Week 7 Reading

Summary of Fanfiction Writing and the Construction of Space:

The Fanfiction article deals with a website that allows people to post, what I take to be, blogs about their favorite characters from different texts.  The study of the article used English Language Learners and focused on how they are provided with different forms to access second language literacy. 

Quotes:

“If asked to give a definition of space, the vast majority of individuals most likely would rely on metaphors and descriptive terms rooted in physical and material dimensions” (Black, 2007).

I chose this quote because I love it as an opening sentence to this study.  This is true and shows how we teach our students.  We teach them to use metaphors and similes to describe things.  To tie this to digital media, exposing students to differences of opinions would allow them to see things from other viewpoints.  Fanfiction.net is just one site that provides students with interracial interaction. 

“On a related note, the feature of having many opinions for displaying knowledge and routes to status on FanFiction.net is particularly important for promoting ELLs’ access to and affiliation with learning in this space” (Black, 2007). 

ELLs are not the only ones who can benefit from displaying knowledge and having access to others’ views.  Most individuals would benefit and grow from the status’ updated about different fictional characters.  The interaction would promote communication among individuals and cause people to reach out to others. 

Teachers could use this site, and many others like this, to help students improve on their skills to connect to one another.  Interaction is essential and finding a common ground helps initiate the interaction better. 

Summary of Using the Technology of today, in the classroom today:

This article talks about using the different technologies kids are interested in to engage them in education.  All of the articles emphasize this concept.  Also the student I interviewed felt that schools should use technology to create projects and assignments.  This article is just another example of how it can be done. 

Quotes:

“There are countless educators who are masters at their craft, currently employing an array of exceptional instructional strategies” (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff & Haas, 2009).

This quote reminds me that, as we change the way we teach, we must remember some people are great teachers and should not be required to change everything.  We as educators need to grow on what we experience and be willing to expand our practices in order to reach the students. 

“Initial reports show that gamers have well-developed skills including enhanced visual perception” (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff & Haas, 2009)

Video games can be great educational resources.  They should not be excluded.  I remember playing Jeopardy in a class once.  Games can help students develop different skills that “general” instruction might not teach them.  One example is hand-eye coordination.  It is hard for students to master some type of coordination unless they are dealing with it on a day to day basis.  Video games help provide that. 

 

 

Black, R. W. (2007, November 4). Fanfiction Writing and the Construction of Space. E-Learning, 4, 384-397. doi:10.2304/384

Klopfer, E., Osterweil, S., Groff, J., & Haas, J. (2009). Using the technology of today, in the classroom today. Retrieved from http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf