Freyja Bergthorson
Loudoun County Public Schools
Freyja.Bergthorson@loudoun.k12.va.us
Where I’m from… background information
Brief discussion & video presentation of 21st Century Literacy
What’s a Wiki
Google Docs
Wordle.net
Examples of classroom applications & student work
Assignment #1 – set the stage analyze & connect
PSA – analyze & create
Animals
Drink & Drive
Darth Vader
Digital essays (My Friends / Brain Surgery)
Student choice (451 hand/trailer/song)
Traditional Literary assignments, with a modern twist – “The Bells”
What did it mean to be literate
when you graduated from high
school?
Now answer this one…
What does ‘to be literate’ mean
for students for students who
will graduate from high school
in the 21st Century?
The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies
Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee, February 15, 2008
Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices
shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology
change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the
intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century
demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and
competencies, many literacies. These literacies—from reading online
newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms—are multiple, dynamic, and
malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life
possibilities and social trajectories of individuals and groups.
Twenty-first century readers and writers need to
• Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
• Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and
cross-culturally
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of
purposes
• Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments
If anyone can create & publish material for
anyone to see, the ability to read critically is
more important than ever & involves the
analysis and interpretation of more than just
text.
How can we engage them in the
English classroom?
While we teach
whatever we teach at
school, the kids go
home and learn the
skills they need to
survive and prosper in
an interconnected
global economy.
Clarence Fisher
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to create using technologies they view as
relevant / real world
choices that respect their learning styles &
interests
to create individually and in collaboration
with others
to tell their own stories
access to high quality information & the
ability to critically evaluate information
guidance / rubrics / high expectations
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Thinking critically about information
involves more than just reading text.
Video can be used to engage students
in the same thinking skills they need
to practice to improve reading.
Skills can be transferred to
‘traditional’ reading assignments.
Assignment #1
Critical response – Ordinary People, Extra Ordinary Things
Instructions for the assignment – read all instructions & rubric before starting!
1. Save this document to your English folder. Name it "Your Name assignment 1".
2. Find the link Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things on the website, click to open the video clip – this
will take several minutes.
3. While waiting for the video to load, type your name, date and block in the upper right hand corner of this
paper. Save again!
4. Read the response questions.
5. View the video – you may view it again if necessary, but you have only this class period to complete the
assignment.
6. Type your answers to each of the questions below. Save after answering each question. Proofread them for
clarity and mechanics (you may also use spell-check). Save again!
7. When you are fully satisfied that you have produced your best effort (check the rubric below), delete these
instructions, leaving only your responses to the questions below on the page. Be sure your response fits on
one page (if it is on two pages you’ll need to put your heading at the top of the second page too).
Critical Response Questions – See rubric for requirements
What is the purpose of the video?
What is the main idea the producers want the viewer to get from watching the video?
Who was the intended audience? Be specific & support your answer.
How did the selection of music, images and text support this purpose?
Do you think this video was successful in its purpose? Why or why not?
If you were going to add another person to this video, who would you add and why?
50 points (A)
All directions
followed, answers
complete, well
thought out and
expressed. Writing
meets FSMS
standards.
Assignment
complete.
45 points (B)
All directions may
have been followed,
answers may require
revision for clarity.
Writing meets
FSMS standards.
Assignment
complete.
40 points (C )
Some directions
may have been
followed, some
answers may need
revision, most
FSMS writing
standards met.
Assignment may be
complete.
35 points (D)
Some directions
may have been
followed, some
answers may need
revision, most
FSMS writing
standards met.
Assignment not
complete.
O
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y
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•Take a ‘traditional essay’ in a new directions
•Creates a product that showcases student
interests and talents
•Provides opportunities for practicing
composition & communication skills
•Engages even reluctant students in the writing
process
•End up on thumb-drives, not trash bins
When I was two years old,
my parents discovered that I
had a brain problem, but they
didn’t know that the problem
was seizures until the second
grade, when they took me to see
a doctor. The seizures worsened
due to the flipping that occurred
in some of the exercises.
•
I had to remain in the
hospital for a total of nine
weeks. During those nine
weeks, I had three surgeries.
The first was to locate the
problem, the second was to
remove the problem, and the
third was to remove an
infection I had obtained in the
second surgery.
After the surgeries there
was a long healing phase I
had to make it through. I
had to wear a large
bandage and a unique
helmet at all times. I also
could not participate in any
physical activities. Even
after all that, I haven’t had
a seizure in over four years.
– The reason these surgeries
had to be done even though
they were life threatening was
because, if I didn’t have these
surgeries, I would never be
able to drive a car, ride a
bicycle, play sports, or even do
daily activities without
risking injury to myself or
others. So I am very thankful
I survived and am here today.
My friends mean the world
to me. Without friends I
wouldn’t be the same. I have
a lot of friends but these are
some of my closest. There’s
Bailey in the upper left,
Jenny in the upper right, and
Leanna on the bottom.
First there’s Bailey! She is
my best friend ever. She has
always been there for me
through the good times and
the bad times. Not only is she
my best friend but she is also
my neighbor. She lives right
down the street from me.
Since we live so close we do
so many activities together.
We go to guitar together, we
hang outside all the time and
listen to loud music to annoy
our very annoying neighbors.
Bailey’s personality is very easy to sum up.
She’s wild and crazy happy and has the best
sense of humor. Her three loves in life are
food, music (as in AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses,
and Led Zeppelin) and her favorite guinea
pig named Pig.
Next is my other best friend
Leanna! I have been friends with
Leanna since 5th grade. She is a
great person to laugh with and
always has something to say.
You can talk to her about
anything and she will always
listen.
Leanna like to laugh and just have a good
time. She is a little more quiet in school but
out side of school she is wild and crazy.
Leanna is very athletic and like soccer and
basketball the best. Playing kickball outside
with Leanna and her neighbors is so much
fun.
To sum it up
Leanna is just,
Leanna!
I have known Jenny since we were 4
years old. Ever since I have known her
we have been eating candy. Jenny lives
near me so we can hang out a lot.
Jenny is a very nice person
with a great personality. Some
of Jenny’s favorite activities are
to talk on her phone, and sing
(she is a good singer by the
way!) Jenny likes her dog
buddy too. It is the dog she
always wanted.
My friends are all very special to me
and make me laugh non stop.
With out their funny
personalities and great sense of
humor I don’t know what I
would do.
Now as you can see
this is what makes
my friends my
friends.
Interpreting Media Messages –
Public Service Announcements
Students must be able to interpret and evaluate media messages –
Analyzing and creating Public Service Announcements
Animals
Responsible use of social networking – a basic life skill!