virtual class day(:

I general my definition of literacy is much much broader than it was at the start of this class. When people talked about literacy before I mostly though about reading and writing. Looking at pictures, thinking about how to interact socially, being able to do searches on the internet, and many of the other things we talked about in class never occurred to me as being a part of literacy before. Now I can see how all these things have become important parts of being a literate member of society in our ever changing world. Since I wrote my March 31st blog my understanding of visual literacy or virtual environments hasn't changed much. I appreciate more how much they require of your computer but I never got to do much in any of the virtual worlds do to time and an old computer. Many of the sites also required that you prove you are a teacher in order to access their technology so that was an obstacle too. I did learn a lot about copy righting policies in the process of creating my wiki though. There are a lot of people who don't want to share their work and ideas and it is very frustrating.
As I said before me definition of literacy has changed greatly over this semester. Because of this adjustment I now also view literacy instruction very differently. In the past I though of using things like visuals and technology to be something fun that could be used to liven up a lesson but I never thought about them being important enough on their own to teach about. I just sort of assume my students know how to do things like internet searches and interact constructively with their peers. But now I see that they need to be taught how to do these things and how important these are to becoming a literate and successful member of society.
I think the fifth grade class I am in right now would really enjoy using virtual environments. Many of them are into video and computer games so I think they would really buy into new way of teaching. They would all need to work on some of their reading and writing skills first though. In some of these virtual environments there are little text boxes all over and they need to know where to look and what the different tabs and options mean. It is kind of like reading a comic book at times. You have to know where to start and in what order to read and respond to the text. Most of the kids are actually okay at typing so that wouldn't be too much of a problem. I think it would just require a lot of practice sessions using the new technology for them to be able to really get a handle on how it is used. I don't mean they would be left to just mess around on the site the whole time but that they should be given some instruction and direction then given time to try out what was talked about. They could also practice using a headset and speaking clearly and slowly so that others could understand them.
If I were to use one of these sites with my class I would start by verbally explaining the technology in words. I would make the comparison to video or computers games such as WOW. Then I would let them watch a video or clip on the technology possibly with a short segment showing the technology in action. Then I would have them complete a sort of scavenge hunt with a partner in the virtual environment. In completing the hunt they would have to explore the different options and capabilities of the program. During this time I would walk around answering questions. When most groups were done we would come together and discuss what they found, how they found it, and what they learned or had questions about along the way. If necessary I would go on and show them a few things on the computer myself. My rational is that when learning any new technology one needs to have time to explore its capabilities. The scavenger hunt gives the kids time to explore while still having some direction and making sure they see the really important areas or options in the program. Doesn't matter if there are a few things they make mistakes with because often that is the best way to learn. I am also pairing them up so they have some added support. My objective are: for each student to practice exploring new technologies in an orderly way, for each student to practice working in groups of various sizes, for each student to have the opportunity to begin to build a more personal connection the material we are studying. This would be the starting lesson and it would probably take weeks for us to become comfortable and with the material and get through a few simulations. I think I would have the kids keep a log book of their progress with the technology. Each day they could write down what they did and reflect on their learning. I might pose a questions each day for them to answer too. Along with the writing I could also see taking notes as I went around the room on how they are doing.