What?
Our group chose to explore the ridiculous hilarity of Chuck Norris and his larger-than-life persona. We spent of hours of research, scouring the internet to find facts and video that supported the Meme. What we unearthed was a gold mine full of media and information that helped us compile a successful Meme video. We integrated online applications to help download videos, Garageband for voice narration and iMovie to help piece the final project together. It was certainly a very tedious project but it was another good way to incorporate various mac-based applications and many different forms of multimedia.
So What?
To me, I think what could really be taken away from this project is the value of collecting and incorporating outside sources into individual presentations. I think many of us cringe when we hear that we have to use secondary sources in a paper but I believe we do ourselves a disservice by not “doing our homework” and mastering the content that we are intended to learn. This project proves that we would have had little, quality substance in our piece if we did not include other sources.
Now What?
In the classroom I think we could really show students the value of employing quality secondary sources in their paper or projects. A project like this could be a fun, alternative way to show them the importance of including outside sources in their work. I would hope this discipline could encourage students to see the value of using secondary sources in other assignments that may be written or oral.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
About Me
Well...if I had time to tell you I would. While this is intended as a joke, the truth is I am a fairly busy individual. I am a full-time student here at WCU in my Junior year. I am also employed full-time at a local hotel. I currently serve in the U.S. Army Reserve as a print and broadcast journalist. Oh yeah...I also have a “full-time” girlfriend who is my best friend and someone I love very much. She is terrific. So, if I were to have free time on my hands I would prefer to spend it outside, staying active, getting pumped up with Tony Horton, reading a book, playing music, taking photos and spending time with family and friends. Beyond the surface I must admit I see myself as somewhat of a “late bloomer” in life as I dedicated many of my formative years to irresponsibility and a spirit of apathy. I never really had a mentor, someone to look up to, growing up so I am looking to provide young people that which I never knew. I want to dedicate my life to teaching and perhaps the field of counseling as well. I have become tired of letting my life pass me by. I want to matter. I want to make a difference, perhaps “too” much at times as my present circumstance would suggest. (haha)
iMovie Trailer
What?
My partner and I chose to do a funny, yet informative trailer about the evolution of reading literature as it pertains to technology. We chose to re-tell the story of a “forbidden” love between a book and a Kindle similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet. We demonstrated how reading has evolved over time crossing many different mediums along the way. Rather than propagating a negative sentiment for e-readers (like the Kindle or Nook) we attempted to show how students can fall more in love with reading if provided with the technological advantages of digital literature. It could save paper, time and could be a more interactive experience for learners.
So What?
I think at the heart of this project is trying to provide a space for learners (including future teachers) to interact with various forms of technology and not be afraid of the domineering nature we think it can often times possess. In today’s world it may be beneficial for individuals to become technologically literate as well.
Now What?
Could you imagine a world without books? Perhaps not. But I think of how much time, space, hassle and money that could be saved if students were given texts and other classroom materials in a digital form. Forgetting a book or losing a paper would no longer be an excuse. The only excuse one would have would be their unwillingness to learn. I think this unwilling spirit could be further curved by ensuring the learning experience is interactive and meaningful.
My partner and I chose to do a funny, yet informative trailer about the evolution of reading literature as it pertains to technology. We chose to re-tell the story of a “forbidden” love between a book and a Kindle similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet. We demonstrated how reading has evolved over time crossing many different mediums along the way. Rather than propagating a negative sentiment for e-readers (like the Kindle or Nook) we attempted to show how students can fall more in love with reading if provided with the technological advantages of digital literature. It could save paper, time and could be a more interactive experience for learners.
So What?
I think at the heart of this project is trying to provide a space for learners (including future teachers) to interact with various forms of technology and not be afraid of the domineering nature we think it can often times possess. In today’s world it may be beneficial for individuals to become technologically literate as well.
Now What?
Could you imagine a world without books? Perhaps not. But I think of how much time, space, hassle and money that could be saved if students were given texts and other classroom materials in a digital form. Forgetting a book or losing a paper would no longer be an excuse. The only excuse one would have would be their unwillingness to learn. I think this unwilling spirit could be further curved by ensuring the learning experience is interactive and meaningful.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Podcast Reflection
This West Chester Life "Budget Cuts 2012" Podcast LISTEN
What?
My group decided to do a podcast about the proposed budget cuts to education in PA for 2012. I listen to quite a bit of NPR productions so I was pretty familiar with many of the layers/elements that would go into producing one independently. I really got into this project because it pertained to an issue that I was very interested in and I enjoy constructing journalistic pieces. We had to do a little bit of digging but we quickly found some great subject matter experts and had the luck of being able to attend a rally on campus to get some quality soundbites. Compiling all of this "raw" data was quite tedious as I was looking for good soundbites from my interviews while trying to identify any common threads that would help me piece together a logical, well-constructed narrative.
