The+YA+Novel+Internet+Component

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 * After you have completed the path laid out for you in the [[file:Multi-Media Assignment.doc]] (remember, follow the hyperlinks), upload your final thoughts onto this page. **


 * Questions to which to respond are two-fold: **
 * 1) **Are there benefits to the blending of the different types of texts? Does it help a student to become more engaged when there is a multi-media approach? Is this good for all learners? **
 * 2) **Do you believe that the companion websites help students to connect to the novels in more powerful ways? Or do you feel as though they detract from the reading? Does is make a difference if a student goes beyond the book? **

Alix: Yes I believe there are benefits to the blending of different types of text because they build on what you know or they help you think further about the book. Also a blend of different texts are exciting because its an add on and if the book was interesting students are willing to do activities with the book especially if they get to add their own artistic touch in some way. After looking at a couple of websites and blogs it nice to see pictures and written explanations from other people about the book. When fans make photos, videos, and sound recordings it makes exploring about the book fun and it provides an image of characters. For example when I read i try my best to visualize characters but its hard when you don't have illustrations so its nice to see what other people make. I believe when you read more than just the book its interesting and engaging for students because you get to look at many resources and fully understand the book. However I don't think this is something for all learners because some students just don't like to read or maybe it wasn't their favorite book so they might have a hard time picking up other pieces of literacy. After looking at websites I think some are great companions and some are junk. I believe some have good material to read like about the author or interviews that are information. I think some are junk because they have no educational value and are there for pointless entertainment. I think if a teacher chooses the right material to go along with a book then it can work and fun for the students. I think website can be a powerful tool it just depends how you use them or what you want to get from it. I do believe it makes a difference if a student is going beyond the book because that means they are wanting to find a message or learn more about the book that is not discussed in a classroom. In conclusion i think books alone are good enough but when blended with other medias of literacy it helps make good discussion and each students learns something valuable and the book is usually memorable if they did a lot of activities with the book. Brittany: Using different types of texts can be engaging and fun for students. I personally love reading the hard copy of books. But with all the technology growth going on in the world around us I should not limit myself or my future students to just the hard copies of books. I did enjoy watching the "house of usher" video and reading the small excerpt from the book. I actually was really engaged (I think I may want to read this book/watch the videos along with it). I think students would love this! Even from a young age children know how to use computers and move their way around the internet. Companion websites can be useful tools for students to study the books beforehand or after.

Mari: I think that there are tons of benefits in blending different type of media, the way we read/take in information should always be evolving and growing with technology and society. The way in which kids especially get information these days make multimedia kinda of a must, for all fields. Multimedia gives the reader different ways to interact, view, express the novels/books, making them much more engaged in the reading, and helping them understand it in a new/different way they might not have gotten just from reading it. I love the way Thirteen Reasons Why has a corresponding website, taking the story a step further, continuing the interaction and exploration of the book, which I believe is extremely important in the students understanding of the book. Going beyond the book is the point of reading a book with a class, and would help those students, and for those who don't have to go beyond the book and are just reading it for fun, having the companion website might spark more interest and personal research in the book, creating a deeper relationship between the novels and the reader.

Alia: I think if you, as an instructor, expect to reach your students and engage them completely, you have to teach on their interest level to some extent. While I am not necessarily a fan of multi-media approaches, I feel that it would draw in the interests of even the most reluctant students and cause them to be involved. I think it can also be adapted for different levels of learning from the most basic to more advanced for gifted students. However, I do not think that the companion websites necessarily help students connect to the novels in more powerful ways. Perhaps the only exception to this may be the Hannah Baker tapes. I think they detract from the reading because they can often include non-essential fan elements - yet, again - on the student level, it is likely far more engaging than just a standard book lesson, and thus by going beyond the book, the level of comprehension can be far greater.

