This unit is focused on the exploration of communications technologies. These technologies will be approached as vehicles of information that can be understood through literary terminology, specifically reliant on the terminology focused around the discourse of genre. Young people far too frequently believe that a medium dictates the form of the information, rather than the constraints, purpose and audience of the information.
Lesson 1: Texting and Audience
Rationale
This lesson will be centered around the concept of audience as a constraint on the formality of communication, and as a result, the formality of the messages that we send. The misconception that all people who text understand the jargon and genre specific grammars associated with those who are insiders of the craft limits the ability of the user to interact with her or his community at large. Those who are outsiders in the digital community will also benefit from the expertise of their fellow classmates who draw considerable stores of identity from the social connections their phones provide. Text messaging is just another form of writing with its own grammar. The concept of audience is largely overlooked by the texters and needs to be thought of when crafting an effective message.
Objectives
Students will be able to define the term audience as it applies to literature. Students will identify text messaging as a genre. Students will appropriately address their audience with faux text messages 8 out of 9 times
Standards
NYS ELA 1. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. 4. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
NCTE 1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes. 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Why do you get certain ads stuck in your head? (Key Idea - Advertisers target those ads to a particular audience developing them so they appeal to a group of people, making it more likely for you to be attracted to the advertisment and vicariously the product.)
Activity 2: Think Pair Share
How do you talk to your parents differently than your friends? Discuss audience with class, going over “Texting and Audience” handout.
Activity 3: Text translation activity
Students are given a number of situations that they are expected to respond to in text message form. They have to do several different texts for each situation depending on the way they would text that particular audience. Stress to them that their relationships with these fictional parents and grandparents does not need to be the same as the one that they have now, although it can. This can raise a number of responses what later exploring the answers, including relationships with parents. Be wary of students who don’t have parents in their lives or have parents who are deceased.
On the board have written:
“For each situation write a text message to each of the three people discribed below. Make sure that the text message reflects your different relationship with these three different audiences.
Joe (or Jane), your best friend in the world. You hang out together and have each other’s backs.
Your Mom or Dad, who understand how to text, but don’t do it often.
Your Grandma who you love and respect dearly and who barely understands how to text
Situations:
You have a paper that you haven’t finished, and it is due today. You have decided to take a sick day, and need to inform everyone. You know that your Grandma wouldn’t like your reason and you don’t want to get her upset.
You are at the mall and you get separated from your friends. No matter how much you call them, they won’t answer. The problem is, you didn’t bring a car and need a ride.
You want to wish your audience a happy birthday.”
Activity 4: Text Message Privacy
Go to Prezi and run through the privacy thread. Tell students to, in a few sentence, write about a time when someone saw something you sent in a text message and it was bad for you. They may change the people and events actually involved but must maintain the spirit of the event. Students who feel comfortable can share.
Closing thought: What is the real audience of a text message?
Lesson 2 - E-mail and Tone
Rationale
Electronic communications are extremely important in today’s society. The ability to send an e-mail to colleagues in a variety of situations is essential for workplace connectivity and will be a powerful skill in many job situations. While students are natives of the digital world, they often forget the need to
Objective
Students will identify email as a genre of literature and be able to identify one quality of
Standards
NYS ELA
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
NCTE 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Smartboard or digital projector One computer for each of four groups
Procedure
Activity 1: Quickwrite
What is the difference between writing a report about bmxing and telling a friend about bmxing?
Activity 2: Lecture
How do you write a proper email? Go through as much or as little of this as you need to. The focus is on the difference between a structure with which they are familiar (a letter) and the structure of an e-mail. The presentation is full of examples of good and bad emails. __http://www.gcflearnfree.org/emailbasics/1.1__
Activity 3: Internet Game
__http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/FCE_writing.htm__ Students will need a computer to play this, let them work in groups where you can see to make sure they don’t cheat. Anyone who clicks the show words button before the time is up (when a student reaches 100 words revealed) is disqualified from the activity.
Activity 4: Signatures
Lesson 3 - Blogging and Targeting An Audience
Rationale
Blogging is a kind of electronic communication that is becoming increasingly popular. Blogs are a collection of blog posts usually centered around a particular theme. Blogs can have large readerships and authorship of one can be some one's permanent job. As news decentralizes, more blogs appear that are high interest to students, allowing them an avenue for
These are frequently confused with online journals, which are subtly different, in that there is less expectation of communication between author and reader.
Objectives
Students will be able to identify blogging as a genre and identify one defining aspect of the genre. Students will make inferences about the target audience of a blog based on its components identify techniques used to attract the target audience of a blog 8 out of ten times.
Standards
NYS ELA 1. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding. 2. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression. 4. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
NCTE 1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Accommodations
Students who are not strong writers could be assessed verbally on the webquest after they collect notes on the questions
Students will engage in a webquest. This webquest will identify blogging as a genre, identify the aspects of the genre and delve into the targeting of audience that occurs in professional blogs. (Key ideas: Blogging is informal, but deliberate. It is centered not around giving out information, but engaging readers in a conversation that is open and essentially never ending. The author is expected to respond to comments made on his or her blog.) The webquest is found at...
Now students will get into groups of three or four and use the BLOGGING WORKSHEET to frame a blog that they might write. Each groups is to create a fictional blog, describe what kind of content would be included in the blog, who would the audience be and what steps would the bloggers take to reach that audience.
Final Project - Making and Marketing a Blog Get an account on Wordpress.com. Using the guide, create a two to three post blog using the guidelines below.
