Final Project

Weekly reading 12

Infusing Media Literacy Across the Curriculum

My motivations for Digital and Media Literacy

1. to strengthen discrimination skills in distinguishing between high-quality and low-quality messages.
2. to increase student motivation and engagement in the classroom
3. to build students' ability to be active, thoughtful "readers" or interpreters of the media messages in their cultural environment.
4. to promote creativity and self-expression
5. to modernize the curriculum and make it more relevant to students.

"There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for success." This is so true as I am becoming better with online classrooms and having my students turn in assignments online. I might try one way with one grade and a different way for another grade. I may not succeed in keeping up with online posts but I can create a test online and have the pc grade it for me.

"Leadership and vision are critical components of the process of bringing digital and media literacy to secondary education." School leaders can inspire teachers by helping them make large and small steps towards embracing ideas.

"A deep commitment to student voice is at the heart of digital and media literacy." Our expectations of students as thinkers and making them a part of the learning experience will make their learning experience elevated. When students are permitted to have a say in what they are studying and reading they will more likely be engaged.

reading 11

Authentic learning is what I feel is an ideal classroom and what I wanted to accomplish when I began teaching. However, during my first year I have struggled in creating this environment. I have already given too many "book made" tests. I teach them from somewhat boring textbooks and I feel behind in curriculum goals. There have been a few successes and I will continue to work on making the classroom experience better. I know there is a balance somewhere in all of the "stuff" I have to teach and the world in which we need to guide them to live in and someday run. Wait, that puts everything into perspective, someday these students will be running the day to day and the government, and schools. As educators we hope to guide our students in the ability to seek answers for themselves. We hope to help them learn where to find answers to questions and problems. Most importantly, I teach them to always question, don't just accept because that is the way it has always been done. We have to create our own path to the truth. Bridging the gap between technology, media and curriculum is key to reaching this generation. Because of technology our students can make a much bigger impact then ever before if we first allow them, guide them in the process, and let go of some of the control we think we have and let the process occur.

PSA Final

I am currently working on a unit with my 8th grade students in Health that deals with how we treat our Earth. My focus for this video was to have students ask themselves what Earth do you want to inherit? What can we do to take care of it now? I think most of my students are aware of the problems we have but we do not "live" in reality enough for it to bother us. Most of us are so isolated in our own neighborhoods that we dismiss there are real issues happening in our world. We recently had a guest speaker come and talk about clean water. When our students are thirsty they can go to their kitchen and turn a knob a few degrees and drinkable water comes out and they are no longer thirsty. My students listened to missionaries that travel to third world countries where women walk up to 3 hours one way to the nearest water source which is usually a river where the animals use. My students learned that every 15 seconds a child dies in a third world country because they do not have clean water. This was eye opening to them. We have to teach our students about real current situations that they will one day have to face. We have to guide them to want to find answers, we have to facilitate the process in which they can find solutions to real life situations. Most importantly, we have to ignite a passion within our students hearts to want to learn and seek answers instead of spoon feeding them information just so they can answer questions on a paper and pencil test.

Life Online

"It's difficult to find a balance between students' right to free expression and school leaders' need to create an environment conducive to learning."
Principals face a legal minefield when they use suspensions and other disciplinary actions in inappropriate ways.  Courts have stated that students should have the right to freedom of speech when the school day ends.  We have to speak with students honestly about the problematic situations that may occur when they post online or when sending messages. 

"Many parents and teachers feel like children and young people are the experts when it comes to online media."  Because of this adults sometimes feel it is difficult to begin a conversation about its content.  As a parent, I have had to have many honest conversation with my boys about what they may be seeing without asking for it.  They are also aware of predators that may be in the gaming world. 

"Every young person will, at one time or another, fail to anticipate the consequences of his or her communication behavior."  How many copyright laws have my own children broken?  Scary thought as I think about those pictures that were printed without giving credit.  It is a large responsibility to teach our children and students to make sure they give credit where it is deserved.  There have been many times when I have heard my students admitting to downloading a movie or had given out private information online. 

