Curating Twitter’s #EngChat Archive (6/13/11) on Unlocking Adolescent Literacy
Moderators: Kylene Beers & Bob Probst.
Archive available at: http://engchat.pbworks.com/w/page/28212658/engchat-archive
Presuming to “curate” this chat: Joseph McCaleb (@dochorsetales)
Preface
Twitter at its best refines all the stuff that’s out there; at its worst, it proliferates an already overwhelming overload of verbiage, word-garbage. In my estimation, the construct of “curation” assumes significance in relation to the need to sift the volume effectively and efficiently. The construction of meaning has long (perhaps forever) marked the edge of human consciousness and civilization. Looked at constructively, Twitter pushes this edge and offers a playground or workshop to practice curation.
As Twitter-users shape this new public forum, practice comes in several ways. First, participants choose persons and hashtags to follow in order to manage the flow. We also mark distinctions with RT (retweeting), like, and block.
“Chat” particularly pushes the need to curate due to the speed and volume of relatively disconnected messages. Unless managed, the disorganized pattern of input produces a kind of dizziness (as noted by Probst at the end of this #EngChat session). Despite its disorganized character and the resultant dizziness, many participants also note the value of the chat.
I sometimes cope with this richness of confusion by skimming during the live chat, possibly throwing in one or two tweets, but mostly waiting for the archive. In the case of Unlocking Adolescent Literacy, I found a considerable number of tweets and topics that were particularly provocative. Without planning to do so, I seemed to curate for myself and since the heritage of that construct includes sharing, I decided to put my selection, sorting, and occasional commenting in a semi-public space. I’ve moved tweets into categories that contributed to the construction of meaning that I found useful. Of course, other curators would and should do this quite differently. (**For resources on "curation" see the end of this post.)
On defining “Next” Practice as preferred to “Best” Practice
@KyleneBeers Bob & I have been talking about "accepted practices," "best practices," & next practices. What next practices are important?
@KyleneBeers @leslie_salley We don't talk enough about next practices; best practices are about what HAS worked; Next is about what will work
@KyleneBeers Next practices, by definition, will fail and as we get better at them they will eventually become a best practice
@hrmason @CBethM @KyleneBeers Have to create the env. where failure is acceptable. Goes against they're hearing abt education right now.
@BobProbst @feministteacher --"Next" practice is untested, experimental, likely to be inadequate at first but with potential to grow.
@budtheteacher @kylenebeers @bobprobst I think we miss too many of the basics - doing good work is never old fashioned or out of style
Suggestions for best next practices
@spillarke @kylenebeers One next practice in my own classroom would be digital fluency--fluency using digital tools much like reading fluency
@mrspal next practices would be digital literacy in writing, collaborating & reading
@budtheteacher @KyleneBeers Too often, folks rush the digital and forget the good.
@KyleneBeers @spillarke Yes to digital fluency. Fluency allows for a degree of automaticity & that allows more ability to cope with complexity.
@KyleneBeers @williamkist Interesting next practice--that type of writing that encourages that fluid of thinking. Like it.
@MaryAnnReilly @KyleneBeers Next practices, like that so much better than "better". Focusing on composing as a way of being in the world
@mrspal next practices would be digital literacy in writing, collaborating & reading
@LindaReed Next practices-creating and sharing new thinking with those outside of your sphere of influence.
@katyvance I think one of the best examples of "next practices" in literacy today is the idea of transliteracy http://t.co/gl2FT8C def on left
@williamkist @KyleneBeers Helping kids with learning to write in an online (screen-based) format (with hyperlinks) should be a next practice.
On Storytelling as a best next practice (extended into digital media)
@erinneo I'm changing next year to a model of storytelling to improve literacy. I think 'hearing' the story is important but getting lost
@erinneo @spillarke @maryannreilly I think an important question to ask students is if they are ready to take their own story seriously.
@BobProbst @erinneo--Most people like being read to. Storytelling and reading aloud capture many kids who think they don't like reading
@erinneo @BobProbst Hearing a story told well is a powerful experience, and I think a skill that can/should be taught.
@padgets there are some really great websites to help students bring stories to life like Story Creator 2
@gmfunk @erinneo @BobProbst I teach oral interpretation (storytelling) in speech.
@gmfunk @KyleneBeers Part of being good storyteller is thinking about the audience's understanding. Composing story to be understood
[Tweets I could have offered on this topic:
@dochorsetales Recommend Origin of Stories (B. Boyd) to connect narrative w/ social justice (evolving human capacity for cooperation) http://dochorsetales.blogspot.com/2011/01/to-compose-cooperation.html
@dochorsetales Recommend all of Vivian Paley (eg Wally’s Stories) for rich text of a masterful teacher telling (w/ exquisite narrative) power of narrative in classroom community ]
MaryAnnReilly Let's not forget that text can mean many things. I think photovoice is a fab way to build a comm set of texts
Just need a camera (phone will do). Cd post as a set on flickr.
