A10.4: Week 10 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: 
My personal goal this week with regard to CD 315 was to locate and read research articles concerning bilingualism and its relation to learning to read in the second language.  I set out to read a few articles each day.  While reading the articles I wanted to highlight important points and make some notes about connections I was making with other sources.  I also wanted to see where my findings were leading me and find more sources if necessary.  I set out to do this because I wanted to get started on my project.  The draft of my paper is due in a couple of weeks, and I want to have enough background information in order to complete my project.

Declarative Knowledge: 

This week I learned alot about bilingual children in the United States.  About 5.5 million students in this country are considered English Language Learners (ELLs).  The research process is returning many teaching strategies that have been implemented to aid these students.  As I had previously assumed, much more research is needed in this area.  This population is often overlooked due a lack of funds or lack of teacher and adminstrative education in the area of bilingualism and second language learning.  I have learned that speech-language pathologists can have a great influence on the reading skills of these children.  From first-language maintenance, to family and teacher education, and to direct teaching strategies, the speech-language pathologist can truly facilitate reading skills in the second language of these children. 

Procedural Knowledge:  

As far as procedural knowledge goes, I did not really learn how to do anything this week.  I have been practicing (and hopefully improving!) my researching skills. 

Conditional Knowledge:

The knowledge I am gaining during the completion of this CD 315 project could possibly aid me in my future career as a speech-language pathologist.  If I ever have the opportunity to work with bilingual children, I can call upon the knowledge that I learned my senior year of undergrad! 

As a student and pre-professional, the information is obviously important in that it is preparing me to work with this population.  However, I am able to make a connection between the research process and my particular mindset.  Honestly, prior to beginning research on this topic, I thought, “I will just read enough articles to complete the minimum requirement for the project.  I don’t really care if or what I learn from it.”  After reading some articles I have found this topic to be extremely interesting!  I am actually enjoying the research process, and I can say that this is a first for Yours Truly!  I can imagine myself possibly working with this population someday, and that excites me!  So, my “connection of material to me as a student” this week is this:  the research process can actually change one’s mindset, and you can learn interesting information!  As a citizen, I think it is important to stay educated and up-to-date on things happening in your world.  I believe that if everyone was educated about bilingualism in this country, this population would receive the attention that they need in order to thrive. 

A10.3: Revised Prospectus

1.  Research Question/Foundation Questions: 

Essential Research Question: 

How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the development of literacy skills necessary for reading in the second language of bilingual first grade children?

Foundation Questions:

1.  What is bilingualism?
2.  What literacy skills are necessary for reading?
3.  How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the developmet of such literacy skills?

2.  Tentative Point:  What point do you plan to make (recognizing that as you complete your research this may change significantly)?

In conducting research to answer my essential question I hope to make the point that speech-language pathologists play a vital in facilitating reading skills (for the second language) of bilingual preschool children.  The United States is a “melting pot,” a conglomeration of various cultures and lingustic backgrounds.  The bilingual population is in great need of assistance, and I think that speech-language pathologists can help.  Issues of literacy are just one facet of the speech-language pathologist’s expanding scope of practice and is a matter of concern to the bilingual population of this country. 

3.  Discussion:  Describe how you came to ask the questions you did.  What did you already know about this topic?  What are you learning about this topic?  What challenges do you foresee in answering your question?  Shoot for 400-500 words in this discussion (more if you can do it)

The genesis of my essential research question was a process of trial and error.  The one stipulation provided was that my research question have something to do with literacy.  When I think of the word “literacy” I think of children because childhood is the best time in which to establish literacy skills.  As this is a Communcation Disorders course I wanted to focus on speech-language pathology.  The first few CD 315 assignments this semester dealt with information literacy, so I thought that I should somehow include that aspect as well.  My Diagnostics 424 class had recently studied culturally and lingustically diverse children, and I thought it would be interesting (and beneficial) to further my knowledge in this particular area.  In an attempt to be very specific, my question began as “How can speech-language pathologists use technology to improve English literacy skills in culturally and linguistically different children?”  Needless to say, that was too specific, as my searches returned only two peer-reviewed journal articles.  I realized that I needed to revise my question in order for it to be “researchable.”  I decided that I wanted to learn about various ways in which speech-language pathologists could help facilitate reading skills and not just limit my research to technologically based approaches.  I narrowed down my topic by choosing to research just bilingual children as opposed to all culturally and linguistically diverse children.  At the present time, my research queries are returning numerous peer-reviewed articles so I believe that my essential question is now “researchable.”  My topic is pertinent as well, because my clinical practice could one day include bilingual children who need asistance improving their English literacy skills. 

