Bradley\’s Blog

New age according to Knobel and Lankshear require the “mindset 2″ which says  “The world cannot adequately be interpreted, understood, and responded to in physical-industrial terms (example true/not true is considered open to interpretation.) The world is very different from before, largely as a result of the emergence and uptake of digital electronic inter-networked technologies.”  Technology allows today’s classrooms to work with other classroom from all over the world to solve problems, develop collective intelligence, and most importantly to communicate.  Knobel and Lankshear talk about mindset 1 which primarily focuses on the individual student, individual intelligence through individual test scores, and enclosed purpose-specific schools and grade levels.  These are the older mindsets and they need to be adapted, and understand how to use technology in the classroom for full educational benefit.

When I was interviewing my professional I noticed that her school and alot of schools that I have been in don’t have a larger budget to afford new educational enhancing technologies.  These schools, well I should say the staff for the most part are really in between mindset 1 and mindset 2.   The kids, however, get their technology from their homes and the internet.  If we start introducing technologies in the classroom and show students how to use these technologies for educational purposes we will open a new door to how we interpret teaching.

Some of the newer technologies in my professionals classroom were not new ideas.  However, they were new interpretations of older ways of learning together, collaborating.  Knobel and Linkshear talk about emailing.  “The fact that email has been a large scale practice for almost 20 years now does not make it an “old new literacy.”  Some emailing was always old, they are just letters done on a new machines.  However, when emailing became a truly collaborative practice that was new because it allowed communication on a time frame that was faster than the original letter.”

Knobel and Linkshear say and I agree that teachers and students who encompass both mindsets of literacy will succeed the most in the future in terms of literacies.  Those who can use a combination of older conventional ways, along with the newer technologies in creating literature will have their education at their finertips.

I think the older teachers that grew up in mindset 1 have a difficult time with technology and presenting more into classrooms by collaborating with teachers and classrooms outside of their own.  Also, I think some schools just lack the proper funding to have technology in their classrooms.  The professional I interviewed was younger and she was excited about using technology in her classroom, she talked about a new computer lab in their school and some internet sites she tries to use during class time to help her student’s learn how to read.  We as teachers are dealing with the newer generation of students that are understanding of new technologies and are able to multi task when doing their school work.  Teachers have to adapt to these and become immersed in technology for the educational purpose and use technology along with writing in the classroom.

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Introduction to Portfolio

1.) TV Poem

I decided to have my “TV Poem” in my final portfolio because I think it displays a different way to look at a subject, through different angles. My future writing workshop will use poetry along with other multi genre writing to enhance student writing and thinking about writing.

To write this poem I simply just turned on the television and wrote down the first thing I heard, then I turned the channel and again wrote down the first thing I heard. I did this for about 5 minutes. Next, I read and re-read what I wrote down and tried to make sense of the unrelated bits of information. Lucy Calkins says “poetry repositions us in relation to our subject” (pg. 370) and I tried to keep that in mind when I was repositioning phrases that I heard while flipping channels and making sense of every phrase in relation to the final poem. I wanted the poem to make some sense so I kept my feelings about where I live in context with our government and how issues occur and unfold in todays media.

Using it in my Classroom:

“Poetry is a powerful genre because of its condensed nature. Because poems can be very short, every child in every classroom can be a poet. Poems can move through four drafts in less than a page or two. At the same time, poetry offers a powerful forum for teaching young writers to make reading-writing connections. When students read novel, it’s not easy for them to match their writing to their reading, but when they read an Aileen Fisher poem on page 370, reading-writing connections feel far more possible.” (page 370)

Writing poetry can be used in every classroom and can get students interested an excited about reading and writing. Some of the examples Calkins uses about poetry being used in schools is very exciting. For example, Poems are not made up of pretty words but of the stuff of the world. My poetry workshop like Calkins describes will be filled with quotes, posters, nature, photographs and newspapers.

2.) Record Review

I decided to write a record review of my own because I read a lot of record reviews on pitchfork and I usually like what the author has to say when he or she really likes a record, or has issues with a record. I’m also really passionate about music and I enjoy thinking about music and albums, that is another reason I wanted my record review in my final portfolio. Record reviews are also personal opinion pieces that only a hand full of people agree with and a hand full of people disagree with. When I wrote my record review I wanted to make sure the reader knew it was my opinion and that I’m not trying to upset anyone by my writing.

Using it in my classroom:

During a writing workshop time I would give students examples of different reviews for different products, ideas, and thoughts. The students would read through them to help model their review writings. I would want the students to write reviews for things they are passionate about. I think writing about things we are passionate about will give excitement to writing and give personal touches to ever piece of writing done out of passion.

3.) Letter to Microsoft

I chose my “Letter to Microsoft” for my final portfolio simply because I worked a lot with Windows Movie Maker this semester and I have found several flaws that impeded my production of movie making. I wanted to write about my troubles with Movie Maker, therefore I thought the best way to represent this would be a letter intended for Microsoft, explaining how I think the program could improve.

Using it in my Classroom:

Teaching children to write letters, whether it be to friends, future co-workers, foundations, or business is a valuable skill to have, plus it is a different genre that children can explore during writing workshop. Furthermore, children will learn how to express their feelings and concerns in a professional manner through writing letters.

4.) Bobby’s all Mixed Up
Toondoo is a website that allows you manipulate created or pre-created characters in a variety of ways to create single page stories or go further and create a full book like I did. Bobby’s All Mixed Up was a story that I wrote and edited with the interactive website. I had a lot of fun playing around with the seemingly endless combination of ways to make characters and their environment around them. However, it took me a long time to get use to the website and how to use the tools to create exactly what I wanted. I was very satisfied with the end result of my story minus the minor obstacle that the website contains. I was not able to change the colors of the toons shirts, objects, or environment. Other than that toondoo is great for all ages and I would like to use this website in my classroom. My future students would be able to create their own books using their imagination, or I could have my students make books about historic events.

Using it in my classroom:

My future students would be able to create their own books using their imagination, or I could have my students make books about historic events.  This is a website that my students can use and create endless possibilities of stories and characters and then share them over the internet. Students will be able to create short stories that are a page long or create entire books that are easily read on the website.

Final Project

found under final project page

*Calkins, Lucy M. (1994). The Art of Teaching Writing (New ed.) Portsmouth, NH: Irwin Publishing