Final Group Project for Metaliteracy- The Positives and Challenges (Vlog)

Geoffrey Bapteau and I collaborated on the final project for the Metaliteracy class. We decided to put a video blog (vlog) to discuss how Metaliteracy impacts our everyday campus lives even without even realizing it through the use of technology, blogging and social network sites.

Geoffrey happens to a Resident Assistant on Colonial Quad on campus while  I am the captain for the Albany Red Bulls Soccer Team on campus. Metaliteracy is very important and applies to almost aspects of life.

Here on campus, we use metaliteracy for extracurricular activities such as intramural sports and even in the residential quads and apartments to effectively communicate with members of the University at Albany. I communicate with my teammates via Facebook and Twitter by posting regularly on the team page and sending tweets to members of my team.

This mode of information sharing is very effective and falls within the metaliteracy information sharing and metacognitive frameworks since I carefully think about my thought processes in conveying the right messages to my teammates in a timely and socially accepted manner.

Similarly, Geoffrey reaches out to his residents on a regular basis to inform them about campus-wide events, quad meetings and all other relevant information that enhances the campus experience for all campus inhabitants and visitors alike. Geoffrey puts out information on bulletin boards at designated areas on his quad and around campus to always ensure information reaching the campus community is always up-to-date.

The only challenges Geoffrey and I encountered in our group project was thinking about our thought processes in making the right choice of words for our final video and presentation for this course. Recording was in no way as straightforward as we had both initially imagined. We had to record and re-record parts of the videos so as to get the outcome we were looking for as a team.

Eventually we found a way to make it work and we added a soundtrack and used iMovies to edit the videos. I really liked the outcome of our very last editing exercise and the final video came out just the way we wanted it, considering the time and effort we put in. The recording was done in the Skype Room in the basement of the main library. The video can be found below and please enjoy!

Social Media and Online Tools that enhanced my Metaliteracy Journey

Throughout the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Talks and class sessions this fall semester, I have encountered a number of online tools and multimedia that can be used within the Metaliteracy framework to share ideas and disseminate information with the public at large and interested parties as related to this interesting and evolving field of study. Below is a summary of all online tools and multimedia that I found very fascinating and helpful in the course of the semester and hopefully, I will find a way to put all to good use in my quest to share knowledge and valuable information with the general public, friends and family.

Tumblr is the first social media tool I found fascinating, especially because I have seen a few friends using it to make posts and sharing ideas, videos, photos and information to name a few. Nonetheless, I never really pictured how I could put it really good use I till I took this class. Tumblr is simply a micro-blogging social networking website that allows users to post multimedia in a form of a short blog. Users can keep their profiles private or they can publicize it by following other users of the platform. It was created by David Karp and it's owned by Yahoo! Inc. In one of our brainstorming sessions earlier in the semester I came across Tumblr and how it can be used creatively to share information based on Metaliteracy with metaliterate learners.

Prezi is another powerful online tool I first learned about through the Metaliteracy class. Prezi is an internet cloud-based presentation storytelling tool (including digital stories) that was founded by a Hungarian software company. The materials presented are done on a virtual canvas and the eye-catching features allows users to zoom in and out of the presentation media. Users are also allowed to navigate and well as display the material being presented through a 2.5 D or 3D space on the Z-axis. It was created in 2009 by Adam Somlai-Fischer, Peter Arvai and Peter Halacsy.

The third powerful online multimedia tool I came into contact with for the first time is Padlet. It is internet-based application which enables users to express their thought processes in an area of study easily. It is basically an online pad (sheet) that allows users to add any multimedia material- images, documents, videos and other text, etc.)- anywhere they desire on the page. The interesting point to note is the material can be put by team participation and from any device. It works like a real-time wiki and so it's good for collaborative information sharing.

The fourth multimedia tool that I personally discovered during the course was Popplet. It is a tool that enables users to visualize their brainstorming ideas. Users, mostly teachers and students create graphic organizers, timelines, and many other forms of visual organization. The strength of this online tool lies in the fact that it is a collaborative brainstorming and very effective presentation tool.

