Website Review #4

Iknowthat.com

1.       What age level student should use it?

      K-6, or struggling high school students.

2.       Is this a site that could be used in school? If so, how?

Definitely!  This site could be used as a center or it could be used as a whole class activity if you booked the computer lab.  This site could also be an optional site for if students finish their work early.

3.       Are there any content area connections?

There is a link for Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, The Arts, Thinking Games, and Social Learning.

4.       How interactive is the site?

Very interactive and game-like.  Users point and click, and in my case, launch punctuation paintballs!

5.       How commercial is the site?

Well, there are several ad spaces on the page, but they don’t really get in the way.   

6.       Pros about the website?

I think students could really have fun on this site and learn!

There are Apps available!

7.       Cons about the website?

If overused, this page can get old…or at least it did for me.

8.       Does it require you to sign up?

There are several free activities for students and teacher guides, but there is an option to pay for a membership to get more activities.

9.       Is adult supervision required?

Nope! 

Fan Fiction

Coming soon... ;)  I've gotten a bit behind this week, and hope to blog for this chapter soon!  ...but I didn't want my posts to get out of order!

Website Review #3

Fanfiction.com

 

What age level student should use it?

High school (or older)

Is this a site that could be used in school? If so, how?

I thought so at first.  I was thinking I could have the students go on a scavenger hunt for a good story.  …just to let them know what fan fiction is (if they don’t already).  This initial exposure to reading fan fiction could lead them into writing their own fan fiction about a favorite book, tv show, movie, game, anime/manga, etc…. 

Now that I’ve explored the site more, I feel like I would at least have to have principal/parent permission before I exposed the students to this site.

 Are there any content area connections?

Definitely English with the whole plot structure, symbolism, character development, suspense…all of the stuff that goes along with the literature standards. 

Also, possibly science and social studies, depending on which topic they choose.  There are some sci-fi options.

How interactive is the site?

Well, users are able to point and click their way to what they are interested in.  When you reach the fanfiction.com home page, you can browse Fanfiction or Crossover Fanfiction, choosing from the following categories: Anime/Manga, Books, Cartoons, Comics, Games, Movies, Plays/Musicals, TV Shows, or Misc.

Users can also search for recommended stories by “communities,” which are custom archives organized by active members containing hand-picked stories from community volunteers. 

I looked for Hunger Games, Simpsons, Sound of Music, mostly to no avail.  However, I stumbled across Toy Story and clicked it.  The writer had crossed Toy Story with the Hunger Games, if you want to read it, click here. 

When I was looking at Musicals and Plays, searching for the Sound of Music, I stumbled across a Shakespeare section.  Students can sort through the Shakespeare stories (or any other groups of stories) by clicking through a number of categories at the top of the page.  They can sort by Genre, Rating, Language, Length, Status (In-Progress or Complete), etc….

How commercial is the site?

This site has one ad space at the top of the page, and one at the bottom.  To me, it doesn’t seem “overrun with ads.”

However, if the user clicks “ads” link at the bottom of the page, he or she will receive the following message:

AdBlocker -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ad Blocker allows a user to remove most advertising from being displayed on this site. We believe there is a compromise between showing ads to offset operating costs and crossing the line to the point of annoying our users. Unlike most sites, we allow anyone to remove our ads. To enable Ad Blocker for 1 days, click here.

  

Pros about the website?

·         Students can decide for themselves what they believe is quality writing or not.  Either way, they are getting to choose to read what they are interested in.

·         This material is easy to access, as long as you have computers and internet access (even if you have to book the computer lab).

·         Students will likely feel in-control since they are getting to navigate their way through the site and choose what they read.

Cons about the website?

·         Students might get frustrated if their favorite book or movie, etc. hasn’t been fanfictioned ß(I think I made that word up) yet, but perhaps this will give them motivation to do it themselves!

·         The material might not actually be quality writing. 

