Adolescence Education: 506

Computers & the Study of English

__________________________________
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, SUNY CORTLAND

Thursdays, Old Main, Room G-17, 4:20 6:50 pm

Professor Sarah R. Hobson
sarah.hobson@cortland.edu
Office Phone: 607-753-2230
Office Hours: Old Main: 115C
Mondays/Wednesdays
10:30 1:00 pm
by appointment

WEEK
1

AUGUST 28
Digital Literacy, Information Literacy,
Media Literacy

Assignment
(Please read the
readings for next week
and post a blog on your
blog taking up the focus
questions)

In class: -Getting set up on google, gmail

-Getting set up on class blog, class wiki
-Getting wordpress blog set up
-Set up LinkedIn account
-Conceptualizing digital, informational, and media literacies

FOCUS QUESTIONS

What constitutes digital literacies?

What constitutes information literacies?
What constitutes media literacy?
What can teachers do to support students in becoming digitally, informationally,
and media literate?

CORE READINGS: READ ONE OF THE LANKSHEAR CHAPTERS & PAGES

ONE OF KUIPER OR KARCHMER
Lankshear, C. & Knobel, M. (2008). Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and

Practices. New York: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.

Chapter 3: Digital Literacy as Information Savvy: The Road to Information
Literacy. (pp. 43-72) Maggie Fieldhouse and David Nicholas
Chapter 4: Defining Digital Literacy-What do young people need to know
about digital media? (pp. 73-90) David Buckingham
Chapter 7: Digital Literacy and the Digital Society (pp. 151-176) Allan
Martin
Kuiper, E., Volman, M., & Terwel, J. (2005). The Web as an Information Resource
in K-12 Education: Strategies for Supporting Students in Searching and Processing
Information. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 285-328.
Karchmer, R. A. (2001). The Journey Ahead: Thirteen Teachers Report How the
Internet Influences Literacy and Literacy Instruction in Their K-12 Classrooms.
Reading Research Quarterly, 36(4), 442-466.

WEEK
2

SEPTEMBER 4

Design Literacies, Visual Literacies

29
17
25
8
24

Assignment
(Please prepare a handout that
names each design principle
and explains how it works)
(Please read the readings for
next week and post a blog on
your blog taking up the focus
questions)

In Class: -Conceptualizing design principles

-Using design principles to assess student digital texts

FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are design-based understandings of reading, writing, and research?
How can design-based understandings support students as critical readers, writers,
and researchers?
How can design-based understandings support students as evaluators and
assessors of their own composition and of the writing of others?

CORE READINGS
Voithofer, R. (2005). Designing New Media Education Research: The Materiality of
Data, Representation, and Dissemination. Educational Researcher, 34(9), 3-14.
Cloonan, A. (2011). Creating Multimodal Metalanguage with Teachers. English
Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(4), 23-40.
Duncum, P. (2004). Visual Culture Isn't Just Visual: Multiliteracy, Multimodality
and Meaning. Studies in Art Education. 45(3), 252-264.
Janks, H. (2014). Doing Critical Literacy, (Section 1, pp. 1-12). New York:
Routledge.
Janks, H. (2014). Doing Critical Literacy, (Section 5: Critical Visual Literacy, pp.
83-100). New York: Routledge.
Maun, I. & Myhill, D. (2005). Texts as design, Writers as designers. English in
Education, 39(2), 5-21.

One Additional Reading Assigned in Class:

PAGES
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Connors, S. (2011). Toward a Shared Vocabulary for Visual Analysis- An Analytic

Toolkit for Deconstructing the Visual Design of Graphic Novels. Journal of Visual
Literacy, 31(1), 71-92.
Hassett, D., & Schieble, Melissa B. (2007). Finding Space and Time for the Visual in
K-12 Literacy Instruction. The English Journal, 97(1), 62-68.
Hock, M. (2003). Understanding Visual Rhetoric in Digital Writing Environments.
College Composition and Communication. 54(4), 629-656.
Serafini, F. (2011). Expanding Perspectives for Comprehending Visual Images in
Multimodal Texts. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(5), 342-350.
Rowsell, J. D., Eryn. (2012). Redesigning writing in English class-a multimodal
approach to teaching writing. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 7(3), 246-260.
Rowsell, J. a. B., A. (2009). Reading by Design: Two Case Studies of Digital
Reading Practices. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(2), 106-118.