Twitter is the internet tool I used in sharing all my blog posts with other metaliterate learners and experts. It is a micro-blogging and social networking site which allows sharing, reading and sending text messages that cannot go beyond 140 characters. Registered users can post, read and re-post (retweet) information to other users while unregistered users can only read the tweets. This online social networking service was created in March 2006 by co-founders Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Biz Stone and Noah Glass. The launch of the site took place in July, 2006. 

Google+ is the last online tool I used in sharing all my blog posts with other users in my circles, including family and friends. According to Google, this platform is a 'social layer' that makes the company online properties advanced. Aside from the fact that it is a social networking site, it is also considered an authorship tool, which directly links web content with its owner/author. It is the second largest social networking site after Facebook. It is directly connected to Gmail, Youtube comments and +1 button, which is used to show a reader or user's liking for a post.

My Journey and Growth in Metaliteracy Part 2

The second half of the course kicked off with the fifth MOOC Talk, which was delivered on Monday, October 28 by co-presenters, Greg Stapleton (on behalf of the original presenter Rex Smith) and Professor John Delano. The old model of communication involved a gap between the creators of information and the consumers which was bridged by media. Between the 1950's and 1960's, the feedback loop was added which made it possible for consumers of information to write letters to the editors. The new model of communication is referred to as the social media age and it began between the 1980's and 1990's. It includes emails, feedback in the form of posts and comments, websites and less newspaper. It has become so clear that our generation sees through a slanted viewpoint and therefore it has become necessary for bloggers and journalists alike to use mass social media which allows peer reviews, critiques and feedback to ensure quality material is provided for information consumers.

 The attainment of power requires even greater responsibility and therefore the education of the next generation on news media literacy through the use of social media is very critical. Sustainable development has also become very necessary. The definition provided by Professor Delano is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to that, according Hebert Stein, that which is not sustainable will end. According to a Native American proverb, we do not inherit the environment from our parents we borrow it from our children. The field of science has many branches and therefore with the help of global action and education through the use of metaliteracy a major difference can be made to reduce all the environmental issues to the barest minimum as people become more aware of how important their individual roles are in achieving the collective goal. 

MOOC Talk 6 was delivered by Bryan Alexander and Nicola Marie Allain. Ubiquitous Computing, which states, "The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it." In this modern day and age there exists a multiplicity of technological tools and equipment that come together to form a platform for storytelling. Most stories from time immemorial follow Gustav Freitag's model on storytelling which follows the pattern- Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Denouement. Storytelling could take a personal form, which could be about someone important, an important event, about what one does, and even criticizing the characters involved. 

Joseph Campbell looks at storytelling as a form of personal art or kind of personal experience as seen in "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," which is based on the phases a hero goes through. A problem ensues, the hero is called upon and this is described as call to action and then the hero saves the day amid some difficulties usually to give the story an interesting twist, or what is referred to as a sting in the tale. Storytelling could also be based on mystery, which is not obvious and involved a component which is obscure and hidden. A good example can be drawn from Frederic Brown's "Knock" (1948). The first and second lines read:

"The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door."

Bryan Alexander's definition of storytelling states, "For a given audience, a story is a sequence of content, anchored on a problem, which engages the audience with emotion and meaning." Social media and blogs are channels for storytelling and through creative writing and through Wiki a collaborative authored novel was created involving millions of writers. Documents have also been converted into narratives to fit into the storytelling framework. The comments that come at the end of articles and blog posts even tell a story. Podcasts and even gaming are also creative ways to tell stories and engage listeners and gamers. In creating Metaliterate Learners, learning and activities under the Digital Story course require students to fully partake in the processes, knowledge building and skills creation that contribute to metaliterate learning.

