1 EXTENDING READING AND WRITING Running head: … · ETEC 510: Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments University of British Columbia ... social interactions, iv) scaffolding,

1

EXTENDING READING AND WRITING

Running head: EXTENDING READING AND WRITING

Extending Reading and Writing to Home

Martin Armstrong

Lynnette Earle (Harbison)

Jerry Mah

Kimberly Wagner

Charles Young

ETEC 510: Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments

University of British Columbia

Jeff Miller

April 1, 2012

2


Table of Contents

Key Frameworks 3

Intentions and Positions 5

Key Concepts and Contexts 8

Interactivities 11

Verifications 14

Reflections

Group 15

Martin Armstrong 16

Lynnette Earle (Harbison) 18

Jerry Mah’s 19

Kimberly Wagner’s 20

Charles Young’s 21

References 24

Appendix I 29

Application List 29

Resource List 30

3


Extending Reading and Writing to Home

Key Frameworks

The focus of the Extending Reading and Writing to Home design project is to improve

high school students’ literacy skills with a focus on design affordances: intentional content,

activities, and interactions that motivate and engage students in their skill development. This

design project focuses on students from grades 10 to 12 with a lower than grade 9 literacy level.

Through the analysis of different academic journals, we are developing a process that focuses on

the following reoccurring themes: i) prior knowledge, ii) student choice, iii) peer connections &

social interactions, iv) scaffolding, v) inquiry-based learning, vi) student-centered learning

(Constructivism), vii) reciprocal teaching, viii) success – building self-efficacy, and ix) student-

developed strategies. Based on this review of literature, and through a comparison with other

available resources (books, websites, etc.), we plan to develop main and supporting activities for

our Moodle based Visual Learning Environment (VLE). Weaved throughout these activities will

be a focus on creating a motivating and engaging literacy environment.

This design project will incorporate Constructivist learning tenets based on the work of

Vygotsky (Davydov, 1995; Miller, 2002) and Bruner (Driscoll, 2005) with extensions to our

modern context (Compton-Lilly, 2007; Frey, 2005; Stripling, 2003). By utilizing these social

models (Jonassen, 1999) and creating a supportive knowledge building online community

(Anderson, 2008; Anderson, Rourke, Garrison, & Archer, 2001; Barab & Duffy, 2000; Garrison,

2007; Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1993; Wenger, 1998) that students will be involved in peer-to-

peer interaction and feedback. Effective literacy strategies (Clausen-Grace, 2007; Compton-

Lilly, 2007; “Me Read How?”, 2009; VanDeWeghe, 2008) will be built into the environment

that students can use on an as needed basis to scaffold these skills; after the skills have been

4


modeled, students will practice these skills using peer support (Alfassi, 2004; Alvermann, 2006).

The connection between multiliteracies--linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial, and multi-

modal meaning--will be a focus (The New London Group, 1996). Within this learning

environment, students will be able to create a persona in order to lower their affective filter. It

will be an environment where, according to Gee, "learners can take risks in a space where real-

world consequences are lowered” (2003, p.207 - as cited in Compton-Lilly).

Theoretical perspectives that frame this project are Constructivism, Social Learning

theories, and Motivational theory. Dominant within our work will be activities and atmosphere

that are conducive to removing obstacles for reluctant readers. This focus will require designing

a friendly atmosphere with hooks that will create motivation and engagement. Thus, we will use

a “game” structure as a theme to achieve student motivation and engagement (Compton-Lilly,

2007). Through our brainstorming concerning experiences with struggling readers and academic

research, we have decided to use an Amazing Race theme. Compton-Lilly (2007) speaks to a

number of features that games possess, which we can turn into motivational strategies in our

development of our activities. Gaming provides students with the unique opportunity to take

ownership of the learning environment as, “[t]he challenge we see for educational technology is

to preserve a central role for the students themselves, lest they be reduced to passivity by the

overwhelming amounts of authoritative external information available” (Scardamalia and

Bereiter, 1994, p. 276).

We will also use the evaluative framework from De Freitas and Oliver (2006) to

approach our work. This framework involves analyzing our design from four viewpoints: i)

pedagogic considerations - theories applied to the work, ii) learner specification - audience,

5


student background, iii) mode of representation - presentation/levels of interactivity, and iv)

context - resources, and classroom environment.

Intentions and Positions

This design is intended to improve literacy skills. According to a 2003 Statistics Canada

report on “ Building on our Competencies: Canadian Results of the International Adult Literacy

and Skills Survey,” approximately 12 million Canadians aged 16 and over performed below 3 on

a prose and document literacy skill scale based on 5 levels (Ministry of Advanced Education,

2007). In British Columbia there is over one million adults who do not have the necessary

literacy skills to even read a newspaper (Read Now BC, 2012). By targeting students who are at

risk due to inadequate literacy skill, the intent of this project is to utilize a visual learning

environment (VLE) that learners can access at home. Home access will allow students to take

ownership of learning, as the VLE will be designed to take into account cultural barriers. The

overall intent of this project is to improve literacy skills, and motivation and/or engagement

amongst young learners.

Attaining a certain level of literacy and generally improving literacy skills has been a

current, primary goal in North American schools. Scholarship in education indicates that,

“Secondary students' reading performance reaches a plateau during their high school years, and it

is clear that the performance gap between their abilities and what they are expected to do widens.

Adolescents who lack basic literacy skills need intensive, focused, sustained instruction to help

them catch up with their peers” (Hock, 2003, p. 29). To overcome the performance gap, Jedges

and Aikenhead (1999) suggest that cross cultural borders need to be taken into account as a

means to improve literacy rates outside of the traditional learning environment. Overcoming

cultural difference is the main defining factor in determining if new meaning is created (Jegede

6


and Aikenhead, 1999). School culture is one of the main obstacles for young learners to

overcome. Fatima’s rules (Larson, 1995) includes learners developing coping mechanisms, such

as silence, accommodation, ingratiation, evasiveness, and manipulation; these strategies enable

students to pass a course without learning, which may eventually lead to the rationalization of

dropping out if the learner is pushed too hard (Larson 1995). However, Jegede and Aikenhead

(1999, p. 274) indicate that Fatima’s rules can be overcome by providing teenagers with access

to an engaging VLE.

Literacy skills in the 21st century are evolving and there is much debate on how the

future learning environment will be designed. According to The New London Group, “effective

citizenship and productive work now require that we interact effectively using multiple

languages, multiple “Englishes,” and communication patterns that more frequently cross cultural,

community, and national boundaries” (1996) which translates to multiliteracies which is not

what is typically taught today in education. Opposition to incorporating a VLE as part of an

individual learning plan may come from educators who support the theory that the pendulum will

swing back towards a more traditional form of education that is based on teacher centered

learning.