WEEK
3

SEPTEMBER 11

Pedagogies of Design

21
6
27
8
14
18

Assignment
(Please prepare a handout with your
co-readers that helps us understand the
features and cultural implications of
these sites)
(Please read the readings for next week
and post a blog on your blog taking up
the focus questions)

In Class: -Conceptualizing theories and practices of actual designers

-Evaluating/assessing specific websites using design principles
-Conceptualizing successful design based theories and practices for
classrooms

FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the theories and practices of actual designers?
What does it mean to design pedagogies and curricula to include content,
technologies, design principles, and assessment?
How are different schools and school districts taking up educational technology?
What kinds of pedagogical principles contribute to the educational successes of
school districts that integrate technology and digital literacies?

CORE READINGS
Warschauer, M. (2012). Learning in the cloud: How (and Why) to transform
schools with digital media. New York: Teachers College Press.
Chapter 1: Introduction. (pp. 1-5)
Chapter 2: Goals (pp. 6-29)
Chapter 5: Designs (pp. 67-98)
Sheridan, M. & Rowsell, J. (2010). Design literacies: Learning and innovation
in the Digital Age. Routledge: New York.
Chapter 2: Practices and language of design: Case studies: the activist, the
businessman, and the scholar, pp. 25-42.

PAGES
5
23
31

17

 Chapter 3: Fearless Creativity: participation structures and sponsorship in

dense media networks, pp. 43-71.

28

One Additional Reading Assigned in Class:

Lankshear, C. & Knobel, M. (2008). Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and
Practices. New York: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
Chapter 10: The Digital Literacies of Online Shoppers pp. 227-248
Julia Davies
Chapter 11: Digital Literacy and Participation in Online Social Networking
Spaces pp. 249-278 Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear
Coiro, J., & Dobler, E. (2007). Exploring the Online Reading Comprehension
Strategies Used by Sixth-Grade Skilled Readers to Search for and Locate
Information on the Internet. Reading Research Quarterly, 42(2), 214-257.
Squire, K. (2006). Content to Context-Videogames as Designed Experience,
Squire. Educational Researcher, 35(8), 19-29.

21
29
42
10

Optional/Supplementary Reading:
Rhodes, J. (2002). "Substantive and Feminist Girlie Action": Women Online.
College Composition and Communication, 54(1), 116-142.
Thorne, S. L., Black, R. W., & Sykes, J. M. (2009). Second Language Use,
Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming.
The Modern Language Journal, 93, 802-821.

WEEK
4

SEPTEMBER 18
Unit Planning: Backwards Planning
and Assessment

25
19

Assignment:
(Please make a handout that
outlines the pedagogical
theory, curricular design, and
literacy learning of students)
(Please read the readings for
next week and post a blog on
your blog taking up the focus
questions)

In Class: -Conceptualizing pedagogical and curricular design

-Conceptualizing assessment of student digital writing
-Conceptualizing implementation of assessment
-Formulating learning objectives
-Examining teacher blogs, professional networking blogs and twitter

FOCUS QUESTIONS

How are teachers designing pedagogy and curricula centered in digital literacies
and design-based principles?
What are we assessing when we assess digital writing?
What are our learning objectives for teaching digital writing?
What is a range of approaches for assessing student digital writing?

CORE READINGS
Dede, C. & Richards, J. (Eds.). (2012). Digital teaching platforms: Customizing
classroom learning for each student. New York: Teachers College Press.

PAGES
15

 Chapter 9: Formative Assessment: A Key Component of Digital Teaching

Platforms. (pp. 153-168). Michael Russell.
Erben, T., Ban, R. & Castaeda, M. (2009). Teaching English Language Learners
through Technology. New York: Routledge.
Chapter 3.6: E-assessments: Portfolios, Quizzes, and Rubrics (pp. 150-165)
Kinloch, V., & Staples, J. (2010). Innovative Writing Instruction: "Does my iMovie
suck?": Assessing Teacher Candidates' Digital Composition Processes. The English
Journal, 99(5), 95-99.