John Garletts: While, these kinds of interactive media may contribute to a greater student interest in the book in question, I cannot see how they would further understanding of the novel or the skills necessary for deep reading. Too much of the work of reading is done for them by these websites. Things like creating a mental picture, imagining the voice of the characters, even interpretations get provided by the commentary and content on these webpages. It seems like it could become too much of a crutch for students who struggle with critical reading. It also makes the task of rooting out plagiarism much more difficult for the teacher. Aesthetically, I think it also smacks of a desire to commodify literature, make it more easily marketable, and turn reputable real authors into mere shills hocking their wares however they can. Call me a Romantic, but I prefer the my authors to be inaccessible geniuses, rather than tech-savvy hipsters with a popular Facebook page. Rae:There are definitely benefits to blending websites with books because it can give the reader more of an idea of what is going on because kids or any reader can only imagine the voice of the characters or the way a character looks, but with the videos to assist, gives the reader that much more excitement to read on. It draws the character in in a way that words, sometimes, just can't do. It can be good for all types of learners because even if it does not contribute to the book in the way you think it would, people can appreciate the idea of it. This can also do the other way and completely make a student only interested in the video and disregard the novel, but that is where the teacher has to provide the understanding that they both go hand in hand with one another to get the experience that the author intended his/her readers to have.

Sam: I think that their are benefits of using multi-media. I think that it is just anther way to connect to students, and might bring in non-readers. Even when the students are online, they are reading, analyzing and applying what they read. For some students this may be the way to hook them. But, there are limitations and some of the multi-media that connects to YA may not be "educational" in the way we think about educational resources for the classroom. But blogs, for example, can give students a perspective into what it means to be an author, which is kinda cool. But online and multi-media learning is not for all students. I dont think that these will necessarily detract from the novel. By bringing the reading into the high-tech world kids live in, it will only make the students connect to the reading more. I think that it is VITAL that students go beyond the book in any way possible, making the reading their own, connecting it to their lives, their experiences and hopefully their future!

I absolutely believe students become more involved when they are given an multimedia approach. Students these days have grown up surrounded with more technology then has ever existed. Facebook, Youtube, etc, are a part of their daily lives. Books that choose to ignore multimedia are falling behind the times, and loosing out on connecting with students in a way they understand. Is it good for learners? It can be, in that it gets students involved in a book if they may not be big fans of reading. However, it may lead them to expect this out of books, and thus students may down-right refuse to read single-media books later in their school careers. I do not think it detracts from the reading, as long as the students ARE doing the reading, instead of JUST the multimedia. The bells and whistles online may be distracting for students who want to skip the "boring" reading in favor of a video or audio file. If the multimedia can exist without the context of the novel, then the reader may just abandon the book. However, if the balance is right and the multimedia is crafted to enhance, not replace, then it absolutely can help the students connect to the book. If a student can reach out to other readers or fans of the book, or engage with the author, or hear a character as the author imagined them, it can help them understand the book better. It can also prompt them to get invested in the book beyond what is written on the page, exploring the characters and themes in greater depth. Higher interpretation of writing is the skill that teachers are trying to impart, so this connection is imperative. If multimedia can help the students reach that higher level? More power to the format.

Darren: A benefit would be that using various types of texts appeals to different types of intelligences and interests students who are so used to digital texts. Anything that gets students to read more is a good thing, I think. As a teacher, I could also instruct students in using digital materials more thoughtfully and with more discrimination. I wonder if a disadvantage might be that students focus only on the digital components and not on the print book. In any case, the main thing is that students practice different types of literacy skills and higher order thinking. I don't think it matters so much what the format is.

Sharon - I think there are benefits to all sorts of media but no I do not think that it is good for all learners. I thinkmany of the resources would be good to go along with the reading or for project resources afterward. I think these added resources would be more for entertainment and would detract from the novels themselves. I think maybe using some of the short videos to get the students engaged in the reading would be fun. For me I think it takes things to far but it might be interesting to see what others say about the novel after reading it with the class.