Our project goals align with a report from the United Nations in 2003 that emphasised,

“literacy is about more than reading and writing – it is about how we communicate in

society.....[C]ommunication in today’s world. Indeed, it is the excluded who can best appreciate

the notion of “literacy as freedom”” (UNESCO, 2003). In 2003, “Think Literacy Success: A

Report of the Expert Panel on Students at Risk in Ontario” indicated two strategies to close the

gap for students who lack literacy skills in their grade level: special education and remedial

action. Special education focuses primarily on modification, whereas remedial action examines

7


individual education plans (IEP) (Think Literacy Success, 2003). In British Columbia, “school

districts, libraries, and community organizations are expanding literacy programs and...

collaborating further on other innovative and effective early learning and family literacy

programs” (Read Now BC, 2012, p. 2). The use of the VLE as a mechanism to improve literacy

skills will enable students to work anytime, anywhere as part of an IEP. Therefore the approach

of this VLE is to afford special assistance or remediation strategies to students in developing

literacy skills.

The predominant Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that will be used for this project

is Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (Moodle) as it was designed on the

constructivist principle based on the following five principles:

All of us are potential teachers as well as learners - in a true collaborative

environment we are both.

We learn particularly well from the act of creating or expressing

something for others to see.

We learn a lot by just observing the activity of our peers.

By understanding the contexts of others, we can teach in a more

transformational way (constructivism).

A learning environment needs to be flexible and adaptable, so that it can

quickly respond to the needs of the participants within it.

(Dougiamas, 2006)

Not only is Moodle a social constructionist framework, it offers many different modules and

plug-ins to incorporate into the learning environment. This vast array of choices allows teachers

to best meet the various multiple intelligences one might have in any learning community.

Moodle offers applications that tap into visual, auditory, and even kinesthetic learning styles.

Furthermore, it is especially appealing to introverts who generally do not engage in

conversations with their peers. Since our design project is not geared towards one specific

subject (as literacy intertwines itself in all aspects of learning), Moodle is ideal because of its

8


multitude of activities and resources. The Moodle environment includes features such as chats,

forums, wikis, workshops (all which enable students to work collaboratively), databases,

surveys, quizzes, questionnaires, books, web pages, links to files or websites, dictionaries, an

interactive glossary, class schedule, assignments, participant profiles, e-mail, and lessons. Also,

Moodle is user-friendly; “It is reasonable to expect that any user with basic computer and

Internet skills will be able to use Moodle” (Mackey, 2010) because it’s designed to function like

a website, with links that lead you to various activities, calendars, course modules, and

resources.

Key Concepts and Contexts

There is conceptual and procedural knowledge that is related to literacy improvement.

The conceptual knowledge is literacy strategies which include reading, writing, technology and

the other aspects of new literacies; however, literacy learning involves knowing skills that can

then be applied for greater understanding, which is procedural in nature. Inquiry and

metacognition skills are also procedural in nature. Reading strategies should be taught through

direct and reciprocal teaching (Alfassi, 2004; Clausen-Grace, 2007; Compton-Lilly, 2007; Frey,

2007) as the knowledge concerning existing literacy skills must be taught and then practiced.

Schema must be further developed to create future prior knowledge, since prior knowledge is so

important to comprehension (Alfassi, 2004). Writing strategies should be taught using the same

methodology, including guided writing process (Patterson, 2005) and opportunities for writing

practice (Main, 2008). Rick VanDeWeghe in “Writing Next and the Power to Teach” (2008),

outlines eleven elements for effectively teaching writing which will be guiding concepts for our

writing-related developments. In a different capacity, inquiry-based activities will be included

because inquiry-based learning has been found to be more effective than prescribed, packaged

9


literacy programs since the students are more engaged (Compton-Lilly, 2007; Frey, 2005;

Stripling, 2003). Finally, metacognitive skills are significant for learners to becomes reflective

on their understanding and practices (Main, 2008).

Our design project context is to create a cognitively supportive environment that is a

collection of literacy tools (Owens, 2002) that can bring scaffolded literacy practices to home, in

a fully blended learning environment. Students will build schema to improve their future prior

knowledge and will connect their current prior knowledge as they learn literacy skills (Alfassi,

2004; Diamond, 2006). Social interaction with other learners will be an integral part of the VLE

(Alfassi, 2004; Alvermann, 2006; Clausen-Grace, 2007) as they learn literacy concepts on an as

needed basis while they read with focus.

The learners that we are targeting are high school students who are behind in their

reading/writing skills by two or more grades. According to Hock and Deschler (2003), the

literacy performance gap widens in high school. Although there have been suggestions

advocating the use of rigid or packaged literacy programs to bridge this gap, current research

suggests other strategies. The current perspective on this group of learners focuses on their

disengagement in general with classroom learning. They do not respond well to direct-teaching

and rote-learning. Even though they are avid technology users, they are not necessarily as

proficient in using technology for constructive, educational purposes (Valenza, 2006).

There is one point of contention in academic literature regarding literacy improvement. In

the last ten years, there has been a focus of testing, analysis of results, and teacher-centered

targeted literacy, with the assumption that identifying the areas for improvement and targeting

the instruction will translate into improved results; however, literacy improvement has not been

realized (“Highlights of the Provincial Results,” 2009; “Ontario Student Achievement,” 2010;

10


“OSA,” 2004; “Literacy matters for BC,” n.d.). In contrast, inquiry-based learning turns the

focus from “children answering questions” to children “formulating engaging questions and the

participating in various language and literacy experiences to answer them” (Owens, 2002, ¶ 6),

and the students’ literacy improves because of the level of engagement with the task as they

choose their topics, reading materials and inquiry questions.

Regarding this group of learners, we agree that prescribed literacy practices are not

effective. Alvermann (2006) and Clausen-Grace’s (2007) work on inquiry-based literacy with

middle school students suggests that high school aged learners will also be successful.

Furthermore, many learners are disengaged because they find direct-teaching boring. These

students would be more engaged if they had learning choices (Alfassi, 2004; Alvermann, 2006;

Clausen-Grace, 2007). The social aspect of a learning environment is also significant for

teenagers because they are at a stage of life that is marked by the increased importance of social

interaction (Alvermann, 2006; Clausen-Grace, 2007; Vetter, 2010); this social interest could be

utilized in creating a cognitively supportive environment (Owen, 2002) that increases

metacognition through peer feedback (Main, 2008). Boyd (2007) postulates that teenagers are

addicted to social media because “... that’s where my friends are...” or “... I was bored...” (p.

