Unit 6 - Podcasts

        This unit was about podcasting, something that is growing exponentially in popularity.  For those who may not know, a podcast is a sort of combination between a radio show and a tv show.  At first listen, you might even think a podcast is a radio show.  However, podcasts are not live.  They are pre-recorded, edited and released on certain days.  Podcasts have episodes that can be downloaded or streamed on a phone, laptop, or any mobile device.  Some episodes are relaeased daily, while others are released weekly or monthly; it all depends on the particular podcast you're listening to.  Although podcasts, as mentioned, have episodes, like tv shows, they do not have film.  That is, it is simply an audio recording.

        Podcasts are not something I staunchly listen to.  I do not rigourlously follow any podcasts or podcasters.  I have heard a few episodes here and there of a few different podcasts, but nothing really struck me as overly entertaining about them.  Perhaps the biggest attraction podcasts have is their flexibility and mobility.  They can be listened to anywhere, while doing anything.  However, anytime I could be listening to a podcast, I would rather be listening to music.  I enjoy music so much that I simply do not want to listen to podcasts because I would rather listen to music.

        That being said, I do think podcasts are entertaining and even educational, just not as entertaining music.  I think podcasts are worth listening to if you have the time and willingness to listen to what is being said.  When I initially thought about podcasts being used in the classroom, I was a bit surprised.  But after doing some research and reading the articles for this unit, I think they should be used more, especially in ELA and socia studies classes.  "Podcasts provide a unique opportunity for students to embrace experimentation and to take risks with their own voices, explore the school building and community, and become well-known by their teachers and peers" (Faughey 68).  Podcasts help students, in groups and alone, to express their opinions confidently.  There are no cameras, no one is watching, it is very informal.  Having a podcast is like having a conversation.

        Because podcasts are still new to the scene, I thought it might be helpful to include an article, albeit from 2014, about podcasts.

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dents to embrace experimentation and to take risks

with their own voices, explore the school building

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dents to embrace experimentation and to take risks

with thknown by their

teachers and peer

Unit 5 - Arguments

         Unit 5 was a shorter unit that focused on arguing, persuading, and the differences between the two.  That is what I will briefly touch on in this blog, the differences between arguing and persuading.

        On the surface, arguing and persuading seem to be identical, almost inseperable.  But if we break each down to its core structure, they are very different.  For starters, effective arguments are supported by facts, evidence and logical reasoning.  Persuasions, however, are more emotionally driven.  They focus more on personal beliefs and feelings.  They are rarely supported by facts or evidence.  Arguments and persuasions share a commonality, which is, whether arguing or persuading, both sides are trying to convince the other that their opinion is right.  "An argument is when two or more people have different opinions and want to prove that their opinion is right" (Looking for Evidence (Argumentative) 89).  While persuasions are also formed from opinions, they lack effective facts and evidence to support the opinion.  What seperates arguments from persuasions is the manner in which the convincing of the other side is done.

        In addition to the quote provided abve, a list was comprised of elements of arguments and elements of persuasions in the same reading.  Arguments have reasoning and support, facts that support both sides of the argument, as well as acknowledgements of the other side of the argument.  Persuasions are opinions that lack data, they do not acknowledge the other side of the argument and they are emotionally driven (Looking for Evidence 88).

        I have included a clip from a college professors lecture concerning the basic, but most important difference between arguing and persuading.  It is just over a minute long, but I think it is very effective.

Unit 4 - Social Media

        Unit four was packed with a lot of informative and unique ideas that incorporate social media, video games and a plethora of technology based resources into the classroom.  We read articles discussing how Twitter, virtual reality (VR), memes, video games and Snapchat can and be incorporated into lessons.  While teachers managed to implement each of these successfully into their classroom, in this blog, I will focus on virtual reality and memes.

        Virtual reality is a relatively new concept to the world, so you can imagine just how new it must be to classrooms.  Virtual reality was initially, and still primarily is, used for entertainment and gaming.  However, some teachers are beginning to transform that narrative, "VR is not a space-age novelty for intense video-gamers.  It is a legitimate digital tool that can enhance the English language arts (ELA) curriculum and enrich -- but not replace -- traditional pedagogy" (Moran and Woodall 90).  VR enables students to have a clearer perspective through which they can better appreciate past events and how they impacted society.  "It [VR] enhanced the literacy experiences of the students by helping them to think critically about the impact of setting on the novel's events" (Moran and Woodall 93).  An often over-looked aspect of texts (novels, short-stories, poems etc.) is the setting in which they take place.  However, the setting frequently, if not always, influences the author and the characters the author creates.  VR permits students to gain a better understanding of the setting of novels, short-stories and poems which, in turn, helps them understand the text more clearly.

        Similar to VR, memes were first used, and are still greatly used, for entertainment and jocularity.  They have been around longer than VR has and they are constantly changing.  Some memes are popular for just a few days, while others are considered timeless.  While memes appear very simple, there is actually a much more complex story or reason behind them.  They are great conversation starters and can lead to in-depth discussions that require critical thinking.  "Despite how simple or brief a political meme's argument may appear at first glance, these deceptively small texts often pack an entangled yet fluid mess of discourses for students to critically investigate" (Elmore and Coleman 39).  Political memes are, in my opinion, the best memes for educational uses.  They spark conversations and force students to think about the issue the meme is addressing.  Additionally, memes force students to determine what side of the issue (if any) the meme is taking.  Memes are simple enough to introduce content media literacy (CML) for the first time to middle-school aged students; but complex enough to require critical thinking and careful dissection of the meme.

        Considering I discussed VR and memes in this blog, I thought it was fitting to include a VR meme.