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