Research as Authentic Inquiry

Chapter 2: Research as Authentic Inquiry

• People trust the sources that match our existing opinions and we distrust information that challenges our beliefs.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. It is so easy to accept information as fact if it goes along with your opinion. Because of that, one might easily be swayed to include this particular information in their research, even if the source isn't  reputable. No one wants to feel like they are wrong by having what they thing challenged by information they don't agree with. 

• When we get information from others, we consider factors like likability and attractiveness, which affect our decisions about the credibility of people, information, and ideas.

Overall, I disagree with this statement. It might hold true  when it comes to a friend of a family member; you value their opinion, so you listen to what they say. But think of all the ways in which you obtain information. The news, for example. You don't personally know the reporters, and probably aren't lusting after them, but because of their position, you take what they say seriously. The same thing goes with teachers. We've all had at least one no-so-favorite teacher. But because it's literally their job to convey to us information of some sort, we respect them and listen to and learn from what they have to say.

• Oral explaining- with both students and teachers participating- develops reasoning skills that support reading and writing practices across the disciplines.

Absolutely! I teach math, so sometimes it's hard to incorporate reading, writing, especially research, and even group work into my class. Just this Friday, at the end of class, I gave a 5 question true/false pre-quiz that the students were able to use their notes while completing. The first few minutes, the room was so quite you could hear a pin drop. I then said that they could work together. All at once, the room grew loud and there was major collaboration going on. I answered specific questions that some of the groups had, and for a brief moment, it seemed that I had lost control of the level of chatter. I was pleased with the results after grading them, and I really believe that allowing the students to work together and talk out the solutions helps them more than they think. I love talking with my class instead of just lecturing at them.

I think that using Memes to support authentic inquiry and critical media literacy is a great idea! There are so many pictures that memes are made of, and each picture has it's own backstory. It would be easy to just pick a meme that you have a little knowledge of and research to find the real story behind that particular picture. For example, I have no idea where this guy is from. I just liked the "one does not simply..". I think that teachers should try this in their classroom. It could be a fun, not so run of the mill way to get students involved in learning. To what extent? I think that should be up to the teacher. If a class really likes it and does well and  wants to do it again, or build more the it's foundation, then the teacher should have the right to do as they see fit. Just like in the text, teachers should be able to incorporate new, innovative ways to engage their students in learning. 

Hobbs, R. (2011). Research as Authentic Inquiry. In Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.

Critical Autonomy

1) The following discussion is in response to this video and the accompanying deconstruction:

• Do you agree with the claims made in the deconstruction?

I agree with some of the claims made in the deconstruction. I agree that the video is in a middle class setting, with happiness, business, and success all around; making this video targeted at people whose lives fit this description. I agree that connectivity is NOT equally accessible in rural and urban areas, and the fact that with the merge came job losses. In the deconstruction, it mentions Frontier. My dad worked for Verizon when they were bought out by Frontier, and for a little bit of time, it was uncertain if he would have a job after the buy out. Thankfully, he did. Even though he literally worked for the company, the internet service at our house was spotty. Every time it would rain, we would lose service for at least a day, until the cables dried out. He was disappointed with his own company when he was told that the DSL just wasn't up to par for our area and we would just have to deal with it. So I most definitely agree that the claim "over promise, under commit" could easily be changed to "over profit, under serve".

• Is the Century Link ad really a cover for a company that is making profits over customer satisfaction?

Yes, I think so. I think that the company overall is mainly concerned with making a profit. Not to say there aren't individuals who actually care about the customers. In some locations, Century Link may have a monopoly on the phone/internet service, so they aren't concerned that their customers will go elsewhere. They make nice, neat little happy commercials that show people loving their service, when in reality, these videos don't tell the whole story.

• Based on this video, does the Alltel ad really promote racism of stereotypes of immigrants? Why or why not?

I do think that the Alltel ad promotes stereotypes of immigrants. I think that sometimes people think that just because someone is different than our "normal", they are weird. And we tend to change the meaning of 'weird' to mean whatever we want it to mean. In this add, they placed "weird" people in the middle class, one boy, one girl, mom and dad family's house. They could have easily put an American Grandma in there, knitting a blanket, holding her cat. Isn't that some people's image of a Grandma? But they chose to poke fun at these men. Honestly, the ad may not have been too bad had they left out the chicken. I thought it was rude, and it really made me feel a stereotype was happening.