126). The design of the game creates a scenario that connects to this study by Boyd, as it builds

upon teenagers’ desire to be entertained.

Our design will include social features, gaming achievement structure, just-in-time

information areas, student selected reading materials, audio/visual affordances, and reflection

components. Students will be able to socially negotiate through discourse with their peers as well

as the teacher as part of a community of learners. As students proceed through the material, they

will receive feedback on their achievements and proceed to the next level which will give them a

11


sense of accomplishment. The just-in-time information areas will serve as scaffolding support for

the multiliteracies that will be incorporated into the VLE which will include audio/video

teaching materials. The interactive design of “Extending Reading and Writing to Home” will

improve literacy rates through student engagement by motivating them to be involved in a

community of learning.

Interactivities

The project for Extending Reading and Writing to Home will use a number of interactive,

dynamic elements which will enable students to work from home as a way of extending their

learning beyond the school environment. As a self-standing blended environment that students

will use in school and at home, Moodle will act as the initial interface for this project. Within

Moodle students will be presented with a game environment loosely based on the reality

television series "The Amazing Race" as there will be challenges and goals students must meet.

By working in groups and individually within this constructivist environment, students will

utilize strategies that have been shown to improve literacy amongst reluctant readers. The

activity mapping for the vertical continent paths and the horizontal skill or concept path is based

on a comprehensive plan to include all key literacy components identified in Think Literacy

(2012). Please see our ERWH Mapping Chart (http://tinyurl.com/510ERWH) for the detailed plan for

our LE. Additional tables containing resources used for our Moodle site are available in

Appendix I.

The LE is organized using a splash page with periodic use button links and continent

content areas with visual link buttons. Students can start their journey by selecting a continent on

the splash page, but they can continue their journey on another day by scrolling down to the

continent content areas to continue where they left off. Students have the opportunity to begin at

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtO-A0URZB5FdHhtNW4wR1dVdkhtd2tfU1RUWHNrWHc#gid=0

http://tinyurl.com/510ERWH

12


different entry points, according to level of difficulty. The periodic use button links are mostly

for self and peer-support: Introduction (pre-story for their literacy journey), Live Chat (IM peer

support), News (teacher announcements), Open Forum (Q&A peer support), Passbook (badge

rewards), and Team Wiki (group wiki access). The Gamemaker Files will be located at the

bottom of the homepage like a site map as the focus will be on the visual navigation features.

We made particular design choices in order to achieve our concept of a more multimedia

environment with less of a focus of text. All of our activities have just-in-time content areas

which include audio and visual features in the teaching of the content. We have incorporated Hot

Potatoes in the formative learning to allow the student to self-test their progress; although it’s not

a built in feature of the MET Moodle, it is an available plugin for Moodle and we want it to be

built it because the teacher would have access to their scores and have some indication of their

understanding of the material. Although we did not have time to incorporate this element

consistently in the prototype, we would use Voki recordings throughout the content areas as an

audio affordance. There are engaging video instructional materials in the content as well to make

the experience multi-modal. Motivational reward videos were used at the end of each section to

congratulate the student on their progress so far. They are placed at the beginning of the next

activity to be the first thing they see upon leaving the previously completed activity.

Specifically, the interactivities are designed to engage students and increase their facility

with multiple literacies. Having these interactivities presented within a game format will engage

students by allowing them to create the space in ways that are meaningful for them. Teachers

will act as game moderators rather than disseminators of more traditional literacy knowledge.

Students will pursue the knowledge needed to take their team to the next level in the game, and

hopefully, a new level of literacy.

13


The student-driven environment is an important aspect of this project. Students will

choose an online persona and interact with other team members, or other players, in a

collaborative environment to attain goals that will be loosely defined but achievable. Students

will be challenged by the tasks they are given, but all the tasks will be achievable. Through a

process of self-reflection and engagement of scaffolded activities, students will be able to

identify what they already know and set goals/targets for what they would like to achieve. The

project will ensure that students are engaged and challenged. We hope to achieve an environment

where students “re-create themselves in new worlds and achieve recreation and deep learning at

one and the same time” (Gee, 2003). A learning environment where students understand why

they are completing the challenges and are motivated to interact and reflect on the game equates

good education.

Inevitably there will be challenges in structuring the interactivities outlined. Since

students will work at a varied pace, the time frame is adaptable to meet the needs of the students.

Throughout the design students will have the opportunity to revisit social forums to check for

comments on their work and to make comments on the work of others. The students will be able

to discuss in class which artifacts they will post on their group wiki. In this blended learning

environment, teachers would assist students with self-regulating their work by prompting them

through an announcement tool as well as in the face-to-face classroom.

In regards to provincial laws concerning student privacy, students will not be asked to

save any information on servers outside of Canada. Teachers will have control over what

applications are used to complete the activities based on their access to paid subscriptions,

software, and Web 2.0 application preference. Although we have stated what we would use,

14


there are many other viable alternatives. If students are asked to create a login for another site,

they will be asked to record the information in a personal note in their Moodle profiles.

Verifications

One of the major assumptions in the ERWH project is that students will be able to

transfer the skills and social experiences of social media into manipulating the affordances

inherent in the design. The main goal of constructivism within this project is to think like writers,

not learn how to pass a literacy test (Ardito et al., 2006). Therefore, the verification of the design

must address student satisfaction with the product and formative assessment of improvements in

learners’ literacy skills from the start of the course to the end (De Freitas & Oliver, 2006).

User satisfaction of the ERWH must gauge the student’s ability to use the design

affordances within the game structure. However, Bates and Poole (2003) point out that some

students lack the skills to benefit from an e-learning platform. A recent study postulates that,

“students are not as eager as their lecturers to use the elements of social networks in their courses

and studies” (Holbl & Welzer, 2010). Furthermore, if students have the skills to use the ERWH,

it may “ultimately lead to higher levels of engagement, learning, and success” (Sahin & Shelley,

2008 p. 216) in improving literacy rates. The other key element in the satisfaction survey must be

centered on gauging student enjoyment of using ERWH. Student enjoyment in “education is a

critical factor in their acceptance and use of the online learning environment” (Lee et al., 2005;

Mitchell et al., 2005). Student enjoyment may “lead to further engagement in class activities, and

eventually in higher levels of use of distance learning environments” (Lee et al., 2005; Mitchell

et al., 2005), thus demonstrating that the project is working as designed.

One of the key design affordances of the EWRH is that students cannot move to the next

level without completing a set of tasks. Teachers will be able to use formative assessment to

15


generate feedback on student performance to improve and accelerate learning (Sadler, 1998).

