8.2 Digital Story

When and Where Did I Find It: I found this term in an article I recently reread for research project I am working on.  "A digital story is a multimedia text consisting of still images complemented by a narrated soundtrack to tell a story or present a documentary; sometimes video clips are embedded between images" (Sylvester & Greenidge, 2009, p. 284).     
Full citation:

Sylvester, R. & Greenidge, W. (2009). Digital storytelling:  Extending the potential for struggling writers.  The Reading Teacher, 63(4), 284-295. doi: 10.1598/RT.63.4.3.

What It Means: The term digital story is used to describe a specific type of digital or multimedia text which includes the following or a "combination of these seven elements:
1.  Point of View
2.  Dramatic question
3.  Emotional content
4.  Economy
5.  Pacing
6. The gift of voice
7. Sountrack.   (Sylvester & Greenidge, p. 287)

I found a very interesting web-based presentation on the concept of Digital Storytelling online:  http://pwoessner.wikispaces.com/Digital+Storytelling

Level of Familiarity: I had heard this term prior to reading the article, but honestly, it wasn't until I read this piece for the first time that if finally "clicked" for me how this particular type of story was very different from traditional stories or narrative texts.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? I think this is such an important term to fully understand.   At first glance, one would assume this term implies we are talking about digital narratives (like a film); however, these digital narratives or digital stories that are most frequently created and published are NOT full narratives.  Instead, they are a mix of elements of biography and narrative.   It is important to be able to distinguish between this particular type of "story" and what a reader would expect to find given most people's traditional understanding of story/narrative.

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?  I think all teachers of writing should understand what is meant by this particular term.   Too often the term "story" is used when creating writing assignments, without much thought to what is expected.   If teachers were more careful and purposeful in how they talked about the genre of narrative, then perhaps students (K-12 and beyond) would develop a deeper and more principled understanding of the various types of works that can be produced under the very large umbrella term of "story."  

8.1 Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)

When and Where Did I Find It: I found this term on page 644 of Ikpeze and Boyd's (2007) artlcle.  They write:  "The Internet and other information and communication technologies (CTs) have the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning through purposeful integration of technology for thoughtful and critical literacy" (p. 644).  
Full citation:
Ikepze, C.H. & Boyd, F.B. (2007).  Web-based inquiry learning:  Facilitating thoughtful literacy with WebQuests.  The Reading Teacher, 60(7), 644-654.  doi:10.1598/RT.60.7.5


What It Means: This term is used to identify the specific types of computer and digital technologies used most recently used to construct and compose informational texts.  The authors note that "ICTs are ever-changing (Leu, et.al.) at the same, the best to identify these technologies is to look for the qualities of the new literacies of the Internet [which] enable learners to search for, retrieve, and critically evaluate Internet resources; collaborate; and construct new knowledge" (Ikpeze & Boyd, p. 645). I also found a great secondary source which provides a definition for ICTs on tutor2u

Level of Familiarity: I had not seen this particular term used before when identifying multimedia literacy tools.   

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why? Yes. I think there is some advance to knowing and being able to use this term -- especially since I think it helps me to be able to better answer students" (and colleagues') questions regarding the "newness" of technology.  When I use the term New Literacy or New Literacy Technologies, sometimes people ask -- what's so new about these tools?  I think the definition that the authors (and Leu et. al) provide help to distinguish this type of literacy practice from traditional information literacy practices. 

Donald Leu (photo taken
from UConn webpage
http://www.education.uconn.edu/
directory/details.cfm?id=46)

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?: I certainly think Literacy Specialist, particularly my LTED 625 students would find this term useful.   Even this semester some students have asked...what makes literacy "new"?  What makes technology "new"?  I think knowing this term might help to clarify some of their confusion.  

7.3 Guided Discussion

When and Where Did I Find It:   I found the term guided discussion when re-reading our text, Teaching Reading in the Content Areas:  If Not Me Then Who? (Billmeyer & Barton, 1998, pp. 49-50).

Full citation Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1998).  Teaching reading in the content areas:  If not me, then who? (2^nd ed.).  Aurora, CO:  Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory.   

What it means: The authors give a very detailed definition of the term: "In guided discussion,the teacher uses questions or teacher-developed study guide materials to direct student thinking.  In addition to designing and posing questions, the teacher's role is to encourage student questions about the content and to provide additional information and clarification when needed (Vacca & Vacca, 1993)" (as cited in Billmeyer & Barton, p. 50). 

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this concept, but what I find interesting is that even though I would say I have a great deal of experience with this concept, I still have to re-evaluate my ability to use this instructional strategy based on the specific students I am working with in every class as well as considering their level of familiarity (background knowledge) with the information I want them to know well.

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes. I do not see how I could be qualified as a teacher of literacy (or a teacher of teachers, teaching literacy) if I do not have a principled understanding of what a guided discussion looks like and the reason why to use such an instructional strategy.      

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   I certainly think LTED 625 students should know this concept --especially since they noted in their Content Interest Inventories that they wanted to further develop their abilities to engage students in discussion.  I think part of knowing how to engage students in a STUDENT-led discussion requires having a detailed understanding of what takes place in a TEACHER-guided discussion and how to help the students take on the "traditional responsibilities" of the teacher.

7.2 Content Literacy Inventory

When and Where Did I Find It:   I found this term on page 45 in the section of McKenna and Robinson's (2002) book which was shared with the class.  

