Adolescent Interview

This week I interviewed a sixteen year old, Black American junior in high school. She is a solid B student and participates in several extracurricular activities including track and field, model U.N, student government and mock trial. Of course I was thrilled to learn that my affinity for a physical book over an e-reader was shared by someone more than ten years my junior. I was also surprised that this teen was not as connected as I thought she would be, but then again I suppose it speaks more to her parents than to her actual desire to stay connected. I did think she used way too many social network sites. I personally don't see a need for all the different types but apparently they all serve a purpose. It was refreshing to find that she understood when technology could be a distraction and that she took steps to remove it when need be. I found that my technology usage was actually pretty similar to hers. I may actually be a little more connected because of the internet on my phone, however I do not belong to the number of social sites that she does. The interviewee was a pretty responsible and reasonable technology user and did not share information that was too personal or photos that were objectionable. The reason for her online inhibitions may be the fact that she uses her sites to stay connected to family and friends and is wary of what is posted. I am still not convinced that technology enhances all learning experiences and this teen agreed that it may not be necessary for all her classes but that it did enhance the experience of certain classes. Below are the questions asked:

What social media platforms do you use?

- Facebook, twitter, Instagram, tumblr

How often are you on these sites?

-Consistently, all the time or as often as I can be. I have a family computer and internet at home. I do not have internet on my phone.

Do most of your friends have internet access on their phones?

-Yes.

Do you think that social media is a distraction?

-Yes, sometimes I will deactivate my accounts if I have something really important due.

Is technology used mostly for leisure or education?

-Leisure

How often do you use the internet for work rather than leisure?

-About a third of the time.

What sites do you use for education?

- Google, Wikipedia

Do you use any scholarly websites?

- Google scholar…

Do you do most of your research online or in a physical library?

- Definitely online

Do you use internet for dating?

- No.

 Are all the people you are connected to on these social media sites actually friends?

- No.

How much personal information do you share on these social media sites?

- Not too much… My birthday not the year, I don’t put my hometown or current town but I do put my school information.

What attracts you to all these social media sites? Why isn’t one enough?

- I don’t know, why not. On Twitter I can update a status more frequently, I can update photos quickly on Instagram. I can blog about anything on tumblr and Facebook is what I use to stay connected to family and friends.

 Do you use technology at school?

- Yes. I use computers for architecture, English and physics… programs like CAD for architecture, google and Words for English.

 Do you feel like technology enhances the learning experience?

- Yes, especially with architecture. It changes the experience. It’s cooler than reading a book in a classroom.

Do you think all your classes should incorporate technology? Why or why not?
- No, because I don't think you need it in all your classes.

Book or E-Reader?
Book... There's something about a book, it feels right. Doesn't hurt my eyes.

Print Advertisement Deconstruction

For this assignment I chose to deconstruct the first advertisement I saw in the most recent issue of Times Magazine. I opened to the last page of the magazine and was bombarded by a colorful image of excited people of all ages, races and  a sexes . The five adjectives that came to mind were: fun, colorful, excitement, celebration and shiny. The two dozen or so people in this ad were mostly young adults but I did point out a few older looking adults. Everyone is gathered around the car which is at the center of the photograph. The photo appears to be taken at eye level and is close to the subject (car). Some people are out of frame or can not be seen behind the car and other individuals. Everyone is wearing single colored outfits that are of bright and neon. The words at the top are large, bold and all CAPS. The bottom has smaller print and a different font. All the wording is in white and reads from top to bottom: "THE ALL-NEW 2014 COROLLA- (in smaller print) WE TURNED UP EVERYTHING - Elevate your style with the 2014 Corolla. Bold, aggressive lines, cutting edge design and advanced technology will take your game to the next level. Learn more at Toyota.com/corolla- TOYOTA- Let's Go Places"

This is obviously an advertisement for a new car. The subject is very appealing because it makes the car seem hip and fun. Everyone appears excited about the car and it seems like they are celebrating with confetti in the air and posed while jumping and laughing. The car itself looks shiny, sleek and modern. I believe the target for this ad is young adults although there are people of all ages. The advertisement made me excited about the car and appealed to me because it seemed fun, energetic and cool.

The advertisement assumes that all genders and races will love this car. All the people are dressed in casual clothing and the picture appears to be taken outdoors in a middle class neighborhood. I assume that the advertisement wants us to believe that this is a car for the masses and that everyone will enjoy it.

As far as advertisements go, I believe this was pretty tame and appeals to a wide range of people. I think the only expectation is that if you buy this car you will have fun and want to celebrate. I don't think I would go dancing in the streets on account of this car but it may be nice to have a new car. I don't believe that this advertisement is trying to say anything about social change. If anything it is inclusive and may counter social change. I think this ad would prove to be socially responsible if it said something about fuel economy but it does not. As I look at this ad I am not considering citizenship. This is a purely consumer driven advertisement. It may be possible to be both a citizen and consumer. Lately, I have been making conscious efforts to buy from companies that attempt to be socially responsible in terms of how they treat employees and materials used.