Week 11- PSA Idea

For my PSA I would like to do something about the environment and encouraging students to be aware of environmental events they may face in their future.  Three facts or statistics I will focus on are water sanitation, waste disposal, and food production.
Water, sanitation and hygiene has the potential to prevent at least 9.1% of the global disease burden and 6.3% of all deaths ¹.The impact of clean water technologies on public health in the U.S. is estimated to have had a rate of return of 23 to 1 for investments in water filtration and chlorination during the first half of the 20th century ⁵.

 http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/wash_statistics.html







 





Are we over run with garbage?  What changes can we make to make a difference?





"In its new report, Growing a Better Future, Oxfam says current trends indicate that the world's population will reach 9 billion by mid-century; meanwhile, the average growth rate in agricultural yields has almost halved since 1990. Left unchecked, the gap between food demand and supply will continue to widen.
"The food system must be transformed. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet and demand for food will have increased by 70 percent. This demand must be met despite flatlining yields, increasing water scarcity, and growing competition over land. And agriculture must rapidly adapt to a changing climate and slash its carbon footprint," wrote Robert Bailey, Oxfam's senior climate advisor, in the report.
Climate change has already driven up food prices in many areas by causing drought and desertification, Oxfam reports, and of all the factors contributing to rising food prices, it will create the most serious impact of all in the coming decades."     http://twitter.com/#%21/nattyover
http://www.livescience.com/33311-food-prices-global-hunger-skyrocket-2030-oxfam-warns.html

Media Deconstruction

I think that the deconstruction of the ad is correct but in saying that I feel most advertising is an appeal to the audience and its better sense of judgement.  This happens with most companies who I may add making a profit is the biggest concern for them.  I am not saying this makes it right but let's face it, that is what most companies are trying to do.  That is why they are in business and why they pay advertising lots of money to create an image to the public that will help bring them customers.  It is out responsibility as consumers to do our own homework and make decisions based on the knowledge we gain. 

As to the Alltel commercial- unfortunately this is all too common and we are to "used" to seeing this kind of culture depicted within media so we don't question: we accept or laugh uncomfortably.  I think the main problem with this is that our society doesn't do anything about it but has made a way for us to just accept it and move on.  This ad is too stereotypical and was not a good choice of advertising in my opinion. 

The Quest commercial tries to score points with being on your level- they show themselves as an extension of the middle class.  They are trying very hard to say we understand you and what you want from our company.  Alltel used humor to say to Americans our phones are our most valuable possessions.  I think this is sad but true to a degree.  I see too many of my students 4th-8th that would do anything to be on their phone all day.  What kind of society are we becoming?  

Magazine Cover

I chose the title of the magazine Next Generation to go along not only with the new standards but also the new horizons space themed cover.  I wanted to keep the cover simple and to the point.  The picture is eye catching and will hopefully entice the reader to look more closely. 

The title of the article asks the question- Will Common Core Take Students to a New Horizon?
I did not want the article to show any favor on either side of the question as I am unsure of my own opinion of the common core.  To me, there is not a difference because I did not teach in the previous standards.  There wasn't a "great" change in teaching as this is what we were taught and so this is how I try to teach.  I do feel there are times with curriculum and texts do not sync with common core and I have to be flexible and patient with fellow educators. 

Weekly Reading 9 and Discussion

Chapter 6 Protection and Empowerment

Before diving into this chapter I first want to say that I am sometimes thankful that I do not have any girls in my home that I have to compete with the media with for self- worth.  However, I do see my sons struggle at times and try to have a sense of what they feel is important. 

"Researchers don't yet understand exactly why and how young people use media as a type of superpeer."  There are times when I myself have asked this question.  What is the draw?  I think it is the magic of popularity, mass media, and lack of communication. There are many celebrities out there that ARE good role models.  However, I think it our fascination with what is really right and wrong where we find ourselves in a place of varying opinion. 

"As a parent, I am a proud protectionist."  This is true for me as well and there are so many times when I have failed in this.  I wish I could always monitor and make them watch and view media that would not take away their innocence.  I think when they were young I did a fair amount of this.  As my boys have grown up, it has gotten so much harder.  As our youngest is 6, I fear he may have been exposed to much more than those before him.  His older brothers watch violent movies and even the cartoons have so much violence it is hard to tell him to go somewhere else.  I was always told wait to you hear what your children learn on the bus.  I guess there is point to this- however, I did try to be proactive and equip my children with the truth and then had to let go of the reigns and give them the freedom to make the right choice.  Of course there are limits that we set.  My biggest fear is not equipping them enough and they learn untruths from their friends. 

