New Literacies

Assignment#1 Answer the following questions (where to post this assignment: Blog)

1. What gaming elements provide users the learning content and how? (Refer to the journal article page 4).

Facebook: Scrabble with friends

•  Text: The player must read the word their opponent makes to figure out if they can make a word based off the letters in the given word. Furthermore, various notices pop up throughout the game that requires the player to read to determine if their word is acceptable and if so how many point they are allotted. Furthermore, it also notifies the player when it is their turn. Lastly, when played on the computer the players have the option of sending messages to each other, which, in turn, requires the player to read and analyze what the text is saying.

•  Visual-graphic elements: When it is your turn, your name will light up telling you it is your turn. Another visual-graphic element is when the word is accepted it will turn green, if it is not accepted an “x” will come up indicating it is not a proper word.

•  Audio elements: There are only a few audio elements. They include: clicking of the tiles when placed on the game board, and a dedicated noise when the word is accepted or rejected.

2. What is the goal of the game? The goal is this game is to achieve the highest score. It also enforces the skill of spelling as the player is required to create words.

3. What are rules of playing this game? The rules of playing this game are to achieve the highest score by gaining points for each word spelled. Each letter used for each word has a pre-determined worth of points. Harder letters to incorporate into a word, such a “z” are allotted more points than common letters such as “s”.

4. Does this game have any scenario design? (Refer to the journal article page 5.) If yes, is this a fabricated or embedded in curriculum-related content? This game does not have a scenario design.

Assignment#2 Create a simple ELA lesson plan addressing the following components (where to post this assignment: Blog)

•Grade level: 1

•Common core standards:

Phonics and Word Recognition

•   RF.1.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

Conventions of Standard English

•   L.1.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

                        Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.

•   L.1.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

                        Use end punctuation for sentences.

                        Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.

Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.

·      Learning outcomes:

o  The students will be able to:

§  Identify vocabulary/spelling words

§  Spell the vocabulary words correctly

§  Use the vocabulary words in a sentence

•Instructional activities (how does this game help develop language acquisition and development, both oral and written, be creative?)

Before the lesson begins the teacher will go over the vocabulary/spelling words for the week. The students will then be directed to the computers with Scrabble with Friends pre-loaded. The teacher will then go over the rules of the game and expected behavior. The students will play with the student at the computer next to them. Scrabble with friends helps develop language acquisition and development. It can be used a variety of ways in the classroom. In this activity, however, students are put in pairs. With a partner they will play Scrabble with friends. However, instead of using the letter tiles to spell any words they will be asked to try to spell words from their vocabulary list, which coincides with their spelling list. In using their vocabulary words, the students will also be asked to write a sentence for each word they create and read it to their partners. This helps to develop their oral and written language acquisition.

•Assessment: Once the students have completed the game the teacher will collect the scores of the game as well as the sentences they created to be graded. The combined score of the game and the sentences they wrote will be used as an assessment to monitor their progress and ability.

•Debriefing (refer to the journal article page 8 to 12): Debriefing goes hand and hand with this game. Since students are using their vocabulary words then they play this game it automatically helps them connect to the real world, opposed to a game about fairytales. Furthermore, scaffolding writing skills through debriefing will also occur, as students will be asked to write a sentence for each word they create. They will also be given the opportunity to share their work once they are finished.

•What cognitive skills do this game help to cultivate? The cognitive skills that this game helps to cultivate are: spelling, writing, and comprehension.

•What new literacies skills do this game help to cultivate (refer to the journal article page 2 and 3)? This game helps to cultivate many new literacy skills.  Since this lesson is for grade 1, it is on a simplistic enough level that begins to get the students familiar with these new literacies. On a basic level, they will learn to use ICTs by communicating with their partner during the game, understanding the visual/audio cues, etc.