Full citation:  McKenna, M.C., & Robinson,R.D. (2002).  Teaching through text:  Reading and writing in the content areas (2nd ed.), p. 45.  Boston, MA:  Allyn & Bacon.     

What it means: McKenna and Robinson (2002) state, "the content literacy inventory, at its core is a series of questions posed over a small section of the textbook.  The student's success at answering these questions after reading the section is used to predict probable performance on the text as a whole" (McKenna & Robinson, p. 45, emphasis added).

Level of Familiarity:  I have a well-developed understanding of this type of classroom based assessment tool.   Another example of this type of assessment tool would be the Strategic Content Literacy Assessment (SCLA) tool which is also used to predict probable performance on the text.  

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes, I do believe it is important to for me to understand the ways reading guides can be developed and utilized as assessment tools rather than instructional tools.   The key is the design.   What types of questions are included on the tool/guide and for what purpose.  

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   I certainly think my LTED 625 students (as well as all teachers) should understand the assessment goals which can be served by creating a tool which is very similar in design to an instructional reading guide.     

7.1 Point of View Reading Guide

When and Where Did I Find It:  I found this term in the Wood (1988) article that was an optional reading for our LTED 625 class readings.

Full citation:  Wood, K. D. (1988).  Guiding students through informational texts.  The Reading Teacher, 41(9), 912-920.

What it means:  This is a specific type of reading guide, designed and assigned by the teacher to aid students reading comprehension both during reading and after reading.  As Wood (1988) describes, 

The point of view reading guide uses questions in an interview format to allow students to experience events from alternative perspectives. Instead of just reading about a particular character, students actually become that individual...The interview questions elicit both text based and reader based contributions from the reader.  Because readers must essentially assume the schemata or more simply "get inside the head" of the character, their comprehension and subsequent recall are positively affected.  (Wood, p. 913)    

Level of Familiarity: I have a fairly well-developed understanding of this instructional strategy, although I rarely use it myself.  

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes. I guess what I want is to remember this type of guide.   I often consider creating anticipation guides, interactive guides, or QtA guides when designing instructional activities for my students, but I often forget about this particular type of guide Wood suggests. 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   I think this is certainly another type of instructional strategy I want my LTED 625 students to know exists, but whether or not they need to know it well is highly dependent upon what their specific content literacy instructional goals are as well as who their students are.  They might find it a useful type of instructional strategy to include as a part of their Multigenre Project?    

6.2 Classroom Workshop

When and Where Did I Find It:   This is a  an instructional strategy which is discussed throughout Chapter 8 in our LTED 625 text, Content Area Writing Instruction. 
Full citation Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N. (2007).  Content-area writing:  Every teacher's guide.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.

What it means: The authors describe a classroom (writing) workshop as including the following:    

•  Building engagement (teacher takes time to introduce project, build student interest, and create purpose for their writing)
• Choice (students have the opportunity to make choices for the focus of their efforts)
• Individual Goal Setting (students set some of their own goals for learning the subject matter and developing their writing)
•  Students Working Independently in the Classroom (the teacher allows time for writing in class)
• Brief, Focused Teaching (teacher uses brief, focused, mini-lessons)
• Modeling (teacher helps students understand the task by demonstrating how its done)
• Teacher-student Conferences and Observations
• Conference Records
• Writing Folders
• Sharing the Results (Students have an immediate, real audience for their writing so that it contributes to everyone's learning)  

 (Daniels, Zemelman & Steineke, 2007, pp. 195-196).  

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with this concept; although I find what I need to do to set up the rules and routines for workshop changes with every class. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes, I think knowing what a workshop is as well as how to foster a workshop in any classroom learning experience is essential to a teacher educator's professional reportoire. As Daniels, Zemelman and Steineke suggest, it is through a workshop that " a teacher can individualize instruction so you can help, explain or teach a lesson to just the students who need it.  Just when their issues is on their minds."  (p. 188). 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   Actually, it is my expectation that the students of LTED 625 will learn this concept fully through actively participating in a LTED 625 Classroom Workshop.

6.1 Write-Aloud

When and Where Did I Find It:   This is a label for an instructional strategy which is discussed in Chapter 6 (p. 123) of our LTED 625 text, Content Area Writing Instruction. 
Full citation Daniels, H., Zemelman, S. & Steineke, N. (2007).  Content-area writing:  Every teacher's guide.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.

What it means: The authors describe a write-aloud as an instructional strategy in which the teacher "models the writing task by talking your thoughts aloud as you project your draft for students to see."( Daniels, Zemelman & Steineke, 2007, p. 123).  

Level of Familiarity: I am familiar type of instructional strategy; although in my professional training it was simply called modeling or a writing mini-lesson. 

Do I Want to Know This Word Well and Why?   Yes, not only do I want to know this word well, I want to be able to use this strategy in my own practices. As Daniels, Zemelman and Steineke suggest, " modeling a writing task aloud....not only show the kind of thinking and organizing and explaining that smark writers use but also allows you to lead the way in taking some risks, yourself, just as you are asking the students to do." (p. 123). 

Do I Think Others Should Know This Word Well...if so WHO and WHY?:   I would hope my teacher of literacy would recognize the value in knowing how to use "think alouds" and "modeling" when teaching both writing and reading across the content areas.