Virtual Reality (VR) to help treat mental illness and to improve life

Virtual Reality (VR) to help treat mental illness and to improve life

Advancements in virtual reality technology have not only led to improved experiences for people who enjoy video games but they are also treating very serious psychological and physical disabilities. Virtual reality versions of exposure therapy in increasingly being used as an approach in treating anxiety disorders such as phobias and post traumatic stress disorder. The idea is to gradually expose someone to the source of their anxiety—flying, for example—in a safe setting in a way that enables them to face that fear in the real world later. The simulations aren’t perfectly immersive—it’s obvious you’re in a computer-generated world when wearing a headset—but numerous studies have found virtual reality to be more effective at treating some phobias than traditional exposure methods like mental visualization or photographs. 

I have found one company in particular, to be very effective and comprehensive in their offerings:  VBI

http://www.virtuallybetter.com/

Adolescent Interview

Adolescent Interview

Growing Up Digital

Questions and answers

1    Question:  How old are you? 
 Answer:  15

      Question:  What does social media mean to you?
Answer:  A way to communicate and see what others are doing.

      Question:  Do you use social media?  Why or why not?
Answer:  Yes.  Everyone does.  To communicate with my friends, and to know what is going on.

      Question:  What do you use social media for?
Answer:  Post pictures, see what my friends are up to, and to communicate. 

      Question:  What sites do you use?
Answer:  I have a Facebook account- well, everybody has a Facebook account, but I don’t use that much.  I only use Facebook for instant messaging really, and sometimes I post pictures.  If I want to reach out to someone whose number I don’t have, I message them on Facebook.
Instagram and Snapchat are my top two.  EVERYONE uses these.

      Question:  How often do you use social media? 
Answer:  Everyday.

     Question:   How much time a day do you spend on social media?
Answer:  Hmmmm….I don’t really know.  A lot I guess.

     Question:  Does social media make you feel more social?  Connected?
Answer:  I guess.  It’s how we communicate.  So yeah.   

      Question:   Do you think social media can have any adverse effects?

      Answer:  Sometimes I spend too much time on my phone, following others, talking to friends, and then I don’t realize so much time has passed, and sometimes I get behind on other things I have to do.
Sometimes my friends obsess over other people’s posts and pictures- some girls are so mean, and it’s easy to say whatever you want and not care if you hurt anyone else.

      Question:   Is social media used by your school?   Teachers? 
Answer:  The school, yes.  Teachers….none that I have had.

      Question:    How is it used by your school?   Teachers?
Answer:  The school has a Facebook page. 

        The young lady that I interviewed is a neighborhood teen.
I wasn't surprised about her comments on Facebook.  I have been told many times by my college students how Facebook is "old" social media.  However, it is still used
by many.  Although my interviewee did not discuss this, my college students often tell me that Facebook is "too public" and sometimes "too much work," they feel that they have to constantly be checking to see if people tag them in posts, etc.

If I am being honest, I was rather disappointed in the interview.  I thought she would open up more and discuss more with me, but, ironically, she spent most of the time on her phone.....  

Digital Storytelling and Annotated Bibliography

" Digital storytelling provides an authentic personal learning experience- as such; student investment is greatly increased resulting in greatly improved motivation and end product. "     

David Jakes, Teacher, Learner, Technologist, Designer, and Storyteller. describes my initial interest in the pedagogical tool of digital storytelling.
As an educator, I am constantly attempting to provide a genuine and personalized learning experience for my students, where they are engaged and motivated in their learning experiences.  In today's technological world, I am finding the students are less engaged, and I believe that it is up to educators to meet students "where they are at," in their use of technology, and utilize new media and new literacies to enhance learning experiences, and optimize every student's individual learning style.

I have been drawn to digital storytelling for the past couple of months, and as I have been researching the topic, I am convinced that digital storytelling can be an effective educator and student tool.  Not only can it provide an engaging method of delivering course content for educators, but it can also allow students to express and articulate themselves, in a way they may not have otherwise.  And ultimately, I am drawn to the idea that it can enhance and create connections between students, and students and educators.

While there will be challenges and mountains to climb in the process, I have my tools ready to allow me to keep moving forward!


Annotated Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YdIt9S-hQdqmqZSeiyVB6QuLZavPJ77iqM0HW7U3mgM/edit?usp=sharing

Multimodal Pedagogies- Blogging

Lankshear and Knobel (2013) note that “portable technologies and increased wireless connectivity enable greater variation in what is composed, where and when composing happens, and reasons for composing” (p.25).  Students, and adolescents in particular, are engaged, more than ever with their portable and “smart” devices.  In addition, they have a multitude of means of engagement at their fingertips, as they navigate through their daily endeavors.  They use their portable devices to socialize, communicate, research, do homework, be entertained, and organize their lives.  Information consumption and learning is taking place “on the fly” and via a variety of channels.  Why not incorporate these multimodalities in the classroom?

Lankshear and Knobel (2013) state that bringing multimodal means of literacy “can be generative of meaningful literacy practices and teaching and learning relationships” (p.25).  A high school English teacher from Brooklyn, N.Y. has reconfigured her traditional pedagogical methods to engage and support the needs of her students.  By introducing the use of blogs in the classroom, this teacher was able to not only get the opportunity to know her students better, but to also be a better advisor to them.  As she read and assessed their blog entries, she could then follow up with them digitally and in person, along with being able to relate to them and support them in their literacy development (Lankshear and Knobel, 2013).