·         There is a possibility that students can run into, what some would deem, “inappropriate material.”  For instance (see below):

<><> <><>

Author: beatlesxlove PM WARNING: Read at your own risk. This is a parody of Romeo and Juliet. It contains some strong language and overall craziness. Read and review, por favor! To see full text, click here: Romeo and Juliet: The Cheap Version. Verona, Italy Act I, Scene I Capulets: We hate Montagues. Montagues: Well, we hate you guys too. Capulets: OH NO YOU DIDN'T! Montagues: OH YES WE DID! CAPULETS: OH IT'S ON, B*TCHES! *They fight* Benvolio: Dude, like WTF? Silence the violence, increase the peace! Tybalt: NO! DIE, B*TCH! Lord Capulet: Oh, look! It's a fight! Yo b*tch, get me my sword! Lady Capulet: *facepalms herself* Oh God…here we go again. Lord Montague: *has same reaction as Capulet* Lady Capulet: Don't you dare! *b*itch-slaps her husband* All: Le gasp! *Prince Escalus enters* Prince: WHAT THE DEVIL IS GOING ON HERE? Snape: You can't steal my line! That's absurd! Prince: GTFO and go wash your hair, you overgrown bat! Benvolio: BUUUURN! Gimme some fin! *high-5s Prince* Noggin! *They bump heads* Benvolio and Prince: Duuude. Prince: Anyhoodle, if I catch y'all fighting again, YOU DIE. Capulet and Montague: F*-*-*-*CK. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Montague: Hey Benny, where's Romeo? Benvolio: Don't call me that. Montague: I'LL CALL YOU WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT! I AM THE MAN OF THIS HOUSE! Benvolio: Then why did I find several dresses and wigs in your closet? Montague: Um…Mercutio left them here when he was hanging with Romeo. Benvolio: Riiiight. Montague: Well, he does like to dress in drag. Benvolio: True dat. Montague: So where's Romeo? Benvolio: Are you that deaf that you can't hear the screamo music coming from his windows? Montague: Dude, it's the 1500s. Stereos and screamo hasn't even been invented yet. Benvolio: Oh yeah…well, he's pretty angsty. Montague: F*ck.

Does it require you to sign up?

No! :D  ...or at least, not to read the fanfiction.  However, I'm assuming one would have to sign up to post their fanfiction creations.

Is adult supervision required?

Perhaps, depending on the level of the student.  As I mentioned earlier, students might run into some bad language or some “rated R” material.  As I mentioned earlier, I will definitely get permission from my principal and from parents before I use this site in the classroom.

Digital Design: English Language Learners and Reader Reviews in Online Fiction

Tanaka Nanako, a sixteen-year-old native Mandarin Chinese speaker who had studied the English language for two and a half years, began to write an anime-based, fourteen-chapter, fan fiction series entitled, Love Letters.  What I found most interesting from this chapter was Nanako’s ability to guide her reviewers in what kind of feedback they gave her on her writing.  This reminds me of an article I read for an assessment class I’m taking (I don’t remember the title, and I am blogging by the pool at a friend’s house trying to enjoy my summer break in spite of my masters classes :D, but if you really want the name of the article, just post a comment about it, and I’ll look it up later when I get home.).  So, the article that I’m referring to mentioned that a teacher’s feedback on student writing might seem “less judgmental” if the teacher allowed the student to choose what the teacher would focus his or her attention on during assessment of the student’s work.  Similarly, Nanako begins her chapter with an Author’s Note, in which she mentions that she is an ELL (English Language Learner) and asks her readers to look over minor typos and grammatical/spelling errors.  She also requests “no flames,” commenting that she doesn’t want anyone to cruelly insult her writing, but instead to give her constructive criticism.  (This reminded me of a certain professor of mine who had an evil teacher scribble “monkey sh*t” on his paper rather than telling him what needed work.)  We all need constructive feedback...not just mean insults.

