SNHU Literature Review

In "Teaching Where We Are: Place Based Language Arts" Merrilyne Lundahl presents her concurrence with the place based language arts approach of educator and academic David Orr.  In her articule Lundahl demonstrates this concurrence in asserting her agreement that "all education is environmental education. By what is included or excluded, students are taught they are part of or apart from the natural world" (Orr, 12).

Lundahl goes on to explain that she opts to be "deliberate about helping students recognize their connection to the natural world in the hope that doing so will allow for a more just and sustainable world."  By using the "context students live and learn in," it is her belief that we can "create a relevant and engaging curriculum" using "local places, environmental issues ... and people's natural biophilia to improve English education, literacy, and citizenship." Like Orr, Lundahl rebuffs the claim that "environmental education" belongs to science teachers, arguing that "it's the work of us all, and it is a natural fit for the engaging English classroom."

This is revolutionary thinking for many language arts teachers today.  Aside from bringing classes outside to have discussions on Plato, Homer, Wilder, and Shakespeare, I can't say that many of my childhood language arts teachers made much of an attempt to immerse our language arts learning into the environment in which we were (and are) so deeply imbedded.

That being said, there is only so much that can be done to incorporate our environments into our writing, reading, and other literary skills.  One example Lundahl provides is that of students in rural Utah, who were "asked to create a map of their home-places," during this activity "many [students] who had previously been disengaged lit up."  Lundahl purports that through "inviting them to create maps that include places of significance, students bring in authority and can gain access to memories and stories that help them construct and articulate a sense of place."

There is no doubt that this is a wonderful way to engage students in the enterprise of learning, but how does this mapping activity relate to language as we (and our core curriculum standards) know it?  Lundahl states that such maps "are rich with prewriting activities" and points out that "published memoirs and fiction frequently include maps in the front matter."  But that's not exactly central to the actual acts of writing, reading, or analyzing such memoirs and works of fiction.  It is, however, a start.  An opening way to engage students through a personal environmentally relevant exercise, and perhaps in some cases that's all it really takes.

All in all I enjoyed this article and thought the author made some really interesting and enriching points.  I just think that many teachers attempts at executing the place based curriculum in language arts settings have been feeble at best.  Perhaps a further engagement of students within their technological environment would yield better results.  Many students are now more acquainted with their facebook groups than the geographic landmarks within their environments.

Work Cited:
Teaching Where We Are: Place-Based Language Arts
Merrilyne Lundahl, Lisa Storm Fink. English Journal. (High school edition). Urbana: Jan 2011. Vol. 100, Iss. 3; pg. 44, 5 pgs

(As found on SNHU online library resource links)

Cyber Bullying: Parental Awareness

Technology makes the world more efficient.  With every digital innovation our burden is lightened, and thus our productive potential heightened, ad infinitum.  Yet, with the instantly gratifying connection of cyber social networking comes an increase in online bullying, threats, & etc.  There are a number of reasons for it, and even more reasons for parents to take a more proactive approach against bullying by monitoring their children's online interactions.

Parents need to be aware of the possible consequences of not keeping track of their children's online interactions.  In cases of cyber bullying children have taken their own lives after feeling so completely desperate and out of control- in many cases to the complete shock and surprise of their loved ones.  Bullying has been around forever, but never at such an intrusive and ostentatious level.  The home used to be a haven for victims of bullying, not anymore.  Children endure some of the most harmful and threatening comments while they sit in their rooms in silence.  Those doing the bullying are generally worse than they would be in other environments.   There is no supervision.   No time for reflection, no time to cool down.  Parents need to understand this and act accordingly.  No child should end up like Ryan Halligan and Megan Meier.  No child should be driven to take their own life from conversations they've had online.  Parents need to be watching, they need to be aware.

As for the issue of digital immigrant parents not knowing how to engage in monitoring their children's internet lives, communities need to educate them on how to adequately and appropriately supervise their children's interactions online.  They need to be versed in ways to educate and protect their children from becoming victims of cyber crimes.  They need to be aware of the possible consequences of their inaction.  We as educators need to ensure that this information is easily accessible to these adults.  We need to be aware of the various ways that cyber bullying can impact our students classroom lives.   We need to vigilant.  We need to be informed.

How can you provide equal access to the digital world to all learners?

How can you provide equal access to the digital world to all learners?  You can't.  Plain and simple. What you as an educator can control is the provision of equal access within the classroom environment, and can attempt to ensure that those who do not have equal access to the digital world at home are not at too much of a disadvantage for it.  They are still going to be at a disadvantage- make no mistake about that- but by catering to your less digitally endowed students needs you can attempt to make this disadvantage as minimal as possible.

Within the classroom setting it's easy, it's totally in your control.  You are the task master and it is your obligation to ensure that each learner has equal access to the digital mediums that you provide.  Whether you are using computers, iPads, smart boards, or nooks, it is your duty to provide students with equal access to the technology utilized.   Outside of the classroom, not so much.  Students without a computer, Internet access, or Microsoft Word are at  a severe disadvantage for technologically derived assignments.  This doesn't just range from research projects, discussion forums, or online assignment submission, but even the simple task of writing a book report or essay.  Spell check is something our digital students take for granted, but those without these luxuries will score lower without the auto correct option on written work.  So what do we do?  Sure we can send these students to the library, or let them stay with us after school, but let's not kid ourselves, this is putting these students at a disadvantage over those who have access to these digital benefits in the comfort of their own homes at the literal click of a button.  These students are the majority in America, and there is little we can do to change the disadvantage this puts on the minority of students with little to no digital access.

Even on assignments that don't require digital access, you'd be hard pressed to find one that can't in some way benefit from technological means.  Even artwork can be augmented by the use of google images for endless examples & etc.  So what do we do?  What can we do?  Ultimately nothing.  Or at least precious little to tip the scales in reverse.  But then, that's the nature of the beast when it comes to social adversity and perhaps that's the best education one can give on the social state of the real world.  There will always be those who are at less of an advantage than others in some regard.  It's not fair, but it's reality.

Ed. Tech Talk Reflection

Ed Tech Talk:Teachers Teaching Teachers 247 

High School-College Transition and the “Framework for Success in Post-secondary Writing” 5.18.11

Okay, so while there was definitely a lot to take away from this conversation- it was nice to have a multifaceted perspective on the high school to college transition regarding the necessary framework for post secondary writing success- I found the lack of structure and organization of the talk frustrating to say the least. I suppose there is something to be said for actually participating in the conversation, but listening to it and trying to glean valuable information after the fact was just downright boring. The conversation started out strong, with contributions on the habits of the mind and the psychological underpinnings of student success by the head of the writing center at the University of Minnesota, but then the conversation meandered away from the topic at hand with mildly relevant contributions from several students followed by convoluted contributions by various educators trying to get back on track. I get the importance of high school student contributions to the conversation- how else are we to determine what strategies would work best for them?- but if they want talks like these to be of benefit to the general public and their intended audience, something needs to be done in terms of structure.

Very basically the talk went over the difficulty in transitioning from the structure and content oriented nature of high school writing classes to that of self discipline and structural aspects necessary for college writing success. College student Jake, a music major in Chicago, provided insight into the major differences he observed as a new college student. For him the primary issue was fine-tuning his time management skills. The educators in the discussion, however, cited the lack of education on essay structure as one of the greatest issues they encounter with first year college students. All in all the information allowed me to gain a better understanding of topics to address in my 9th-12th grade English classes, but the discussion could have been condensed to fifteen or twenty minutes and I think we'd all be better for it.