Digital Storytelling contributes to the Metaliteracy framework hence there is a difference between the two. Students are required to evaluate, understand, share, determine and access information related to the subject and understand the research process.Students find and share stories, analyze, reconstruct and deconstruct and peer review each other's stories and this has added to the high development of Information Literacy, Cyber Literacy, Critical Literacy skills and lastly the abilities to research, review, author, collaborate, participate, contribute, produce, publish, reflect and communicate. The literacies covered in the course include Digital Media Literacy, Media Literacy, Visual Literacy, Computer Literacy, Cyberliteracy, Information Fluency and Critical Literacy. In combining the knowledge, skills and literacies the pathways for student metaliterate learners is created. The inspiration behind digital stories, their importance, intended audience, emotions sparked, the creative process, technical considerations, hindrances, highlights of the writing experience are all essential to the development of future digital stories.

Sue Thomas and Michele Forte moderated MOOC Talk 7, which was based on Tech: Nature Literacy. There is a need to to cultivate transliterate space, Technobiophilia. Individuals having the ability to map out their relationships with technology and nature is currently of the essence in this ever-changing world. Geography about interactions with the web and the deep web to be more precise includes hackers, wikileaks,government undetected, and illegal porn. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, was based on The Experience of Nature, 1989 and how nature invariably improves our experiences. The central focus was on looking at regular people's preference of nature and the kind of environment that made people feel good without the aforementioned preferences. 

People feel better if they encounter an environment that suggests nearby nature- for example, a view from a window could show some greenery and a lot more to be seen.  Technobiophilia is the tendency to focus on life and life processes as they appear in technologies. It is a known fact that natural environments positively impact emotions. While indoors, an individual can pay attention, use indoor plants advantageously, connect with animals, or even treat one's self to technobiophilic gadgets like computer mouses, etc. While outdoor, an individual can go outside, create an outside office, grow stuff (some greenery), or even use smartphones to enhance an individual's outdoor experience. In terms of being online, one can visit a virtual world, play a video game, sample some next nature, add biophilic designs to individual online spaces.   

The final MOOC Talk of the semester was based on the relationship between Metaliteracy and STEMx. MOOC Talk 8 was facilitated by Betty Hurley-Dasgupta, Anthony Maddox and Samantha Becker.
The processes  employed in the teaching of science can also be applied to the field of engineering. Science is driven by phenomena and Engineering is centered on solving problems. The types of problems encountered were closed and open-ended problems, which all numerous ways of reaching the solutions. In terms of the Designs, there are Multimedia Portfolios for K-12 Education, Lessons, Unit or Program Plans then Proposals for Support. The HP Catalyst Academy is a federated network of mini-courses. Mini-courses challenge traditional skills-based approaches to information literacy by recognizing related literacy types and emerging technologies like video. They also encourage Critical Thinking: Discussion forums to every assignment post- peer feedback loop. The other link to metaliteracy is supporting the acquisition, production, and sharing of knowledge in collaborative online communities. 

The model for learning is centered mainly on the learner in dialogue and it is directly related with experience and activity, documenting , managing and planning, sharing and communication, conceptualizing and making association with previous knowledge, publishing and getting some feedback, repurposing and synthesizing information. Helen Barret is considered the grandmother of ePortfolios, which has e-dentity at its core with digital stories, digital archives, blogs, images, bookmarks, podcasts, social network, wiki directly relating to it. Journaling involves reflective journals employed by educational instructors to deepen the quality of students learning by promoting critical thinking, encouraging a questioning attitude to enable students understand their own learning growth processes (metacognition), strengthening active involvement in learning through personal ownership of learning experience (Boud, 2001; Moon, 1999). Learners in the digital age are required to use critical skills for the 21st Century such as: critical thinking, communication, innovation, collaboration. In addition, ePortfolios provide an environment for: reflection (journaling), formative assessment, learner-created work. ePortfolios are being used at different levels; Weebly is being used by K-12 as well as very simple ePortfolio systems, profile pages and journals.  

This course has really helped me in realizing my dream of owning a sports website: www.ghanafans.com. Before the course began I knew I had the desire to be a blogger but I just never had the urge until the metaliteracy ball started rolling and its ideals have heavily impacted my way of thinking and style of writing and I have had positive feedback from friends and other readers. The Massive Open Online Course is only going to get better from this point since its scope is widening and getting deeper across so many disciplines. I commend Professors Trudi Jacobson and Tom Mackey and all other learned scholars for their immense contribution toward making this project fruitful! I am glad I enrolled in this class!

