Digital Storytelling

Information Overload

As I finished up the final projects for two masters' classes, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by downloading, reading, uploading, creating, googling, citing, accessing, chatting, responding, posting, and AAAHHHH! I decided to get some information about information overload and discovered a site called the "Information Overload Research Group." Their subtitle is reducing information pollution.

Reducing my information pollution was precisely what I needed. It couldn't hurt. IORG, here I come--CLICK! . . . . . . I found info on members, blogs, their mission, officers, resources, previous news items, the 2009 annual meeting, the fall conference in Palo Alto, CA (for more details click here), and more about IORG!

Feeling a bit fragile, I decided to keep it simple, start slow. Ah Ha! The Tip of the Month. Forgive me, but it's just too good not to share with you in full:

When sending someone a meeting request, phrase the subject and location so they make sense to all parties to the meeting. For instance, if Jill sends Jack a calendar item that says "Meeting with Jack - my office" it will be quite meaningless when viewed by Jack on his calendar. Always include both names and an absolute address - as in "Jack/Jill on budget proposal - Jill's office".

Excellent. This is clear, concise messaging. If you ever have to send me a 'meeting request,' you probably should know that my 'absolute address' is THE LIBRARY. By the way, did you know that Jack had a calendar? That piece of information had previously eluded me.

We all know that one website leads to another, and before I knew it, I arrived at Information Overload Killer, a site selling the solution to all my problems. With this product, I can do more than reduce information overload, I can kill it!

But first I decided to take their test to see if my money would be well-spent. Question One: Are you exasperated and at your wits end? Question Two: Are you frustrated? Question Three: Are you overwhelmed? Question Four: Are you ready to put your fist through the computer screen? yes, yes, yes, Yes!

Let me get my debit card. Scrolling down to the end of the screen, I was asked what I would expect to pay for my resurrected sanity -- $250? $175? $97? $52? Information this good is hard to come by--I'd spring for any or all of the above. The actual price? Just $10. WHAT? TEN BUCKS? You can't get valuable, extensive information for a pittance. Back to the virtual drawing board. CLICK! . . . . Thank goodness our students never experience this phenomenon!

Tolerance!

Immediately following the shootings at Columbine, a sophomore member of the soccer team said this about the shooters: “They’re freaks. Nobody really liked them, just ‘cause they ---. The majority of them were gay. So everyone would make fun of them” (Columbine by Dave Cullen). Ironically, the killers, who were not gay, had “gays” and “fags” on their list of people who needed to be killed. In our ubiquitous media culture, gay children and teens are routinely exposed to these sanctioned assaults. Although educators do not have any direct effect on the onslaught of media messages, schools can and should provide both homosexual and heterosexual students the knowledge and skills needed to nurture the acceptance of one of the most oppressed minorities in our culture.
Unfortunately, many school environments provide little in the way of education and enlightenment on an issue affecting 5% —many sources say up to 10%--of our student body. Though acceptance of gay and lesbian students has improved, these students continue to be subjected to harassment that is both verbal and physical. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that “9 out of 10 secondary school principals report that their students have been harassed.
If 90% of gay and lesbian students have reported being harassed in school, it is important to look at the outcomes of this abuse. Statistical evidence provides overwhelming insight into the suffering of gay and lesbian students. Consider the following statistics from Youth Pride, Inc. (2009):
· 36.5 % of GLB youth grades 9-12 have attempted suicide --20.5% of those attempts resulting in medical care.
· 84% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed (name calling, threats, etc.) because of their sexual orientation.
· 91.5% of LGBT students report hearing homophobic remarks, such as “faggot,” “dyke” or the expression “that’s so gay” frequently or often.
· 82.9% of LGBT students report that faculty or staff never intervened or intervened only some of the time when homophobic remarks were made.
These are only a few of the disturbing statistics related to gay teens.
They seem overwhelming; however, many schools are beginning to address the issue. One of the most encouraging changes is the growing number of Gay Straight Alliances in high schools and middle schools.
Of course, before we can implement these changes, we as educators must examine our own biases and prejudices. If we are truly committed to all of our students, we will strive to overcome any behavior that marginalizes any of our students. As we sensitize ourselves and educate ourselves, our ability to open up and embrace our students of diversity will increase. We can learn to stand beside all of our students, even those that are gay or lesbian and authentically advocate for their success in school as well as in life.

