Module 10

For this final unit, we presented our own non-print media assignments. Surprisingly, this was an easier task than I had anticipated. You can take nearly any standard or activity and convert it to a non-print assignment. In doing so, a traditional, boring activity can transition into something the students will actually have fun doing and relate to. Every group in our class took a different approach to this assignment, which really shows how many possibilities non-print media can bring to the classroom. If I had to take just one concept from this class, it would be that you have the opportunity to do whatever you want in your classroom as long as you have the ability to support it with standards and rationalize the value of it to your superiors.

In my group, we decided to create fake Facebook profiles for characters out of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I had done a project similar to this in high school, but ours was still vastly different from what I had created. We had our assignment incorporate creating a profile for characters, but you could also use this tool to show interactions between characters and highlight key plot events. As long as Facebook is still relevant in the lives of young adults, I feel this can be a successful project. Even if it is a little dated, students can still find value in this tool simply because it’s different than what they would typically do in a classroom. As long as new forms of social media continue to arise and become popular with the youth, we can utilize them to engage our students.

I found it really interesting that most groups used forms of social media for their assignments. However, they didn’t actually use the tool, but they provided a simulation of it instead. I feel this approach can cut back on using technology simply to use technology, and they will still achieve the same results. We used a Facebook template instead of the actual website, one group used a phone template for a texting assignment, and another gave the opportunity to use regular video recording instead of Snapchat. Because some students might not have regular access to phones or computers, this allows them to still actively participate. Also, technology can sometimes turn into a distraction if students are actually texting or on Facebook. However, I feel that by trying to make your activities relevant and engaging to students, you can evoke a deeper respect from and relationship with your students.

Module 9

In this unit, we discussed how process drama can be used as a tool in an English classroom. Whenever I thought of drama, I flashed back to mindless skits and performances I had to do in my own education experiences. I never thought I gained anything but stress from these poorly planned assignments, but this unit allowed me to see drama in a new light.

I never knew what process drama was before reading Exploring Castles. It isn’t just performing plays like most teachers seem to think. Instead, students assume various roles that they carry out through acting. The castle assignment allowed students to imagine themselves back in medieval times and connect to the historical context. This can easily be extended in an English classroom, where students can play the roles of different characters or authors in order to truly grasp and think critically about these people. When students are able to interact with their learning and actually care about it, they will definitely learn more. I always remember the assignments that I had fun doing, and process drama can get student to retain the information for a lot longer than any traditional approaches.

A huge point that stood out to me during this unit was that process drama provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment for the students. The students aren’t forced to be center stage or put under a spotlight in front of their peers unless they volunteer. The activities we did in class were in small groups where everyone was comfortable participating without feeling pressured. Even the mock trial we did about “The Grocer’s Children” allowed some students to act in front of the class while the rest of the students were able to comfortably participate in smaller roles from their seats. The reluctant participators (like me) are able to contribute as much as they please, and those who enjoy being in front of the class are able to thrive as well.

Structured storytelling is another way process drama can be used in the classroom. We tried this in small groups during class, and I felt it could be a nice warm-up activity, especially for a middle level classroom. Everyone participated and contributed to create a story, and our entire group had a lot of fun doing this. I can definitely see this being used to loosen the students up before a creative writing assignment to get them thinking about ideas. 

Module 8

In this unit, we focused on video production and using video technology as a form of literary analysis. I know that I never enjoyed making videos in high school, and they always turned out to be painful, stressful experiences. However, the activities we discussed seemed to have more guidelines and purpose, so I can see how video production can be a valuable form of assessment that I would definitely consider using in an English classroom. From Gura’s chapters and in our in-class discussions, I gained a nice handful of practical tools and activities that take literary analysis to another level.

Our main form of assessment in this module was the Vine project. So far, this has been my favorite activity, and I had a lot of fun creating a short video. Because a Vine is only six seconds long, students have to really focus on consolidating their theme in a short amount of time. You have to fit in a lot of analysis per shot, so I thought this assignment forces students to demonstrate critical thinking skills. We chose not to use sound, but Vine gives you the opportunity to add music to your video, and that can involve even more critical thinking to select an appropriate song. Because the technology is so relevant to students, I feel that this is an engaging project that students will actually enjoy producing, so I definitely see tons of value in Vine.

We also discussed the digital book trailer, which I have created in another class. For this, students use video production with text, voice-overs, and music to convince an audience to read a book. Students must justify their artistic choices and provide a rationale of why they did what they did, so there’s always a bit of writing involved in these assignments. I feel this activity can provide a nice entrance into a discussion on argument or persuasion because students have to make different appeals to their audience in order to make them want to read a book.