My Journey and Growth in Metaliteracy Part 1

I started this course not really having an idea of what to expect especially since it was my first time taking a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Nonetheless, I had a strong feeling within me that this course was going to be so beneficial to me in my college career, considering the fact that this fall semester is my last at the University at Albany. The concept of Metaliteracy is only getting better  and better from this point and I must admit that it is indeed broader and deeper than I had initially assumed. It involves the discovery of fairly new and growing technologies used in the process of crafting and sharing information in an open and healthy participatory online forum. This is what makes this area of study really unique. 

In this blog post, I highlight and summarize and aspects of the course based on all eight (8) MOOC Talks that aided in my comprehension of this interesting, unique and growing area of study. 

Going into my first MOOC Talk, I also did not know what to expect but I went into the Standish Room at the University at Albany Science Library knowing I would have the chance to interact with participants from all over because of the participatory nature of the course. The topics discussed ranged from the very nature of the subject of metaliteracy, reflecting about the research process(thinking thoroughly about one's way of thinking), what makes the concept of metaliteracy unique(how it differs from other disciplines related to literacy), the metaliterate learner, metacognition, the media involved including social media as well as the various types of participants in the field.

The second MOOC Talk based on the subject, "Metacognition- A Literacy of Awareness," was held on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, and it was facilitated by Char Booth. It was based on the extreme importance of all participants in the metacognitive field to be very much aware of their thought processes just as they occur and the underlying factors that are critical in advancing the cause of metacognition. These factors include but are not limited to developmental factors, cultural factors, social factors, and mentoring/instruction. Metacognitive knowledge has to with how one senses development in terms of his or her own cognition, the perception of one's self as well as other people, then finally how one perceives what is easy and what is difficult to interpret within the metacognitive framework. 

Metacognitive experience is related to how an individual understands or misunderstands another person during an interaction, reviewing one's previously held opinions, and finally how a person interprets failure and success. Char Booth's presentation ended with the Learning Theories and analysis of Literacies and Metacognition. Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism form the learning theories. Behaviorism is about regulating one's behavior within the educational psychology framework. Cognitivism is related to designing learning experiences to help individuals retain information. Constructivism is multi-dimensional; it involves peer-to-peer interaction and social learning-what affects individuals and how their brains develop. Literacies and Metacognition stages in the model are interpretation, evaluation,reflection, revision, and justification.

The third MOOC Talk (3.1) on the subject, "Openness and Metaliteracy," was delivered by Mark McBride, the Director of Library Services at Monroe Community College and Michele Forte, an Assistant Professor and Mentor at the Center for Distance Learning at the SUNY Empire State College. It was based on open learning in higher education. The Modern Language Association's Commons Model is a form of peer review process and peer production model used by scholars to create and update content accurately and freely for the benefit of the the information literacy community. Wikipedia is a good example of the Peer Production Model which allows users to also create and share information freely as well as conveniently update the content of the material. 

Openness within the metaliteracy framework gives rise to looking at content in a variety of ways and sharing it with the community as a whole; this could be scholarly work which involves careful thoughts and thorough research. The sharing process allows for the remix and reuse of information. Open Education Resources (OERs), which is any kind of teaching material such as textbook, syllabi, lesson plans, video, readings, and exams allow free and uninterrupted access as per the content as well as the free incorporation of remix, reuse, revise and redistribute of the material. In higher education, the free access of course material is way more beneficial that adding to a publisher's purse by purchasing a particular edition of book then its subsequent editions. The free access students have to course materials is what makes it a major plus for education. It creates a community of higher educators and advances the cause of metaliteracy

MOOC Talk 3.2 was moderated by Dr. Paul Prinsloo, an Education Consultant and Researcher at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Information from time immemorial has always been dynamic and therefore it is necessary to view it as a field with players having diversified roles and a variety of rules, plans, power relations, inclusion and exclusion. In Dr. Prinsloo's interpretation of the Metaliteracy Framework by Mackey and Jacobson, 2011, he likened the newly developed literacies for cultural changes of Web 2.0 to solid changing from its original state to the liquid phase. I really liked that metaphor! A deeper analysis of liquid metaliteracy brought about a side by side comparison between the work of Mackey and Jacobson(2011) and Area and Pessoa(2012) competencies including instrumental, cognitive-intellectual, socio-communicative and axiological. Liquid metaliteracy aligns with metacognition. 