Another week of researching has led me to alter my research question once again.  My last revision included the faciliation of reading skills for preschoolers.  After finding vast amounts of information about first graders, I have decided to study these children.  Because this is the age in which most children begin to read, researchers have focused their studies on this age group, as will I from this point forward. 

I had limited exposure to this topic prior to this semester.  I completed a literature review based on bilingual education for my Educational Foundations (EDF) 319 class last semester.  I researched the different types of bilingual education, the implementation of each type, postive and negative aspects of each, and the responsibilities of bilingual educators.  Because I had very specific guidelines for that particular assignment I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly study English literacy skills in relation to bilingualism. 

My research thus far this semester has led me to some very interesting information, or the lack thereof.  I am finding that there is no “one” answer to improving English literacy skills for bilingual children.  I have seen numerous studies based on several different hyptheses.  Different people have different belief systems concerning this topic.  I am interested to delve into the research to learn more about what approaches are proving beneficial to this population.  I am surprised by the popularity of “bilingualism” and “literacy”; these two topics appear to go hand-in-hand.  Bilingualism is something to be praised in today’s society, and many countries are studying the benefits that it can provide to individuals and society alike. 

I foresee some challenges in answering my essential research question.  While much research has occurred regarding bilingualism and bilingual education, I fear that I may not find sufficient amounts of information regarding the role of the speech-language pathologist in the process.  Also, because bilingualism is such a popular and broad area I may have difficulties finding the most pertinent information.  I have faith, though, that with my ever-expanding knowledge- and skills- base in information literacy that I will complete this project successfully. 

4.  Resources:  Include a list of tentative resources (in APA style from your previous searching assignments and library assignments) 

August, D., Snow, C., Carlo, M., Proctor, P.C., Rolla de San Fransisco, A., Duursma, E., et al. (2006).  Literacy development in elementary school second-language learners.  Topics in Language Disorders, 26(4), 351-364.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.  

Bialystok, E. (2007).  Acquisition of literacy in bilingual children:  A framework for research.  Language Learning, 57(1), 45-77.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Hammer, C., Miccio, A., & Wagstaff, D. (2003, January 1). Home literacy experiences and their relationship to bilingual preschoolers’ developing English literacy abilities: An initial investigation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34(1), 20.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Paez, M.M., Tabors, P.O., Lopez, L.M. (2007).  Language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking preschool children.  Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 85-102.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.   

Proctor, C., August, D., Carlo, M., & Snow, C. (2006, February). The intriguing role of Spanish language vocabulary knowledge in predicting English reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 159-169. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database. 

Mennen, I., & Stansfield, J. (2006, January 1).  Speech and language therapy service delivery for bilingual children: A survey of three cities in Great Britain. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41(Nov-Dec), 635.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Swanson, H., Sáez, L., & Gerber, M. (2006, May). Growth in literacy and cognition in bilingual children at risk or not at risk for reading disabilities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 247-264. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database.

Wong Kwok Shing, R. (2006, October). Enhancing English among second language learners: The pre-school years. Early Years: Journal of International Research & Development, 26(3), 279-293. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the Academic Search Premier database.  

A10.1: Reproduction Literacy

Deidra Darst

10/27/07

What [do you know/can you find out] about reproduction literacy skills?

Alkali and Hamburger define reproduction literacy as ”the ability to create new meanings or new interpreations by combing preexisting, independent shreads of information in any form of media” (Alkali and Hamburger, 2004).   Pre-existing creations are manipulated, creating new products.  “The art of creative reduplication” was coined in the article writtten by Eviram and Eshet-Alkali.  The Internet provides access to vast amounts of information, and those who possess reproduction literacy can manipulate that information as they see fit.

What are your reactions to the idea that there are such skills?

