Skype!

             This week I "Skyped" with Sarah. It was my first time using Skype! We discussed the Leu et. al (2007) article and classroom applications for Skype. Two quotes from the article that defined new literacies were "new social practices that emerge with new technology" (p. 6), and "new strategies and dispositions required by the internet that are essential for online reading comprehension" (p.6). Other definitions of new literacies include them being multimodal, constantly changing, and used to establish global connections (Leu et. al, 2007). New literacies influence the definition of reading because there are specific skills required for online reading vs. offline reading. These skills include navigating information, identifying important questions, and analyzing and synthesizing information (Leu et. al, 2007). In language arts teachers will have to teach these skills, but students may learn them best from each other or through trial and error. Sarah and I discussed several classroom applications for Skype. One of my favorites was having students Skype with their favorite authors. Students can have "Skype pals," as an alternative, or in addition to pen pals. Teachers can have experts or special guests visit their classroom via Skype. Students can also practicing interviewing others and/or being interviewed themselves. My first time using Skype was fun, but it will take some practice to get the hang of it. The most difficult part was uploading the screenshot to my blog!



Glogster

Visual Literacies



       Teaching students to read images, pictures, videos, graphics, cartoons, and comics is so important in the age of multimodalities. There are many ways to incorporate visual literacies into the classroom and across content areas. Materials are often highly engaging and motivating for students, especially for reluctant readers. Visual literacy skills will help prepare students for today's job market and the increasingly visual society that we live in. The ways of teaching and building these skills are limitless! Here are a few practical examples of teaching with visual literacies in the classroom.

Primary source images can spark in depth discussions about history and really help students connect with the past.



Graphic novels are becoming an increasingly popular genre in young adult literature.




Students have to interpret political cartoons and analyze the underlying meanings and messages.




Comics bring humor and new vocabulary into the classroom. Students may have to distinguish between what should be taken literally and what is meant as sarcasim, figurative language, and irony.



Primary documents from history may engage students and pull them into certain time periods.



Students can capture science projects, such as growing a flower or the stages in a frog's lifecyle through photographs. They can post these projects on Flickr to share with an authentic audience.