Internet, Reading Instruction, and "New Literacy's"

The increasing use of mass media has been influential on the changing roles of education and it is constantly being questioned whether or not the use of technology is beneficial to the growth of our nation's youth.  As technology is progressively being used in the average American school classroom, there are “new literacy’s” students must posses. Recently, Julie Corio wrote an article to help expand the understanding amongst educators of the new reading comprehension skills students must encompass for new literacy’s.  

Students using the Internet for Reading Instruction

Essentially, as technology has progressively become a part of our culture, it is not only important for children to start using it at a young age, but it is inevitable in becoming a part of educational systems for instructional purposes. When using electronic texts, there are different types of comprehension processes that must take place and a different set of instructional strategies.  Not only can navigating the Internet be difficult for young children, but also these new texts explore new types of story grammar and a variety of new formats. 

Students may not be able to pick up on these required abilities by just working with a peer, teachers may need to teach students new skills beforehand. These relatively new texts are typically nonlinear, interactive, and inclusive of multiple media forms.  Each of these characteristics offers new opportunities while also presenting a range of challenges that will require new thought processes for making meaning and understanding. 

As we may already know, information offered on the Internet is not always information that is correct and many hyperlinks can be used to express information. Not only must students understand how to differentiate between information that is relevant and provides truth to the topic they are studying, but they must understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with having ultimate control in the direction which the text progresses. Traditional text forms also typically include a combination of two types of media: print and two-dimensional graphics. Electronic texts can integrate a range of symbols and multiple-media formats including icons, animated symbols, photographs, cartoons, advertisements, audio and video clips, virtual reality environments, and new forms of information with nontraditional combinations of font size and color. All of this may be very new and confusing to students, therefore, teachers should review these new types of media to students before they are set out to do their own work and navigation on the Internet. 

For a secondary opinion on this matter, I interviewed Professor Codling, an instructor for the course “materials and instruction for creating skilled and motivated readers”.  When asked what exactly these “new literacy’s” were, Professor Codling responded with the many new skills that she believes are required in order to use the Internet as a means of reading instruction.  

The field of education is one that is constantly changing and developing, traditional methods of teaching are now being replaced with methods that are conforming to our developing society.  It is interesting to see the different perspective opinions on the use of technology being newly implemented into the average American classroom.  In order to convey different opinions on such use, I interviewed Professor Codling as she expressed how she feels about using the Internet as a means a literacy, as well as a student currently studying Elementary Education, Caitlin Virta.  

Caitlin Virta

 

PROFESSOR CODLING'S OPINION 

CAITLIN VIRTA'S OPINION 

Lastly, now that the Internet is being used for reading instruction, student's must not only learn how to specifically read, but they must use inferential reasoning skills and contextual clues to discern one type of hyperlink from another.  They must understand which information is factual as oppose to which information is useless and in order to begin steering students in the right direction, teachers should provide instructional methods on how to do so.  One website which I believe sets a great exemplar for teachers to use for implementing the Internet as a means of reading instruction comes from National Geographic, originally a popular magazine with factual information for the purpose of distributing knowledge to young children.   


This website can be used to direct reading instruction when students are to research all different types of animals around the world.  In using technology for reading instruction, a lot of the time teachers are worried that students will come across websites where the validity of the information is questionable.  However, teachers can be certain that this website is factual because it is an extension link to the website of National Geographic, a legitimate organization.  In allowing students to search this website on their own, they will be able to use some of their newly learned skills to browse the website, but there will be a specified region in which they will be allowed to explore.  In using this website, teachers will have a better watch over their students and not only be able to assess their students progress in browsing the web, but will also be able to ensure that students do not venture off to any inappropriate or unrelated sites to the topic being explored.  Since they will be allowed to browse only within this particular website which is quite simple, it will be good beginner practice. 


I believe this site to be an exemplary site because it not only includes the different classes of animals separated by categories as well as a bunch of different animals under each category, but it also includes a description for each specific animal.  The descriptions can even be seen as a small book as you turn the pages to continue reading!  There are also photographs included in the same light, as well as many other features included that will keep students interested in exploring the information provided.  

Standardized Testing - Results, Effects, and Validity

Over the past decade, our nation has been on the decline in comparison to other nations in the success rates of education.  In fear of foreign competition, our government has developed ways to test our students in order to successfully check the success of our educational system and therefore better understand how to help our students.  One way that our government has decided to do this is to implement standardized tests across the nation each year to test the knowledge of children.  A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a standard manner and they are designed in a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent.  In doing so, all tests administered are scored in a predetermined manner and can be distributed to an entire body of students across a state or even across the entire nation. 

Standardized tests are perceived as being more fair than non-standardized tests and the consistency permits a more reliable comparison of outcomes across all test takers.  However, it is still questionable if these tests will produce an accurate result of one student’s intelligence, or if they will just show the amount of knowledge different schools across the United States distribute to their children and the quality of education at each of these schools.  One question has remained to persist over time: should we use standardized testing to asses our student’s knowledge and learning abilities?  Because of the ranging opinions on this subject matter, I decided to interview a current professor as well as a current education major to see the opinions of two people on two different ends of the spectrum. 