This chapter describes critical autonomy being a critical component of digital and media education.  This concept explains that it is critical for teachers to "develop in pupils enough self-confidence and critical maturity to be able to apply critical judgements to media texts which they will encounter in the future."  Its focus is on meaning making and respect for diverse interpretations.  WOW- I love this and agree that as our students are relying so much on media sources we have to give them the tools to find truth and understanding. 

Weekly Reading 8 and Discussion

Chapter 5 was a wonderful read that I enjoyed very much.  It provided wisdom that I can incorporate into my teaching. 

"Today, every teacher needs to be a media composition teacher."  I completely agree with this quote as teachers need to offer the power of being an author back to students.  This helps students put knowledge into practice.  There are so many tools available for students as well.  When students are given the opportunity to be the authors, they also have the authority.  Media composition also helps practice intellectual curiosity- thankfully I have always loved learning as well.  I find when I am excited about a topic my students are excited too.  When we come to a chapter I am not as interested in- the enthusiasm lacks from them as well. 

" The cycle of romance, precision, and generalization is at the heart of the creative process in science."  As a first year science teacher that has struggled some- this is point that I realized early on.  When the romance bond is strong and students are fully engaged in a topic, they are eager to delve into the precision aspect.  Without the romance, it can be very difficult for students to go into the precision learning.  They will be bored and perform like robots, just memorizing the facts to get by.

When students do have the freedom to create they will often mimic pop culture or what they have been watching which can make the teacher question them and where their thoughts are coming from.  "Writing and art teachers experience this problem frequently because they invite students to reveal their hearts, minds, and imaginations."  The difficult part of this is when a student depicts a dark side or exhibits violence within their creativity.  What is a teacher supposed to do at this point?  I can resonate with this due my own sons struggles.  When he drew a picture in school that was violent he was kicked out for 10 days.... but they did not actually talk to him about the picture.  When did we stop communicating with students?  If we would just talk to our students I think most of the these "possible" problems would not really be issues.  We would start understanding their minds and mostly their hearts.  Unfortunately, most of the time, there is no time, or we fear that we will somehow be found liable and lose our jobs.  So, we react, judge, and pass it off to someone higher and hope for the best while our students realize they can no longer trust those adults they spend every day with. 

Weekly Reading 7

 

I can honestly say that knowing a lot about common core and being able to teach using common core are two different areas of my teaching ability at this time.  I am able to say that I know "something" even if that means not doing as much in action as I would like.  I do believe that change is always going to happen no matter what the standards are and while change is not easy it is needed to continue to do better.  My concern is what seems to be this massive umbrella that has been put over the standards that educators are just supposed to align themselves with.  I am thankful that while attending FSU our professors had enough insight to also teach us in common core so that when other professionals ask I am able to give an answer. 

Because the standards are the roadmap for successful classrooms, and recognizing that teachers, school districts, and states need to decide on the journey to the destination, they intentionally do not include a required reading list. Instead, they include numerous sample texts to help teachers prepare for the school year and allow parents and students to know what to expect during the year.
The standards include certain critical types of content for all students, including classic myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S. documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of Shakespeare. The standards appropriately defer the majority of decisions about what and how to teach to states, districts, schools, and teachers. (http://www.corestandards.org/other-resources/key-shifts-in-english-language-arts/).


This to me describes the power of representation.  Every standard that we teach or common core objective  are subjective in nature.  We interpret what we think from what we are reading and then attempt to teach and help our students think for themselves.  We do all we can to help them to continue to ask questions and keep their curious nature in one piece before the spoon feeding of education take over and they have no more desire. 

Media Deconstruction

 

Authors and Audience

Who produced this document and for what purpose?
A magazine called The Blaze that can be found at blaze.com which has many ties to Glen Beck.  The purpose of this magazine as is says on the cover is that "truth lives here".  I take this as the reader should blindly trust the content. 

When was this produced, and what was it's historical context?

This particular edition was released in May 2014.  This was just months after the implementation of common core and would have fueled to mistrust of a new system.   

Who is the target audience?

The main target audience is likely to be parents of children that are currently in the school system and will be learning by the common core.

Messages and Meanings

What are the messages communicated?

It is a fairly straightforward message that the common core is a threat to the American way of life and the education of our youth.

