Week+8

= __Week 8: Comic Life and Bitstrips Software__ =

Agenda:
1) Introduction of Guest Lecturer 2) Media Literacy 3) Codes and Conventions of Graphic Novels 4) Software Demo and Exploration of Comic Life and Bitstrips 5) Bloom's Digital Taxonomy 6) Co-Writer and Write Out Loud Assistive Technologies 7) Discussion about multimedia presentation project

Media Literacy:
-All media messages are constructions -The medium is the message (Marshall McLuhan)

Today's reading focuses on a webpage developed by [|www.media-awareness.ca] entitled What is Media Literacy. To access this webpage click here I have used this site for a number of lesson activities during my first practicum. This webpage establishes a clear definition of media literacy and the fact that today's youth must be educated about it. This webpage provides a number of perspectives on the importance of learning to become media literate and ends with a number of useful links and lesson plan ideas. This concept is the Big Idea of a unit I am designing for my second practicum. The unit focuses on the ways in which the media can manipulate our understanding of global events and aims to teach students that they must be critical in their interpretations of what is being presented to them from the media. I will continue to use this webpage to formulate lesson ideas and plans.

The Association for Media Literacy also investigates these ideas. This webpage can be found by clicking here. This ogranization is based out of Ontario and describes media literacy as an individual developing and understanding of the uses and practices of the mass media. This article further explores the issue by suggesting ways in which we can become more critical of the the messages that are being presented to viewers by media corperations.

Codes and Conventions of Graphic Novels
-Becoming a popular tool for students to read literature who do not have the skills or the knowledge to fully understand prose writing.

Shots: establishes a setting Format: Color, font, bubbles Panels: tilt, shadow Gutters: inferring, time Z Pattern that western culture reads in.

Comic genres whats really important is what is taken out of it, not what is in the actual comic. You want deep meaning and have the manner present that allows students to express themselves and their emotions.

This is my comic detailing the life of Earl, an unhappy low level office technician.
 * Exploration of Comic Life:**

BItstrips is an interactive comic strip maker that allows students to create avatars and comics featuring these characters. This would be an effective tool for teaching literacy as well as teaching an introduction to dialogue. Students can also use pre-existing characters as they build and develop comic strips.
 * Exploration of [|www.Bitstrips.com]**

My Avatar: Mr Taylor Burns

This is a comic detailing Mr Taylor Burns running to catch a ball.


 * Practical Applications: Pros/Cons of each program **

Pros: You can visually tell a story in a short period of time. You can focus on how you read and interpret a text using other mediums other than text.
 * Comic Life:**

Cons: You almost have to have the images before you start.

Pros: You can work on showing emotion on the characters Shows a better logical sequence of action
 * Bitstrips:**

Cons: If you are working on anything artistic, bitstrips may be a bit too constricting as you cannot input your own images etc like you can with comic life. This is an assistive technological program that aides students experiencing difficulties composing sentences, text or stories. I use this program working as a tutor for the OCSB and I find that it is very effective in allowing students to concentrate on their work instead of processing or typing the information. This program also allows student to develop greater skills in sight word recognition.
 * Bloom's Digital Taxonomy** This breakdown of the traditional lower to higher order thinking skills takes into account the new digital learner and the tasks that a student can do to carry out these higher order thinking skills. THe handout we recieived during this explanation is great and I will consider this guide while creating student centered lessons during my second practicum.
 * Co-Writer **
 * Write Out Loud **This is an assitive technological program which gives students audio feedback of their words as they type. This technology benefits students who may be visually impaired or an auditory learner. Though I have no used this technology in practice, I have explored this program in class and find that it would be an effective tool to use in the classroom setting.