So What?
I think projects like this really require students to understand and employ the conventions of narrative. How stories are told are just as, if not more important, as the stories themselves. Podcasts offer an approach to narrative storytelling that conveys depth and thoughtfulness as it requires it's creator to consider multiple dimensions beyond telling the "simple" story. If you truly understand the story you are telling every single element/layer you incorporate into a Podcast should serve a very specific purpose.
Now What?
Thinking of future students, I think this could be a very valuable resource to take into a future classroom. When I think of writing a narrative I feel people often become victims of reciting facts about a particular event rather than trying to recreate the essence of the experience for their audience. Obviously, this approach often lends itself to products that seem less than inspiring. If we can teach students to employ attributes of a thoughtful narrative I think it would go a long way. I think the Podcast assignment really asks you to step back and think about the story you are trying to tell. I think this could be a very fun and interactive assignment for students to do especially if they can do it on a topic of their choice. My only concern is for students who may not be as "tech savvy" may have a difficult time piecing together a quality product and in turn may distract from what might have otherwise been a good story to tell.
What?
My group decided to do a podcast about the proposed budget cuts to education in PA for 2012. I listen to quite a bit of NPR productions so I was pretty familiar with many of the layers/elements that would go into producing one independently. I really got into this project because it pertained to an issue that I was very interested in and I enjoy constructing journalistic pieces. We had to do a little bit of digging but we quickly found some great subject matter experts and had the luck of being able to attend a rally on campus to get some quality soundbites. Compiling all of this "raw" data was quite tedious as I was looking for good soundbites from my interviews while trying to identify any common threads that would help me piece together a logical, well-constructed narrative.
So What?
I think projects like this really require students to understand and employ the conventions of narrative. How stories are told are just as, if not more important, as the stories themselves. Podcasts offer an approach to narrative storytelling that conveys depth and thoughtfulness as it requires it's creator to consider multiple dimensions beyond telling the "simple" story. If you truly understand the story you are telling every single element/layer you incorporate into a Podcast should serve a very specific purpose.
Now What?
Thinking of future students, I think this could be a very valuable resource to take into a future classroom. When I think of writing a narrative I feel people often become victims of reciting facts about a particular event rather than trying to recreate the essence of the experience for their audience. Obviously, this approach often lends itself to products that seem less than inspiring. If we can teach students to employ attributes of a thoughtful narrative I think it would go a long way. I think the Podcast assignment really asks you to step back and think about the story you are trying to tell. I think this could be a very fun and interactive assignment for students to do especially if they can do it on a topic of their choice. My only concern is for students who may not be as "tech savvy" may have a difficult time piecing together a quality product and in turn may distract from what might have otherwise been a good story to tell.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Digital Storytelling
I just finished watching a digital story called "The Gift of Nonviolence" by Dr. Leroy Moore of the University of Colorado. He shared a story about his childhood that changed his view of violence forever. He was physically abused by his father and finally decided to stand up to the violence. Dr. Moore discovered a technique that caused his father to stop beating him without employing violence in return.
My overall impressions of the video were good. I really enjoyed hearing the soft spoken, gruffy words of Dr. Moore in his old age and the music he chose to use seemed to set the mood pretty well. The only thing I didn't really care for was the pictures and text he used. The pictures were not very high quality and the text seemed plain and boring. I feel if he would have given more forethought in these two areas he could have had a much more powerful digital story.
I could certainly see the relevance of using digital storytelling in the classroom because I believe it allows students to employ or discover their own creativity in storytelling. I think in a day where curriculum often seems rigid, boring and impersonal, we have to find vehicles for students to express themselves during the learning experience. I could see something like this working really well for assignments when students must give some sort of interpretive analysis of an assigned reading. They could respond in a creative and personal way how a particular piece of literature challenged or changed them.
I do feel something like this may be a little harder to assess though. While I think most students could benefit from something like this it may not be something that all students would be comfortable doing. And if you have students that are "technologically illiterate" it would be hard to knock them for not producing a high quality presentation. But I do think a project like this could be a valid assessment in trying to gauge a student's understanding of content material. Do they understand what they just read? Do they feel the mood and tempo of the piece? Do their visuals provide a good representation? Are they making parallel observations? I think having students answer these kinds of questions can foster meaningful learning as well as allow them to draw greater parallels between classroom learning and their individual lives.
My overall impressions of the video were good. I really enjoyed hearing the soft spoken, gruffy words of Dr. Moore in his old age and the music he chose to use seemed to set the mood pretty well. The only thing I didn't really care for was the pictures and text he used. The pictures were not very high quality and the text seemed plain and boring. I feel if he would have given more forethought in these two areas he could have had a much more powerful digital story.
