherer-hunter upbringing and by his first language, Andinyin. 

In his last years, despite fading eyesight, Ngarra produced these astonishing, unique, delicate and evocative works on paper, an extraordinary record of life lived on the frontiers of a changing Kimberley over the course of nearly a century.

Alongside his earlier works on canvas in acrylic and ochre, this singular oeuvre places Ngarra in the front rank of artists to have emerged from the Kimberley, and one of Australia’s most important documenters of Indigenous knowledge.

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Prompt 6 reflection

For students, learning to appreciate literacy texts and to create their own literary texts is important and a personal teaching goal of mine. In ECL310 class and seminar we discussed for students to interpret, appreciate, evaluate and create literary texts, they need to be engaged. This can be done through mediums such as short stories, novels, poetry, prose, plays, films and multi-modal texts. Therefore, Splash.abc.net.au is a useful resource and one I will use throughout my teaching. It provided multiple videos that can be used to engage students in literacy. While watching these videos, I reflected on how I could use these in my lessons. One video I particularly enjoyed was ‘A journey into world music’. I could use this video as a front-loading activity to start conversation about how we are all different in the world and a topic on Indigenous Australians. As part of the Literature unit based on Australian and Torres Strait Islanders, I would be encouraging students to think of creative ways they can display their learning. This clip focuses on music, which level 5/6 students would find interesting, as it is relevant to them. If students wanted to create their own song to represent their learning at the end of the unit, then a variety of literature techniques would be part of this. Even though the video discusses world music, the teacher can bring the focus back to Indigenous Australians and generate discussion around the emotion being portrayed, the story taking place etc. This activity would then lead into reading a text about/written by an Indigenous Australian. The Splash link also provides useful points for discussion, such as asking what the main differences noticed between different forms of music. All of the questions/activities can be linked to literature, by having students respond in written format and even generate a particular style of writing. For example students could write a narrative using the information they have learnt, they could create their own instruments using materials they can find around home/school and then write about their instrument or write a play about their learning and include Indigenous music. In ECL310 class and seminar, we discussed the Literature strand should aim to “engage students in the study of literacy texts of personal, cultural, social and aesthetic value”. We discussed how texts should be chosen because they have the potential for enriching the lives of students, expanding the scope of their experience and because they represent effective and interesting features of form and style. When reflecting on the variety of resources available for teaching, I believe Splash provides resources which can enrich, expand and interest students.

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Unseen, unheard, unmoved.

Front-loading lesson: Students are shown images of the book Dust by Colin Thompson, but the words are blocked out. Students create a title for the book and a blurb. Using prior knowledge, students predict what the story might be about or what themes might occur in the story. They write or draw their predictions. Students then look at each page and create sentences for each page. 

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One cold night the silence comforted my transparent hollow body, I had no strength left and as I died, I dreamed of food I’d never tasted.

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‘Instead of fighting a loosing battle, as social media is here to stay, the problem of web usage can be turned into an opportunity for the good’. This statement by Priyanka Gupta in ‘edtechreviews’ outlines how platforms like Facebook and Twitter are used by almost everyone. Gupta argues if teachers are to keep pace with the changing nature of learning in the modern world, they should be open to exploring it. I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. However, I also acknowledge while there have been some successes, there have also been some difficult cyber bullying narratives. There is no ‘rule book’ for how to integrate social media into the classroom. One major influence for how to use social media in the classroom will depend on the students access to the Internet and a device. While it is common most students will be able to access social media, this is not the case for everyone. This would greatly influence how you would use social media in the classroom. Even though I have done placement in a school where each student has their own device, I chose to use a paper Twitter board as an ‘exit pass’ for the lesson. I used this in my first placement earlier in the year, and found it to be very successful in reflecting students learning (and they didn't even know it). It was a fun way to integrate social media, while ensuring the environment remained safe (without bullying).

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Prompt 4

Classroom Displays

I found this today in a local Primary School. I spoke to the teacher about it.The teacher is hesitant to take the bold step of incorporating real social media platforms in to her classroom for a number of reasons. The students do use EDMODO as a form of Facebook, which is a closed cache able to be accessed by the students and the school only. Some of the students use EDMODO regularly, such as one of my daughters. Several of her classmates never use EDMODO at all. 

This Twitter Feed board seems to work quite well and the students enjoy seeing each others posts.

The #dismoment heading in the image is a reference to a resilience project the school is working on.

For discussion this week, please take a photo of something interesting you see in the classroom on placement, remember to ask for approval. If the teacher seems hesitant don’t push it. Remember, no children’s images whatsoever. 

Displays that are unusual and even unique would be great, or displays that you think are just downright impressive will also qualify. It may be a great writing task someone has done, an interesting method of teaching a writing genre perhaps, or a class project. Please make sure names are blurred or any child's full name is unable to be identified.