Lastly, we discussed using video production as a way to provide feedback to students. While most of these other assignments are student-produced, this gives the teacher an opportunity to use this technology as well. Instead of simple notes in the margins, teachers can screencast the student work and talk through it. I feel like this could be a useful assessment medium because it’s almost like a one-sided conference. It can sometimes be challenging to understand what a teacher means when they make a one word statement in red pen, so this allows teachers to fully explain their feedback.

Module 7

In this unit, we covered using audio production in an English classroom and researched different ways to incorporate technology into the curriculum, either as an assessment or learning tool. In Chaper 2, Hyler highlights Grammar Girl, a podcast, as a way to reach students through a different medium. Some students are audio learners, so they might benefit more from listening to someone teach grammar than watching a teacher in a traditional setting. Chapter 18 in Gura also focused on podcasting, but this section was more limited to a foreign language setting. For ELL students or those with special needs, some aspects of this chapter could also be incorporated into the classroom.

Our main assessment for this module was creating our own podcasts based on a book. First, we listened to podcasts and analyzed the different elements of them. Because there are no visuals, podcasts rely on voices and sound effects to get through to an audience. For our own podcast, we researched different programs to record and compile audio and settled with Audacity. We chose not to use sound effects or anything fancy because our book review was more serious, but I’m confident I would be able to navigate the technology and figure that out easily.

While our project was a book review, I could also see this activity being used in many different ways in an English classroom. An interview is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of using podcasts. Students can take different roles as characters in a book or the author and perform an interview, and they’d have to critically think of how their person would answer questions. Podcasts can be used to discuss audience as well, and students could broadcast news reports to create a more professional atmosphere. Students can engage in digital storytelling, debate with each other, or practice reading with vocal expressions. Podcasts can also be incorporated across the curriculum and into other subject areas. There are many skills students can work on, such as listening for retention, speech, and persuasion in addition to learning the technology.

Prior to this experience, I really haven’t had the opportunity or interest in listening to podcasts because I prefer to have visuals. Upon researching them, I found that there’s a podcast for almost any topic you could think of. When I listen to them, though, I find myself easily losing focus, especially because most of the ones I found were upwards of 40 minutes long. However, I can still see podcasts as valuable tools for some students

Module 6

In this unit, we talked about using nonprint media to teach argument writing. Prior to this module, I don’t think I knew the differences between argument and persuasion, but Hyler made the distinction in Chapter 5. Argument is supported by reason and facts, while persuasion relies on influence and different appeals. While argument seems more credible, persuasion seems to rely  more on cheap tricks. However, they are both effective in different situations. Our main assignment was the print Public Service Announcement, which is a form of argumentative writing. However, I can see how the PSA can also be persuasive because it does rely on some images that influence with emotional appeals.

I thought that the PSA was a valuable activity as an introduction into argument, and it’s even more impactful when the students have to create their own. I feel it’s important for students to be able to express their views in the classroom, so this is a good opportunity to discuss some issues they may feel strongly about. Some of the issues might be a bit inappropriate for younger students, but teachers can limit their options as they see fit. This is also an opportunity for students to practice more concise writing because they have to show their stance rather than just tell it. Overall, I had some fun exploring tools and making my own PSA, and it was impactful to see some others that my peers made as well.

We also read some of Gura’s chapters that could aid in teaching argument writing. In Chapter 13, we discussed teaching persuasion through the use of online blogs. For this assignment, the students took positions on issues they wanted to debate in an online thread.  This was used as a prewriting technique for the students to begin forming arguments and backing them up. They used Edublogs, which has security settings to eliminate any obscenities or inappropriate language. The part that made this teacher’s activity so impactful was that he was actively participating as well. As the students would post, he would bring attention to both positive and negative interactions and use them as teachable moments.

So far, I have been pleased to have found that most of these activities are already formed around the middle level grades. If they aren’t, they can easily be adapted for a younger class. Most of the lessons I see online or in other classes are geared toward a high school level, so this has been a nice change.

Module 5

In this unit, we discussed using nonprint media to create stories and narratives. This was a very short unit, but I learned some valuable tools and strategies. Curriculum usually focuses on argumentative or informational writing, but it's important that we incorporate narratives as well. I feel that in the middle level, narratives can be more useful for students to get in touch with their own experiences and emotions, and they're a good building block for more advanced writing. Plus, they don't involve much research, and students have the opportunity to embrace their creativity.