Therefore, feedback will be used to enhance the learner’s self-regulation (internal feedback) “as

they monitor their engagement with learning activities and tasks, and assess progress towards

goals” (Nicol & MacFarlane-Dick, 2006, p.206). Furthermore, it is essential that, “self-regulated

learners also actively interpret external feedback, for example, from teachers and other students,

in relation to their internal goals” (Nicol & MacFarlane-Dick, 2006, p.206). Teachers will be

able to step back from the front of the classroom, and become coaches or guides in an

collaborative teaching paradigm, by providing prompt and engaging feedback to enhance the

learning experience found in the gaming environment of the ERWH. In addition, peer feedback

through the collaborative tasks supports self-regulated learners. In the current education

paradigm, there is a need for summative assessment; therefore, when students have completed

their portion of the game, their summative assessment will be applied to their final product based

on growth related to the feedback provided. Their summative mark would be based on their most

recent and consistent achievement.

Reflections

Group Reflection

The process of designing activities specifically for educational purposes is complex and

requires a great amount of planning. When designing the activities for the Extending Reading

and Writing to Home project, there were many elements that needed to be considered. In the

beginning, a number of interactivities that could be incorporated into the project were devised.

Then, specific lessons and learning outcomes for the target learners needed to be addressed.

Since the overall atmosphere for the project was to be game-like, the interactivities, lessons and

16


learning outcomes needed to be arranged in such a way that the learners were engaged and

motivated not only participate in the project, but to continue through the learning design.

By engaging in the various set of design activities created, a great amount of learning

took place. As a group of five, cooperation, collaboration, and communication were the first

skills acquired which were essential and came quite easily as all members shared a common

goal: to improve the literacy skills of at-risk students. However, each member has different

teaching philosophies and methods that created somewhat of a challenge in creating consensus

on the direction of the project. Communication was facilitated through the use of various web 2.0

tools, such as Skype and Google Docs. These communication tools were new to some and thus

needed to be learned and used to their full potential. All members learned that Google Docs has

many affordances that allow for various types of activities and learning to occur. Each member

also learned a tremendous amount about the design platform, Moodle. This interface has many

affordances that aid in the functionality, organization, and assessment of the design to improve

literacy skills.

The process of creating the actual activities, keeping in mind how they connect with

literacy and how they will fit into the game design, enhanced the group’s knowledge. By

engaging in and creating the activities selected, the group learned that educational design is a

complex process when all factors are considered. Working together towards a common goal

greatly aided the design process.

Martin Armstrong’s Reflection

In module one of ETEC 510, I tentatively selected which group would be my home for

the duration of the main assignment. Although, I have never worked online with others students

before, the affordances offered through the collaborative tools of Google Docs, not only amazed

17


me, but opened my eyes to the possibility of utilizing this Learning 2.0 environment for my

History 12 course. Furthermore, Skype allowed real time collaboration on knowledge creation in

an authentic setting that eased my transition into the world of e-learning. However this made me

reflect on whether students will have access to technology at home and work within the confines

of Moodle, especially those with lower social economic status?

When our group decided to push forward with using Moodle as the learning platform for

our group project, I initially felt overwhelmed. As the project progressed, and as I collaborated

with others, it became apparent that knowledge learning communities utilizing real time

collaboration tools allows novice learners to work in a master-apprentice setting where one

guides the other along. This was the case for my initial introduction in using the basic

affordances offered in Moodle. By no means have I mastered Moodle, but this experience has

allowed me to construct the principle knowledge base necessary to feel comfortable in

navigating and adding assignments in Moodle. However, will students be able to comfortably

navigate Moodle or do they need an introduction course into the learning platform? Furthermore

will the game we designed entertain students enough to promote learning? These questions can

only be truly answered when the game is used for its intended purpose.

However, working in a collaborative e-learning community with advanced learners

allows the sharing of ideas and experiences that focus the group on a common goal, the

completion of the project. The whole experience working with fellow students has sparked my

curiosity where twenty-first century learning will take us. Are we truly on the verge of a

paradigm shift in education or just reinventing the wheel?

18


Lynnette Earle’s (Harbison) Reflection

This particular set of design activities provided me with various learning experiences.

Once our group had been created and we decided upon a topic, we spent a number of hours on

both Skype and Google Docs to discuss our own ideas and opinions and figured out how to meld

them together into a cohesive project that achieved our common goal: to improve the literacy

skills of at-risk students. While engaging in Google Docs with four other people and talking on

Skype simultaneously, I learned that much can be accomplished with these Web 2.0 tools. I

learned that Google Docs has many more applications than a simple document option.

From this point, we delegated tasks and researched various options for our specific design

activities that we planned to incorporate into our Moodle site. Once we had concrete ideas for

our interactivities, we began working with and manipulating our Moodle site, the interface of

choice because we felt that it offered more affordances for learning and had the ability to create

the projected game-like environment. I would first characterize my experience with Moodle as a

journey that had some bumps and many roads, some of which I chose not to explore due to lack

of time and pre-warnings not to attempt. Once my frustrations were overcome, my Moodle

experience improved and could be described as learning how to do a sport; the more I “played”

the easier and more comfortable I became.

In general, Moodle is a fairly easy to use LMS. From a designer’s point of view, I would

say that it does not quite meet my expectations within the ease of use category according to the

SECTIONS Framework. From a student’s point of view, Moodle seems to be quite easy to

navigate as long as the designer properly links everything together. I have both enjoyed and been

frustrated by Moodle; however, my frustrations have enhanced my learning experience.

19


Overall, my engagement with the various set of design activities used, has strengthened

my skill set as both a learner and teacher. The entire process of collaborating with peers in an

eLearning environment has been enlightening and has given me ideas to use within my own

teaching environment.

Jerry Mah’s Reflection

In writing this reflection, several elements became apparent to me in the pursuit of

creating this project.

Based on the virtual nature of our communication, it was difficult at times to articulate

and understand each other’s viewpoint. Having the opportunity to meet face to face would have

been advantageous for demonstrating an idea or concept.

Subsequently, members would implement or perceive information differently, which

required rework at times. It also produced great results, by enhancing our work and

implementing an innovative feature within our environment.

I felt that we generally had good communication and were able to work with one another

in a collaborative manner. It was quite apparent to me that good group dynamics can play an

important part in how the project is implemented and the actualized progress. I felt that as a large

group of five individuals, we were able to proceed and accomplish tasks with minimal friction.

This spoke to how we as group members got to know one another and as time progressed; started

to become more of a community.

We used many collaboration charts and documents to help track our work. Even with the

use of these tools, the complexity of the project could be daunting and difficult to understand. As

members developed portions of our environment, this elaborate nature became a greater concern.

