Is the Way We Read Changing?

The above video gives a quick run-down and comparison of many of today's E-Readers. Personally, I believe the Ipad is the best, although as stated towards the end, it is more than double the price of the others. As for the versatility, the amount of apps and OTHER cool features, it is worth it.

My point is to not rate one over the other, rather, investigate the way in which we read altogether. For me, there is something tactile about reading. My students always make fun of me, all of my books are filled with highlighted sections, footnotes, scribbles in the margins. For me, reading is a very interactive process. With the E Readers, I just do not feel the same personal connection. Yes you can find ways to edit and highlight the texts and in some cases even make notes for yourself later, it just isn't the same. Of course, unlike my students, I was not born into this technological world. There will come a day soon, when schools will figure out the greener, more economical way of doing business. Rather than spend thousands of dollars every few years upgrading classroom textbooks, they will simply provide an E Reader and download whatever they need. The options are endless. No more hunched back children laboring down the bus aisle from the weight of their backpacks. They can carry every subject, their notebooks, their comic books, and literature books all on a E Reader. While you can't argue with the convenience, environmental benefits, and eventual financial savings, what about the way in which we read? The way in which our brain's process the information?

This will be an interesting trend to watch. Stay tuned dear readers, I have just begun an RSS search for any scholarly peer reviewed articles on the subject. I will keep you posted. For now, my feel is that E Readers will grow in use and popularity. The toll and effect on the eyes and the brain... All I know is, I love spending time in book stores. There is something aesthetically pleasing about casting your eyes on a well stocked book shelf, the colors of the covers, the varying print, being able to physically take one down and peruse. Are we to loose such colloquialisms as "turn the page", you know what they say about books and covers. Like the television, "don't touch that dial", no problem, they no longer exist.

Still want to learn more, here is a quick link to browse the top ten ereaders for the christmas season.

Book Review, Author Interview: Murder, Mystery, & Mascara

I occasionally do book reviews for The Grand Rapids Press. I have not done so recently due to all of the time constraints placed on a first year teacher (soon to be second). However, there is one that I would like to point out for you. The book review was very enjoyable, but ultimately it was the lesson learned that sticks in my mind. I took the initiative to contact the publisher and requested an interview the Turkish author Mehmet Murat Somer. The novel is entitled The Kiss Murder, and is part of a successful series. It was the first one to be released to the United States. I conducted the interview via email.

So, when I mention the lesson I learned, of course, I refer in large part to the interview itself. For example, it was critical to do research ahead of time. In fact, at one point, the author commented on this. Also, when you are taking part in an interview through email instead of instant messaging or some form of real time communication, you must play out the questions posed in your mind. You have to anticipate possible variations of answers to the questions asked, a pre-follow up if you will.
the Turkish author
Upon further reflection, the true lesson had to do with publication rights. I posted the question and answer interview with the author PRIOR to my article's publication. The newspaper, and I am sure this is true of almost every news publication, has the rights to the printed material. By publishing the interview on my old blog before the article in the newspaper, I forfeited the interview. In other words, the newspaper did not publish the interview simply because I put it up on my blog first. The grand Rapids Press boasts the second largest newspaper distribution in the state of Michigan. My blog ,at the time, was more or less the classroom blog I established during my student teaching. In essence, my 12th grade composition class was privy to the interview instead of The Press subscribers.

I am reminded of those old cartoons on Rocky and Bullwinkle that resembled Aesop's Fables. Upon conclusion of the short cartoon, two morals were given. In my case, the moral was either, Investigate all personal legal issues ahead of time, or honesty sometimes has it's price.

Learn more about the Turkish author on his Facebook site.

Research Will Never be the Same: Thank You RSS

As a second year English teacher and Graduate student, I am actively involved in research. For today's modern student. This usually means logging onto their school's online library where a database is found. Within this database, a number of archives can be found where scholarly journals and peer reviewed articles are found. However, a great deal of hunting and pecking then takes place in this time consuming educational practice. The crazy thing, is every time a paper needs to be written, this process begins anew. It needn't be so.

Friends and readers, RSS (really simple syndication) is here. I am sure many of you probably do not even know what this is, although undoubtedly you have seen the emblem, on this very blog. I have included two videos that will help, first an explanation of what RSS is, and second a look at Google Reader. If RSS is a web 2.0 tool, Reader is one of the programs or applications you use to access it. Think of it like this, email is to Hotmail as RSS is to Google Reader.

RSS VIDEO

GOOGLE READER

I explained it to my Senior Literature class when I was student teaching as this: Think of it as owning your own newspaper, you are William Randolph Hearst in the information age. You can not only include the sections you want, but you can tell what stories your reporters are to look for. Then, you kick back, put your feet up and wait for the stories, the ones you want to hear, are found and delivered to you.

I love google news for this. Where as many websites have an rss link, with Google news, you can specify what information gets relayed to you when a new story comes out. Well, many databases are now not only offering RSS, they are as customizable as Google News. For example, if I log onto to a supporting database, or even Google News, I can specify what I want it to look for, 'blogging classrooms' let's say. Then, any story or article that comes through that has anything to do with classrooms that are using blogs, gets saved and sent to my Google Reader account.

