Social Media

                 Social media has become the easiest way to stay in touch with family, friends from high school and college, and colleagues. Like most, I typically begin my day by logging on to Facebook to get the latest updates from my friends and family. Social media has become such a mainstay in everyone’s life, regardless of age. Tweens to 80-year-olds enjoy interacting online for various reasons, but it all boils down to communication.  

     My example of social media interaction is a conversation on Facebook that occurred a couple of years after graduation. According to the MAPS heuristic, this social media thread is very casual with a goal of staying in touch. One person tagged everyone from the same graduating class to share what was going on in their life. Everyone from the graduating class had news to share. It was amazing to see where everyone was working, as well as information from their personal life. This thread could have been the start to many conversations through the existing thread, a new thread, or private message. Collaborating with others by sharing lesson plans and strategies that work in the classroom is an exciting way to continue a relationship, even if it is simply through social media. This thread could have been more digitally enhanced by adding photos and video. Even though life gets busy, staying in touch is easy through social media because it offers so many features.

     Since social media is so embedded in our lives, it only makes sense to integrate it into the classroom. Educators have an obligation to teach students to become responsible digital citizens. Johnson (2010) explains that teachers should advocate using social media in the classroom to teach students how to become knowledgeable users. We would not give a brand new car to a 13-year-old without a license. Yet most 13-year-olds are given permission to explore and use social media without learning how to use all of the features safely. According to Hicks (2013), young people are constructing their identities, building (or destroying) relationships, creating new opportunities for learning, and remixing media to create new compositions. Students use social media to discuss, promote, and share their thoughts and opinions with the world. According to Hicks (2013), encouraging students to think about what they are saying in text, will help them to present a positive image and participate in a variety of communities safely. Teaching students to become responsible digital citizens is critical because their digital footprint will remain with them for the rest of their life. 

References

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and 

     genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Johnson, S. 2010, March 11. Guest Blog: Making the case for social media

     in education. Edutopia. Retrieved November 21, 2014, from 

     www.edutopia.org/social-media-case-education-edchat-steve-
                 johnson.

Crafting Video Texts

 

Creating or editing movies has always been exciting but also overwhelming for me. The process can be time consuming and frustrating. Each editing service is different, and it takes time to get to know and understand the various programs. As educators, we must remember that our digital native students often have the same struggles with technology, but they are excited to try to use new forms of technology. Compared to traditional writing, digital writing must begin with a very similar draft process. Hicks (2013) explained that when starting a technology-rich project, students benefit from a sketch, a storyboard, even a conversation. Planning is the key to success when creating a digital project because it requires organization and structure. Students of all ages need time to think about the design and content of their project. While prewriting and drafting, students need to document images, text, transitions, and create a script to be prepared for creating the digital video and text. Planning for the final product will lessen the stress and prevent students from becoming overwhelmed during the process.

Hicks (2013) explained that first educators must focus on the writer, then the writing, and finally the technology. As educators, we need to utilize the strengths and interests of our students. Writing can be a difficult task for students because it requires students to organize their thoughts into a fluent text. Digital writing allows students to jump into the writing process in a way that is engaging for the students. In my experience, I have found that students are anxious to finish the drafting process to get the technology component.

Educators have an important role to provide good examples of mentor text as well as modeling the research process for images, text, and video. Jenny Maehara provides some great examples of digital mentor texts. Students need to feel comfortable utilizing search engines to find material for any type of presentation. Richard Byrne offers several search engines that are intended for student academic use. As students utilize and create video text, the more digital literate they will become. Hicks (2013) stated that students can search or create images, graphs, or other visuals. With devices such as smart phones, taking pictures and recording video has become easier than ever. Google Docs allows students to create graphs online without needing additional software. Encouraging students to become familiar with searching and creating resources will foster creativity and provide a purpose for their project.
        According to Hicks (2013), crafting a multimedia project requires more than recording when the MAPS heuristic is utilized in the creation process. I revised my video introduction by using iMove. This editing software is very user friendly and offers several templates. I incorporated narration, transitions, music, and text to my video. I particularly like the iMovie app because it can be used on a hand-held device. When the iMovie app is installed on the iPad, an extension of the app can be accessed from the photo editor. This feature is very beneficial to the classroom to create and edit video quickly and effectively.

           

References:

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and 

     genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

(2014). Editing Video In iOS 8 With the iMovie Extension. Retrieved November 
     1, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FzeZ0PlxM.

(2010). Seven Search Engines for Students - Free Technology for Teachers.

     Retrieved November 1, 2014, from

     http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/08/seven-search-engines-for-

     students.html.

(2013). Using Digital Mentor Texts in Writing Workshop - Raising Voices: 
     Thoughts on Teaching, Learning, and  Leading. Retrieved November 
     1, 2014, from https://teach2change.wordpress.com/2013/07/17/using-
     digital-mentor-texts-in-writing-workshop/.



