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. 

A8.1: APA Review

Deidra Darst

10/8/07 

 In reviewing my Library Searches I and II, I found some APA formatting errors.  My changes mainly consisted of capitalization errors.  For instance, I had capitalized every word in the article title for several citations.  I had to edit these citations and only capitalize the first and main words within each article title.  I found the correct format in the APA Publication Manual on page 223 under the heading 4.04 General Forms. I had used the abbreviation “et al” after listing four authors for a single article.  After reading page 224, subheading 4.08 Authors of the APA Publication Manual I realized that et al is used after six authors.  I also had to edit the volume numbers because I had not italicized them.  Subheading 4.11 Title of Work and Publication Information:  Periodicals, on page 227 of the APA Publication Manual states that volume numbers should be italicized along with the periodical title.  Under the subheading 4.15 Retrieval Information:  Electronic Sources on page 231 I learned that I should have written “the” before ERIC database, PsycARTICLES database, and Academic Search Premier database.  The word “the” is only omitted when you are citing a specific website URL.  APA format really is more complicated than it looks!