I realize this is all a bit much. My advice, watch the videos, then proceed to this website and watch the tutorial. Then, sign up and start subscribing to feeds. Depending on what website you are on, subscribing may vary. Usually, you simply right click on the RSS symbol, select copy shortcut and then log onto your Reader, click 'add subscription' and then paste the shortcut. Other times you may simply left click on the emblem, and then copy and paste the URL of the page that opens into the Reader subscription box. I swear its worth it. When you find yourself with time on your hands, you know, instead of hunting and searching through databases, you can whittle a likeness of me, situate it in a place of honor.

Hatchet Projects

Reading is more than just words. My 8th grade English students have demonstrated this by bringing the classic Gary Paulsen novel, Hatchet, to life.

The project is called a Jackdaw. Essentially, any aspect of the story can be examined and represented in a tangible form. Some choose to create a diorama of the setting, others focused on the rising actions of the story.

In fact, many went beyond the page. For example, the main character, Brian, undergoes many challenges. Although a diary was not kept by the protagonist, some students used a creative license and wrote Brain's would-be journal based on his trials and tribulations. In doing so, his character was explored.

This examination allowed for a deeper understanding of themselves and the story. I found that many students who are not normally academically motivated, excelled at this project. By allowing for ownership and creative control, the students feel empowered and driven in new, exciting ways. My role was simply to encourage and coax them along the way. Although they were at the proverbial wheel, I was able to steer them in many directions that lead to learning.

Sexting, Does Anyone Know Why?

This post was originally published on March 9, 2009

I have been noticing the term in the headlines more and more. S E X T I N G  Rarely do I see interest, or thoughtful inquiry as to the cause. More often than not, stories on the topic tend to be lawsuits and criminal charges. Without knowledge or understanding as to why teens might be toying with this new form of… expression, the powers that be are all too eager just to file child pornography charges. Heck, I would be interested to see the causes as to why that is, but let’s stick to one root cause at a time.

So, why are kids interested in sending titillating snaps of themselves via their phone. Really, this form of expression is just bounding down the evolutionary path. Texting and IM’ing are changes the landscape of language. KWIM.

Carlo Longino’s article asks some very interesting questions. Again, I see opportunity for education, a learning moment. As the article mentions, you could address the boy who was hurt and sexted just to get back at his girlfriend. We need to look at these things with educator’s eyes. Rather than over react, as is often the case with sexting, a lesson of web-responsibility could be addressed. Really, the point of the article is that in most cases, malicious, devious, intentions are not the cause. Not even immaturity, as shown by the boy in the article who did not know how to handle a break up. But the real reason kids text… It is exciting. What else do we expect. They see as much in the check out at the Safe Way from Paris, Lindsay, and Brittany. We live in a world where sex is glamorized and coupled within educational taboo. This is a dangerous mix. I say, open up the dialogue with our kids. Model positive forms of expression. Encourage thoughtful discussions. Mainly, react in an appropriate manner. Every situation can be learned from, if viewed in the right way.

Ref:

Longino, Carlo . “When Does It Stop Being ‘Sexting’ And Start Being Something More Serious?.” Tech Dirt. 9 Apr. 2009. IBM. 9 Apr. 2009 .

Quandries of social Networking

This post was originally published on March 8, 2009 on another blog of mine.


It is truly a remarkable time to be in the classroom. It seems that everyday, I learn more and more about cool, new uses of technology. The social networking phenomena is simply, unparalleled. According to a recent Mashable article from Stan Schroeder, Facebook has just reached 200 million users. Remarkably, 8 months ago, the number of users was a mere 100 million (Aug 08). With this kind of popularity, I find it interesting the resistance that many school districts still harbor towards social networks. As a student teacher, I had great success with Ning, a user friendly social network. It is an amazing tool to use, for example, we devoted our classroom’s social network to The Grapes of Wrath. The students found it easy to use quite simply because of their familiarity with Facebook. Many of the applications are similar. Really, anything that can make the Dustbowl more interesting for Tenth Graders should be held in high regard.

I understand some qualms adults have about social networking. Sexting and cyber bullying are two manifestations of the dark side of the web 2.0. I do think that many districts tend to have a knee jerk reaction to these negative aspects. Rather than treading lightly, they opt to sit out all together. As educators, as free thinkers, should we not explore the unfamiliar rather than hide from it. There are so many wonderful tools available to us, it seems a shame to let them go to waste just because people have demonized various aspects.

In truth, I think we are missing a grand opportunity to instill values in our students. By taking advantage of these wonderful technological tools, we can also teach our students the importance of being responsible on the internet; we can use this moment to model proper behavior. The world is moving so fast. With every new wonderful invention, there will always be negative attributes. However, to ignore such opportunities for education due to these few negative aspects gives them even more power. As educator’s, we should see the value in a lesson, even a cyber one.



Schroeder, Stan. “Facebook: From 100 to 200 Million Users in 8 Months.” Mashable: The Social Media Network. 8 Apr. 2009. 8 Apr. 2009 .