Creating Digital Presentations

            The majority of educators are stuck in time and do not explore new technology available to create engaging presentations. Hicks (2013) explained that students should not create “power pointless” presentations. Teaching students at an early age to design engaging presentations is imperative to break the cycle of ineffective presentations. Technology can be very effective or ineffective in presentations. The majority of the time, a presenter will check technology off of the list because a PowerPoint presentation was incorporated into the presentation. Typically PowerPoint presentations are very lengthy and boring, causing the audience to become disengaged. There are new and exciting digital presentation tools that will motivate students to create engaging presentations inside and outside of the classroom. For example, I created a digital presentation using PowToon. The website was very easy and fun to use.

             Handouts are a good tool to refer to information later, but needs to be used in an effective way to retain the attention of the audience. When given a handout with all of the information provided, I will tune out the presenter because most of the time they will read the bullet points word for word. In the Edutopia (2012) video, educator Kate Summers found that students learn material best when presenting the material. In the video, a group chose to use Google Presentations and created fill in the blank handouts for their classmates to take notes. Since the student audience were required to fill in the blanks, they were more likely to remain engaged in the presentation. 

            Students must concentrate on presenting material to leave a lasting impression. Hicks (2013) stated that the “stickiness” of a presentation as well as the presenter’s ability to tell a story will determine the effectiveness of the presentation.  In order to be successful, students need time to think about the purpose of their presentation and how they would like to present it to their audience. The revision and editing process is especially difficult for elementary students.  Story-like elements are easier for a young editor to identify and more beneficial to the creator of the presentation. Hicks (2013) emphasized the importance of focusing on qualitative properties instead of a quantitative list when reviewing a presentation. Duarte (2008) noted that arrangement, visual elements, and movement are the key to success when creating effective slide design. PicMonkey is a free online tool that allows students to edit photos that will benefit their presentation. Focusing more on aesthetic appeal instead of solely focusing on grammatical correctness will teach students how to revise and edit effectively. Ultimately, teaching students to present material in an engaging way will provide confidence to the presenter.     

                                                        
                                                     References

Duarte, N. (2008). Slide:ology: The art and science of creating great 
      presentations (1^st ed.). Sebastopol, CA:O’Reilly Media.

Edutopia. (2012, September 12). Collaborative digital presentations enrich 

      projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com
      /watch?v=KzCQH58Bwpo

 

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and 

     genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Photo editor | PicMonkey: Free Online Photo Editing. (n.d.). Retrieved 
     October 12, 2014.  

PowToon, free business presentation software animated video ... 
     (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2014. 

Writing Digitally with a Purpose

Not long ago, navigating a website took a great deal of effort. Who remembers when dial-up Internet connection was the envy of the neighborhood? Even though I was forced to sit through the hideous sound of the dial-up connection, I could not wait to log on the Internet. Simply downloading a video seemed like an eternity and the resolution was far from 1080p. Learning to use technology meant going to a computer lab to work on typing skills. I don’t remember the typing classes helping me learn to type. I was easily frustrated by the repetitive typing games. As a digital immigrant, technology was overwhelming and mostly a hassle! Instant messaging on AOL was a turning point for me. Attempting to chat with several friends at once encouraged me to learn to type as quickly as possible. I became extremely motivated to learn how to use technology when there was a purpose.             

There are so many new advancements in technology. Yet in the world of education, most schools are stuck in time. According to Hicks (2013), 21st century students are "born digital, but it is our job to help them become purposeful and creative digital writers" (p.18-19). Transitioning from the traditional paper-pencil approach to the digital writing process can be scary and overwhelming to digital immigrants. With constraints such as testing, access to appropriate equipment, and time, teaching writing can seem more of a burden than a creative process. As educators we must address the digital writing process in a way that is meaningful to students. In the attached video, Ellen DeGeneres (2011) shares a comical perspective on 21st century writing with technology. Without understanding of the digital tools, digital writing is meaningless to our students.

So how can we teach 21^st writing skills to students with a purpose? If we expect students to produce a web based product, it only makes sense that the entire writing process is immersed in technology. According to an article written by Heitin (2011), Writing Re-Launched: Teaching with Digital Tools, the digital writing transforms writing from a pen and paper approach to a collaborative approach. The writing process should incorporate diverse topics across all academic subjects.  There are numerous resources available to students to create digitally enhanced texts and the digital tools will vary depending on the individual’s process.  Instead of dusting off an outdated Encyclopedia from the bookshelf, Hicks (2013) explains that students can share ideas through tools such as Diigo or Google Bookmarks, organize their thoughts through Gliffy and Mindmodo, and cite their sources through tools such as Zotero, Citelighter, or EasyBib. These tools are readily available online for students to use during the writing process. Research tools encourage students from the early stages of writing to engage in a social process. Revising and editing tools allow students to work collaboratively by sharing different views and opinions. Finally, publishing web texts gives students a feeling of accomplishment because their work is global. Digital portfolios allow students to easily keep track of their work and review/revise as necessary. According to Elyse Eidman-Aadahl (2013), technology tools enhance the writing process. When text is published on the web, students become writers. While published work is exciting, students must be diligent in their craft and determine the purpose of their work.

                              

 With the click of the mouse, there are abundant resources readily available; allowing all students to participate in the writing process. The possibilities of writing digitally are endless.  As an educator, I strive for students to become independent and social writers who enjoy the digital writing process inside and outside of the classroom.