Comments for Rebecca's Blog http://rcc8550.edublogs.org Just another Edublogs.org weblog Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:38:52 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 Comment on Hypermedia Authoring as Critical Literacy by readingonline http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/hypermedia-authoring-as-critical-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-6 readingonline Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:38:52 +0000 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/hypermedia-authoring-as-critical-literacy/#comment-6 I pretty much discussed the same issues in my post, but I may have missed the issue of heightened engagement in students as a result of critical involvement, which is of worth following up on as response to your post. If I am not wrong, the authors noted that the students were more active when a critical element was employed in authoring hypermedia productions than not (e.g., putting together a website on a topic of common choice). Approaching an issue with a critical eye seems to foster greater involvement among the students as they relate to it in the process of gaining ownership and rewriting it. They are not regurgitating facts any more, but are reflecting and action upon them: the two most important components of Freire's praxis. In this respect, a critical approach affords more effective learning outcomes in students as they are engaged in Bloom's higher-order skills of analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. This will not only reflect in their learning outcomes but also in a future where they will be better prepared to navigate through the ever-growing amount of information. I pretty much discussed the same issues in my post, but I may have missed the issue of heightened engagement in students as a result of critical involvement, which is of worth following up on as response to your post.
If I am not wrong, the authors noted that the students were more active when a critical element was employed in authoring hypermedia productions than not (e.g., putting together a website on a topic of common choice). Approaching an issue with a critical eye seems to foster greater involvement among the students as they relate to it in the process of gaining ownership and rewriting it. They are not regurgitating facts any more, but are reflecting and action upon them: the two most important components of Freire’s praxis. In this respect, a critical approach affords more effective learning outcomes in students as they are engaged in Bloom’s higher-order skills of analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating. This will not only reflect in their learning outcomes but also in a future where they will be better prepared to navigate through the ever-growing amount of information.

]]> Comment on Hypermedia Authoring as Critical Literacy by literacyinece http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/hypermedia-authoring-as-critical-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-5 literacyinece Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:05:26 +0000 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/hypermedia-authoring-as-critical-literacy/#comment-5 Rebecca, Your conclusion about involving discovery learning, scaffolding instruction, and its implementation into a hypermedia project as a way to teach or facilitate critical literacy hit the nail on the head. I wish Myers and Beach has elaborated more on the importance of the role of scaffolded instruction and discovery. While they do discuss discovery on different levels, I believe the omission of the importance of personal reflection in the act of hypermedia authoring is worrisome. Because, as you so eloquently stated, critical literacy is about asking the deep, meaningful questions, being able to answer questions which bring about critical thinking requires students to reflect inwardly on themselves, their beliefs, values and socially situated worlds. As students continue to answer questions about hypermedia that allow students to address what is being said, what's not, and how the "text" is presented, they will become more critical, more reflective, and the cyclical nature will perpetuate itself. Do you think reflection has a role in hypermedia authoring? I've delineated this conversation further on my blog; but on the surface, what do you think? Rebecca,
Your conclusion about involving discovery learning, scaffolding instruction, and its implementation into a hypermedia project as a way to teach or facilitate critical literacy hit the nail on the head. I wish Myers and Beach has elaborated more on the importance of the role of scaffolded instruction and discovery. While they do discuss discovery on different levels, I believe the omission of the importance of personal reflection in the act of hypermedia authoring is worrisome.
Because, as you so eloquently stated, critical literacy is about asking the deep, meaningful questions, being able to answer questions which bring about critical thinking requires students to reflect inwardly on themselves, their beliefs, values and socially situated worlds. As students continue to answer questions about hypermedia that allow students to address what is being said, what’s not, and how the “text” is presented, they will become more critical, more reflective, and the cyclical nature will perpetuate itself.
Do you think reflection has a role in hypermedia authoring? I’ve delineated this conversation further on my blog; but on the surface, what do you think?

]]> Comment on More on PowerPoint by Omer http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/more-on-powerpoint/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Omer Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:40:49 +0000 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/04/06/more-on-powerpoint/#comment-4 Hi Rebecca, I have just read the commentary on Gore's documentary. Once again, I was reminded of the rigidity of powerpoint and the flexibility we should be looking for to make the most and best use of it for better presentations. I have not used Keynote, nor seen it, but am curious about how its interface looks. Thanks for the link. I think I can use some of the suggestions from this commentary in my presentation in a few weeks. Hi Rebecca,

I have just read the commentary on Gore’s documentary. Once again, I was reminded of the rigidity of powerpoint and the flexibility we should be looking for to make the most and best use of it for better presentations. I have not used Keynote, nor seen it, but am curious about how its interface looks.

Thanks for the link. I think I can use some of the suggestions from this commentary in my presentation in a few weeks.

]]> Comment on The Rhetoric of PowerPoint by rcc8550 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/02/10/the-rhetoric-of-powerpoint/comment-page-1/#comment-3 rcc8550 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:52:27 +0000 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/02/10/the-rhetoric-of-powerpoint/#comment-3 I just read Dr. Kjeldsen's message on Lori's blog. He referred to an article that analyzes Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, as an exemplary presentation. It's VERY interesting. Here is the address: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2006/sb20061220_144107.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories I just read Dr. Kjeldsen’s message on Lori’s blog. He referred to an article that analyzes Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, as an exemplary presentation. It’s VERY interesting. Here is the address:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/dec2006/sb20061220_144107.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories

]]> Comment on The Rhetoric of PowerPoint by Eud http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/02/10/the-rhetoric-of-powerpoint/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Eud Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:34:09 +0000 http://rcc8550.edublogs.org/2007/02/10/the-rhetoric-of-powerpoint/#comment-2 Rebecca, your reaction to Kjeldsen's article reminds me of all the flaws usually noticed in some powerpoint presentations. I remember one when the presenter just read for the slides. It was not too much exciting.After the presentation,I asked myself: Won't be useful and productive not to use the powerpoint at all?In my opinion, powerpoint presentation is not always useful. lt is when it displays the major points to discuss and the questions the presenter wants to discuss with her/his audience along with some illustrations and figures. As for your question whether Microsoft’s presentation software changes our thinking as argued by Kjeldsen, I think that we need to understand what Kjeldsen means by "thinking change". Does he want to mean "how we really think"? Or does he want to mean "how the use of powerpoint presentation structures our thinking when we try to present"? Rebecca,
your reaction to Kjeldsen’s article reminds me of all the flaws usually noticed in some powerpoint presentations. I remember one when the presenter just read for the slides. It was not too much exciting.After the presentation,I asked myself: Won’t be useful and productive not to use the powerpoint at all?In my opinion, powerpoint presentation is not always useful. lt is when it displays the major points to discuss and the questions the presenter wants to discuss with her/his audience along with some illustrations and figures.
As for your question whether Microsoft’s presentation software changes our thinking as argued by Kjeldsen, I think that we need to understand what Kjeldsen means by “thinking change”. Does he want to mean “how we really think”? Or does he want to mean “how the use of powerpoint presentation structures our thinking when we try to present”?

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