Taking into consideration Bill Green’s model of literacy (2013), the operational dimension of blogging allows for reading and writing in a different context, while being able to show competence and comprehension of a particular subject matter.  From the cultural dimension, blogging is a social practice and portrays the bloggers ability to make and grasp meanings appropriately.  Finally, from the critical dimension, blogging allows for an open dialogue that allows students to interact with and renovate literacy, not just achieve it (Green and Beavis, 2013).

I have been keenly interested in the concept of blogging for quite some time.  I read and follow blogs; last semester, I created a blog site and dappled in blogging; this semester, blogging is a weekly venture; it only seems logical in this progression to incorporate it into my classroom.

References

Green, B. & Beavis, C. (2013). Literacy in 3D: An integrated perspective in theory and practice. Australian
           Journal of Language and Literacy, 36(3).

Lankshear, C. and Knobel, M. (2013). A New Literacies Reader: Educational Perspectives.  New York, NY:   

What Counts as Literacy?

“what counts as literacy, how literacy changes in response to the new media landscape, and what value we should ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online (Jenkins, 2009)." 

Defining literacy in our ever-changing world is not easy. A common, yet outdated understanding of literacy is being able to read and write. Now, being literate means being able to read and write at a level to be successful in today's world, knowing how to use technology, and knowing how to solve problems and make decisions.  As society and technology change, so does literacy.

In a New York Times article, Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?, Motoko Rich (2008) recognizes the fact that the internet has created a new kind of reading.  And while many will argue that reading on the internet weakens literacy, and shortens attention spans, the new media and new literacies that exist in our technological world are truly redefining literacy skills that will be absolutely necessary for youth especially, to navigate and be successful in the 21^st century.  Consequently, according to the video, What Does it Mean to be Literate in the 21st Century? “the how, what and why of teaching literacy must also change" (Bibliosmartgirl, 2009).  

Professionally, I have been gradually incorporating new and emerging technologies and a variety of forms of literacy into my traditional and online classrooms.  While attempting to accommodate various learning styles, I have provided an eclectic offering of course content that includes readings from traditional textbooks, podcasts, educational videos, screencasts, online periodicals, etc.  All of the above are examples of new literacies, yet I feel as if I have only scratched the surface.  New media and new avenues for information consumption will only continue to grow and emerge. 

The following statement from Maryanne Wolf, developmental psychologist and cognitive scientist of Tufts University, exemplifies my current approach to new media and new literacies:

"There is physicality in reading, maybe even more than we want to think about as we lurch into digital reading—as we move forward perhaps with too little reflection. I would like to preserve the absolute best of older forms, but know when to use the new."

Personally, the side of me that is a digital immigrant, still prefers and even defaults to pen and paper, and the feeling of a book in my hands.  I hope that I can find the balance.

                                                                     References

Bibliosmartgirl. (2009, November 29). What Does it Mean to be Literate in the 21st Century?
           [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn0_H-kvxkU.

Rich, M. (2008). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? The Future of Reading, 1-8.
            Retrieved from         
            http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

New Literacies in Higher Education

As new methods of communication and information use are constantly developing educators and program designers will need to be knowledgeable and immersed in the literacies necessary to effectively engage with technologies such as blogs, presentation software, virtual worlds, social networks, Google docs, and more.  (Nicholson & Galguera, 2013).  Despite this necessity, traditional educational practices have a stronghold in higher education.  According to Nicholson & Galguera (2013) “very few faculty are integrating new literacies or contemporary technologies in their practice” (p.8).  This has certainly been my experience with and observations of the majority of faculty members at my institution.  There is not only a strong resistance to change, but almost a patronizing attitude toward newer faculty who are eager to engage with and incorporate new literacies and emerging technologies in the classroom. 

However, it is important to note that resistance and trepidation does not solely come from faculty. College students vary widely in their experience with and skills in using technology.   However, according to Nicholson & Galguera (2013), “students have reported their interest in seeing a greater integration of technologies (e.g., blogs, instant messaging, social networking, RSS feeds) into their coursework” (p.10).  In the online and traditional classes that I teach at my institution, I see both excitement and interest when I incorporate a variety of literacies and technologies in the classroom.  However, at the same time, there are a surprising amount of students who still lack the comfort and skills necessary to completely immerse themselves in the technology, and therefore require much attention and scaffolding. 

Therefore, I agree with Huffaker (2004) that “blogs represent a perfect medium for literacy” (Para. 8).  Blogs do not require extraordinary technological skills, and hence can help students build confidence and comfort in using digital literacies.  Incorporating the use of blogs in online courses can create a sense of community that will increase student engagement while developing literacy and technology skills.

Gillen and Barton (2010) state that "The distinctive contribution of the approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives" (p. 9).  This statement is completely applicable to the curriculum development and lesson planning that I am constantly engaged in.  I am perpetually investigating and incorporating a multitude of ways to communicate content to my students, engage them in the subject matter, and have them apply and practice multiple literacies that will serve them in and outside of the classroom. 

References

Gillen, J. & Barton, D. (2011).  Digital Literacies: A research Briefing by the Technology Enhanced                   Learning phase of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme.  Retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/19277890/Digital_Literacies._A_research_briefing_by_the_technology_enhanced_learning_phase_of_the_teaching_and_learning_research_programme

Huffaker, D. (2004).  The educated blogger: Using Weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom.                        First Monday, 9(6). doi:10.5210/fm.v9i6.1156

Nicholson, J. & Galguera, T. (2013). Integrating New Literacies in Higher Education: A Self-
               Study of the Use of Twitter in an Education Course. Teacher Education Quarterly,
               40(3), 7-26.