Critical consciousness as the foundation for metaliteracy as agency was a sub-topic I found very interesting during the presentation. According to Freire, learning to read and write starts from a deep understanding of the process of reading the world. In addition, being illiterate prevents individuals from reading and writing then renders them powerless and dependent according to Burbules and Berk(1999). In order to be a literate player in the 21st century, one has to completely understand the rules, field, the game, positions and skills required. Critical and self-reflective agency as well as making up other narratives, disrupting standard discourses and asking new questions is very essential in this age.

The fourth MOOC Talk was delivered by Professor Brian Stone. He is a practicing designer, educator and researcher in the field of interactive design, information design, user experience and communication through motion. Visual Literacy and Metaliteracy go hand in hand and therefore it has become very necessary for visual forms of communication and design to be enhanced in this modern age to make the visualization of information way more easy and meaningful. Websites, interactive experiences, multimedia presentations and typographic messages collectively help establish visual connections that create a better mental picture as well as aid all types of users make informed decisions as far as information design is concerned. Visual messages are directly linked with metaliteracy. Dr. Stone shared a couple of visual and typographic materials which really caught my attention. 

The first one was a  map used in my country, England-the London Underground Navigation System. Although the underground map was not really based on actual geographic scales, it still achieved its purpose of making underground transportation easier for all travelers, both local and foreign. The map indicated the starting and ending points of each rail line as well as hubs and locations for making connections. Transport for London(TFL), the body in charge of most aspects of the transportation system in Greater London also adopts a similar approach to make moving around London very simple for all travelers. In my opinion, London has one of the best transportation systems around the world barring the occasional delays and change in schedules. Icons, symbols and signs have really helped in promoting the connection between visual literacy and metaliteracy. It has become very essential for multiple modes of communication to cater to the needs of all manner of information users and metacognitive learners. A lot of consideration has to be put in place to make sure disabled people and the older generations are not left out of the the gradually emerging methods of visual communication and metaliteracy. Progressive disclosure, which involves starting by process and synthesizing a concept from scratch is also very necessary in developing visual literacy and it connection with metaliteracy. Dr. Stone's presentation was very informative!

The Link between Metaliteracy and STEMx

The final MOOC Talk of the semester was based on the relationship between Metaliteracy and STEMx. MOOC Talk 8 was facilitated by Betty Hurley-Dasgupta, Anthony Maddox and Samantha Becker. Betty Hurley-Dasgupta is a Faculty Member at SUNY Empire State College and a member at the HP Catalyst Academy.  The HP Catalyst Academy is a joint project with HP through the International Society for Technology and Education and New Media Consortium. The focus is on professional development for teachers. The "x" refers to all additional related material on science, technology, mathematics and all other disciplines involved with the collaboration, innovation and skills in the area of STEM. The model of STEMx revolves around scaling, innovations, exploring, international networks and global collaboration.

Anthony Maddox is a member of the HP Catalyst Academy and his work as per STEMx came through his working experience at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Education and Engineering. Anthony is a licensed Engineer. He created a course on internet and engineering to teach K-9 and K-12 kids on the subject. The course- Thinking like an Engineer: Teaching and Learning Pre-College Engineering- was structured to run for some weeks. Week 1 was on Engineering Design, Problem Solving, Designs, Design Features and Context- Next Generation Science Standards. The processes  employed in the teaching of science can also be applied to the field of engineering. Science is driven by phenomena and Engineering is centered on solving problems. The types of problems encountered were closed and open-ended problems, which all numerous ways of reaching the solutions. In terms of the Designs, there are Multimedia Portfolios for K-12 Education, Lessons, Unit or Program Plans then Proposals for Support. The Design Features center on Iteration- Refinement/Redesign, Design Cycle and Solutions- "Families"-based on solutions, Constraints/Specifications, Decisions. Next Generation Science Standards include Science and Engineering Practices, K-12 Engineering Standards, Inquiry-Based Learning and Project-Based Learning.