@MaryAnnReilly @PaulWHankins sending them home w/ a camera to document an aspect of their lives & combining those images into a class text, is:)
@MaryAnnReilly @gmfunk Photovoice seeks to put cameras in the hands of ord people 2 document their lives. Shooting Back on Reservation" is an ex.
@MaryAnnReilly @judyjester Caroline Wang's work. here's a link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoice I have used it a lot as a teacher.
@RdngTeach @clix Students could choose Animoto, MovieMaker or Photostory.
@RdngTeach @MaryAnnReilly Something so powerful when kids use words, pics and music to convey meaning.
@techielit I plan on using Jaycut.com for book trailers. I like that I can host Jaycut on my class website - easy for students.
@GreggGraham Agree w/ @PaulHankins IMO, storytelling - a human universal - is the foundation upon which we build student's literacy.
On Mirrors (&Windows)
@Shamlet @erinneo @spillarke @maryannreilly It's important to make texts mirrors, so kids can see the reflection of their own story
@spillarke Exactly Right! RT @shamlet: It's important to make texts mirrors, so kids can see the reflection of their own story
@PaulWHankins @BobProbst This group is primed to the three way mirror approach to literacy: looking back, looking in, and looking forward.
@MaryAnnReilly When selecting a range of texts for a class to choose from, impt to remember mirror & windows. Representation matters.
@MaryAnnReilly Voice happens alongside choice.
@MaryAnnReilly @feministteacher essay can be the underlying script to a game. It can Pine Point. http://bit.ly/ltKeqG
@maricelignacio Completely agree! RT @writer #engchat spoken word poetry often mirrors thinking in essay so we gather and reread & dig in then write our own
My note: As with any human activity, storytelling and storytellers are not automatically good. Narrative can be used distract and manipulate. Out of semi-consciousness or more evil motives, persons tell stories that do not resonate with truth or morality. The need for clean windows and mirrors is huge. And this has always presented a major task for education. The efforts to privatize and de-professionalize teaching escalate the crisis.
What is Adolescent Lit:
@RdngTeach @PaulWHankins I agree it is connections, but I also think adol lit is where it becomes about making those bog world connections
@RdngTeach @PaulWHankins I think adol lit is also where it focuses more heavily on those "big world" connections
@KyleneBeers Novels named: Giver, Hatchet, Outsiders, Terabithia, Watsons, Bud, Not Buddy, Among Hidden, Holes, Riding Freedom, Tuck Evlastingand Maniac Magee and Esperanza Rising
@BobProbst @PaulHankins @KyleneBeers Ad Literacy is in part an ability to change your mind as a result of reading and talking.
@BobProbst @KyleneBeers Think we need focus on ad litrcy because beliefs and attitudes grow ossified in those years. Kids need to stay open.
@PaulWHankins: To awaken adolescent literacy, we must affirm how our students are already literate. Hard to find voice if convinced you're dumb.
@mardieteach @RdngTeach I've been thinking a lot about teacher's intuition: Ability to make those decisions on a moment to moment basis
@AtlTeacher @hrmason @ecarboni here's a discussion board my students created on goodreads with their independent novels http://t.co/DWOqkKT
@MaryAnnReilly @judyjester I ask Ss to document what literacy means at beginning & end of course. Changes r significant.
Other assorted interesting items
@MaryAnnReilly Negotiating curriculum. Composing ourselves. Priveliging w "talking" with variety of languages
@KyleneBeers Seems we need to use some of the writing lang w/ reading--we ask students to revise writing; can ask to revise understanding
@BobProbst @leslie_salley I read AP exams for about 7 years, mostly to find out what bright kids around country could do. An experience...
@gmfunk @KyleneBeers No place for choice or digital lit or writing on tests CCSS will narrow curriculum. My district moving that way nxt yr
@KyleneBeers @writer So agree that they need volume, but they also need to learn how to read with deeper understanding.
Conclusion, Extensions, and Next Time
@KyleneBeers The hardest questions will take serious thinkers, risk takers, dedicated tchrs.Not more mandates.Not another kit. Thinkers...
@LYRichardson @KyleneBeers Hi, book you edited, Adolescent Literacy:Turning Promise into Practice is such a gem. A Twitter topic for fall?
@Dwight_Carter: RT @PaulWHankins: Glad to see @WilliamKist here. #engchat-ers should not miss The Socially Networked Classroom. Great resource for the literacy discussed.
@mrami2: 6/20 #engchat w/ @emsingleton @magpete55 @ 7PM EST - How will you grow this summer? Summer PD ideas. Pls RT.
**Where to Go Next on Curation:
NWP’s space for curation of digital media work:
Tracing curation in cyberspace:
Definitions, reviews, application to student learning:
Further review and extensions into professional development for teachers:
Curation tools:
RobinGood curates curation from blogs, tweets, videos, etc.
Robin Good interviewed on curation (14 min).
Business application:
