Research Synopsis - Reading Review: Part C

I am feeling empowered by my research for the topics of “student participation in digital content,” and “online discussions/blogging.”  I’ve been able to find a lot of great information, thoroughly explore our school district’s new portal and support web pages for both students and teachers, and I’ve been able to connect with two technology experts in my district (a teacher of technology at my school and a teacher of transformative technology for my district), as well as another English teacher piloting the English New Media curriculum in a town down the road from me. It has quickened my ability to try online discussion in my English class (I started this week).

I initially started with a variety of sources ranging from web pages collated in our school district’s portal, to online blogs, to government documents, to YouTube videos, and even an MA thesis about online discussions in the classroom. A careful look at source lead to a lot of time spent following links which would then lead to further links and further links, resulting in the exploration of many more excellent sources. The challenge was in making myself cut off the research at some point long enough to respond to this week’s assignment and create my work cited page. 

The government document on digital literacy goals in BC provides rational for having students use and create digital content in the classroom. Many of the other sources I looked at pertained to digital citizenship and were useful in helping me see the skills students would need to develop in order participate in the digital world in an ethical and safe manner.  These resources have provided lesson plans, educational YouTube videos and posters for teaching both teachers and students about such topics as creating strong passwords, knowing that everything online is traceable and an extension of our physical public selves, copyright law around the use of digital images, and online etiquette (especially useful for students blogging, using online discussion, and commenting on the blogs or discussion posts of others).   There was also information about Protecting Student Privacy on Social Media:(Dos and Don'ts).

There was plenty of information available about the use of blogs in the classroom, but less information about the use of online discussion platforms used in traditional face to face classrooms.  I managed to find only one source on this topic and it was part of an MA thesis.  Much of the information about blogging in the classroom also would apply to the use of online discussion in the classroom.  One of the web blogs I read lead me to another blog which provided rubrics for evaluating student blogs and blog comments. These rubrics would work for evaluation of online discussion posts as well.

Some key takeaways from my research are the following: the need to teach digital citizenship while students engage in the creation of digital content, the need to model quality blog posts or discussion posts and comments, and the realization that it is okay to learn alongside my students as we try new ways of writing and responding to literature in the classroom.

Works Cited

Salanis, Maria. “Blogging in Education.” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube. 4 November 2014.  Web. Accessed 21 September 2019.

British Columbia.  Education and Training. “Digital Literacy.” gov.bc.ca.  Accessed 21 September 2018. Web.

Bruff, Derek. "Finding Non-Copyrighted Images for Presentations." Web blog post. Center for Teaching. Vanderbilt University, 18 January 2016. Web. Accessed 28 September 2019.

"Classroom Posters." Common Sense Education.  Commonsense.org. Web. Accessed 29 September 2018.

Common Sense Education. “Follow the Digital Trail.”  Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube. 14 July 2015.  Web. Accessed 21 September 2019.

CyberWise. “What is Digital Citizenship?” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube. 26 June 2011. Web. Accessed 20 September 2018.

Courosa and Duckworth, Sylvia. Graphic based on Mike Ribble’s Work. “Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship.” Central Minnesota Library Exchange.  4 May 2014. tinyurl.com/k9z3bvz, licensed under CC BY 2.0

“Digital Citizenship.” Central Minnesota Libraries Exchange. 2015. Web. Accessed 29 September 2019.

“Digital Citizenship: Everything Educators Need to Empower the Next Generation of Digital Citizens.” Common Sense Education. Commonsense.org. Web. Accessed 16 September 2018.

Froehler, Kim (Teacher of Transformative Learning, SD5). "Using the Portal and Creating Classroom Small Online Discussion Groups in the Classroom." Interview by Karla Germaine,  September 2018. 

“Get Wise about Online Safety.” CyberWise: No Parent Left Behind.” CyberWise.org, 2018. Web. Accessed 16 September 2018.

Hutton, Richard. “Literature Review: The Affects of Online Discussion on In-class Discussion.” MA Thesis. Center for Teaching Excellence, United States Military Academy, Westpoint, NY. 2017. Web. Accessed 22 September 2018.

Literacy Teachers. “Do Online Discussion Boards Increase the Quality of Students’ Discussions?” Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube. 20 May 2018. Web. Accessed 20 September 2018.

Lloyd, Harmony (Fernie Secondary Technology Teacher).  "Using Blogs in the Classroom." Interviewed by Karla Germaine, September 2018. 

Oliver, K.H. and Coble, R.R. “Teaching with Blogs.” Web blog post. Center for Teaching. Vanderbilt University, 2016. Web. Accessed 22 September 2019.

Sample, Marc. “Pedagogy and the Class Blog.” Web blog post. Sample reality.  Samplereality.com, 14 August 2009. Web. Accessed 28 September 2018.

School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay).  “Digital Citizenship (Classroom Resources).” Sd5.bc.ca.  Web. Accessed 10 September 2018.

School District No. 5 (Southeast Kootenay).  “Digital Citizenship Learning for Teachers.” Sd5.bc.ca.  Web. Accessed 10 September 2018.

Watanabe-Crockett, Lee. “Why You Should Start Classroom Blogging (And How to Do It).” Web blog post. NEWS. Global Digital Citizen Foundation, 15 September 2017. Web. Accessed 22 September 2017.