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.