What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

This picture of the students with the thought bubbles like they are actually thinking this.  The different use of fonts and colors direct the reader's attention to the main reading points. 

 How might people interpret this message differently?

When looking into this article- one can see which side of the fence they are on and so those who are against common core from the get go will use this "source" to push their side of the coin.  Those who are in favor will probably not even read this article. 

Who might benefit from (and who might be harmed by) this message?

My fear is that none will benefit from this kind of one sided point of view.  Only those who like to make readers fear the unknown.  I also feel that it is the students who will be harmed from articles such as these.  

Representation and Reality

What information or perspective is left out of this message?

The prospective of the one that sees positive light in the common core seems to be left out of the message. Judging from this cover, common core has no chance to be of benefit to our society. 

Is this an accurate and credible representation?

There are many different views of common core and I am sure there will be many more to come, however by the article only stating the negative and then playing on the fears of others I feel this makes the article less credible in my eyes. 
  
How does this reflect the perspective or bias of its creator?

The creator is a very right sided political point of view. 

Text and Subtext

Text: 

The cover is focused on a group of children in a classroom, facing forward towards a chalkboard. Coming from the children are several "thought clouds" turning into the thought "Common core's threat to our kids, our freedom and our future."  The cover also has the tagline "Truth Lives Here." 

Subtext:

First, if a news source has a tagline similar to "the truth lives here," I typically am skeptical of how truthful it really is. This article immediately has me afraid of its content simply due to the fact that it is using common core to suggest a political attack on our country and children.

Children are at risk due to the common core. The common core is taking away freedom.  The common core does not teach children.

Language of Persuasion

1: Timing

2. Fear

3. Intensive

4. Plain Folks

5. Charisma

6. Extrapolation

7. Glittering generalities

8. Name-calling

9. Nostalgia

10. Slippery Slope

11. Diversion
12.  Experts

Weekly Reading 6

One of the sections that I enjoyed reading in this chapter was about the remote control settings. The one particular spoke about "stereotype alert offers a warning when people, events, or characters are presented in ways that are so typical that they seem ordinary and even banal, as when we see politicians represented in ways that make them seem phony, or blondes and athletes that are depicted as dumb." The point to the remote control is to help students to learn how to develop their critical analysis skills. Often we are overwhelmed with media sources showing us so much information that we just believe what we see and stop questioning.

Cover girl is famous for advertising their products so that those viewing will believe that they will look like that is they buy and use that product. Most companies do this with all products. We have to be smart consumers and use critical analysis.

Rough Draft of Buried Inside

http://youtu.be/Qc1kl9pG0FY

Note Card Confessional

The world of media has taught me so much and that is where I took my first quote, "most of what I know about the world comes from media sources..." (Hobbs, pg 72). I am thankful for media(all forms) and all that it has given me in the form of knowledge. As I have grown up I have had to learn what media to trust and what not to- this is also a great responsibility that we must teach our students as well. This ties into the second quote, " learning to live responsibly when it comes to online communication is a process." (Hobbs, pg 138). One of the most powerful lessons we can teach our students is how powerful our words can be verbal and written.

"news about science and technology affects nearly every aspect of our lives..." (Hobbs, pg 153). As new discoveries are made and technology is developed it does impact all that we do and will do.

Learning new methods of teaching when you are so busy teaching is almost impossible. It is important to take the time and learn new ways as often as you can.

But the most important aspect of any type of teaching is guiding and allowing a student to find their voice in this big world. Giving them the tools and knowledge so that they are able to make wise decisions and make a difference in the world that will soon be theirs.

Addressing the Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling

Point of View- The point of view of my digital story will be from a child who has lost a parent- I think my audience will be everyone as we all have parents whether or not they have passed away or not. I hope my story will help others to not take for granted the time they have with loved ones.


Dramatic Question- Buried Inside

Emotional Content- I think the death of a loved one is emotional. I do not want to share this just to hold the pity card but to sincerely help those who have lost loved ones to heal as well as not take for granted the short time in this world we have.

Soundtrack- I may go with an instrumental however I have always loved the song by Monk and Neagle-- Dancing with the Angels. I had them play it at my moms funeral and it means a great deal to me.

Economy- short to the point yet inspirational.