As with digital literacy as a whole, I never thought about the existence of reproduction skills as a component of literacy.  When I hear the term “reproduction literacy,” the first thing that comes to mind is plagiarism.  It seems to me that taking others’ creations, reoganizing them or combining them with other pre-existing materials, is wrong.  How can you take something originally created by someone else and call it your own?  However, after reading several articles and visiting some suggested websites, I have a better understanding.  Reproduction literacy entails altering the pre-existing information enough that you are not using an exact copy of the original.  Essentially, you are taking someone else’s idea and using it as a starting point for your interpretation and alteration. 

How do you think this “new” literacy will change education/schooling?

The Kavalier and Flannigan article made an interesting point that I think correlates to the changes being made within the education system.  For those individuals who are not “IT-literate,” (Kavalier & Flannigan, 2007) learning to navigate and understand cyberspace is comparable to learning a new language.  The earlier in life that you are exposed to it, the easier it is to use and understand.  Digital literacy has become a part of everyday learning activities.  Opportunities to improve one’s reproductive literacy are more readily available as technology improves and expands.  Today’s students can practice these literacies skills and will ultimately become highly skilled in this particular area.  Educational curricula could possibly focus more on reorganizing and manipulating currently-existing works rather than focusing on stratch-created materials.  We will see numerous perspectives and forms of a particular idea, providing diverse and interesting interpretations from various individuals. 

Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004, August).  Experiments in digital literacy.  Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.   

Jones-Kavalier, B.R., & Flannigan, S.L. (2007).  Connection the digital dots:  Literacy of the 21st century, Retrieved October 27, 2007, from http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/ConnectingtheDigital/39969 

Aphek, E. (2007). Digital, highly connected children: Implications for education. Retrieved October 27, 2007, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/aphek/digital-literacy.html

Aviram, A. & Eshet-Alkali, Y.  (2006).  Towards a theory of digital literacy: Three scenarios for the next steps.  Retrieved October 27, 2007, from http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2006/Aharon_Aviram.htm 

A9.4: Week 9 Participation Memo

Deidra Darst

10/21/07

Aims and Objectives: 
My personal goal with regard to this week of CD 315 was to complete my assignments by Sunday.  I wanted to spend most of my Sunday afternoon finding research articles and working on my Object Box project for CD 424.  I set out to do this because I will have a very busy week ahead and want to get a good start on my CD 315 research project.   

Declarative Knowledge: 

This week I learned more about photo-visual literacy.  Aphek’s website about this type of literacy provided postive and negative views towards adapting educational curricula to meet the standards of technology.   I will spend the rest of my day researching my research question, and I hope to learn much about facilitating reading literacy skills in the second language of bilingual preschool children. 

Procedural Knowledge:  

This week I learned how to tweak my research question in order to have the best research results.  Mrs. McComas helped me narrow my question more than I had already done.  In order to do this, I had to think about what I wanted to learn from the completion of this project.  I considered my research question – “How can speech-language pathologists help to improve English literacy skills in bilingual children?”  Because ”English literacy” was too broad, I decided that I really wanted to understand how children learn to read in their second language.  I think that speech-language pathologists can help facilitate these literacy skills.  My current research question is “How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the development of literacy skills necessary for reading in the second language of bilingual preschool children?” 

Conditional Knowledge:
The knowledge I gained this week is improving my research skills.  It is also aiding me in creating a more researchable question.  As a student I need to have knoweldge about photo-visual literacy skills because they constitute an important facet of my learning situations.  As a pre-professional, it has been brought to my attention the potential for learning that exists via photo-visual literacy skills.  I could one day use this knowledge to help facilitate learning for my future clients.  As a citizen, I can use photo-visual literacy to further increase my knowledge base. 

 

A9.3: Revised Prospectus

Deidra Darst

10/21/07

1.  Research Question/Foundation Questions: 

Essential Research Question: 

How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the development of literacy skills necessary for reading in the second language of bilingual preschool children?

Foundation Questions:

1.  What is bilingualism?
2.  What literacy skills are necessary for reading?
3.  How can speech-language pathologists help facilitate the developmet of such literacy skills?

2.  Tentative Point:  What point do you plan to make (recognizing that as you complete your research this may change significantly)?

In conducting research to answer my essential question I hope to make the point that speech-language pathologists play a vital in facilitating reading skills (for the second language) of bilingual preschool children.  The United States is a “melting pot,” a conglomeration of various cultures and lingustic backgrounds.  The bilingual population is in great need of assistance, and I think that speech-language pathologists can help.  Issues of literacy are just one facet of the speech-language pathologist’s expanding scope of practice and is a matter of concern to the bilingual population of this country. 