20


Lastly, there are many features that were not actualized due to technical or time

constraints. I felt that there were elements laid out in our project proposal that would have

greatly benefited our project design. One of the design elements I felt was missing was a way for

students to see how they jump through challenges and proceed with different pathways. I also

felt that the reward system would have been a feature that could help motivate and engage

students.

Kimberly Wagner’s Reflection

Through participation in this group project, I have gained technology communication

skills, and further developed collaborative skills and use of software / Web 2.0 applications.

Our group used Skype and Google Docs to communicate which we did frequently during

the course to coordinate our individual thinking concerning our LE. Communicating without

visual cues can be awkward, but it got easier over time. We typically started with an individual

share which led to further discussion and decision making. It took time to clarify each member’s

vision of the project and to coordinate those visions into one concept. Each time we met, it was

important to clarify our current direction based on our previous agreed upon ‘homework’.

I feel that we worked very well as a large group of five. Even though there were more

perspectives to coordinate and sharing time took longer than with three or four people, we were

all willing to listen to everyone and discuss varying viewpoints productively and come to a

consensus in the same meeting. Over time, as we got to know each other better, it was a

comfortable experience and even a fun endeavor.

As a result of this project experience, I increased my knowledge of various software and

Web 2.0 applications. I was already familiar with the previous version of Moodle, so there was a

small learning curve in terms of using the new functions. The challenge was to determine how to

21


use the shell to create a highly visual, multimedia environment. In experimenting with Paint, I

learned that it is a more functional program that I had realized; it was extremely useful for

creating original graphics. Creating the instructional videos using Photo Story 3 and Audacity

(for first splicing together audio) had a timing learning curve. The reward videos were made

using PowerPoint and Camtasia. After using both processes, I would use Photo Story 3 for all

video needs because quality is not lost in the recording, the functions are simpler, and it produces

a high quality result. Unfortunately, some quality is lost in the upload to YouTube, so it was

difficult to produce the crisp visuals that we would want to have in our LE. It was a multi-step

process to include video affordances. Finally, Voki is an online application for recording voice to

be delivered by an Avatar. I included these in the content area so that students could listen to the

content on a page. Unfortunately, they could not be embedded on a Google Docs page, so they

had to be clickable links that opened in a new window. We wanted them to play within the same

window.

The main challenge for me was to keep refocusing on our plan to include audio and video

affordances because I tend to lean towards text since it’s easier and takes less time; however,

since it was a key part of our design, I wanted to focus my attention in this area.

Charles Young’s Reflection

Working as part of a group can be a challenge at the best of times. Each member brings a

different set of personal traits, a different skill set and a different body of knowledge to the mix.

Endeavouring to create a project without really knowing any of the other members and using

electronic media to communicate, collaborate and coordinate all of the activities adds a layer of

complexity especially for those of us who have never worked in this way. This experience has

made me consider what I have to do to engage students in a similar learning experience.

22


The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of student interactions that I would like

to foster, is reading online. I find it difficult and I’m a pretty good reader. There is something

different in the interaction between paper medium and the reader than there is with electronic

media and the reader. This in itself is a huge consideration when dealing with students who are

likely not very sophisticated readers. While I want my students to become good, sophisticated

readers, I have to recognise that the skills they bring with them into my teaching environment,

electronic or physical, are vastly different than my own.

One of the challenges I felt was trying to design material that forced me to think outside

of my own box, so to speak. I’m not sure I quite managed to think far enough outside of how

I’ve done things in the past. It feels as though I’ve done nothing more than re-create worksheets

and presented them as though this will somehow be an engaging experience for students. While

the readings in the course have been great and opened up ways of seeing things in a new ways, I

still have to do some work to apply theory to practice. It has helped that the other members of the

Extending Reading and Writing to Home (ERWH) group have much more experience with

various media and online collaboration tools. Because of my need to “catch up” with the tools

our group used, it illustrates for me the scaffolding I will have to do with my students when I

first try to involve them with a robust learning experience.

The “Serious Play” assignment we did earlier in the course was significant for me during

this group project. The one thing that stands out most for me was the comment that students have

been known to “cheat” at games by searching for knowledge that they would likely only

encounter in a subject area classroom. For me, this sort of cheating is not only acceptable, it is

desirable. In our ERWH project, it is hoped that we have created interactivities and material that

students would find worthy of this sort of cheating.

23


While there is a need to provide scaffolding activities for students, there is also the need

for a lot of scaffolding for teachers who would like to engage students in effective online

learning. During the project, I found myself wanting very much to be better at creating Flash

animations, online video, even simple scripting or web development. I have built numerous

websites over the years, but those were in simple HTML for the most part. As the web and the

ways that people interact with the web changes it requires that those who wish to use the tools

must first learn about them. It seems students are often using the latest and greatest tools for

interaction long before some of us know about them or can figure out a way to use them in our

teaching.

If this project was to continue and evolve, I feel that having students’ feedback is

essential. The true measure of successful engagement would their assessment of the various

elements in the project. Often, as teachers, we forget that the learner is as important as the

teacher.

24


References

Aikenhead, G. S. and Jegede, O. J. (1999). Cross-cultural science education: A cognitive

explanation of a cultural phenomenon. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 36(3),

269 – 287. Retrieved from www.usask.ca/education/people/aikenhead/cross_culture.pdf

Alfassi, Miriam (2004, March 01). Reading to Learn: Effects of Combined Strategy Instruction

on High School Students. Journal of Educational Research, (4), 171.

Alvermann, E, D. (2006, December 01). Youth in the Middle: Our Guides to Improved Literacy

Instruction?. Voices From the Middle, (2), 7.

Anderson, T. (2008). Theory and practice of online learning, second edition. Athabasca

University Athabasca, Canada. Retrieved from

http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/99Z_Anderson_2008-

Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

Anderson, T., Rourke, L., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (2001). Assessing teaching presence in

a computer conferencing context. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 5(2), 1-

17.

Ardito, C., Costabile, M. F., De Marsico, M., Lanzilotti, R., Levialdi, S., Roselli, T., & Rossano,

V. (2006). An approach to usability evaluation of e-learning applications. Universal

Access in the Information Society, 4 (3), 270-283.

Atwater, M.M. (1996). Social constructivism: infusion into the multicultural science education

research agenda. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33: 821-837.

Barab, S. A., & Duffy, T. (2000). From practice fields to communities of practice. Theoretical

foundations of learning environments, 1, 25-55.

Bates and Poole. (2003). “A Framework for Selecting and Using Technology.” In Effective

Teaching with Technology. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Pages 75-105.

Clausen-Grace, N., Kelley, M., Brigman, J., Wood, K. (2007, March 01). You Can't Hide in R5:

Restructuring Independent Reading to Be More Strategic and Engaging. Voices From the

Middle, (3), 38.