Some of you are not on placement, can I get you to reflect on your opinion of what is good content, and what may be unhelpful content in a classroom display.

If you don’t want that as a prompt, go back to the top of this prompt and have a reflective moment on what your current attitude is with social media and the classroom. There are some stunning successes, but also some difficult cyber bullying narratives, what do you think about all of it?

We hope you are enjoying placement, and if you get the chance, see if you can grab a literacy planner. This might be  a whole year planner, a term planner, a monthly planner or even a weekly planner. A Gardiner’s Multiple Intelligences / Bloom’s Taxonomy / VCOP / CAFE or similar planner would be terrific. These are rich sources of literacy teaching thought, and will be something to help you in ECL410 next year,

good luck!

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Upon reflection, I interpret text more often than I realised. I engage with a range of texts for different purposes in my everyday life. The purpose for making meaning from texts include; to communicate, learn, teach and make decisions (such as choosing food). The most common sources I make meaning from include: emails, recipes, menus, social media (posts, messages, status etc), written work, catalogues, product labels, public transport timetable, clocks, text messages, receipts, street signs, text on TV, google searches, news, university textbooks, journal articles, readings. By reflecting on how much I make sense of text, it has shown me how important this skill is. This exercise has demonstrated the implications for me as a teacher. It has shown me how it is essential for students to be exposed to a range of texts, so they can learn to make meaning from a wide variety of sources. I have seen this done in schools when looking at the topic 'Gardening' with Prep children. Students continuously examined a range of text types, such as story books, information books and images to understand a topic (such as how things grow). Students then interpreted what they had learnt to write a fact about their chosen topic. For example = Topic: spider – Fact: they have 8 legs and use a web to catch insects. This process of examining a variety of texts, I predict would increase throughout the year levels to include more complex texts. As a teacher, I would ensure different texts were age appropriate and try to include this as much as possible across different subjects.

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Integrating Virtual Reality into Our Classrooms – Is it Worth It?

See on Scoop.it - Educational Technology News

As technology becomes a staple in classrooms around the world, the viability of using Virtual Reality is questioned. How can we use it and is it worth it?

See on edtechtimes.com

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Welcome to the WEEK TWO prompt. We have read many of your responses to the first prompt and we are thrilled with the lovely reflections many of you have posted - thank you! This week we are going to use the cover of one of the books selected in the 2015 Children’s Book Council Awards. It is Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth. For your reflection this week we want you to think of a prediction activity you could do, just using the cover. The cover has graphics and text, you can use either or both. We only want an idea, a thought, for a ten to fifteen minute activity. You can record your thought on video, or use audio record on a device. You might download a copy of the cover and add post-its with prediction questions on it. Or you can simply just write your thoughts. of what you might do if you were about to start reading this middle years text. You may like to read Winch text book p92-94 if you are unsure of what a prediction tasks is, Winch explains further the reading comprehension approaches of Inferring, Predicting and Before Reading strategies.

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#favouritebooks #roalddahl #thebfg

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This week I reflected on my memories of being read to. While I cannot remember reading in primary school, I can remember being read to at home. I had a few favourite books, including one about a lost mermaid and some of Roald Dahl’s stories; James and the Giant Peach and The Big Friendly Giant. I remember my parents and grandparents reading these to me, which is a fond memory. The pages of these books are torn and folded, which shows how much I loved and enjoyed the stories. I have more memories of reading in secondary school. I would stay up late with a book and a torch under my blankets just to read ‘a few more pages’. I still love reading and can get through a book pretty quickly when I’m captivated by the story. I have seen this fascination with stories when I have been in the classroom. I have found it easy to capture student’s attention by reading to them. I enjoyed a fairytale unit I did with Grade 1/2s and we extended the topic to creating our own story. The students even drew their characters and settings. It was the most engaging topic I taught (for both them and myself).

WEEK ONE REFLECTION

The first prompt for 2016

ECL310

When I was in grade three I remember my teacher reading to the class Charlie and The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. We sat in silence absorbing every word, it was fantastic!. The teacher read Roald’s next book Charlie and The Glass Elevator as well and it was also a big favourite. Years later I was lucky enough to be teaching my own grade 3 and 4′s when the Harry Potter series came out. Once again a class sat in silence absorbing very word as this time I read the novel to the grade. 

For your reflection this week we would enjoy discovering your memories of being read to. Preferably this would come from your own classroom experiences, otherwise it can be a reflection on what a parent read to you, or if that doesn’t fit, you can share what you would like to read to a class when you have the chance.

All of the ECL310 team look forward to sharing in this,

be creative, make a video, a Wordle, a sound recording, a cloze activity, anything you like!

Good luck!

The ECL310 team!