3.  Discussion:  Describe how you came to ask the questions you did.  What did you already know about this topic?  What are you learning about this topic?  What challenges do you foresee in answering your question?  Shoot for 400-500 words in this discussion (more if you can do it)

The genesis of my essential research question was a process of trial and error.  The one stipulation provided was that my research question have something to do with literacy.  When I think of the word “literacy” I think of children because childhood is the best time in which to establish literacy skills.  As this is a Communcation Disorders course I wanted to focus on speech-language pathology.  The first few CD 315 assignments this semester dealt with information literacy, so I thought that I should somehow include that aspect as well.  My Diagnostics 424 class had recently studied culturally and lingustically diverse children, and I thought it would be interesting (and beneficial) to further my knowledge in this particular area.  In an attempt to be very specific, my question began as “How can speech-language pathologists use technology to improve English literacy skills in culturally and linguistically different children?”  Needless to say, that was too specific, as my searches returned only two peer-reviewed journal articles.  I realized that I needed to revise my question in order for it to be “researchable.”  I decided that I wanted to learn about various ways in which speech-language pathologists could help facilitate reading skills and not just limit my research to technologically based approaches.  I narrowed down my topic by choosing to research just bilingual children as opposed to all culturally and linguistically diverse children.  At the present time, my research queries are returning numerous peer-reviewed articles so I believe that my essential question is now “researchable.”  My topic is pertinent as well, because my clinical practice could one day include bilingual children who need asistance improving their English literacy skills. 

I had limited exposure to this topic prior to this semester.  I completed a literature review based on bilingual education for my Educational Foundations (EDF) 319 class last semester.  I researched the different types of bilingual education, the implementation of each type, postive and negative aspects of each, and the responsibilities of bilingual educators.  Because I had very specific guidelines for that particular assignment I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly study English literacy skills in relation to bilingualism. 

My research thus far this semester has led me to some very interesting information, or the lack thereof.  I am finding that there is no “one” answer to improving English literacy skills for bilingual children.  I have seen numerous studies based on several different hyptheses.  Different people have different belief systems concerning this topic.  I am interested to delve into the research to learn more about what approaches are proving beneficial to this population.  I am surprised by the popularity of “bilingualism” and “literacy”; these two topics appear to go hand-in-hand.  Bilingualism is something to be praised in today’s society, and many countries are studying the benefits that it can provide to individuals and society alike. 

I foresee some challenges in answering my essential research question.  While much research has occurred regarding bilingualism and bilingual education, I fear that I may not find sufficient amounts of information regarding the role of the speech-language pathologist in the process.  Also, because bilingualism is such a popular and broad area I may have difficulties finding the most pertinent information.  I have faith, though, that with my ever-expanding knowledge- and skills- base in information literacy that I will complete this project successfully. 

4.  Resources:  Include a list of tentative resources (in APA style from your previous searching assignments and library assignments) 

August, D., Snow, C., Carlo, M., Proctor, P.C., Rolla de San Fransisco, A., Duursma, E., et al. (2006).  Literacy development in elementary school second-language learners.  Topics in Language Disorders, 26(4), 351-364.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.  

Bialystok, E. (2007).  Acquisition of literacy in bilingual children:  A framework for research.  Language Learning, 57(1), 45-77.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Hammer, C., Miccio, A., & Wagstaff, D. (2003, January 1). Home literacy experiences and their relationship to bilingual preschoolers’ developing English literacy abilities: An initial investigation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34(1), 20.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Paez, M.M., Tabors, P.O., Lopez, L.M. (2007).  Language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking preschool children.  Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 85-102.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.   

Proctor, C., August, D., Carlo, M., & Snow, C. (2006, February). The intriguing role of Spanish language vocabulary knowledge in predicting English reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 159-169. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database. 

Mennen, I., & Stansfield, J. (2006, January 1).  Speech and language therapy service delivery for bilingual children: A survey of three cities in Great Britain. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41(Nov-Dec), 635.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Swanson, H., Sáez, L., & Gerber, M. (2006, May). Growth in literacy and cognition in bilingual children at risk or not at risk for reading disabilities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 247-264. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database.