In chapter 2, Gura discussed creating online animations to pitch original short stories. For this activity, the students used the online tool Animoto to create videos based on short stories that they write. In this assignment, the students focus on audience and purpose when choosing images and sounds. I feel that it is important that the students write a rationale that justifies their creative actions as well, as we did with our graphic novel assignment. According to Gura, this activity was successful because students were engaged the whole time. Students who might not normally participate stepped up for this, and I feel that has so much value in itself. Gura also mentioned using technology such as Glogster and Prezi to create more interactive ways of sharing something such as a biography, which shows how these online tools can be versatile.

In chapter 3, Hyler also focused on reading and writing narratives through different mediums. I have always felt strongly about the “This I Believe” essay because it was my favorite piece of writing in high school. I know I really took this assignment as an opportunity to dive deep into my values and what I really believe in, and I had a lot of fun writing it. To this day, I’d say that this was the assignment I was most passionate about. The students browse some sample essays online, and then they write their own. Hyler uses Wordle as a brainstorming technique, but I did not see the value of this. The students used Google Drive as a collaboration and peer reviewing tool, which I’ve also used and found successful. Hyler also used the six word memoir activity as a good lead into memoirs. I liked how he linked this to twitter and had the students create a tweet with a hashtag, which I found to be more relevant to the students.

Basically, narratives can be done in a variety of ways. We can take a traditional writing assignment and expand upon it with technology. However, the main problem I see from these example assignments is that teachers sometimes use technology for the sake of using technology.

Module 4

This unit focused on analyzing and discussing literature using online resources. I have had some experience with using forms of electronic reading workshops, but I have expanded my knowledge on them.

Electronic reading workshops are pretty simple. It's everything you would do in a normal, traditional classroom setting with having the students read novels, respond to them, talk with their peers about them, and create projects. The only difference is that it takes place online or uses technology. These workshops are very open-ended, so a teacher can use a variety of different resources to implement them. In this module, we discussed twitter, digital literature circles, and blogging. One point of value that really stuck out to me about doing things online is that it gives students the opportunity to speak their minds and branch out. The student who may not feel comfortable speaking in a traditional classroom setting can feel comfortable participating in an online class discussion. There's not as much pressure, so these students can thrive behind their computers.

I found Hyler’s digital literacy circle to be particularly interesting. For this activity, the students each choose roles to play, such as a summarizer, illustrator, or connection maker. While these seem like juvenile roles, they can certainly be altered for higher-level students. Each student has their own job to do regarding a certain reading, and they come together to discuss. I like this because it gives the students the opportunity to play to their strengths, and it allows students with different experiences and backgrounds to discuss literature from different viewpoints. However, I think these different roles can have varying difficulty levels, and some students might have to do more work than others.

We also briefly discussed using Twitter in the classroom. Twitter is great because it emphasizes quality over quantity. When you only have 140 characters to work with, you have to be concise but still impactful. I don’t know how to implement it in a normal middle or high school, but I found the Twitter co-lecture to be valuable. For this, the students simple tweet using the same hashtag in a real time lecture. There’s a constant stream visible to the teacher and students, and they can tweet responses or questions about the lecture. I feel this is useful to both the teacher and students because it allows everyone to get on the same page, and the teacher can see what the class might be struggling with. 

Module 3

This unit focused on incorporating comics and graphic novels into the classroom. I have always been skeptical about comics because I never was able to get into them. However, we discussed many ways to utilize them in teaching literature.

Based on the readings, it can be a challenge to incorporate some non-traditional texts into the classroom. Personally, I never picked up a comic book until college, but I wish they would’ve been part of my high school curriculum. I’ve read Maus and American Born Chinese, and I’m planning to read Persepolis for another class, and I’ve found more of a challenge in these texts than in any traditional reading. I was able to write pages and pages about only a few frames! Art adds a whole new dimension to a text, and you have to focus on the details in order to really extract as much meaning as possible. The reluctant reader can feel comforted by fewer words, and the avid reader is challenged by the visual elements. So, why aren’t these texts usually seen as valid in a classroom? The huge stigma behind them being “just childish comics” and the limited information regarding the effects on standardized test scores deters teachers and school boards from accessing these texts. However, I feel more well-equipped to defend these novels now.