In spite of Nanako’s request of her readers to look over minor grammar errors, some of her readers do mention grammar mistakes that occur frequently in her writing or that make her writing hard to understand.  However, they structure their critiques in such a way that the author does not lose confidence.  For instance, a common trend in Nanako’s critiques was to compliment her, to give advice, to follow that advice by a “disclaimer or mitigating statement,” for example, “Sorry for wasting your time, and finally, to compliment the author again. 

Nanako heeded much of the advice given to her by her readers, and even went back and revised certain chapters to “fix the problems.”  Also, many errors that were present in her early writings are not present in her later writings.   

I think this a good model to use for students.  Sometimes it is really hard to find something good to complement their writing on, let alone finding two things to sandwich the critique in.  However, if we let students first, comment on what they liked about their own writing, and then follow that with what they wanted the teacher (or their classmates) to focus on or notice while the piece was being assessed, this could serve both the student and the teacher better.  I believe it would save time for the teacher, and provide an opportunity for the student to get feedback that his more meaningful to him or her. 

This information in this chapter could be used in English class!  However, I love the disclaimer from Rebecca W. Black, “I’m not suggesting that educators adopt popular culture and fan fiction wholesale into their curriculum, as this would certainly diminish its popularity with students.  Nonetheless, I do think there is a vital need for educators to critically engage with and develop activities around media and popular culture that are central to students’ lives” (p.134-5). 

            

Text Set #2

I feel like I have a lot of reading material and magazine adds for my unit on Persuasion, but I was lacking on videos, in particular.  ...so that kind of influenced my selections. 

Quizlet.com

http://quizlet.com/10590971/persuasion-techniques-flash-cards/
I made this flashcard set.  Hooray!  Students can flip through the flashcards to get familiar with the definitions, then play games like “Scatter” and “Space Race.”  There is also an audio feature, which would be good for struggling readers and ELLs. 

[The following links came from ReadWriteThink lesson plan.  I'm not using the whole lesson plan, so I chose what I would use and made indiviudal links to make it more obvious what I would choose to use in my own classroom.] 

Persuasive Techniques in Advertising Video

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/video/persuasive-techniques-advertising-1166.html
"This video deepens students’ understanding of the concepts of pathos, logos, and ethos with visual examples. The video explains how the television, print, and online advertisements utilize the three rhetorical strategies. The narration in the commercial further explains their use in each advertisement." -ReadWriteThink (Duration: 5:54) 

Persuasive Techniques - Explanation of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/PersuasiveTechniques.pdf
Here, I would use the first page that provides information on Pathos, Ethos, and Logos.  I wouldn’t use the 2^nd page because TN State Standards require that we focus on different techniques.  I like the idea of first looking at persuation from 3 points, which I'll build on with the other techniques as students progress in their understanding.

Demographics & Target Audience

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/Demographics.pdf

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/TargetedCommercials.pdf

I really think both of these handouts are a great introduction to target audience.  Some students have a really hard time understanding this concept when they read a particular text and have to identify the target audience.  I’m hoping thinking of it this way will help them make the connection in their reading.

Commercial Dig

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/CoomercialDig.pdf
Students will be so happy that they get to watch TV for homework!  With this assignment, they'll watch a particular tv show, decide which demographic it is marketed to, and then see if the commericals match the demographic. 

Commercial Dig Reflection Questions

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/DigReflection.pdf
I would have students complete share their commercials and complete these questions in small groups of 2-3 students. 

Analyzing Ads

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/AnalyzingAds.pdf
Students find 2 magazine ads, two television commercials, and 2 web-based advertisements.  Students will explain how each ad incorporates ethos, pathos, or logos.  There is also a box for additional persuasion techniques, which students can go back to once we go over some other techniques. 

Advantages: Television vs. Print vs. Online

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/Advantages.pdf
I think this might be helpful when we doing those EOC practice passages.  I need to read some of them, and they are at school now.  Sometimes, the question will be asked regarding which would be better to find information…sometimes several answers would work, depending on reasoning.  I want to see if what we learn on this handout will help.