Pacing -I will be using photos mostly- I do not think I will actually speak in the video but type the words. I find listening to myself distracting and difficult- however this may change.

Brainstorming My Digital Story

One of the many turning points in my life was when my mom died in December of 2012. She had been diagnosed with lung cancer nine months before her death. She and I had a somewhat backwards relationship throughout my life where I played mom and she played daughter. As she became more sick, she and I became closer and closer. After she died, I changed...inside. It is really only in these moments of reflection that I realize how different life is. I can't pick up the phone and call her every day. I have details of daily life I would only share with her that now are kept to myself. I lost one of my best friends that can't be replaced. You don't really move on from that- but bury it inside.

Reflecting on Our Love/Hate Relationship with Media

I remember learning to read but that I was terribly shy and hated to read out loud. Why do we do that to our students? I guess it is just one strategy that has been overused in the past. As I grew up the most amazing love relationship grew between myself and novels. My grandma gave me the book series of Little House on the Prairie. I began to lose myself within their pages and escape the somewhat crazy home life I had. Since then I have always loved books where they can take you. I only hate it when I have found a wonderful book, that I can't put down until I have finished it- and then it ends.

6810 Reading and Discussion # 3 Activity 1 Peer Response

Carolanne Kein---- The Happiness Project

I thought this video was important because it is children are like sponges and see what we make important in our own lives as they are trying to figure out what they believe in.


Rafe Snell--- Swinging for the Fences

This story shows how important it is to teach to the whole student and develop a sense of self- worth and open communication.


Jessica Harmoning---Forever Young

As my own boys are beginning this process of growing up and coming of age and are sometimes at a crossroads as to where they want to be on different days, I found this video heart warming and a good message.

6810- Reading and Discussion #3 Activity 2

Week Three Post Three

I thought the three digital stories were all done very well! They each had inspiring stories that were reflective in nature and connected in some way to the viewer. They all contained the seven elements of storytelling. All in all, I felt they were all very well done!

Week Three Activity 2

This story was one of my favorites that I watched as I could relate to feeling like being "buried in snow". The voice speaking was a woman working her way through grad school and remembering a time when her father buried her in snow and had to wait on him to get the camera. She stayed and patiently waited.
The dramatic question in my opinion was asking if her father was waiting to die when she was able to finish school and be okay and support herself.
The story did have emotion in it- their was happiness to be in the snow because Oklahoma did not always have a lot. She was happy to be with her dad on an adventure. It showed trust and determination to stay and wait- she trusted her dad and knew that he would come back. The biggest emotion that I connected with was reflection on her journey- which is also where I am- what would I share in my story.

The Seven Elements of Digital Story Telling

Week Three Discussion 1

The Seven Elements

The seven elements of digital story telling are Point of View, Dramatic Question, Emotional Content, The Gift of Your Voice, Sound Track, Economy, and Pacing.

Element 1- Point of View- It is important that as you prepare a story that you remember who your audience may be.  This is important so that you can better help your  listeners and viewers to understand the message you are sharing.  Is it a personal story or it is a more instructional story?

Element 2- Dramatic Question- This reminds me of what speech class called the "attention getter".  Maybe it is a question that you begin with and as you share the answer unfolds.  It is also what holds the audiences attention throughout.  They want to know the answer to the question.

Element 3- Emotional Content- We as humans experience similar emotions when faced with different situations. Emotions are a wonderful component to our human nature- so of course when we are telling a story we often try to insert our own emotions into it so that our viewers may see and feel them as we are. 

Element 4- The Gift of Your Voice- When we are able to use our own voices within a video- it makes it much more personal to those watching.  It also helps the audience to understand the context that they are listening to.  I have always been told I sound like a little girl when I am speaking on a recording and so I have always avoided it- but I feel that when you personalize a story with your voice it brings yet another side that draws the viewer in.

Element 5- Sound Track- An appropriate piece of music or soundtrack with a video is amazing.  This is an area I am usually jealous of others for being able to find and create.  Often when viewing others videos I am envious of their choices.  Music sets the mood for a video and often builds and creates anticipation for what is coming next.

Element 6- Economy- This has to do with sequence and order of your story.  When creating a digital story, you may not be able to include each and every step or all the pictures you may need to show so that the viewer sees everything.  You may have to choose due to the length and do it in such a way that the viewer is able to fill in the blanks with what you did choose.