2)  After browsing the Deconstruction Gallery,

• I came across this video and it really stuck out to me:

It is Axe's "Make Love, Not War".  At first after watching it as a whole, I thought it was kind of sweet how you thought the men were going to fire a weapon of some soft but then they surprised us by doing an act of love. If you just watch it for it's face value and move on, that is what you see. But, as I started to really think about it and deconstruct it, I saw that I was mistaken.

I thought the fact that the men in the helicopter and the tank looked American, while all the men with chains and missiles were foreign. It gives the idea that the Americans were fighting the good war while the foreign men were the enemies. Another aspect I felt was that it was degrading women. What woman in a war torn country is going to run toward a stranger solider seeking intimacy? None. 

Obviously it's a commercial, so it can be as unrealistic as possible. I felt that as a whole, it was making Americans, specifically men, look more prevalent and strong and in the right than any other people in the world. 

Reflecting on our Love/Hate Relationship with Media

Print

• The "big idea" I got from this padlet is that... are you ready for this??...People still LOVE books!! This is exciting to me. With all the new ways to read, one could be concerned that books will become obsolete. I don't think that will happen, at least in my lifetime.

• People HATE the fact that print media is so wasteful. While all IS recyclable, it can be difficult to do so. You have to store it somewhere, then haul it somewhere, and then dispose of it in it's proper container. This process isn't practical in everyone's life, and like some mentioned, this service isn't available where they live. 

Visual

• It is interesting to see all of our "like" ideas on visual media. They range from pictures and videos, to TV shoes and computer programs. One common theme that I see is that we all like a visual image that is pleasing to the eye. 

• It seems we all have similar dislikes with visual media. TV/videos that expose people and reality TV that people get so caught up in are the two main ideas in this aspect of visual media.

Sound

• As I expected, the main thing we love is music! All kinds of music! 

• What we don't like is when our music is interrupted! Whether that interruption be a commercial on the radio, the fact that we didn't hear it clearly, or cant understand what the speak is saying, we hate it. 

Digital

• Without a doubt, everything that we all love about digital media can be described in three words: The Endless Possibilities. We all use digital media for a variety of reasons; personal, educational, and professions. And as much as we all know, the cool thing is that there is NO WAY any one of us knows all there is to know, Which means that we can, and will, continue to learn new digital media. 

• Two interesting topics I see that we hate is the fact that digital media is easily used for inappropriate reasons and that not all people in the world have easy access to the internet.

Personal Reflection

The media form that I like most is print; the printed thing I like most being a book. I have two bookshelves stuffed with books; fiction, nonfiction, romance, suspense, thrillers, and my collection of old math books. I have a kindle which I purchased thinking I would just read all the books in the world... Well in the almost three years, I can count on one hand the number of books that I have actually read. And all of them were just some random free book, not even necessarily something that I would have ever read otherwise. I just can't give up my books! The sense of satisfaction that I get from physically seeing the progress I make in a book and closing it after the last page is a feeling that just can't be replaced by some clicking and scrolling.  A lot of us mentioned there is just  something  about having that book in our hand. No batteries, no cords, and no electricity needed. A book can go anywhere and it never loses service.

Magazine Cover

I decided to go with an indecisive point of view for this magazine cover. I know we are supposed to pick our stance on CC and design based on that; however, I don't work in the public school system and have not had any personal experience with CC. I have only heard what others have said. So, having said that, my stance is on the fence. It could theoretically go either way. Ignoring all the negative comments I've heard, I am bring a neutral magazine cover. Ideally, it would allow someone to read both sides of the debate, and then form their own opinion on facts, and not just what they have heard.

With the text I present, I want to grab attention with my main idea. I want the reader to see the words 'common core' and instantly be drawn in. From the text on the side, I want to give the reader an idea as to what they can expect to find inside. With the picture of the woman, I am showing a "normal" person thinking about this idea. Since 'on the fence' is an idiom, the picture of the fence (which is representing the common core debate) is bringing the whole concept together by giving the reader a concrete view of the abstract idea in their head; which side of the 'fence' are they really on.