~I think there are 13 sides to every story... well in this case there is two. I think that having a multimedia part of the book is a great idea. Anytime I have a chance to teach a book on a promethean my students are stoked. When they do a lot of different things on the computer I general they are more engaged. I remember after reading the book Speak I wanted to see a few clips of the movie to see what they saw as Melinda's character. I liked the fact that I could see parts of the books. It really helps me to help visualize the character when I was having a hard time seeing a character. I think that if a student is uninterested in a book, but see something like Skeleton Creek and become interested it can be a good thing. I also think that there are ways that it can be bad. Sometimes if we show a movie before we read a book, it takes away all creativity in a story. I can get lost in books and use my imagination. If we as educators can't support our student's imaginations when it comes to reading, we have a problem. I think it is interesting to see the point of views that the screen makers have, but it can also weaken a new reader's imagination. I think that if a student wants to go beyond a book if they want that is a great idea. There were some books that I really wanted to know and read more on, but there are a few that when I am done reading, Im done! I haven't done a whole lot of multimedia searches on books, except for Speak, but I can see myself doing this in the future. <3 Raquel   1 ) I believe that incorporating various types of text would be beneficial to most learners. Many students may not need the stimulation of incorporating computers into their reading lesson to benefit from the literature presented in class but, I don’t believe it would hinder their learning either. I think multi-media would be most beneficial to students who struggle with traditional teaching methods and as a future educator I believe it’s important to use various forms of text to help those students be successful in classroom. 2) I don’t think these sights detract from the books, however, these sights probably won’t help students connect with the novel itself in a more powerful way, but they will connect you to others who share you same interest in the subject.  Carrie - I think this could benefit students to a certain extent. If different types of texts were used DURING the reading, then I feel it would be beneficial. I believe it would engage the students more. They would be more inclined to read the books with an “open mind” and read it as a “pleasure read” instead of approaching the book as if it is an assigned boring read and it being “school work.” It would work for the visual kind of learners or for those who lack visualization skills. Daniels states “We teachers often complain that kids today watch too much television, play too many video games, and are flooded with ready-made visual images everywhere they turn. We also notice that many of these overstimulated kids can’t make pictures in their own heads while reading a book” (page 93) If this is true, then why don’t teachers use this kind of media to their advantage? This would bridge the gap for students who lack the ability to create sensory images. I believe that the companion websites can help engross the students want to read the book. With these added companions, students can see this reading as fun reading instead of boring reading that is mandatory school work. I feel that if they enjoy what they are read, they are more inclined to think more critically about the book.

Debra - I can see why the multi-media approach might have a positive effect in engaging readers, particularly YA readers. The technology is pervasive and the kids are fluent in that language. Not sure it would engage ALL readers the same way, and not sure it's really the best way to teach ALL YA books. I'm still a fan of reading the book, in its entirety, before engaging in the blogging and the "liking" and the after technology. However, I might check out Skeleton Crew and have a different opinion after that! I will add that I am quick to jump on the internet after watching a particularly interesting movie, especially one involving a "real" story - so I can get the backstory. I think once interest is piqued in the book, the multimedia approach might deepen understanding and/or get feedback on impressions. But my thought is the first engagement a reader has with a book should be a personal one, not colored by the author's blog, the fans' reviews, etc. etc.

Megan: Internet components for literature are interesting, but I wonder about the practicality of them. If internet components are necessary, I think that is a fault. They should be only used as supplemental materials. Part of the reading experience is getting away from the computer and being able to take your book anywhere- even if you don't have Internet. I feel that websites can be a lot of fun to explore, but a lot of them aren't all that interesting. When I went to the Thirteen Reasons Why site the first time, I was disappointed, and I didn't much care for the audio tapes. Much like watching a music video, I felt that the voice took away from my own interpretation. I know that these websites are created to expand on characters and give readers more information, but I feel that a lot of the time they can fall into the role of promotional material rather than supplemental experience.

~ I think there are great benefits to blending different types of texts and resources. I feel like providing optional ways for students to become more actively engaged in the text/story/characters, can benefit their imagination throughout the book as well as provide an interactive venue for them to experience their favorite stories. ~I personally like the idea of companion websites to collaborate with novels. I think that sometimes, they could take away from the reading by making it easy for students to become lazy with really putting their mind into the books, but because these types of additions are optional, I think if it really is a problem, it is easily avoidable. Otherwise, they seem to be a great idea for students/people who are looking to go beyond the book, deeper into the world that was created by the author, and having these forums to explore and interact on a more in-depth level is interesting and can be quite captivating.