Wong Kwok Shing, R. (2006, October). Enhancing English among second language learners: The pre-school years. Early Years: Journal of International Research & Development, 26(3), 279-293. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the Academic Search Premier database.  

A9.1: Photo-Visual Literacy

Deidra Darst

10/20/07

What [do you know/can you find out] about photo-visual literacy skills?

Through the Alkali and Hamburger article, I know that photo-visual literacy skills encompass a person’s abilities to use “vision to think” (Eshet-Alkali & Amichai-Hamburger, 2004).  Digitally literate individuals are able to make sense of direction and information provided via a computer screen.  This includes understanding and interpreting computer interfaces and icons.  I found a website concerned with digital literacy.  The author stated that Eshet-Alkali dubbed computer icons “the new letters” (Aphek, 2005).  This statement is very relevant in today’s computer-focused world; one must understand how to read and interpret icons just as they need to interpret alphabetic letters when reading and writing.  After reading searching this website I automatically think about computer games such as Rollercoaster Tycoon and Sims.  These games require users to understand and utilize numerous icons in order to play them.  I had to actively learn the functions of each icon before I could play these games. 

What are your reactions to the idea that there are such skills?

As I discussed with Mrs. McComas earlier this week, I guess I knew this type of literacy existed but I never really thought about it.  Because I have grown up using computers I often take such knowledge for granted.  Once the idea was brought to my attention that photo-visual literacy skills exist I understood their significance.  Photo-visual literacy skills have been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember, so I have been honing my skills for nearly 22 years!  However, for members of older generations who wish to modernize their literacy skills, developing photo-visual literacy would be a necessity.  This particular skill is the basis of computer use – one must be able to read, understand, and interpret digitally-provided information in order to act upon it.   

How do you think this “new” literacy will change education/schooling?

This “new” literacy has changed education/schooling as we know it.  The first thing that comes to my mind is distance learning.  Educational programs and courses have the potential to reach distance learners via the Internet.  Students are no longer required to gather in a designated meeting place, but rather receive instruction from anywhere in the world (anywhere, with an Internet connection, that is!)  None of this would be possible without the development of photo-visual literacy.  Students can be academically successful when they know how to decipher the new “language” of computers.  The second Eshet article that I referenced stated that photo-visual literacy skills can aid second language learners.  I found this interesting because my research project for CD 315 involves bilingual children who are developing a second language.  By watching and listening to a program that used another language, young children were able to pick up on that language.  The “new” literacies that came with the computer age have drastically changed how we live, learn, think, communicate and work.  I believe that our literacies skills will continue to change and adapt as technology improves. 

Aphek, E. (2005).  Digital, highly connected children: Implications for education.  Retrieved October 19, 2007, from http://www.creativityatwork.com/articlesContent/aphek/digital-literacy3.html

Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004, August).  Experiments in digital literacy.  Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.   

Eshet, Y. (2002, June 1). Digital literacy: A new terminology framework and its application to the design of meaningful technology-based learning environments.  Retrieved October 19, 2007, from the ERIC database.

A8.6 Week 8 Participation Memo

Deidra Darst

10/10/07

Aims and Objectives:

My personal goals in regard to CD 315 this week were to convey the knowledge I gained by completing the weekly assignments with thoughtful consideration.   And, as always, I wanted to complete my assignments before the due date.  I set out to complete at least two assignments in one sitting.  I started the assignments on Monday as soon as I saw that they were posted on the CD 315 website.  I hoped to complete all the work before the weekend.  I set out to do this because I plan on completing some work in my other classes this weekend, and wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time to concentrate on this course’s material.  Here I sit on Wednesday evening, completing my CD 315 week eight assignments.  Finished on Wednesday – I think this is a new record for me! 

Declarative Knowledge:

This week I learned about digital literacy again.  I reread the article Experiments in Digital Literacy and applied the concepts to my life.  I learned more about how the components of digital literacy are constants in my everyday activities.  I also learned about APA formatting this week.  I read about the word “prospectus” and learned about its application in research projects, such as in my literacy-related research for this course.  I learned more about copyright laws, infringement and fair use policies during Monday night’s small group discussion on TappedIn.org. 

