Digital storytelling

Digital story telling can be done by using the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Capzles. A digital story can also be told in form of a game, in this form the game tells the story. Some forms of digital storytelling includes, Facebook storytelling, Wiki storytelling, Blog storytelling, Podcast storytelling, Flickr storytelling. Digital story telling can also be done by remixing someone else's story. Here the author adds and takes out from the new story thus producing something that is completely different. Digital story telling makes use of web 2.0 without web 2.0 digital storytelling  would have been impossible .Web 2.0 allows an author of a digital story to upload data, which might be in video format or audio format or picture format and store it on the website, this data can then be viewed by someone else who visits the website. Digital storytelling requires creativity, the metaliterate learner must be  able to create a story that makes sense , is interesting to the viewer or listener. A digital story can make use of different pictures and few words to tell a story example in flickr story telling,  permission must be taken before a picture is used,  free images from open resources like creative common images can also be used. Digital storytelling in form of podcast story telling allows the author to tell the story with his own voice without the use of images . The author can also  add a musical soundtrack so that the listener finds the story interesting and would like to listen to it till the end . You can create your own music or use free  soundtracks from creative commons. A digital story like every other story should  have a purpose, a point of view of the narrator , should have a content, make use of good grammar and proper language.A digital story can be a legacy story - a story told about some one, can be a biography - which talks about the life of someone else or the story tellers life, can be a memoir- this is  more personal and reflexive and  much longer than a typical digital story.
Digital story telling can be used in metaliteracy to explain a process in which the author makes use of different photographs and words.

metaliterac MOOC

Impact of social media on media news

Print media was the main source of news for a long time for everyone. Then the Television and Radio  was invented which was also another  major source of information for a long time. Times Union in Albany started as an outlet for advertising business before it became a major newspaper for producing information to the general public . News production  and delivery has changed and will forever continue to change with the introduction of social media.The  production and dissemination of news is based on a feedback loop involving the ;
                                    the consumer
                                     the mediator
                                      the message

Here consumer influence the message and the mediator playing a central role. With social media consumers constantly send emails to the editors about what they think about a news that was published, they can also comment on the information , this is a big changed. With the social media advertising companies can read  people's comment about a product and make necessary changes based on what they read. Social media has allowed people to share information , thus allowing the endless circulation of information.

The Print media also use social media  
 Social media has also enabled the print media Journalist to check the authenticity of some of the information they are about to disseminate, they also make use of social medias like facebook, twitters , and so on to disseminate information, they use it communicate with their consumers. The print media make also disseminate information via blogs , thus the social media permits the print media to reach a larger audience that they were unable to reach before.

What this generation think about the print media
They think the print media is biased
They think the print media have an agenda
They don't beleive the information that the print media produce and disseminate , they mostly rely on the social media as their major source of information.

Photo credit :www.forbes.com

What is Web 2.0 ?

Web 2.0 site allows users to communicate like they do on social media, it is the sophisticated version of the world wide web that we all know and it continues to develop. It is the type used in social media sites, blogs, and video sharing sites and so on. The image below provides us with the basics of web 2.0

http://www.slideshare.net/prinsp/p-prinsloo-7-october2013-final

Websites using web 2.0 are more advanced compared to websites that are just made up of texts this type is known as web 1.0 . Web 1.0 just presents information on the website, but web 2.0 allows us to interact with the website , it allows us to perform many different functions such as storing information on the website, tagging, blogging and so many others. Here the user is in charge , web 1.0 does not allow these, it only provides information. Web2.0 make use of Ajax and Java Script on the client side  which allows us to download upload data on to the web site while on the server it uses similar technologies as web 1.0. This means we can store a voice recording message on to the website and keep it there. Web 2.0 is what allows us to be able to record our voice and submit it online to be graded by the professor from his own computer. This is a function of Javascript used by the Web 2.0 , imagine what it would be like if we all still use web 1.0 .

In my foreign language class, we had  to record our voice  to answer some of the assigned homework.We all had to download java and also update it regularly. This is possible because  web 2.0 make use of Java  to store data on the website. It will also allow the  Professor download it from the website listen to the recordings and grade them.