15

Examples of Pedagogical Design

Please read the one-three additional readings assigned to you in class:
Bailey, N. M., & Carroll, K. M. (2010). Motivating Students' Research Skills and
Interests through a Multimodal, Multigenre Research Project. English Journal, 99(6),
78-85.*
Britsch, S. (2009). ESOL Educators and the Experience of Visual Literacy. TESOL
Quarterly, 43(4), 710-721.
Shipka, J. (2005). A Multimodal Task-Based Framework for Composing. College
Composition and Communication, 57(2), 277-306.
Lalik, R., & Oliver, K. L. (2007). Differences and Tensions in Implementing a
Pedagogy of Critical Literacy with Adolescent Girls. Reading Research Quarterly,
42(1), 46-70.
Jackson, T. A. (1999). Ontological Shifts in Studio Art Education: Emergent
Pedagogical Models. Art Journal, 58(1), 69-73.*
Marquez-Zenkov, K., & Harmon, J. A. (2007). Seeing English in the City: Using
Photography to Understand Students' Literacy Relationships. The English Journal,
96(6), 24-30.
Chung, S. K. (2005). Media/Visual Literacy Art Education: Cigarette Ad
Deconstruction. Art Education, 58(3), 19-24.
Black, J., & Smith, K. (2008). Inspired by the Poetic Moving Image. Art Education,
61(2), 25-29.*
Schwarz, G. (2006). Expanding Literacies through Graphic Novels. The English
Journal, 95(6), 58-64.*
Tierney, R. J., Bond, E., & Bresler, J. (2006). Examining Literate Lives as Students
Engage with Multiple Literacies. Theory into Practice, 45(4), 359-367.*
Adams, M. G. (2009). Engaging 21st-Century Adolescents: Video Games in the
Reading Classroom. The English Journal, 98(6), 56-59.
Webb, A. (2007). Digital Texts and the New Literacies. The English Journal, 97(1),
83-88.*
Roschelle, J. M., Pea, R. D., Hoadley, C. M., Gordin, D. N., & Means, B. M. (2000).
Changing How and What Children Learn in School with Computer-Based
Technologies. The Future of Children, 10(2), 76-101.*
Hall, D. T., & Damico, J. (2007). Black Youth Employ African American Vernacular
English in Creating Digital Texts. The Journal of Negro Education, 76(1), 80-88.

17

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29

24
4
6

5
4
6
8
3
5
5
8

WEEK
5

SEPTEMBER 25

Assignment:

Blogging, Aggregate RSS Feed, and

Twitter

In Class:
- Share overview of research projects
- Sharing/Designing our own blogs
- Learn twitter, RSS Reader, Feebly, Hootsuite, Blogger.
- Discuss what teachers are doing with twitter and blogging.
- How will you use blogging and twitter and these feeders in your research project
-Sharing multiple dimensions of blogging, twitter

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are teachers using twitter and blogging to expand student literacy learning?
How are teachers connecting with professional networks through twitter?
How can we use twitter and blogs to develop professional networks and engage in
practitioner inquiry?
How can we use twitter and blogs to engage in practitioner inquiry?

CORE READINGS
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and
genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Chapter 3: Crafting Web Texts, pp. 28-60
Chapter 7: Crafting Social Media, pp. 137-153
Rodesiler, L., Rami, M., Anderson, G., Minnich, C., Kelley, B., & Anderson, S.
(2014). Transforming professional lives through on-line participation. English
Journal, 103(6), 52-58.
Venters, M. (2014). Day of tears: Day of desperation: Using blogging to make
social studies content engaging and comprehensible. (pp. 77-90). In Hagood, M.
(Ed.). New Literacies Practices: Designing Literacy Learning. New York: Peter
Lang.
Rochette, L. C. (2007). What Classroom Technology Has Taught Me about
Curriculum, Teaching, and Infinite Possibilities. The English Journal, 97(2), 43-48
Hunter, J. C., H. J. (2014). Urban Youth Use Twitter to Transform Learning and
Engagement. English Journal, 103(4), 76-82.
English, C. (2007). Finding a Voice in a Threaded Discussion Group: Talking about
Literature Online. The English Journal, 97(1), 56-61.

PAGES
32
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6
13

5
6
5

WEEK
6

OCTOBER 2
Wiki, Mind Mapping, Prezi, Power
Point

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use wikis,
mind mapping, prezi and/or
power point for your unit
plan

In Class:
-Review Hootsuite, RSS Reader, Blogger
-Review different kinds of wikis and the features of each one
-Share findings on different kinds of mind mapping software
-Look at features of Prezi and Power Point
-Discuss how different teachers are using these platforms
-Discuss how you will use them in your unit plan

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are teachers using wiki to help students store their data collection, their data
analysis, and their writing?
How are teachers using mind mapping, prezi, and power point to help students
annotate texts, create helpful concept maps, and organize and present their
research of literary and informational texts?