Increase in Networks Does NOT Equal to an Increase in Democracy

I was able to draw the closest connection to Saskia Sassen's lecture on Networks, Power and Democracy with Andrew O'Baoill's "Weblogs and the Public Sphere". What I got from these presentations was that the new media has not done as much as one would think for democracy. In fact both authors suggest that the technology may be hindering democracy. There are many reasons for this including the increased access of the technology. The fact that there are so many blogs out there on any given topic is a hindrance to democracy because only a select few will gain notoriety. In addition given the vast amount of information and how quickly the news can be published it may not allow time for a complete rational debate.

As we continue to reflect on the role of blogs I have realized just how little I care for conventional web blogs. I would rather discern my news from several prominent sources than to read an independent web blog. I still view blogs as amateurish and for leisure purposes. I read blogs about my favorite television show or vocal artist. I hardly go to blogs for my breaking news. Even as I read the blogs on politics and social issues, I find that the debates are not always intelligent and very often offensive and ignorant. I also find that many blogs over time become very one sided and speak to a certain position and ideology. I am glad for the technology that we have and believe that it does have the power to do good in society. I believe that being able to access so much stored information is positive and that it can help to educate and bring us closer together but it may not be the best tool for advancing democracy.

Week 3

As I read the material I kept trying to relate the skills and techniques to my own background and education. The role of play really sparked my interest because as the authors suggest it is one of the earliest forms of learning (Jenkins 22). One of the learning tools described was actually a program I used in my own economics course in high school (Jenkins 27). Although this particular game was discussed in the simulation section, it can also be used to describe how play can help students learn and relate to real world concepts in the classroom. Not only were we learning how the stock market and supply and demand worked; we were also learning how to work together as a team to make the best business decision.

Most individuals enjoy a game over tedious memorization and information gathering which is why this technique is so useful. It requires students to grasp basic information about the "rules" of the game which is where your core material comes into place but then it makes the learning fun because you use that knowledge to advance your game. Of course this is not something that students would be engaged in every day or for the complete lesson, but it can be seen as a treat to reinforce the material while making it interesting and relatable.

The reading overall was interesting and changed my ideas of the role of new media in education. I initially was against all this technology in the classroom, or at the very least limiting the role of new medias. However I am now convinced that it is appropriate and useful to incorporate the internet and new technologies into the classroom. My only concern now is that not all students will be able to have the same amount of access to these technologies. My mother is a junior high school teacher in a school in Brooklyn. The neighborhood is composed of low income immigrant families. Many of the children do not have access to the internet in their homes and due to budget cuts there is currently no one to run the computer lab. So although the school has the equipment and access the students are barred from this type of education because they are considered a failing school and their funding has been cut. It seems unfair that the students who need it the most will not have access to a technology that I am now understanding is the wave of the future in education.

 

Week 2 Post

Students should always be held to a higher standard of learning in schools. Knowing proper grammar and spelling, and being able to decipher all kinds of texts are an important part of learning. Although technology and the internet has made the sharing of communication and ideas much easier and faster not all blogs and sites are held to the same standard as commonly recognized scholarly works. Internet technology is important but so are the classics. In order to be successful on scholastic exams, students must be literate in all types of works.

 

Lankshear and Noble (2006) define literacies as “socially recognized ways of generating, communicating and negotiating meaningful content through the medium of encoded texts within contexts of participation in Discourses.” By this definition, literacy can be described as any piece of media open to interpretation by individuals. Literacy can be imagery, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, theatrical works, cinematic works, music and any other medium used to share ideas. New technologies have succeeded in the sharing of ideas however the concern is that those ideas are not always relevant, thought out, or expressed in a scholastically acceptable way.

Media and the presentation of information is always changing. We have books on tapes, documentaries, educational video games and web sites. All these forms can enhance learning but none of them can replace the reading and comprehension of a book on your own and under the instruction from a professional. We have already become too relaxed with our vernacular in everyday language. Even in certain New York newspapers professional journalists are using words like “prez” and “cuz”. We have simplified our language so that it can fit in an entry of 140 characters or less and are using shorthand for words that are not really that long to begin with. When it comes to education we need to focus on scholarly and culturally relevant material. Blogs and internet sites are not always authoritative references and should not be used to replace classical literature or education.

Week 1 Post

"The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9). Please discuss what you do with various texts, how you make sense of them and how you use them to further your own learning.

Lately the majority of my readings are related to my employment. At work I try to use the information at my disposal to help further my clients' goals and needs. I often have to write summaries on my clients in the form of progress notes or psychosocial evaluations. I use the information gathered before my encounter with the client as well as the information gained from our sessions to paint a thorough and fair image of the client in order to figure out how to empathize, relate with and best assist them. I am often confronted with medical terms, social service acronyms or jargon that I am unfamiliar with and am always doing research on the side to understand a diagnosis, organization or entitlement program. I do this because I want to further my understanding of the field I am in but also for my clients. In order to make a proper referral, I need to be able to understand and explain it to my clients in simple terms. It is not unusual to have clients that simply sign any document placed in front of them with no understanding of what they have agreed to. It is my job as their case manager to make sure that they understand my role and their expectations while in the shelter and to provide the services or referrals to the services that they need. The bonus is when I can use that information to help not just one person on my caseload but several clients as well as my coworkers.

Introduction

Welcome!

My name is Shanyssa and I am a twenty-something year old mother of a 21 month old son. I work as a case manager at a men's shelter in Brooklyn, NY but have always wanted to teach. So excited to finally continue my education with this M.Ed program.