Week 2 is on STEM Interconnectedness as related to STEM and STEM(x), STEM and STEM(x) Integration, Thinking Maps, Rigorous Pedagogical Dissemination of Information. Week 3- Engineering Habits of Mind refers to the Values, Attitudes, Thinking Skills and Framework for 21st Century Thinking. Values, Attitudes, Thinking Skills relates to Creativity, Optimism and Collaboration. The Framework for 21st Century Learning as relates to K-12 education, touches on Core Subjects and Themes, Learning and Innovation Skills, Information, Media and Technology Skills, and Life and Career Skills. Week 4 of the education program is about Design Review, which centers on More Engineering "Habits of Mind," Launch or "Rollout" of the Design and Soft Systems Methodology. The three additional habits of mind in K-12 education are Systems Thinking, Communication and Ethics. Launching or "Rollout" is simply about Testing and Measurement, Innovation and Beneficiaries ("Clients"). Soft Systems Methodology, used in United Kingdom has been used for over forty years. It is about Action Research, Individual and Groups, Perceived Words, Discourse, Created Meanings, "Assemblies" and Purposeful Action. Meta means above and beyond and across. Meta-disciplines bring everything together.

Samantha Becker is a Senior Director of communication for the New Media Consortium (NMC), which provides attention to colleges, schools and not-for-profits. It uses social media for formal and informal education. The HP Catalyst Academy is a federated network of mini-courses. Mini-courses challenge traditional skills-based approaches to information literacy by recognizing related literacy types and emerging technologies like video. They also encourage Critical Thinking: Discussion forums to every assignment post- peer feedback loop. The other link to metaliteracy is supporting the acquisition, production, and sharing of knowledge in collaborative online communities. Betty Hurley-Dasgupta's presentation was related to exploring  ePortfolios  for  STEM learning. According to the Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner, 2008, the best schools don't offer the curriculum that includes the must have skills of the future which are:

• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Collaboration across networks and leading
• Agility and Adaptability
• Initiative and entrepreneurialism
• Effective oral and written communication
• Accessing and analyzing information
• Curiosity and imagination

ePortfolios encourage deep thinking as the focus is on what is signified, relates previous knowledge to new knowledge, relates knowledge from different courses. It also focuses on relating and distin,guishing evidence and argument, organizing and structuring content into coherent whole and internal emphasis from within the student. The focus of surface learning is on the signs or on the learning signifier of something else, on unrelated parts of the task, information for assessment is simply memorized, facts and concepts are associated unreflectively, principles are not distinguished from examples. In addition task is treated as an external imposition. Emphasis is external, from demand of assessment (Ramsden, 1988) as cited in Atherton, 2005. 

The model for learning is centered mainly on the learner in dialogue and it is directly related with experience and activity, documenting , managing and planning, sharing and communication, conceptualizing and making association with previous knowledge, publishing and getting some feedback, repurposing and synthesizing information. Helen Barret is considered the grandmother of ePortfolios, which has e-dentity at its core with digital stories, digital archives, blogs, images, bookmarks, podcasts, social network, wiki directly relating to it. Journaling involves reflective journals employed by educational instructors to deepen the quality of students learning by promoting critical thinking, encouraging a questioning attitude to enable students understand their own learning growth processes (metacognition), strengthening active involvement in learning through personal ownership of learning experience (Boud, 2001; Moon, 1999). Reflective journaling has immensely contributed to the exercise of voice (Patterson and Jones, 2001), and the narrative nature of journaling has been shown to contribute to development of a professional identity ( Blevins, 2007; Redman, 2005). Learners in the digital age are required to critical skills for the 21st Century such as: critical thinking, communication, innovation, collaboration. In addition, ePortfolios provide an environment for: reflection (journaling), formative assessment, learner-created work. ePortfolios are being used at different levels; Weebly is being used by K-12 as well as very simple ePortfolio systems, profile pages and journals.