Compton-Lilly, C. (2007). What Can Video Games Teach Us about Teaching Reading? The

Reading Teacher, 60(8), 718-727. doi:10.1598/RT.60.8.2

Davydov, V. V. (1995). The influence of L. S. Vygotsky on education theory, research, and

practice. Educational Researcher, 24, 12-21.

De Freitas, S., & Oliver, M. (2006). How can exploratory learning with games and simulations

within the curriculum be most effectively evaluated? Computers & Education, 46(3),

249-264.

http://www.usask.ca/education/people/aikenhead/cross_culture.pdf

http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/99Z_Anderson_2008-Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf

25


Diamond, J, L. (2006, April 01). Triage for STRUGGLING Adolescent Readers. School

Administrator, (4), 10.

Dougiamas, M. (2006) ‘ Pedadgogy’ (blog). Retrieved from http://docs.moodle.org/en/Pedagogy

2012

Driscoll. M.P. (2005). Psychology of Learning for Instruction (pp. 227-244; Ch. 7 – Interactional

Theories of Cognitive Development). Toronto, ON: Pearson.

Education Quality and Accountability Office, (2010). Ontario and School Achievement. Toronto,

ON. Retrieved from

http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/10/EQAO_ProvincialReport_Secondary2010.pdf

Education Quality and Accountability Office, (2011). Ontario and School Achievement. Toronto,

ON. Retrieved from


Education Quality and Accountability Office. (2009). Highlights of the Provincial Results.

Toronto, ON. Retrieved from http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/09/Chpr_xe_0609_web.pdf

Feng, M., Heffernan, N. T., & Koedinger, K. R. (2009). Addressing the assessment challenge in

an Intelligent Tutoring System that tutors as it assesses. The Journal of User Modeling

and User-Adapted Interaction, Vol 19, pp. 243-266.

Frey, B., Lee, S., Tollefson, N., Pass, L., Massengill, D. (2005, May 01). Balanced Literacy in an

Urban School District. Journal of Educational Research, (5), 272.

Garrison, D. R. (2007). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching

presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11(1), 61-72.

Gee, J.P. (2003). ACM Computers in Entertainment, Vol. 1, No. 1, October 2003.

Hock, M., Deshler, D. (2003, December 01). "No Child" Leaves Behind Teen Reading

Proficiency. Education Digest, The, (4), 27.

Hölbl M., Welzer T. Students’ Feedback and Communication Habits using Moodle. //

Electronics and Electrical Engineering, 2010. – No 6(102). – P. 63–66.

Hong, K., Ridzuan, A. A., & Kuek, M. (2003). Students’ attitudes toward the use of the Internet

for learning: A study at a university in Malaysia. Educational Technology & Society, 6

(2), 45-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09695940301692

Jegede, O, J, & Aikenhead, G S. (n.d.). Transcending cultural borders: Implications for science

teaching. Retrieved from http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/~rcwww/misc/jegede.htm

http://docs.moodle.org/en/Pedagogy

http://docs.moodle.org/en/Pedagogy





http://www.eqao.com/pdf_e/09/Chpr_xe_0609_web.pdf



http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09695940301692

http://www.ouhk.edu.hk/~rcwww/misc/jegede.htm

26


Jonassen, D. (1999). Chapter 10: Designing Constructivist Learning Environments. In C.

Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional Design Theories and Models (Vol. II, pp. 215-240).

Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kalantzis, Mary , Cope Bill & Harvey Andrew (2003): Assessing Multiliteracies and

Keats, D., & Schmidt, P. (2007). The genesis and emergence of Education 3.0 in higher

education and its potential for Africa. First Monday, 12(3).

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2008).The “twoness” of learn 2.0: Challenges and prospects of a

would-be new learning paradigm. Closing keynote presented at the Learning 2.0: From

Preschool to Beyond, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.

Lee, M. K. O., Cheung, C. M. K., & Chen, Z. (2005). Acceptance of Internet-based learning

medium: The role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Information and Management, 42,

1095-1104.

LiteracyBC, (n.d.). Literacy in British Columbia. Retrieved from

http://www.literacybc.ca/Info/literacyinbc.pdf

Mackey, J. (2010). Why is Moodle a Popular Course Management System. Contact Point.

Retrieved from http://www.contactpoint.ca/index.php?

Main, L, K. (2008, May 01). Teaching Beyond the Test: The Possibility of Success. English

Journal, (5), 46.

Medvitz, A.G. (1996) Science, schools and culture: the complexity of reform in science

education. Paper presented to the 8th symposium of the International Organization for

Science and Technology Education, Edmonton, Canada, August.

Miller, P. H. (2002). Theories of Developmental Psychology, 4th Ed. (pp. 367-396; Vygotsky’s

Socio-Cultural Approach). New York: Worth.

Ministry of Advanced Education. (2007, September). Adult Opportunities Action Plan:

September 2007. Government of British Columbia. Retrieved from

http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/literacy/docs/adult_opportunities_plan07.pdf

Mitchell, T. J. F., Chen, S. Y., & Macredie, R. D. (2005). The relationship between web

enjoyment and student perceptions and learning using a web-based tutorial. Learning,

Media and Technology, 30 (1), 27-40.

Munoz, K. and Van Duzer, J. (2005) ‘Blackboard vs. Moodle-A Comparison of Satisfaction with

Online Teaching and Learning Tools’ –Humboldt University on-line report. Retrieved

from http://www.humboldt.edu/~jdv1/moodle/all.htm

http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1625/1540

http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1625/1540

http://everydayliteracies.net/Montclair_Talk

http://everydayliteracies.net/Montclair_Talk



http://www.contactpoint.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=963:why-moodle-is-a-popular-course-management-system&catid=100:fall-2010&Itemid=37

http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/literacy/docs/adult_opportunities_plan07.pdf

http://www.humboldt.edu/~jdv1/moodle/all.htm

27


Nicol, D. & MacFarlane-Dick, D. (2006) Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a

model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education,

31(2), 199 218.

Ontario Ministry of Education (2012). Think Literacy: Subject-Specific Strategies, Grades 7-12.

Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/library.html

Ontario Ministry of Education, (1996). Me Read And How. Retrieved from

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/meRead_andHow.

Owens, R., Hester, J., & Teale, W. (2002, April 01). Where do you want to go today? Inquiry-

based learning and technology integration. Reading Teacher, (7), 616.

Patterson, N. (2005). Technology and the Achievement Gap. Voices From the Middle, (1), 68.

Pintrich, P. R. (1995). Understanding self-regulated learning (San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass).