"Only the Educated Are Free" --Epictetus

Literacy Statistics

from begin to read.com

"Eighty-five percent of all juveniles who interface with the juvenile court system are functionally illiterate. More than 60 percent of all prison inmates are functionally illiterate.Penal institution records show that inmates have a 16% chance of returning to prison if they receive literacy help, as opposed to 70% who receive no help.Illiteracy and crime are closely related. The Department of Justice states, 'The link between academic failure and delinquency, violence, and crime is welded to reading failure.' Over 70% of inmates in America's prisons cannot read above a fourth grade level."

Statistics like these took on new meaning for me after a trip to the James River Correctional Center, a medium-security prison in Jamestown, North Dakota that houses 400+ male prisoners. As part of the Summer Institute for my masters program in library science, eight students went to the prison to help inventory books. Upon entering, we were immediately struck by the overwhelming atmosphere. We surrendered our driver's licenses for identification and passed through a metal detector. Glen, a guard who also works in the library, escorted us through several automatic doors that unlocked and then locked behind us. Finally, we reached the library. Glen took us in and locked the door behind us. We were greeted by Konnie, our instructor, who works part-time in the prison libraries around the state.

The library was modest to say the least. There are no computers and there is no internet access in the prison. Many of the books were old and ragged, and Glen told us that they are always in need of more books and are happy to take donations. He said that especially during the winter months, the library is very busy.

After we left the prison, I was struck by the irony of the situation. Is there a need for prison libraries? Can we help by donating books and materials? The answer, of course, is yes. And yet, as we look at the literacy statistics of those who are incarcerated--60% are functionally illiterate, I couldn't help but wonder how many prisoners never use the library because of their inability to read.

Back on the bus, various conversations broke out about the prison experience. The general consensus? We were overwhelmed by the feeling that even as temporary volunteers we had to give up every basic freedom that we take for granted. But more importantly, we concluded that our mandate as educators is clear. We must work relentlessly, and intervene whenever necessary, to empower our students by giving them the precious gift of literacy.

If you would like to donate any books, used or new, just e-mail me, and I'll give the information you'll need to send the books to the prison.

The Literate American

Answer the following questions:

(Correct responses at end of blog)

1. Salem, Massachusetts is best-known for:
A. Paul Revere's Ride

B. Witchcraft Trials

C. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

2. Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian are examples of:

A. leaves

B. monarchs

C. columns

3. The movement of molecules of liquid through a membrane is called:

A. photosynthesis

B. osmosis

C. conduction

4. Which of these writers was a member of the Beat Movement:

A. Jack Kerouac

B. Walt Whitman

C. Kurt Vonnegut

5. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" means:

A. It is easier to say exactly what you mean than try to hide the truth.

B. It is better to be content with what you have than to risk losing it to get more.
C. A domesticated bird is more valuable than birds in the wild.

If you answered all of these questions correctly, you could be a culturally literate American.

So, what does it mean to be culturally literate? In 1987, E. D. Hirsch, a professor from the University of Virginia published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know. It includes a lengthy list of names, events, places, dates, and concepts that Hirsch contends all Americans should recognize to be considered culturally literate. Since his first book, Hirsch and the Core Knowledge Foundation have published a variety of materials in support of teaching a sequence of core knowledge. (See an example of the grade 6-8 sequence here). The site offers lesson plans and information about becoming a Core Knowledge School.

From the beginning Hirsch has had his supporters and detractors. Those in support of Hirsch agree that in order to function in our modern society, each American should have a core of knowledge that defines what it means to be an American. If we are culturally literate, we understand the allusions and references that are part of our history and culture. For example, if you are in retail sales and your boss describes one of the salespersons as having the "Midas Touch," she assumes that she does not have to explain to you that she thinks this employee can turn anything into money. When applying cultural literacy to the classroom, Hirsch advocates teaching a core knowledge that emphasizes specific information for students to learn. It is a "lasting body of knowledge, which includes such topics as the basic principles of constitutional government, mathematics and language skills, important events in world history, and acknowledged masterpieces of art, music and literature."