While we could’ve created analyses based on comics, we flipped this around and created our own comic that represented a scene from a novel. At first, I didn’t really see all the potential that this activity could have. When I was creating my own project, though, I began to realize all the symbolism and details that could be translated over to a different sign system. I enjoy being crafty, so I chose to paint my project, and I was able to incorporate whatever I wanted into the comic. I feel that the online comic generators are a bit more limited, but I can see that they can be useful to students who are hand-wavers when it comes to art. I think that the real value in this was rationalizing our artistic decisions. This way, students do have a more traditional writing assignment, and they really have to analyze and defend their choices.

When I first thought of comics, I always thought of superheroes or manga. Now, I realize there are so many other options. I’ve never been exposed to different forms of books in the canon, but I certainly intend to dive deeper into these. If we could just replace one book from the canon with a different approach, I think our students would really benefit. A graphic novel Shakespeare play? Count me in!

Module 2

In this unit, we focused on using nonprint media to reinforce reading. If you aren’t a Language Arts lover like a lot of us, typical English classes can be dreadful. Literary analyses and research papers have their value, but students burn out very quickly and need something a little less dense to keep them focused and passionate. That’s where this module comes in with the concept of transmediation and representing your average text through nontraditional means. When all a student sees is words, words, words, I can understand how they can feel discouraged by walls of text. As teachers, we can help convert different sign systems –the words—into other modes of communication such as images, music, or acting. I’ve also become familiar with the concept of intertextuality, which means making connections with past texts to help understand new ones. Some students need to connect a text with something more familiar to them to fully comprehend it, so something as simple as comparing The Outsiders to Grease can provide some context and a visual that makes the book more understandable.

Shakespeare continues to rear his old-fashioned head into readings and class discussions, so I’m learning many different ways to tackle his plays. “Making the Classics Matter…” explains some issues in teaching some books in the canon. Often, the books we’re forced to read in school seem outdated, with a completely different cultural context and language. Students can have trouble caring and investing time into novels that they don’t feel connected to, so it’s our job as teachers to make the classics relevant and enticing. By applying concepts in these books to our students’ lives, we can establish these necessary connections. Plus, with the use of technology, we can give the texts a modern twist. For example, reading Jane Eyre in high school was the bane of my existence. I could not get past the Victorian context and language to see a worthwhile story until my teacher provided an assignment where we cast each of the characters with relevant actors to put a modern twist on the novel. Shakespeare can be more accessible to students through intertextuality and transmediation as well.

Literature is all about making connections, and we need to be able to bridge the gap between difficult texts and the students who read them. Also in this unit, we began talking about graphic representations and incorporating comics into the classroom, but we touch more on that in the next module. To briefly summarize, all of these readings and discussions provide examples of taking the print sign system and making sense of it through different mediums.

Module 1

In this first unit, we focused on the value of digital tools and the importance of nonprint media both in and out of school. I was surprised to find that I already managed to find new tools to use in my future classroom in the first week of class! Module 1 certainly broadened my horizons regarding using technology in schools and writing for nonprint media. In a society where young adults are so immersed in technology, it’s necessary that we, as teachers, also learn the ropes and reap the benefits of the digital age. I can sometimes be sort of a “hand-waver” when it comes to technology, but I’m learning various tools that can help both me and the students in a classroom setting.

The Technology Enthusiast’s Argument focuses on how our lifestyles and schools are changing, and this chapter really stresses the value of technology. One part that stuck out to me was that every student now has the ability to work at their own pace. The privacy of the digital world allows a student to struggle anonymously, without the rest of the class being aware that they’re having trouble. I find this to be important, especially in a middle school setting, because let’s face it; kids can be cruel. The idea of learner control and a customized education is fascinating to me, but I am somewhat skeptical to how far we can take it.

Hyler’s Chapter 2: Building a Classroom (and Virtual) Community was a goldmine for digital tools right from the beginning. Hyler provides so many examples in these first few chapters that I haven’t experienced before. One aspect that really stuck out to me was the idea of having permissions and sign ups with using technology in the classroom. Some parents might not be comfortable with the usage of some technology in school, so the idea of an opt out letter was useful for me.  In the same chapter, Hyler explains the use of Google Docs, which I have had various experiences with in my own education. Throughout high school, my teachers have used Docs to provide instant feedback and grade assignments, and I can see myself implementing a similar strategy. Hyler also shares his failed experience with using cell phones and texting in the classroom, but then he introduces the program Cel.ly that I might test run in my own classroom. We also discussed the app Group.me in class that could provide a similar experience. These programs allow for an administrator to regulate the students, and I feel this could be a useful tool for collaborating or simply communicating with the class.

So far, I’m beginning to stock up my arsenal of resources, and I’m excited about implementing them in my own lessons!