Element 7- Pacing- Pacing is the rhythm of the story- you have to work it out so that your pace is just right- you do not want to go to slow or too fast.  Sometimes it is important to take a moment and breath and think- it will give both the creator and the viewer a moment to really look at the story. 

Reading and Discussion #2

Digital Storytelling is new to me and I feel rather old saying that. However, thanks to friends and professors I have been shown the wisdom in using them. Thankfully, most technology is user friendly and if I can do it, ANYONE can! One of my new favorite apps is iMovie- I can not wait to let my students use this app to create a trailer about themselves or whatever topic they choose. My step-son creates youtube videos all the time with his friends. There are just so many venues and their generation communicates this way all the time. My son sends pictures to his friends using instagram and facebook. These digital stories and images gives them a voice in a sense. I did not even know about Reel Works until this assignment.... no I take that back we watched "A Girl Like Me" while in class. This videos are filmed in such a way that the viewer is self-reflective while watching. At least the ones that I watched had a deeper meaning than I first thought when I clicked on them.
One of my favorite videos so far is...
Temporary Home


This video is sad but awakening to another world we don't always see...or want to see. I think the creator was brave for sharing her journey of living in a shelter with her mom and her sister. She was conflicted in her emotions about blaming her mom but also being understanding. She explained that living in a shelter did make her grow up earlier than most and that she treasured everything she had. Isn't this different than what we live everyday. I am often thankful for what I have but do I treasure everything? Doubtful, most of the time, I am growling under my breath that I have so much "stuff" that I have to organize and clean around. How selfish of me to not treasure each thing in my life. One of the more interesting quotes in the video to me was when she stated that one day she hoped to have a better life- and went on to say that she would not say she would have a good life someday because that will never happen. But it could be better. While I liked her somewhat positive statement it made me sad that she already put that boundary around her possibilities.

Module One Discussion and Reading

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tzPUw2-aTw_LJxn-iElXvGvoB1VVITMyurwPfCnqZro/edit?usp=sharing






To what extent do you agree with Neil Postman?
I agree completely with Neil Postman- in that we are always being thrown into a deep pile of information and visuals and we have to sift our way through it.

Neil Postman delivered this speech in 1969. How do you think he might feel about "the art of crap-detection" now given recent advancements in digital technologies?
He would feel this even more so. I think he would need to give this speech times ten. That is just to get the kids attention.

What did the video make you think about or feel?
When she first came out I wondered what the catch was. I love TED videos and knew it must have an amazing message. I completely agree that we judge everyone by how they dress and what they look like.

How does it support Neil Postman's concerns about "crap-detection".
It comes down to the saying that I grew up knowing- never judge a book by its cover. I am also glad I have boys.

Then, tell us how this video effects your understanding of why it is important to teach CRITICAL media literacy and not just MEDIA literacy in-and-out of school. Put your response with three quotes from the reading.

We need to judge by content not looks. "A website can look wonderful and legit but may have false or blown up data. It takes a comprehensive approach that would teach critical skills and how to use media as instruments of social communication and change. The technologies of communication are becoming more and more accessible to young people and ordinary citizens, and can be used to promote education, democratic self- expression, and social progress. Technologies that could help produce the end of participatory democracy, by transforming politics into media spectacles and the
battle of images and by turning spectators into passive consumers, could also be used to help invigorate democratic debate and participation."(pg. 373, Kellner & Share).

A Little About Me

A Little About Me

Why is teaching media literacy important? Teaching media literacy is important because this generation and those to come are so reliant on this type of information source. What do you want to learn about teaching media literacy? I want to be more knowledgeable for my students- although they are always quick to help me and understanding. I also want them to understand how to find quality sources of information. What concerns do you have about teaching media literacy? I want to help create a balance between books and media. When are assignments do in this course? On the due date assigned. What are the rules for late assignments? You must contact the instructor within 24 hours of missing a due date for an assignment. She will provide you with an opportunity to receive partial credit for a late assignment as long as you communicate with her in a timely manner. If you DO NOT contact her within 24 hours you NOT receive points for that assignment. What is the best way to contact me? Through gmail (dllb123@gmail.com), You may also call cell phone 304-319-3777. Should you work ahead? Check with professor before working ahead. She tends to change readings and detail of assignments based on the needs of student in the class.