CORE READINGS
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and
genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Chapter 2: Authors Craft, Genre Study, and Digital Writing, pp. 11-23.
Chapter 4: Crafting Presentations, pp. 61-86.
Doering, A., Beach, Richard, O'Brien, David. (2007). Infusing Tools and Digital
Literacies into an English Education Program-English Education. English Education,
41-60.

PAGES
22
25
19

WEEK
7

OCTOBER 8

Radio Show Podcast

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use podcasts
for your unit plan
Perfect your concept maps
as though you were a
student of your own unit
plan

In Class: -Discussing how teachers are using podcasts

-Listening to examples of student podcasts
-Learning the features of podcasts
-Creating a podcast and discussing how we can teach with podcasts

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are teachers and how can we use podcasts to expand student literacy
learning?

CORE READINGS

PAGES

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and
genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Chapter 5: Crafting Audio Texts, pp. 87-103
Goodson, L. A. S., Matt. (2010). Skillen-Small Town Perspectives, Big-Time
Motivation-Composing and Producing Place-Based Podcasts. English Journal,
100(1), 53-57.
Rozema, R. (2007). The Book Report, Version 2.0-Podcasting on Young Adult
Novels, English Journal, 97(1), 31-36.
Vess, D. (2006). History to Go-Why iTeach with iPods, The History Teacher. 39(4),
479-492.

WEEK
8

OCTOBER 16
Concept Mapping, Annotation

15
4
5
13

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use concept
mapping and annotation in
your unit planplease
connect this to how you will
help students share their
work

In Class: -Sharing our concept maps

-Reviewing power point posters and how they can support concept mapping
-Reviewing annotation software

-Discussing how we can use annotation software to support students in critical

analysis of texts and building towards effective concept mapping

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are teachers using concept mapping and annotation practices to expand
student literacy learning?

CORE READINGS

PAGES

Abrams, S. S., & Gerber, H. Abrams, Gerber-Cross-Literate Digital ConnectionsContemporary Frames for Meaning Making. English Journal, 103(4), 18-24.
Collier, L. (2013). Collier, Teaching Complex Texts- A Guide. The Council
Chronicle, 6-9.
Gable, R. (2010). Reading with Your Pen-Helping Students Interact with Text.
Classroom Notes Plus, 6-11.
Lattimer, H. (2010). Developing Academic Vocab Using Discipline-Based Texts.
NCTE, 78-109.
Porter-O'Donnell, C. (2004). Beyond the Yellow Highlighter-Teaching Annotation
Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension. English Journal, 93(5), 82-89.

WEEK
9

OCTOBER 23
Podcasting, Writing Assignments,
Unit Plan Brainstorm, Informational
Literacy Handouts, Annotation
Goals, Learning Objectives, iMovie

6
3
6
31
7

Assignment:
Complete full brainstorm
for unit plan texts, including
conceptions of
informational & media
literacy & handouts,
annotation goals, & learning
objectives
Revise and post all blogs

In Class: -Look at student unit plan brainstorms

-Discussing how teachers are approaching digital storytelling
-Learning the writing processes and features of digital storytelling
-Sharing how we will use digital storytelling in our units

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are you conceptualizing and scaffolding students understandings of
informational and media literacies?
How are you integrating research data bases (wiki, diigo, easybib, zotero,
endnote) as digital spaces where students can file their research notes into a
portfolio?
How are you integrating concept maps as part of your instructional design?
How are you integrating textual annotation software and practices to support
students as researchers who can collect, analyze, and re-present their findings?
What writing assignments have you designed for students?
How are you integrating podcasting and/or iMovie into the design of your writing
assignments?

WEEK
10

OCTOBER 30

iMovie Digital Storytelling

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use digital
storytelling for your unit
plan

In Class: -Reviewing questions from podcasts

-Discussing how teachers are approaching digital storytelling
-Learning the writing processes and features of digital storytelling
-Sharing how we will use digital storytelling in our units

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How are teachers using digital storytelling to expand student literacy learning?
How can digital storytelling be used to foster textual analysis and re-presentation?

CORE READINGS

PAGES

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and
genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Chapter 6: Crafting Video Texts, pp. 104-136
Costello, A. R., Thomas. (2014). Approaching YAL through Multiple Literacies.
English Journal, 103(4), 83-89.
Love, B. (2014). How storyboarding, moviemaking, and hip-hop-based education
can promote students' critical voice. English Journal, 103(5), 53-58.
Black, J., & Smith, K. (2008). Inspired by the Poetic Moving Image. Art Education,
61(2), 25-29.
Erben et al., E-Creation.

