Monday, November 12, 2012

Media Literacy & Lesson Plans! November, 2012

Library of Congress and Media Literacy Workshop, November 8, 2012

Media Literacy :

The ability to access, analyze, evaluate and produce communication in a variety of forms.  The decoding and analyzing of documents, including all types of media and primary resource documents.


The integration of critical thinking, literacy skills, and the decoding of media are intertwined and give educators and students alike the ability to form habits of inquiry.  When we present multiple media with various points of view, and question students about perspective, context, evidence, and purpose, we are providing them with a way to better synthesize information for greater comprehension and recall.  We are also asking them to support assumptions and bias with evidence, both from visual and text based media.


Project LookSharp (Ithaca College) provides teachers with unit and lesson materials that involve the decoding of various media as integrated into core curriculum subjects.  Please visit the Project LookSharp website for downloadable curriculum kits and other materials.  In addition, the Library of Congress Teacher Resources "offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching."

  

Saturday, November 10, 2012

What to buy? Holiday gift reviews

It seems every year I must buy a new electronic gadget for my daughter at holiday time.  Last year it was the gift that keeps on giving - the iphone4.  Giving and giving and giving - oh, those data plans!  This year, though, my big plan is to go all IRL on my kid.  Nothing to plug in.  Nothing to download.  Just good old fashioned stuff.

What a maze we have on our hands, though, if we are thinking of buying a new electronic device.  From trying to figure out which device suits our needs - ereader or tablet - to knowing how many gigs of memory we need to do what - we certainly don't want to swerve too much on our learning curve.

Below are some useful links with reviews and discussions of current device and gadgets.  It is my hope this will help you navigate and make the purchase that suits your needs.

One final note - if you are purchasing technology that goes online for your child, you may wish to consider downloading monitoring or content filtering software (check here for reviews).  Be sure to read the terms of use for apps and look for "opt out" boxes which will allow you to protect your child's personal information.

Reviews & Info

Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy?
Nexus 7 Edges Out iPad on Holiday Wishlists
Cnet Holiday Gift Ideas and Gift Guide 2012 - Cnet
8 Apps You Don't Want to Miss

What's new in smart phones, tablets, e-book readers, and more, Consumer Reports magazine: August 2012 
Engadget - AOL's reviews