Blog Post #7 - Media Literacy

Since our project started we have used the ISTE Standard to model how it should look like. There are six ISTE Standards:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Communication and Collaboration
• Research and Information Fluency
• Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
• Digital CItizenship
• Technology Operations and Concepts

In our project we demonstrated ISTE Standard #1: creativity and innovation. Creative innovation is when you demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. We did these things when we thought of making an interactive iBook for the 5th graders to learn from.

Under ISTE Standard #1 there are four points:

• Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
• Create original work as a means of personal or group expression
• Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
• Identify trends and forecast possibilities

We demonstrated the first point by figuring out something that would stress out a student and writing about it. We used the experiences we had to create topics for our iBook and help them see what we as middle schoolers go through, and what we think about those topics.

We demonstrated the second point by coming up with the idea of a helpful iBook. Everyone in our group enjoys helping others, so we thought it would be a good idea to make an iBook for those that need help.

We demonstrated the third point by talking to the counselors and asking them about what the 5th graders should hear before they enter middle school. We used that information to help structure our iBook

We demonstrated the fourth point by sending out a survey to the 5th graders asking them questions about their thoughts of middle school. With their answers we could figure out the things they want to hear and write about them.

By demonstrating these points we have begun to create an iBook that i think will be helpful for the upcoming middle schoolers. I’m happy that we could do this project, and I think it would be nice if a high schooler would do this for me. The point of the iBook is to ensure the new 6th graders that the bad things they think about middle don’t really happen. Also it is to ensure them that we won’t hate them. Even though I enjoy working on this iBook it’s stressful trying to balance working on the iBook and studying for upcoming tests in classes like Social Studies, or practicing for my debate for Language Arts. Even though I love working on the project it’s stressful having all these other things to worry about as well. And the pressure of getting it done is on my group because our iBook is going to be used soon. Through all the grievances I still thoroughly enjoy making this iBook and the skits.