Web Resources for Finding Example Advertisements

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/WebResources.html

I used this a little bit, but I found YouTube easier to use.  On YouTube, you can even just type in something as simple as "Commercials 2012." 

Commercial Assessment Rubric

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1166/CommercialRubric.pdf
I like this because it gives students practice working with a rubric. 

Target me with your ads, please by Elinor Mills

http://news.cnet.com/Target-me-with-your-ads,-please/2100-1024_3-6221241.html

This article is about the sophisticated software of companies like Yahoo, Facebook, Google, etc. that can now target a persons behavior online to advertise to their particular interests.  Students could debate the pros and cons of this form of advertising, and consider whether or not the feel violated. Is it a privacy issue?

Flesch-Kincaid Readability: 11.7

Here are several exapmles that I found on YouTube.  Several of these commercials can fit more than one category. 

 

Persuasive Devices

 

Ethos

 

Bandwagon

Note:  Join the hydration movement

Loaded Words

 

Testimonial

Name-calling

Plain Folks

Snob Appeal

Misuse of Statistics

Note:  I need to do some research, but I presonally don't beleive that Juicy Juice is 100% juice, with nothing added. 

Logical Fallacy

Appeal to Fear

Personal Attack {Ad Hominem}

 

False Dilemma

 

 

False Analogy

Just for Fun...an old Mario Bros news segment from Inside Edition

I remember going up to my teacher, Mrs. Starnes, to tell her that if I seemed tired, it was because I stayed up and watched my brother beat Mario Bros.  I was so proud of him.  She didn't get it. ;)

Pleasure, Learning, Video Games, and Life: The Projective Stance

Gee covered a lot of ground in this chapter, but I think the main thing is that there are some games that don’t really require professional knowledge.  For instance, in the vampire game, Castlevania, the player does not need any professional knowledge about hunting vampires in order to beat the game.  Instead, the player just uses basic maneuvers such as: walk, run, jump, attack (much like Mario Bros. but with a different setting).  However, if you look at the army game, Full Spectrum Warrior, it contains a professional knowledge and skill that the player has to acquire before he or she can beat the game.   This professional knowledge and skill is also programed into the virtual characters.  Teaching its players some of the attitudes, values, practices, strategies, and skills of a professional officer commanding a squad of soldiers is this games design.  Gee explains, “A game like Full Spectrum Warrior requires more than generic gamer knowledge and skills; it requires professional knowledge and skills as well.  But this professional military knowledge is parceled out, shared between, the virtual characters and the play, each of whom knows some things in common, but different things as well” (p.104).

This distributed knowledge shared between the virtual character and the player leads to the eventual expertise of the player if he or she sticks with the game long enough.  Gee clarifies his use of the words professional and expert saying, “Authentic professionals have special knowledge and distinctive values tied to specific skills gained through a good deal of effort and experience” (p. 105).   

Gee argues that the doctrine in the game, Full Spectrum Warrior, allows the player to have a basis for their decisions and to construct knowledge.  He goes on to make a comparison between the game and education saying, “[In liberal education, students] are immersed in rich activities—for example, doing or talking about science—but with no guidance as to what are good choices, decisions, or problem solutions.  The idea is, perhaps, that they will learn by making mistakes, but with so many choices available and so little basis for telling them apart, it is more likely they will go down (however creative) garden paths, wasting their time….  If liberals often leave children too much to their own devices, conservatives often forestall their opportunities for learning to build good simulations to prepare themselves for fruitful action in a domain (like physics) by immersing them in facts, information, and tests detached from an meaningful contexts of action” (p. 109). 

So, are you teaching your students basic skills, like to walk, run, jump, attack?  …or are you teaching them to really think?  Well, let’s see… Can they just perform certain skills or can they determine when and why they need to use those skills?   Do they just complete a worksheet you put in front of them, or are they allowed to look at a situation and plan their best course of action?  Can they reevaluate that course of action if they experience negative consequences?   This thinking can be applied in all content areas.