• The first media language technique that I used is humor. I believe that the way the title is written is a witty way to combine words with some common math  characteristics. Under the title is a set of parallel lines, another item commonly found in math. I suppose not all would find this funny, or even make the connection, but it's fun either way. 

• The second technique I used is individuality. With providing this unbiased image, I believe I give the reader a change to be their own person and make their own opinions based on facts. 

• The last technique I incorporated is emotional appeal. The common core usually sparks debate, so in this image, I try to offer a calm backdrop with no bold claims or accusations being made.

Critical Media Literacy: Core Concepts and Debates

The following quotes, taken from the following article regarding
critical media literacy, are listed and discussed below

Despite decades of struggle since the 1970s by individuals and groups, media education is still only reaching a small percentage of K /12 schools in the US.

I agree with this statement. This article is from 2005, the same year I graduated from high school. Being completely honest, I rarely used the internet for school work. The only computer related class I took in HS was keyboarding. There definitely didn't seem to be much, if any really, emphasis on media education. So I would say that my, and all the other students in my class, media literacy was limited to our desktops at home using MySpace and AOL instant messenger.

Although there are new media and literacies in the current constellation, books, reading, and print literacy continue to be of utmost significance.

Again, this article is dated, but this statement still holds true! I prefer to read ( for leisure and for school) from a book rather than to stare at a screen for hours on end. I've had a kindle for 3 years, and probably have only read 2 books on it. I still  have subscriptions to magazines as well. I think that books and other print literacy are here to stay, no matter how much more technology evolves.

The ability for students to see how diverse people can interpret the same message
differently is important for multicultural education, since understanding differences
means more than merely tolerating one and other.

This is probably my favorite line out of the whole article! This is so true and even I am still learning how to completely understand this quote. With all the ways people can interact with others from all over the world, it is important to understand that everyone thinks differently and just because you see something and it speaks very clearly to you on way, doesn't mean that someone else will get that same meaning. I like all of our blog postings because I love seeing all the different interpretations of the directions, assignments, and reading. They open my eyes to completely different views that I might have never thought of.

The following discusses my thoughts after watching this video regarding looks

At first, the video made me feel like the speaker was being rude by saying that beauty is a slender, pretty, white women. It made me instantly feel like I needed to defend everything/everyone who doesn't fit this description. As she went on, however, I see her point and can say that I even agree with her bigger, whole message. 

The video absolutely supports Postman's excerpt. He claims that people need to be able to see through all the BS and see what is real, what is useful. This talk is coming from a woman who "has it all". Beauty, money, fame, success... what does she have to be unhappy about we might ask? They way that she breaks down the stereotypes of what people can assume about her is a wonderful example of cutting the crap.

This video definitely makes me think more along the lines of what you see on the outside isn't always what is going on in the inside. As noted in the video, image is powerful, however, image is superficial as well. Image is constructed by professionals; they BUILD it to make us see what they want us to see. I feel it is definitely important to teach CRITICAL media literacy skills so that students have the ability to think for themselves and not just see what other people want them to see. Below are three quotes from the article that I believe support the fact that critical media literacy skills need to be taught.

Media do not present reality like transparent windows or simple reflections of the world because media messages are created, shaped, and positioned through a construction process. This construction
involves many decisions about what to include or exclude and how to represent reality.

..discussion of the representation of class, gender, and race in media such as television or film requires analysis of the codes and stereotypes through which subordinate groups like workers, women, and people of colour are represented, in contrast to representations of bosses and the rich, men, and white people.

Textual meanings do not reside in the texts themselves: a certain text can come to mean different things depending on the interdiscursive context in which viewers interpret it

What do you see?

I choose this picture because it is a popular illusion with two possible answers. Do you see a beautiful woman shy of the camera? Or do you see an old woman with a big nose? Once you see your initial interpretation, it isn't impossible to see the other one. I believe that media is similar to this. Everyone sees the same initial picture, but can and will interpret it differently. 

The standpoint that I most closely align with would have to the "media literacy" movement. A combination of all the readings that I have done so far in the digital media program, in addition to my personal life and teaching career, I can see that there is a great need from students to be taught how to utilize and understand critical media literacy skills. Technology is quickly making its way into classrooms and homes across the world. Students need to be up to date to assure they aren't left behind. They also need to be taught how to take in and feel/think about all the media they see/hear. 

Media Deconstruction

Media Deconstruction

Authors and Audience:
1. Who produced this document, and for what purpose?