My first interview was conducted with Professor Splaine, a current instructor for the course EDPS301, Foundations of Education.  In order to assess her opinion, I asked her a few simple questions.  After asking her if she believed that standardized testing yields accurate results in testing a students learning abilities and knowledge, her response showed what I believe to be her true opinion on standardized testing.  

After interviewing Professor Splaine, I decided to interview a peer, Katherine Wellington, a very wise education major with a junior standing.  As education majors, much of what we are taught is how to improve education for the future and we are constantly being encouraged to create our own opinions on what we believe education should be.  After interviewing Katherine, I learned that she was a teachers aid for a middle school class in order to fulfill the requirements of the course EDCI280.  I came to understand the effects standardized testing had on the specific students Katherine Wellington observed.  My understanding of Katherine’s opinions on standardized testing derived out of two specific questions:

What effects did you see standardized testing have on these students?

Do you believe standardized testing yields valuable results in showing the intelligence of one student? 

After researching and interviewing, I have come to the conclusion that standardized testing is clearly a topic of discussion amongst educators and must be further evaluated.  Katherine offered me her opinion on what the next precautions on education should be. 

Want to keep updated with your campus and stay involved? Check out the WMUC radio station!

The WMUC radio station is a radio station for the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park.  With the expansion of technology WMUC has expanded and has many different ways of communication with its targeted population.  What exactly is the purpose of this radio station?  Lets look to our expert Robert Logan for a more detailed answer.

listen to ‘Purpose of campus radio station’ on Audioboo

 

And how is it that campus radios play a significant role in their respective industries? 

Even though many listen to radio stations for musical purposes only, there are many times when students will listen to the broadcasts submitted by their campus radio station for quick news and information.  This especially holds true on a college campus where a fast pace lifestyle is prevalent. 

WMUC has not always gotten nearly as many viewers in the past decade as it has in the past two years.  So one question still remains: what exactly has occurred to make more viewers attracted to this radio station?  Again, lets turn to our expert for a more in depth response.

listen to ‘Success in reaching public’ on Audioboo

 

Since our expert seems to be so knowledgeable about WMUC, I decided to ask if he has ever personally listened to our campus radio station.  Although he never has, he shared his beliefs on why it has been successful in reaching students and where he has seen broadcasts being done.

listen to ‘Personal relation to radio station’ on Audioboo

  

EDUCATION IN IT'S CURRENT STANDINGS

Education in the United States is for the most part provided by the public sector: control comes from three levels, federal, state, and local agencies.  Because education provided in our country is public and free, we have run into many problems when it comes to equal educational opportunity and still continue to do so to this day.  As a nation, our most current educational goal is to once again become a top nation in providing education to mold young minds and ensure success in creating well-rounded citizens.  Recently, it has come to our attention that our educational systems seem to be failing, especially in comparison to the rising success of other countries.  In order to instill competition with other nations in our educational programs and philosophies, in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was passed.  Another major current issue is the inability for distribution of secure funding to schools due to our nation’s debt, furthermore leading to major cuts in programs both the national government and state governments believe to be unimportant.  

Although our assignment explicitly stated that our interviews would ideally NOT be conducted with a friend or a student, as college students and education majors, it is us who hold the future as to which direction our nation’s education will be steered in.  As an education major, the topics we come across are very subjective and therefore, there is no right or wrong answer.  Mostly all of the classes we take are discussion based seminars and although our professors will lead our discussions in certain directions, the most they can truly do is offer us insight and inspire us to be the best teachers that we can be. 


“Those who cannot do, teach..” a saying I’ve heard people use way too many times.  There are many people who think that if they don’t make it in their field of interest they can just fall back on teaching as a means of income.  What may be a newsflash to everyone: this statement is false and the hiring of those in that sort of mindset can be partially blamed on why our educational systems seem to be currently failing.  It takes a special kind of person to teach: the unlimited amount of hours put in to training, the passion to help children learn, and the determination to never give up on a single student.  I can go on for hours about this topic but instead, I decided to bring another education major into the picture to explain a current issue in our educational systems: the cut down of art and musical programs.  Just listen to Katy speak and from her tone of voice you can hear how passionate she is about the journey she is about to embark on.  My apologies for no picture to match the voice, the camera on my ipod seems to be broken!   

"Trunking" and Public Service Radio Systems

Public Service Radio and trunking have been supplying communication solutions for over two decades.  Teams have worked together to provide systems around the world to governments and private companies.  A "trunked" radio system is very different in comparison to the normal radio communications we usually experience.  Trunked radio systems go through a progression of steps in order to ensure that the public is addressed about occurring situations.  Police departments, fire departments, ambulances, and other governmental departments all use these systems to ensure safety.  Not only are trunking radio systems used in the United States, but they have all been installed and used across three of the Virgin Islands: St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. 