Sadler, D. R. (1998). Formative assessment: revisiting the territory, Assessment in Education,

5(1), 77–84.

Sahin, I., & Shelley, M. (2008). ‘Considering students’ perceptions: the distance education

Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1993). Computer Support for Knowledge-Building

Communities. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 3(3), 265-283. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1466822

Schwartz, G. (July 2006). Expanding Literacies through Graphic Novels. English Journal, 95(6).

Retrieved from

http://www1.ncte.org/Library/files/Free/recruitment/EJ0956Expanding.pdf

Stats Canada, Canadian and International Results of Literacy ages 16-25. (2003). Retrieved

from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca

Stripling, K, B. (2003). Fostering literacy and inquiry. School Library Journal, (9), S5.

student satisfaction model’, Educational Technology & Society, 11, 3, 216–23.

Tatum, W, A. (2004). A road map for reading specialists entering schools without exemplary

reading programs: Seven quick lessons. Reading Teacher, (1), 28.

the New Basics, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 10:1, 15-26

The New London Group. (1996). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures.

Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60-93. Retrieved from

http://hepg.metapress.com/content/17370N67V22J160U

Valenza, Kasman, J. (2006, October 01). they might be gurus. Teacher Librarian, (1), 18.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/thinkliteracy/library.html.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/meRead_andHow.pdf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/meRead_andHow.pdf

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1466822



http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-617-x/89-617-x2005001-eng.pdf

http://hepg.metapress.com/content/17370N67V22J160U

28


VanDeWeghe, Rick (2008, May 01). Writing Next and the Power to Teach. English Journal, (5),

88.

Vetter, Amy (2010, October 01). Positioning Students as Readers and Writers through Talk in a

High School English Classroom. English Education, (1), 33.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning as a social system. Systems Thinker, 9(5),

2-3. Retrieved from http://ewenger.com/pub/pub_systems_thinker_wrd.doc

Yang, G. (2008). Graphic Novels in the Classroom. Language Arts, 85(3), 185-192.

Zimmerman, B. J. & Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-regulated learning and academic achievement:

theoretical perspectives (Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates).

http://ewenger.com/pub/pub_systems_thinker_wrd.doc

29


Appendix I

Application List

Application Features Notes

Adobe Fireworks CS

3

Graphics program used for web

ready images.

Image Map Creator for

Continents Map - can be used

by students (along with

Photoshop) to create team

picture for wiki

Audacity An audio program for recording and

editing sound.

Used to create audio for

instructional videos in LE and

will be used for students for

creative production in later

continents.

Background

Generator

Helped students with the creation of

the background for their character.

bubbl Concept map / Mind Map creation

tool

Used with students for

demonstrating understanding &

organizing thoughts -

content/artifact creation

Camtasia A screen capture program for

recording PowerPoints.

Used in the process of creating

reward videos.

Character Generator Allowed for student creation of the

"game character" through an image

or avatar.

level of difficulty choices

Comic Life 2 Comic/Cartoon/Graphic novel

creation program

Used for creating the

introduction to Dominate Your

Literacy - students can also use

it for artifact creation

Glogster A unique social network based on

the creation and sharing of Glogs -

interactive posters loaded with text,

graphics, music, videos, and more.

or other comparable software

that doesn’t require a login or

storage of information on an

American server

Google Docs A collaborative documents site. Used for group writing our

paper, creating the content

areas, and providing handouts

to students.

Microsoft Office Document creation PowerPoint and Word creation,

prior to uploading to Google

Docs and for students to create

content with.

minmeister Concept map / Mind Map creation

tool





30


Moodle A LMS that has numerous functions. We used pages, files, Hot

Potatoes, wikis, and forums.

Paint A simple graphics program for

creating original graphics.

Used to create all of the

graphics except the splash page

map.

Photo Story 3 A photo presentation program for

creating short movies that uses still

images, transitions, and audio

recording / importing.

Use to create instructional

videos within the Moodle

environment. It will also be

used by students to create

products in the later continents.

Read Write Think -

Timeline

Timeline Tool Used with students for the

creation of a timeline - artifact

of their learning for the wiki

spiderscribe Concept map / Mind Map creation

tool





Story Creator 2 A comic creator program for

creating cartoons.

or other comic creator like

Bitstrips, Comic Life or Toon

Doo

Time Glider Timeline Tool Used with students for the



UBC Timeline 2.0 Timeline Tool Used with students for the



Voki An avatar object that can be

embedded on a webpage. Use a

voice or record your own voice.

(http://www.voki.com)

Used as an audio affordance in

the content areas so students

could listen to the content.

Resource List

Resource Link/Access Use & Notes

Digital Novel:

inanimate alice

http://www.inanimatealice.com/ Students will view/read the four

digital novel episodes.

Handout:

BillBear4Kids

(Storyboard Sheet)

http://www.billybear4kids.com/Lear

n2Draw/storyboard.shtml

Students will print this

storyboard sheet for planning

their digital story.

Handout:

Read.Write.Think.

(Acrostic Writing

Task)

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/r

esources/lesson_images/lesson391/A

crostic.pdf

Students will write an acrostic

poem by following the handout.

Handout:

Read.Write.Think.

(Cinquain Graphic Organizer)


esources/lesson_images/lesson43/R

WT016-2.PDF

Students will use this handout for

writing a cinquain poem.

31


Handout:

Read.Write.Think.

(Haiku Evaluation

Rubric)


esources/lesson_images/lesson1072/

haiku_evaluation.pdf

Students can use this handout as

a guide for writing their Haiku

poem.

Handout:

Read.Write.Think.

(Haiku Starter)

http://www.readwritethink.org/classr

oom-resources/printouts/haiku-

starter-30697.html

Students will use this handout for

writing a Haiku.

Handout: Reading Art

(Plot Chart)

http://readingart.info/Plot_Chart_Ha

ndout.htm

Students will use this plot chart

for writing their Flash Fiction

story.

Interactive: acrositc

poems


esources/interactives/acrostic/

Students will write their own

acrostic poems and print them.

Interactive: ETTC

Web (Instant Poetry

Forms Generator)

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/new

poem.htm

Students will use this poetry

form generator to write a Haiku

or cinquain poem.

Interactive: PBS

(Haiku Generator)

http://www.pbs.org/parents/creativit

y/ideas/haiku.html

Students will use this flash

activity to write a Haiku and

print it.