ELA Classroom Connections
Table of Contents
Overview
This unit is focused on the exploration of communications technologies. These technologies will be approached as vehicles of information that can be understood through literary terminology, specifically reliant on the terminology focused around the discourse of genre. Young people far too frequently believe that a medium dictates the form of the information, rather than the constraints, purpose and audience of the information.Lesson 1: Texting and Audience
Rationale
This lesson will be centered around the concept of audience as a constraint on the formality of communication, and as a result, the formality of the messages that we send. The misconception that all people who text understand the jargon and genre specific grammars associated with those who are insiders of the craft limits the ability of the user to interact with her or his community at large. Those who are outsiders in the digital community will also benefit from the expertise of their fellow classmates who draw considerable stores of identity from the social connections their phones provide. Text messaging is just another form of writing with its own grammar. The concept of audience is largely overlooked by the texters and needs to be thought of when crafting an effective message.Objectives
Students will be able to define the term audience as it applies to literature.Students will identify text messaging as a genre.
Students will appropriately address their audience with faux text messages 8 out of 9 times
Standards
NYS ELA1. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
4. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
NCTE
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Accommodations
Gifted and Talented -Have students read __http://www.newmappings.net/archives/theory/genre-and-audience__ and respond to it in comment format.
Materials Texting and Audience Handout
Procedure
Activity 1: Quickwrite
Why do you get certain ads stuck in your head?(Key Idea - Advertisers target those ads to a particular audience developing them so they appeal to a group of people, making it more likely for you to be attracted to the advertisment and vicariously the product.)
Activity 2: Think Pair Share
How do you talk to your parents differently than your friends?Discuss audience with class, going over “Texting and Audience” handout.
Activity 3: Text translation activity
Students are given a number of situations that they are expected to respond to in text message form. They have to do several different texts for each situation depending on the way they would text that particular audience. Stress to them that their relationships with these fictional parents and grandparents does not need to be the same as the one that they have now, although it can. This can raise a number of responses what later exploring the answers, including relationships with parents. Be wary of students who don’t have parents in their lives or have parents who are deceased.On the board have written:
“For each situation write a text message to each of the three people discribed below. Make sure that the text message reflects your different relationship with these three different audiences.
Situations:
Activity 4: Text Message Privacy
Go to Prezi and run through the privacy thread. Tell students to, in a few sentence, write about a time when someone saw something you sent in a text message and it was bad for you. They may change the people and events actually involved but must maintain the spirit of the event. Students who feel comfortable can share.Closing thought: What is the real audience of a text message?
Lesson 2 - E-mail and Tone
Rationale
Electronic communications are extremely important in today’s society. The ability to send an e-mail to colleagues in a variety of situations is essential for workplace connectivity and will be a powerful skill in many job situations. While students are natives of the digital world, they often forget the need toObjective
Students will identify email as a genre of literature and be able to identify one quality ofStandards
NYS ELANCTE
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Accommodations
If students are unaware of what email is or have limited exposure to it, show them this video, which explains the basics of an email. __http://assets.gcflearnfree.org/topics/19/email.html__Materials
Smartboard or digital projectorOne computer for each of four groups
Procedure
Activity 1: Quickwrite
What is the difference between writing a report about bmxing and telling a friend about bmxing?Activity 2: Lecture
How do you write a proper email? Go through as much or as little of this as you need to. The focus is on the difference between a structure with which they are familiar (a letter) and the structure of an e-mail. The presentation is full of examples of good and bad emails.__http://www.gcflearnfree.org/emailbasics/1.1__
Activity 3: Internet Game
__http://www.examenglish.com/FCE/FCE_writing.htm__Students will need a computer to play this, let them work in groups where you can see to make sure they don’t cheat. Anyone who clicks the show words button before the time is up (when a student reaches 100 words revealed) is disqualified from the activity.
Activity 4: Signatures
Lesson 3 - Blogging and Targeting An Audience
Rationale
Blogging is a kind of electronic communication that is becoming increasingly popular. Blogs are a collection of blog posts usually centered around a particular theme. Blogs can have large readerships and authorship of one can be some one's permanent job. As news decentralizes, more blogs appear that are high interest to students, allowing them an avenue forThese are frequently confused with online journals, which are subtly different, in that there is less expectation of communication between author and reader.
Objectives
Students will be able to identify blogging as a genre and identify one defining aspect of the genre.Students will make inferences about the target audience of a blog based on its components identify techniques used to attract the target audience of a blog 8 out of ten times.
Standards
NYS ELA1. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
2. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression.
4. Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.
NCTE
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
Accommodations
Students who are not strong writers could be assessed verbally on the webquest after they collect notes on the questionsStudents who are interested in blogging as a profession can look at __http://www.problogger.net/make-money-blogging/__
Materials
Computer labBlogging worksheet printout
Procedure
Activity 1: Webquest
Students will engage in a webquest. This webquest will identify blogging as a genre, identify the aspects of the genre and delve into the targeting of audience that occurs in professional blogs.(Key ideas: Blogging is informal, but deliberate. It is centered not around giving out information, but engaging readers in a conversation that is open and essentially never ending. The author is expected to respond to comments made on his or her blog.)
The webquest is found at...
If the webquest is down, students can examine the following blogs. The
__http://blog.defgrip.net__
Activity 2: Group Project
Now students will get into groups of three or four and use the BLOGGING WORKSHEET to frame a blog that they might write. Each groups is to create a fictional blog, describe what kind of content would be included in the blog, who would the audience be and what steps would the bloggers take to reach that audience.Final Project - Making and Marketing a Blog
Get an account on Wordpress.com.
Using the guide, create a two to three post blog using the guidelines below.