Radios and the method of trunking have provided the United States Government with over 50,000 Motorola radios.  Iraq Police and the Iraq Army are currently using over 100 Motorola MTR2000 repeaters to support the communication paths.  There are many other uses of these trunking radio systems in more countries than just the United States.

Radios and trunking offer planning to ensure mobile and portable coverage is achieved as well as providing a network path design.  Using advanced software tools; there is a guarantee that network performance will meet customer needs.  Here's how it works: This radio planning covers frequency and antenna selection, location and transmission parameters, diversity requirements, and availability calculations.  To ensure that no signals interfere with the planned link, radio and trunking provides customers with on-site frequency surveys, which detail all link specifications and results.  Also available are radio planning consulting services and design verifications.  

THE PULITZER PRIZE

To win any type of award or prize is a special thing in one’s life but we fail to understand the true meaning behind the many prizes given away in American society.  If one were to win the Pulitzer Prize, they would feel a sense of accomplishment, but where exactly did this prize originate?  The answer is from Joseph Pulitzer, the 19^th century American journalist, also considered to be one of the most skillful newspaper publishers.  The Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1917, in honor of Joseph Pulitzer, as a United States award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition.  Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories, twenty of these winners receiving a certificate and a $10,000 cash award.  The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold metal.  Provision for the establishment of the Pulitzer Prizes came from his 1904 will and upon his death in 1911, he left money to Columbia University to administer these prizes yearly.  Winners of all prizes are chosen by an independent board to ensure fairness to all possible contestants.  For further information on the history of the prize’s origination and the award process go to: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/GeogHist/histories/prizewinners/pulitzer/hisofprizes.htm

One of the Pulitzer Prizes includes a prize for Fiction created stories or novels.  In definition, this prize is for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life - the award winner is granted ten thousand dollars.  In 2010, the Pulitzer Prize Winner of Fiction was Paul Harding for his self-created book “Tinkers”.  Paul Harding’s novel “Tinkers” is about an old man who lies dying.  As time collapses into memory, he travels deep into his past where he is reunited with his father and relives the wonder and pain of his impoverished New England youth.  This is a powerful celebration of life in which this father and son, through suffering and joy, transcend their imprisoning lives and offer new ways of perceiving the world and mortality.  Paul Harding has taught writing at Harvard University and the University of Iowa, a very educated man.  As previously stated, an independent board chooses all winners of prizes.  This particular board included Rebecca Pepper Sinkler, a former editor and the New York Times Book Review chair, Charles Johnson, a professor at the University of Washington, and Laura Miller, a senior writer.  

Another portion of the Pulitzer Prize is Breaking News Photography.  By definition, this prize is rewarded for a distinguished example of breaking news photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence or an album, in print or online or both.  The winner of this prize is rewarded ten thousand dollars.  In 2010, the Breaking News Photography Prize was awarded to Mary Chind of the Des Moines Register for her photograph of the heart-stopping moment when a rescuer dangling in a makeshift harness trying to save a women trapped in the foaming water beneath a dam.  Mary Chind has been a staff photographer at The Des Moines Register since 1999.  Chind graduated from the University of Wisconsin and previous to her current occupation, worked for two newspapers in the state of Arizona: The Sierra Vista Herald and The Tucson Citizen.  Her jury included Sherman Williams, an assistant managing editor of visual journalism for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nancy Andrews, a managing editor of the digital media for Detroit Free Press, Nanya Friend, an editor and publisher of Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, Richard Murphy, a photo director of Anchorage Daily News, and Steve Gonzales, a directory of photography for Houston Chronicle. 

There are many categories of the Pulitzer Prize other then Fiction and Breaking News Photography, and many winners and finalists in the past for each of these categories.  To see past winners and finalists by category, visit http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat. 

FOURSQUARE

Created by Dennis Crowley and Naveen Selvadurai, foursquare is a geographical location based social network that incorporates gaming elements. The co-founders of this new trend in the latest line of social networks first met in 2007 while working in the same office space in New York City. Although working for different companies, these two brilliant men decided to work together in building the first version of foursquare in the fall of 2008. In March 2009 and it was finally launched at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas. Funded by Union Square Ventures, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and a handful of angel investors, Foursquare is bound for success. Founded about two years ago, Foursquare has raised more than $71.4 million in funding to date. It currently has more than 70 employees in its home town and an engineering office in San Francisco.

Foursquare is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. It allows users to share their location by “checking in” through a smartphone application or via text messaging.Users can also connect their Foursquare accounts to their Twitter and Facebook accounts, which will update when a check in is registered. Based on the GPS embedded into one of these various devices, Foursquare users will check into one of the many places listed under their specific location.However, what makes this different and more interesting than other GPS applications is that it is also a competitive game. Users of Foursquare share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges for various accomplishments, such as checking out new places or events.Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they are interested in visiting and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants are offered a free set of tools to help attract customers while brands are able to stay engaged with followers no matter where they may be in the world due to their travels. Every day, millions of people turn to Foursquare to help them explore their world. Whether meeting up with friends, checking out a new restaurant, or visiting a favorite clothing store, they are choosing new adventures and sharing old ones.

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