Short Story:

Possibility of Evil

http://www1.ccs.k12.in.us/teachers/d

ownloads/cms_block_file/38813/file

/28271

One of four choices for students

to read in the NA fiction reading

challenge

Short Story: Sunday

in the Park



/52247



challenge

Short Story: The

House of the

Scorpion King

school resource One of four choices to students to

read in the SA fiction reading

challenge

Short Story: The

Most Dangerous

Game



/28269



challenge

Short Story: The

Scarlet Ibis



/57004



challenge

Short Story: The

Stolen Party



challenge

Short Story: The

Third Bank of the

River



challenge

Short Story: Tuesday

Siesta



challenge

Web Resource: What

are Jot Notes?

http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/webs

tert1/files/how%20to%20write%20j

ot%20notes1.pdf

A resource to remind students of

what Jot Notes are

32


Website: Adbusters http://www.adbusters.org/content/ab

solut-ice

Students examine cultural jams

Website: Alan Harris

Poetry

http://www.alharris.com/poems/sftf.

htm#HaikuPoems

Students will read poems on this

site that has audio for many of

the poems in a poetry lesson.

Website: Books

Should Be Free

http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/ A free resource with a plethora of

audio books

Website: Children's

Literature ("The

Broken-Legg'd Man")

http://www2.nkfust.edu.tw/~emchen

/CLit/Broken-legged_Man.htm

Students can read the poem with

the accompanying audio made

with Voki.

Website: Dictionary

(Examples of Haiku

Poems)

http://examples.yourdictionary.com/

examples-of-haiku-poems.html

Students can read more

information and examples of

Haiku poetry.

Website: Education

Oasis (Character

Maps, various)

http://www.educationoasis.com/curri

culum/GO/character_story.htm

Students can print and use a

character map to describe a

character.

Website: Elements of

the Short Story

http://staff.fcps.net/tcarr/shortstory/p

lot1.htm

Explains the different elements

of a short story

Website: Famous

Examples of Haiku

Poetry

http://www.edu.pe.ca/stjean/playing

%20with%20poetry/Hennessey/exa

mplesofHaiku.htm

In a poetry lesson, students will

read famour Haiku poems on this

site which has accompanying

images.

Website: Flash

Fiction Online

http://www.flashfictiononline.com/ Students will read examples of

flash fiction on this Web 2.0

writing site. They will also be

able to access other Flash Fiction

writing sites listed here.

Website: Flash

Writing

http://www.flashwriting.com/2012/0

3/07/12-articles-on-writing-flash-

fiction-you-should-check-out/

Students will read one of the 12

articles listed here about writing

flash ficiton.

Website: Free Digital

Photos (various

images)

http://freedigitalphotos.net Images from this site were used

in the lessons. Students will also

be encouraged to use it and give

credit to the source.

Website: gage

Cengage Learning

(Poet's Corner,

Explanation "The

Raven")

http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_r

esources/poets/poems/raven_ex.htm

Student can read a line by line

explanation of "The Raven" for

literacy support.

Website: How the

Space Race Worked

http://science.howstuffworks.com/sp

ace-race.htm


to read in the NA non-fiction

reading challenge

Website: How to

Make a Timeline

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com

/articles/howtomakeatimeline1.htm



reading challenge

33


Website: Internet

Movie Database

(Vincent Price)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001

637/

Students can read more about

Vincent Price.

Website: Poetry

Foundation ("The

Cremation of Sam

McGee")

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/po

em/174348

Student can read the poem while

they listen on Youtube.

Website: RCampus

(Flash Fiction Rubric)

http://www.rcampus.com/rubricsho

wc.cfm?code=Z7398A&sp=yes&

This rubric is embedded in a

Moodle page. It will be used by

students as a guide for their

creative writing.

Website: Sound Bible http://soundbible.com/ Used to create audio / video

recordings for the site as there

are free to use and royalty free

sounds available.

Website: Space Race http://library.thinkquest.org/21149/e

xploration/spacerace.htm



reading challenge

Website: Space Race:

An Exhibition at the

National Air and

Space Museum

http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/

gal114/gal114.htm



reading challenge

Website: Teachers

First ("The Raven"

An Interactive Study

Resource)

http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons

/raven/start-fl.cfm

Students can interact with the

poem to better understand the

language and figurative

language.

Website: The

Difference Between

Fiction and Non-

Fiction

http://library.thinkquest.org/5002/Ba

sic/ficnf.htm

Explains fiction & non-fiction

Website: The Space

Race

http://www.history.com/topics/space

-race



reading challenge

Website: WebExibits

(Poetry through the

Ages)

http://www.webexhibits.org/poetry/e

xplore_famous_haiku_examples.htm

l

Students can read more

information and examples of

Haiku poetry.

Website: Welcome to

Mexico

http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/

mexico.htm

Aztec reading resource - easier

Website: What are Jot

Notes?

http://www.pembinatrails.ca/bairdm

ore/Life%20Cycles%20Webquest/jo

t_notes.htm

Jot Note Resource

Website: Wikipedia

(Robert W. Service)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_

W._Service

Students can read about the poet.

Website: Wikipedia) http://ccit300-

f06.wikispaces.com/Culture+Jammi

ng

Students reconnect with what is a

cultural jam

34


Website: Yale Aztec

Reading Resource

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculu

m/units/1999/2/99.02.01.x.html

Aztec reading resource -

challenge

YouTube Video:

Flocabulary - Five

Things (Elements of a

Short Story)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c

6I24S72Jps

Students will watch this video as

an introduction to the short story

elements as an attention getter

before going into specific detail

on plot.

YouTube Video:

Master Chief’s Guide

to Cultural Jamming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z

8eRY_uxWt0

YouTube Video: Mr.

Knowitall Plot

Diagram

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n

cUcwA6SYFQ

Students will review the plot

elements by watching this video

in a Flashy Fiction lesson.

YouTube Video: Plot

Structure

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8

93ctvhx4wA&context=C4624241A

DvjVQa1PpcFMRE3jZJUGkuNhPR

XUFpxE2MgFPFHTokjE=

Students will watch this video

that I created and uploaded to

YouTube for the flash fiction

lesson.

YouTube Video: The

Cremation of Sam

McGee


lBkuz1TlVc

Student can listen to the poem

and watch the accompanying

images / video.

YouTube Video: The

Plot Rap Verse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u

T8-mTP3TPA

YouTube Video: The

Raven - Simpsons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L

lgQQgDhH7U

Students can watch this pop

culture version of the poem.

YouTube Video: The

Raven Read by

Vincent Price


7ZvwQd-wXw&feature=fvst

Students can watch this

dramatized reading of "The

Raven."

YouTube Video:

What is Character

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v

-LqkH37mKc

Students can watch this video on

personal character to see the

connection between real

character and fictional character.

Documents

1 EXTENDING READING AND WRITING Running head: … · ETEC 510: Design of Technology-Supported Learning Environments University of British Columbia ... social interactions, iv) scaffolding,