Procedural Knowledge:

This week I learned to do several things.  First, I learned how to edit APA citations.  I skimmed through my research resources on my wordpress.com blog and located several formatting errors.  I referenced the APA Publication Manual to determine the correct formatting.  As I read through the book I realized that I had several other errors!  I know now that I need to look more carefully at APA citations because they are more complicated that I previously thought.  This week’s assignments required me to create a “project prospectus,” a statement of a prospected plan of action regarding my research project.  To create this prospectus, I revisited my essential question and foundation questions.  I evaluated the questions and formulated a “point” that I wished to make with my findings.  I then answered some questions about the process that led me to my questions.  This challenged me to decide what I really wanted to learn from my research.  I considered the information that I so far and decided what I have learned from these sources. 

Conditional Knowledge:

This week’s information has been beneficial to me as a student, as I can utilize the knowledge gained during the remainder of this course and for the duration of my academic career.  The most pertinent knowledge that I gained this week was from the small group discussion about copyright laws.  The copyright is a powerful and useful creation that should be taken seriously.  I, as a student, must respect the works of others.  Because I cannot use works created by others I am given the opportunity to create things for myself.  The copyright comes into action here as well because my works are protected by copyright laws as well. 

 As a pre-professional I feel abliged to abide by the ASHA Code of Ethics.  The Code of Ethics states that professionals must give credit where it is due.  I cannot claim to own something that has been created by another person.  This goes hand-in-hand with copyrighting laws.  I would not think about stealing from another person regardless because I abide by my own standards and morals, but nonetheless, I will one day be representing the profession of speech-language pathology and should do so in a professional and respectable manner.

 I think this week’s copyright discussion benefitted me as a citizen.  I think everyone should be knowledgeable about copyright laws and the like.  By understanding these laws I can remain a law-abiding citizen!  The article Experiments in Digital Literacy also “spoke” to me as a citizen.  In order to be digitally literate in today’s world, an individual must have many different skills.  The digitally literate individual must be a multi-faceted, multi-talented, and have multiple intelligences (as in Gardner’s hierarchy of multiple intelligences).  It takes many skills and abilities in order to thrive in a digital society. 

A8.4: Reflection on Discussion of 10/8/07

Deidra Darst

10/10/07

During our hour-long group discussion I contributed questions, answers, general statements and observations.  My small group communicated very well, and we fed off of each other’s comments.  I was the designated recorder and was to monitor the conversation to make sure that it could be made available to the public.  We were all candid with our comments, but I thought this was great for the conversation.  We questioned the legality of particular actions, discussed the stringent copyright laws, and debated the reasoning behind copyright laws.  Overall, my group’s discussion was imformative, productive, and interesting. 

While many questions arose during our group discussion, we were all quite interested in determining when one can utilize another’s work.  For example, is it legal for someone to use a Disney graphic on their myspace page?  The Disney characters are protected under copyright laws, but does this hinder Disney-enthusiasts from decorating their online spaces with the characters’ likenesses?  If one wanted to seek permission to use the image, how would he or she go about it?  What typically happens when someone goes to court due to copyright infringement? 

I did not have any lingering questions after reading the copyright readings because they were very straightforward.  I asked my fellow group members what they thought about copyright laws in general.  I know how I feel about the laws, but wanted to hear others’ opinions.  We were all in agreement that copyright laws are a necessity in today’s age of “instant information” via the Internet.  We also question the inforcement of the laws.  While they are straightforward and strict with high penalties for copyright infringement, there does not seem to be an efficacious way to ensure that people abide by them. 

After reading the copyright articles and participating in a group discussion, I have decided that I need to be more careful about what I use and how I use it.  I need to make sure that I do use other’s creations without their explicit permission.  While I have always known to respect others’ written works, I never thought much about respecting visual works, such as pictures and online graphics.  I have decided that it is “better to be safe than sorry” and, if I question the legality of usage, I will refrain from using the work. 

A8.3: Response to Eshet-Alkali & Amichai-Hamburger

Deidra Darst

10/10/07

 I read and wrote a reader response log during the first week of the semester about Eshet-Alkali and Amichai-Hamburger’s article entitled Experiments in Digital Literacy.  After gaining some insight into this topic through my weekly assignments I am writing a follow-up response to the article.  I now have a different understanding of the components of digital literacy and how they can impact my daily life. 