This was produced by the magazine The Blaze in order to grab reader's attention and to tell them "why common core is a threat to our kids, our freedom and our future."

2. When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?

It was produced Math 2014. I believe the context of common core is negative. I've not heard anyone say anything good about it, so this image fits well with what a lot of people already think. 

3. Who is the target audience?

The target audience, I believe, are parents and educators.

Messages and Meanings:
4. What are the messages communicated?

The message that I see being communicated is that common core will make all our kids think alike and we will lose individuality.

5. What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

First of all, images with kids always grab the readers' attention! The large, bright text and the very bold statement made on the front of this magazine are definitely also used to pull the reader in.

6. How might people interpret this message differently? 

I think there are two main ways this can be interpreted.
1) Common core will make our kids all the same in a school setting and they will lose all freedom and individuality.
2) Common core will help all our students learn what they need to know by allowing them to work together and come up with the same ideas.

7. Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message? 

I think that parents can both benefit and be harmed from this message. I think that if parents were to see this, some might slow down and take a few minutes to be actively involved in their child's education (if they aren't already). I think this can harm parents because if they just see this image and read the cover, they aren't filled in on the facts and maybe they just make assumptions that might not necessarily be true. They are prematurely misinformed and perhaps even mad about something they don't understand. 

Representation and Reality:
8. What information or perspective is left out of this message?

I think what is left our of this message is the actual guts of the story. There is just one very bold claim stated and that is it. No reasoning, no supporting facts, nothing.

9. Is this an accurate and credible representation?

Because I am absolutely unfamiliar with the common core and what it is all about, I have to say that if I were going on ONLY what I  have heard from other people, which is that this will just educated kids for the standardized tests that are required, then I would have to say that I agree with my initial interpretation of this image. Is it a credible representation? Maybe, maybe not. But it is definitely cleaver and has the potential to really grab attention!

10. How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?

Obviously, the creator of this image and the author of this article thinks that the common core is a threat to the American society. The picture and the statement make that very clear. 

The text of this message is the image and the actual written words. Children in a classroom and the claim that the common core is a threat to our kids, our freedom, and our future. The subtext of this image is how the viewer interprets the image and the silent meanings of the words and pictures.

One persuasive technique that I think this image uses is emotional appeal. Education is always a touchy subject and has the power to make people feel anything from happy to irate. Another technique I see being used is glittering generalities. This image makes a direct claim that something is threatening several aspects of our American society. No matter what the "threat" would be, this makes people mad and gets them riled up, regardless of the subject.

EDUC 6810 Introductory Post

Hello all! My name is Amanda Smith and I live in Mannington, WV. I am currently an adjunct in the Math department here at Fairmont State. This is my fourth semester teaching, and to date, I’ve taught College Algebra, College Algebra Support, Tech Math Lab, and Fundamental Concepts of Mathematics. This semester I am teaching MATH 1007 & MATH 1107, Fundamental Concepts of Math lecture and support.

I graduated from FSU in May 2009 with a BS in Mathematics/minor in Office Administration. Since then, my career path has been all over the place! I worked at a car auction, I was the transfer specialist in Enrollment Services here at FSU, I was a substitute teacher in Marion County for a year, and had a very brief stint at a bank. In July of 2014 I was asked to become an adjunct for FSU and I have finally found my calling! I enjoy teaching math, working with adults, the environment of higher education, and the freedom and ability to make each class my own.

I’m pursing a Master’s in Education with a concentration in Digital Media, New Literacies and Learning. This is my second semester in the grad program, so I expect to finish my degree in the spring of 2017. I have only taken two classes so far (summer 2015: EDUC 6301 & EDUC 6809). With my degree, I plan to become a full-time Mathematics professor (perhaps at FSU).

When I'm not too busy with teaching and taking classes, I enjoy almost anything outside. I have a new found love of kayaking, and spent several weekends this summer in the water somewhere in WV. Hiking, biking, swimming, and camping also take up a majority of my free time in the summer. I have one cat and one dog, who are both rescues and best of friends.

I would like to walk away from this class with the ability to bring new ideas and methods involving technology into my classroom. Teaching Math is sometimes very black and white on a chalk board, so I would like to discover new and exciting way to present the material that makes learning fun and efficient!