"Work" for those who are caught up:

Click here and read this article about the new assessment of the Digital Divide.

An excerpt:

As access to devices has spread, children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites, studies show.

This growing time-wasting gap, policy makers and researchers say, is more a reflection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology than of access to it.

1. Write a blog comment below, in response.

Include the following: 

a. Describe the point of the article. What is the reporter observing?

b. What evidence does he use to support his observation?

c. What are the best ideas for dealing with the problem he outlines? 

d. What ideas do you have for dealing with this situation? 

e. How do your parents manage your Internet time?

f. Any general comment you have about the topic or the article.

Online "Home"work for tonight and Wednesday

Get as far in Grammar101 as you can in 40 minutes between today and Thursday and e-mail me all of your results at teacherleola@gmail.com.

Do us all a favor and avoid searching for the bottom, here. If you can burn through 25 of these with only a handful of mistakes in 35 minutes, I want you to do it, and I want to give you full credit for doing your best.

However, if you are truly struggling and it takes you 30 minutes to get one nearly perfect score, so be it.  When I see evidence that you are goldbricking or failing to using your time well, you will be doing these modules with me after school.

Quick reminder of how to e-mail me results:

Click "print"; click "PDF"; click "save as PDF"; make sure you are in "Documents"; name your document <name> <lesson #> and make sure the author has your name in the window.

Compose an e-mail to me w/ subject heading Grammar 101; attach your PDF document(s); send.

Two new things; one not so new

1. We'll do a quick progress test on words often confused and contractions--both should be review.

2. Get ready for Shakespeare. For a quiz grade, you will attend the evening "Romeo and Juliet" performance, Thursday at Waterman's. For another quiz grade, you will write a five paragraph review for posting here on the Media Lit blog. By the end of class today, you'll have a copy of the rubric I'll expect you to use.

3. Before we can go on with "Digital Nation," you must comment here about your understanding of the documentary's theme and/or some of the questions posed, thus far.

Digital Nation Documentary

We're watching Digital Nation in pieces while we do our grammar exercises. So far we've seen about 35 minutes. If you missed the first class, that was the first 25 minutes. Catching up over vacation would be a great idea.

We will comment on the film in comments here.

Making Data Visible

We will watch a short video about one tool to handle information overload.  Then we will see how persuasive these images can be using Google Data Set and I Love Charts. We will also look at ChronoZoom's Ultimate Timeline

Then you will comment here about how access to these tools affects your learning.

1. How do you deal with Information Overload?

2. What effect on your desire to learn do these graphic tools have on you?

3. How does all this information flowing out of this box in front of you make you feel?

Future Proof Your Education

Pay attention to these rules and you will manage the information overload just fine.

When Do I Need to Cite a Source?

Short answer: all the time.

Unless you're writing original research, everything you use in your paper comes from someone else and you must give him or her credit.

Long answer: follow the rules laid out here.