The authors wrote that digital literacy is comprised of five “major digital skills” (2004).  In my first writing about this article I focused on the study performed and how the five components of digital literacy exhibited themselves within various age groups.  For this follow up response I would like to write about how the CD 315 course material has helped me develop and improve my digital literacy skills. 

My photo-visual skills have improved.  This course, which is mainly conducted via the World Wide Web, has required me to read and understand information from my computer screen.  I do not have tangible hard-copies of assigned readings, instructions, or even of my own work.  I must admit that I was wary about this format at the beginning of the semester.  I felt as if I needed to hold the information in hands to assure myself that “yes, it does exist.”  However, at midterm I am quite comfortable with my course material being accessible via the Internet.  Participation in this class has forced me to be less concrete and expand my ideas about learning and interacting in regard to college classes. 

My skills in reproduction literacy have greatly improved throughout my work in this course.  Mrs. McComas has assignment many articles to read and reflect upon.  I have been led to develop stronger analytical skills through this process.  My ability to read several articles, analyze, summarize and use that information to create a new work has drastically been positively altered.  I now read any article and ask myself, “What is the author trying to tell me?”  I can more effectively read several articles and compare the authors’ motives and reasonings for writing them. 

I am more adept at locating information via the World Wide Web, which means that I am have the skill of branching literacy.  An Internet-surfer can find information about virtually anything, as long as he or she knows where to look.  With such vast amounts of information mysteriously tangled into this Web, I have frequently found searching the Internet a daunting task.  I have utilized the Internet to complete many assignments for this course, and I am finding that the practice is improving my searching skills.  I feel more oriented in regard to finding information, moving away from a particular site, and eventually finding my way back to the previous site.  I particularly find social bookmarking to be a great aid in this endeavor.  When I find a site that I like, I can add it to my social bookmarking account where it can be accessed by anyone from any computer.  This is helpful when I find a great site at home and want to return to it the next day while I am on campus. 

My skills of information literacy are improving as well.  As previously stated, the widespread use and availability of the Internet has allowed access to vast amounts of information, both credible and uncredible.  Week seven’s assignments concerning the evaluation of online material was ever helpful in improving my ability to distinguish between good and bad sources.  The Purdue University and Johns Hopkins University documents provided questions that can be asked about any source of information.  The answers to these questions ultimately lead y to the question “Is this source credible?”  I understanding how to evaluate online material in order to find the most relevant, current, and pertinent information. 

Finally, the CD 315 course material has helped me improve my socio-emotional skills.  Prior to beginning studies in this particular course, I did not feel very comfortable communicating with strangers online.  How could someone I do not even know understand my situation? My needs?  How could they help me accomplish anything?  Mrs. McComas has required me to investigate the world of electronic mailing lists.  These mailing lists form an online community of individuals who are concerned about the same issues.  The people who utilize these lists are genuinely interested in the topic and wish to share information with other users.  While I am yet to receive any emails concerning my pending research topic, I have received some otherwise informative messages.  The mailing lists allow people to communicate important ideas, concerns, and discuss the topic of interest.  They form a connection between otherwise disconnected individuals. 

Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004, August).  Experiments in digital literacy.  Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7(4), 421-429. 

A8.2: Project Prospectus

Deidra Darst

10/8/07

1.  Research Question/Foundation Questions: 

Essential Research Question: 

How can speech-language pathologists help to improve English literacy skills in bilingual children?

Foundation Questions:

1.  What is bilingualism?
2.  What are English literacy skills?
3.  How can speech-language pathologists help bilingual children improve their literacy skills?

2.  Tentative Point:  What point do you plan to make (recognizing that as you complete your research this may change significantly)?

In conducting research to answer my essential question I hope to make the point that speech-language pathologists play a vital role in improving literacy skills of bilingual children.  The United States is a “melting pot,” a conglomeration of various cultures and lingustic backgrounds.  The bilingual population is in great need of assistance, and I think that speech-language pathologists can help.  Issues of literacy are just one facet of the speech-language pathologist’s expanding scope of practice and is a matter of concern to the bilingual population of this country. 