WEEK
11

NOVEMBER 6
Unit Planning Learning Objectives,
Research Packet, Writing
Assignment, Research Data Bases,
Note-taking Devices

32
6
6
4

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use digital
storytelling and/or
podcasting for your unit
plan

In Class: -Reviewing writing assignments

-Reviewing stages of preparation for writing assignments
-Aligning learning objectives with each stage
-Designing smaller writing assignments
-Designing podcast
-Homework: create a podcast like the one you will ask your students to

complete
-Create a blog about how you will integrate podcasting into your teaching for a
smaller of larger writing assignment
-Begin to write your lesson plans following template provided in class

FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the dimensions of your final writing assignments that you are helping
students scaffold over time with digital literacies?
What are your conceptions of media literacies, informational literacies, and digital
literacies that will help guide your students through their research stages and
processes?
What are your long and short-term objectives and how do they align with each
stage of student research?

WEEK
12

NOVEMBER 13
iMovie Critical Analysis of Literature

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use iMovie to
help students critically
analyze literature for your
unit plan

In Class: -Sharing podcasts

-Learning iMovie
-Discussing all of the ways teachers have used iMovie
-Practicing iMovie
-Homework: designing iMovies your students would create
-Keep working on lesson plans

FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the possibilities for using iMovie to help students analyze literary texts,
perform cross-text analyses, and re-present literary essay arguments?

CORE READINGS
Warschauer, M. (2012). Learning in the cloud: How (and Why) to transform
schools with digital media. New York: Teachers College Press.
Chapter 3: Tools
Dede, C. & Richards, J. (Eds.). (2012). Digital teaching platforms: Customizing
classroom learning for each student. New York: Teachers College Press.
Graesser, Arthur; McNamara, Danielle, Chapter 4: Reading Instruction:
Technology-based supports for classroom instruction (pp. 71-87).

PAGES
32
16

Guzzetti, B. (2009). Adolescents explorations with do-it-yourself media: Authoring

identity in out-of-school settings (pp. 41-57). In Hagood, M. (Ed.). New Literacies
Practices: Designing Literacy Learning. New York: Peter Lang.
Eakle, A.J. (2009). Crossing spaces in-school and out-of-school literacies (pp. 5876). In Hagood, M. (Ed.). New Literacies Practices: Designing Literacy Learning.
New York: Peter Lang.

WEEK
13

NOVEMBER 20

iMovie Research Report, Personal

Webpages, Electronic Portfolios,
Linked In

16
18

Assignment:
Read and take notes
Revise blog on iMovie
drawing from readings and
in class discussions
Map out unit plan with
long-term objectives that
correspond with each main
category provided in class
and with short-term
objectives that align with
each long-term
Map the central focus of
each lesson plan
Align
handouts/assessments with
lesson plans
Start writing lesson plans-at
least 2, include assessments
and handouts

In Class: -Discussing how teachers use iMovie

-Sharing our iMovies and how we have integrated them into unit plan
-Examining teacher portfolios and student portfolios
-Learning features of personal websites
-Getting set up on LinkedIn
-Homework: designing personal webpages
-Continuing to write lesson plans
-Blog on how students are using electronic portfolios and digital research tools
in your unit plan

FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are the possibilities for helping students use iMovie to perform, enact, and
re-present informational research?

CORE READINGS
Skinner, E. & Lichtenstein, M. (2009). Digital storytelling is not the new power
point: Adolescents critical constructions of presidential election issues (pp. 91-112).
In Hagood, M. (Ed.). New Literacies Practices: Designing Literacy Learning. New
York: Peter Lang.
Jason, R. (2007). A New Perspective on Inquiry: A Case Study of Digital Video

PAGES
12

Production. The English Journal, 97(1), 77-82.

Williamson, M. (2014). Serendipitous Stories: The Use of Memoir Concept Albums
to Teach Memoir Writing. English Journal, 103(6), 20-27.

WEEK
14

DECEMBER 4
Share and Revise Unit Plans, Finish
any remaining technologies,
Introduce Flipped Classroom

Assignment:
Post blog taking up
questions and considering
how you will use electronic
portfolios for yourself
and/or for students to
market your work and/or
for them to display their
work
Complete unit plan, blogs,
website, and post all work

In Class: -Sharing and revising unit plans and lesson plans

-Examining and updating webpages and electronic portfolios
-Reviewing any remaining technologies
-Exploring flipped classroom

FOCUS QUESTIONS
How have teachers used electronic portfolios to catalogue and assess student
work?
How have teachers used the flipped classroom?