I could certainly see the relevance of using digital storytelling in the classroom because I believe it allows students to employ or discover their own creativity in storytelling. I think in a day where curriculum often seems rigid, boring and impersonal, we have to find vehicles for students to express themselves during the learning experience. I could see something like this working really well for assignments when students must give some sort of interpretive analysis of an assigned reading. They could respond in a creative and personal way how a particular piece of literature challenged or changed them.
I do feel something like this may be a little harder to assess though. While I think most students could benefit from something like this it may not be something that all students would be comfortable doing. And if you have students that are "technologically illiterate" it would be hard to knock them for not producing a high quality presentation. But I do think a project like this could be a valid assessment in trying to gauge a student's understanding of content material. Do they understand what they just read? Do they feel the mood and tempo of the piece? Do their visuals provide a good representation? Are they making parallel observations? I think having students answer these kinds of questions can foster meaningful learning as well as allow them to draw greater parallels between classroom learning and their individual lives.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Author's Blog
I must admit that I am quite skeptical of the technological overhaul many would like to employ in the modern classroom. This mostly steams from a desire to prompt genuine human connection in the classroom without relying on so many external influences. I also fear that technology can lend itself to the disempowerment of academic professionals. Admittedly, I do acknowledge the fact that many teachers these days are ineffective and uninspiring but I do not believe replacing teachers with technology is the answer. Technology should supplement quality teaching. So I suppose I am not completely opposed to technology as long as educators aren’t using technology as a means to replace a meaningful learning experience that should fall on the teacher.
Denise Johnson’s article, “Teaching Authors’ Blogs: Connections, Collaboration, Creativity,” began to change my mind about teaching and the world of Blog. I was never really into the blogging world and mostly saw it as an endless void where people could say something to the world that nobody close by wanted to listen to. But Johnson’s article created a shift in thinking for me as she stated, “Rather than remaining at a distance, many of these authors desire to create a stronger connection with their readers, which blogging allows them to do.”
I like to write myself and one of biggest fears is that I ever get published there will be people who don’t understand what I am trying to communicate therefore creating unnecessary controversy. Johnson proposes that through blogs authors are able to keep the pages turning and connecting with their readers like never before. Blogs can be outlets for authors to expand on ideas, inform their readers how the creative process works and how they are influenced by life. One of my concerns about this is that I wonder if students can be led to confusion by being led into a ongoing, abstract conversation that doesn’t give students the ability to draw any logical and unbiased conclusions.
Johnson writes, “once students understand the powerful connection to literature that comes from recognizing how an author’s experiences and perspectives are reflected in his or her writing, then students begin to internalize the desire to continually make these connections and to use the information for critical reading and thinking.”
Ultimately, I think blogs can be a wonderful supplementary tool to use in the classroom. Students are given the opportunity to better understand the joys and struggles of writing from their favorite authors. A final interesting thought is I wonder if this approach to teaching will one day replace conventional texts used for classroom instruction. As we know, these texts can prove to be extremely expensive and often become outdated within a few years. If there is a stronger urge for professionals to share thoughts and ideas through blogs there may be enough supplemental content to replace conventional classroom textbooks altogether.
Denise Johnson’s article, “Teaching Authors’ Blogs: Connections, Collaboration, Creativity,” began to change my mind about teaching and the world of Blog. I was never really into the blogging world and mostly saw it as an endless void where people could say something to the world that nobody close by wanted to listen to. But Johnson’s article created a shift in thinking for me as she stated, “Rather than remaining at a distance, many of these authors desire to create a stronger connection with their readers, which blogging allows them to do.”
I like to write myself and one of biggest fears is that I ever get published there will be people who don’t understand what I am trying to communicate therefore creating unnecessary controversy. Johnson proposes that through blogs authors are able to keep the pages turning and connecting with their readers like never before. Blogs can be outlets for authors to expand on ideas, inform their readers how the creative process works and how they are influenced by life. One of my concerns about this is that I wonder if students can be led to confusion by being led into a ongoing, abstract conversation that doesn’t give students the ability to draw any logical and unbiased conclusions.
Johnson writes, “once students understand the powerful connection to literature that comes from recognizing how an author’s experiences and perspectives are reflected in his or her writing, then students begin to internalize the desire to continually make these connections and to use the information for critical reading and thinking.”
Ultimately, I think blogs can be a wonderful supplementary tool to use in the classroom. Students are given the opportunity to better understand the joys and struggles of writing from their favorite authors. A final interesting thought is I wonder if this approach to teaching will one day replace conventional texts used for classroom instruction. As we know, these texts can prove to be extremely expensive and often become outdated within a few years. If there is a stronger urge for professionals to share thoughts and ideas through blogs there may be enough supplemental content to replace conventional classroom textbooks altogether.
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