How to become an effective learner

How do we use previous skills and knowledge to analyze  newly consumed information which will involve comparing and contrasting the new information with what we know. This learning process is explained by metacognitive theories.
                           
Components of metacognitive theories:
1. Metacognitive knowledge
2. Metacognitive regulation

                                                        Metacognitive knowledge
What do we know about our cognition?

 Declarative knowledge
         We know we are learners , we use our memory to analyze the  different information we consume. Therefore what makes us good learners is how much we know about our cognition.Good learners have more knowledge about their memory.

Procedural knowledge
       Involves using skills to solve different problems. People that possess better problem solving skills learn faster.

Conditional knowledge
   This is knowing how and when to use the skills that have been acquired over time to solve a problem.

                                                 Metacognitive regulation
How do we control our thinking?

Planning
This involves strategies that makes us to learn better , like asking questions before reading an article.

Monitoring
This involves testing our knowledge while learning , people who are able to effectively utilize this form of metacognitive regulation are good at declarative i.e. they are able to effectively access their memory on the subject  and perform a test while learning.

Evaluation
This requires an ability to be able to uncover some details that are not present in the information we are consuming. This will require us to align our thinking to what the author was thinking when he produced the text we are consuming.

All these components are required in order for us to be an effective learner.




  

http://www.slideshare.net/hjl12141/7-powerpointmy-literacy-learners

Open Pedagogy

http://cimsbschool.org/pedagogy/


Pedagogy is the art of teaching , it is the way and method that an instructor use to transfer knowledge to  consumer. Open pedagogy therefore involves the transfer of information form the producer to the consumer freely, in open pedagogy barriers placed on learning have been removed enabling consumers to learn freely. A pedagogue is anyone that produce information in such away that it can be learned easily by a consumer, in some countries in order to be a pedagogue you will need a Bachelors in Education , or go through a training in  an institute for educators.
Steps used in open pedagogy

                        Make your consumers trust you
                        Provide some information to your consumers or students
                        Let the students consume and translate the information you provide
                        Allow the students the to teach the  newly translated information to another student
                        Provide the students with how their work will be graded
                        Provide students with different methods that can be employed in other to do well
                       Give them a feedback on the work done by the students
                       Allow the students to try this form of teaching


Why do we then need a permission or license in open pedagogy ?
This is because the work by a student that will be effective in teaching other students and also be in accordance with the free access policy of open educational resources and also the 4R permissions.




                      
             http://www.fno.org/sept03/pedagogy2.jpg                    

visual literacy

Visual literacy , enables us to send information like coded messages so that they can convey the same meaning that written words will convey. This will require that the consumer also understand how to read visual information. Knowing how to read visual information is very important when symbols are be used to convey the message.

Visual literacy is important in order to participate in open education which seeks to connect people from different parts of the world, because different  people have different languages. The ability to understand the meaning of visual images will enable messages to be conveyed easily between people in different  parts of the world.

The following are used in conveying visual information effectively

Symbols
This is used to convey an idea, it can be inform of a name or an object. Symbols can be seen on a map , where different symbols convey different meaning.

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0027-map-key-and-scale.php



Sign

This is used as a notice to inform people , most likely warn them about something. Below is a no smoking sign

 

 

 

http://www.canstockphoto.com/sign-no-smoking-0065326.html


Icon
This is a form of visual information that comes from our world. Icons are universally understood , it can be an image of a popular monarch .People are expected to understand the meaning of an icon without learning them unlike symbols.


Some terms in visual literacy

Information
Set of facts conveyed by a producer that can be consumed by someone , it sends a message to the consumer. We have different sources of information such as websites , newspapers, and lectures.

Information design
This is used to build information in order to present in a other that it will be manageable and also convey all the information that the producer intends to convey to the consumer.

Info graphics
This is used to produce information in such a way that it can be easily consumed. It simplifies information that would have been very difficult to understand.



http://www.wired.com/design/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/infographic_of_infographics.png