3.  Discussion:  Describe how you came to ask the questions you did.  What did you already know about this topic?  What are you learning about this topic?  What challenges do you foresee in answering your question?  Shoot for 400-500 words in this discussion (more if you can do it)

The genesis of my essential research question was a process of trial and error.  The one stipulation provided was that my research question have something to do with literacy.  When I think of the word “literacy” I think of children because childhood is the best time in which to establish literacy skills.  As this is a Communcation Disorders course I wanted to focus on speech-language pathology.  The first few CD 315 assignments this semester dealt with information literacy, so I thought that I should somehow include that aspect as well.  My Diagnostics 424 class had recently studied culturally and lingustically diverse children, and I thought it would be interesting (and beneficial) to further my knowledge in this particular area.  In an attempt to be very specific, my question began as “How can speech-language pathologists use technology to improve English literacy skills in culturally and linguistically different children?”  Needless to say, that was too specific, as my searches returned only two peer-reviewed journal articles.  I realized that I needed to revise my question in order for it to be “researchable.”  I decided that I wanted to learn about various ways in which speech-language pathologists could aid these children and not just limit my research to technologically based approaches.  I narrowed down my topic by choosing to research just bilingual children as opposed to all culturally and linguistically diverse children.  At the present time, my research queries are returning numerous peer-reviewed articles so I believe that my essential question is now “researchable.”  My topic is pertinent as well, because my clinical practice could one day include bilingual children who need asistance improving their English literacy skills. 

I had limited exposure to this topic prior to this semester.  I completed a literature review based on bilingual education for my Educational Foundations (EDF) 319 class last semester.  I researched the different types of bilingual education, the implementation of each type, postive and negative aspects of each, and the responsibilities of bilingual educators.  Because I had very specific guidelines for that particular assignment I did not have the opportunity to thoroughly study English literacy skills in relation to bilingualism. 

My research thus far this semester has led me to some very interesting information, or the lack thereof.  I am finding that there is no “one” answer to improving English literacy skills for bilingual children.  I have seen numerous studies based on several different hyptheses.  Different people have different belief systems concerning this topic.  I am interested to delve into the research to learn more about what approaches are proving beneficial to this population.  I am surprised by the popularity of “bilingualism” and “literacy”; these two topics appear to go hand-in-hand.  Bilingualism is something to be praised in today’s society, and many countries are studying the benefits that it can provide to individuals and society alike. 

I foresee some challenges in answering my essential research question.  While much research has occurred regarding bilingualism and bilingual education, I fear that I may not find sufficient amounts of information regarding the role of the speech-language pathologist in the process.  Also, because bilingualism is such a popular and broad area I may have difficulties finding the most pertinent information.  I have faith, though, that with my ever-expanding knowledge- and skills- base in information literacy that I will complete this project successfully. 

4.  Resources:  Include a list of tentative resources (in APA style from your previous searching assignments and library assignments) 

August, D., Snow, C., Carlo, M., Proctor, P.C., Rolla de San Fransisco, A., Duursma, E., et al. (2006).  Literacy development in elementary school second-language learners.  Topics in Language Disorders, 26(4), 351-364.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.  

Bialystok, E. (2007).  Acquisition of literacy in bilingual children:  A framework for research.  Language Learning, 57(1), 45-77.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Hammer, C., Miccio, A., & Wagstaff, D. (2003, January 1). Home literacy experiences and their relationship to bilingual preschoolers’ developing English literacy abilities: An initial investigation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34(1), 20.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Paez, M.M., Tabors, P.O., Lopez, L.M. (2007).  Language and literacy development of Spanish-speaking preschool children.  Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28(2), 85-102.  Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the ERIC database.   

Proctor, C., August, D., Carlo, M., & Snow, C. (2006, February). The intriguing role of Spanish language vocabulary knowledge in predicting English reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(1), 159-169. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database. 

Mennen, I., & Stansfield, J. (2006, January 1).  Speech and language therapy service delivery for bilingual children: A survey of three cities in Great Britain. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 41(Nov-Dec), 635.  Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the ERIC database.

Swanson, H., Sáez, L., & Gerber, M. (2006, May). Growth in literacy and cognition in bilingual children at risk or not at risk for reading disabilities. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98(2), 247-264. Retrieved October 6, 2007, from the PsycARTICLES database.

Wong Kwok Shing, R. (2006, October). Enhancing English among second language learners: The pre-school years. Early Years: Journal of International Research & Development, 26(3), 279-293. Retrieved September 22, 2007, from the Academic Search Premier database.