Victoria's Ventures in Videos and Media

What is the relationship between Turkle and Wesch? Do you see them as allies, or opponents in this discussion of new media and technology? I sit here, chuckling a little bit because as I was reading these two articles, I found myself thinking, "What do these have to do with each other at all ? Turkle is talking about constant connectivity through technology that leads to a disconnect and lack of communication in real life while Wesch is discussing how educators need to find true ways for their students become engaged in learning. How are they relatable?" But as I continued to think on the topic and the underlying themes between the two articles, I found myself seeing that these needs for connectivity and conversations arise from both authors. While Turkle continuously noted that "we are together, but each of us is in our own bubble, furiously connected to keyboards and tiny touch screens," I could not help but think of how Wesch's students must be in

Here is the presentation that Melanie, Tera, and I created following Kelly Reed's time with us. Let us know what you think!

Talking Points is a free communication tool allowing teachers to quickly message students' families throughout the day. The free application can be downloaded onto iPhone or Android phones (and managed through a computer). If someone does not have a smartphone, fear not! The teacher's communication is sent as a standard text message as well.  Its primary purpose is to give teachers a quick and direct way to connect with their students' family (assuming you have their mobile number). How is this any different than texting or emailing, you ask? This is where Talking Points stands apart from other apps I've used for family-school communication:  IT AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATES THE TEACHER'S MESSAGE INTO THE FAMILY'S HOME LANGUAGE.  The individual who receives the message can then respond in the native language , send the message, and it will appear in the teacher's language of choice. As the education field continues to change, I feel tha

"Beyond Pink and Blue: Fourth graders get fired up about Pottery Barn's gender stereotypes"  by Robin Cooley Upon initially reading the title for this article, I thought that it would momentarily touch on the way commercial stores and other forms of media relegate specific colors to specific genders. I did not expect, however, the author to take the reader along with her students and her as they began to challenge the basic gender stereotypes present in society. As I flipped towards the article, I found myself wondering, "What could Cooley have to add and supplement to this discussion?" Since high school, I have been aware of the conversations individuals everywhere are having about raising gender neutral children, starting while the children are still even in the womb by not selecting stereotypical gender colors (by which I mean pink for a girl, blue for a boy). Many people had broached this topic before, but I had not heard anything additive that woul

Growing up in the 1990s, it was inevitable that I watched the Disney movies and related Disney shows. There were even the biweekly trips to the Disney Store in the local mall, a quick fifteen minute drive from my childhood home (though, I must admit, we went mainly because my younger sister insisted on it). While I did enjoy the trips to the store and the movies, I constantly remember my aggravation that they never had "the right Belle costume" (her blue one, basket in tow  with a book in her other hand) or that they "only had Sleeping Beauty's costume--who wants to be the sleeping princess? That's boring ." As I continued to watch the Disney movies, I remember being happy when the princess wound up with the prince, but I also remember asking my mother, "What else does she get? Is that really it ? Where are her books? Her friends? Who cares about the prince--he didn't even say anything smart!" (In case you couldn't tell, Beauty and the

What do you make of the (divergent) positions of Boyd and Prensky (per our discussion in class and/or per the article above?)  Where do you stand on the “digital native” terminology? Prensky and Boyd each make valid points in their respective articles regarding the youth and their use of digital media and technology, and I believe that the two complement each other with the notion that, as Boyd said, there needs to be more time invested in developing everyone's media literacy, especially the literacy of the youth. It is not simply the disparity between the "digital immigrants" and the "digital natives" anymore.  During our class discussion about Prensky's argument, we focused mainly on the differences between the "digital immigrant" and the "digital native," and while these differences are important to note, it cannot detract from the Boyd's argument that everybody  should be analyzing and verifying the images, texts

It seems that everywhere I go or look, technology is everywhere . Now, I am not innocent by any means, as much as I like to think. I also have fallen victim to the sudden influx of technology that overwhelms our society...but does that make me a digital native or a digital immigrant? If I were to classify myself solely based on the year I was born (1992), Marc Prensky would say that I am a digital native. However, I did not grow up with technology readily available in my home (besides a TV...and years late a desktop Mac), and I did not know there was a function for the Mac until I was almost in fourth grade. As I continue to try and understand the distinctions between a digital native and a digital immigrant, I can't help but be confused. Both Marc Prensky and the Huffington Post  talk about the perception differences between digital natives and digital immigrants, and I find myself relating to characteristics in both. I cannot say that I am one exclusively. So, how can I det

Good morning to those of you who have stumbled upon this...or have to read it as part of an assignment. Welcome to my blog where I will be exploring popular culture, the media, technology, and how we can become digitally literate to adjust our thinking. Before I get into those topics, let me tell you a little bit about myself, starting with the most basic. My name is Victoria, I am the oldest of three children (even though I look the youngest--that sweet ol' baby face passed down through this thing called genetics), I have taught in the Dominican Republic and Honduras, I'm getting my masters at Rhode Island College in Dual Language Immersion and ESL (my passions in life), and I am a little too particular about where I sit when I go see musicals at PPAC with my lovely mother (orchestra seats middle right no further back than row DD...don't ask me how I know). I also just finished up teaching my first year of kindergarten DLI (Spanish) in South Kingston, which I absolu