Those who criticize Hirsch say that his concepts are too Euro-centric and too male. They contend that the publications do not address issues of multi-culturalism or the accomplishments of women. Others fear that putting too much emphasis on the lists and facts discourages higher order thinking skills.

I think that cultural literacy has its place in education. I agree with Hirsch's concept that the more you know, the more you can know. In other words, a good foundation is necessary for an edifice to stand. Democracy is the edifice of American life. As members of our democracy, we need a core of knowledge that helps define what it means to be an American. As a nation, we need a collective understanding of our past, how we function, and how we will continue to be in control of our future. I don't believe that we can teach our students the importance of self-determination if we do not first help them become literate Americans.

Check out this site for more cultural literacy tests:

http://www.readfaster.com/culturalliteracy/

1. B; 2. C; 3. B; 4. A; 5. B

Essential Questions

“Asking questions is a very good way to find out about something.”
--Kermit, the Frog

John Dewey, the premier educational reformer and pragmatist of the first half of the 20th century, would be smiling to see the paradigm shift taking place in education today. He believed that knowledge and learning should be authentic and integrated into the lives of students, and as a result, society would benefit. He emphasized experience in the learning process and believed that problem solving and critical thinking skills are essential to a true depth of understanding. Using essential questions for learning definitely fits into Dewey’s educational philosophy.

Theodore Sizer, Dean of Brown University School of Education, conceived of the use of essential questions as a way to improve the knowledge and skills of high school students in his book Horace’s Compromise published in 1984. Using essential questions in teaching and learning has become one of the cornerstones of educational reform.

What do we mean by using essential questions? Jamie McKenzie, a proponent of educational reform and technology integration and the creator of the research model, the Research Cycle, says that “the question is the answer.” As editor of the online educational technology journal, From Now On, McKenzie says this:

"Essential questions reside at the top of Bloom's Taxonomy. They require
students to EVALUATE (make a thoughtful choice between options, with the choice based upon clearly stated criteria), to SYNTHESIZE (invent a new or different
version) or to ANALYZE (develop a thorough and complex understanding through
skillful questioning).Essential questions spark our curiosity and sense of
wonder. They derive from some deep wish to understand something which matters to us.”

Any high school English teacher trying to teach the research process knows the frustration that the new technology brings. We live in a cut-and-paste world where students learn how to paraphrase very well. Real research requires the higher order thinking skills that essential questions demand.

Working essential questions into lesson plans is an excellent way to begin changing our teaching strategies. Instead of the lecture/note-taking model, essential questions shift the emphasis to a student-centered learning environment. With essential questions, we are no longer looking for one right answer but are providing an atmosphere for our students to create new knowledge. As a strategy for teaching and learning, there is no limit as to the content area or level. For example, we can use essential questions to teach and learn about the Puritans. In addition to the factual information we learn about Puritans, we can make our understanding more relevant and authentic if we ask essential questions:

How do you think the Puritans would incorporate technology into their lives?
What would the Puritans think of the powerful evangelical right’s
involvement in politics today?
From what you know, what would be the best
and the worst things about being a Puritan?

These are examples of jumping off points that will lead to more questions and take our learning from a linear to a cyclical experience. Essential questions like these allow us to make connections to our own lives. If we pursue a study of this kind, we come to perceive Puritans as real human beings. Our understanding is deepened and spurs more curiosity.

Clifford and Friesen of the Galileo Educational Network point out that an essential question is “always poised at the boundary of the known and the unknown. It engages the imagination in significant ways. Attempts to answer an essential question open up mysteries that successively reveal themselves the more we come to ‘know’.”

Teaching and learning strategies that prompt us to become life-long learners who reach for insight and profound meaning, are worth the effort. As promoters of information literacy, librarians and teachers can help students use essential questions as higher order thinking skills that will result in meaningful, authentic learning.