Show What You've Learned - Week 2 Assignment

Is there only one say to show what you've learned? Not these days. Probably not "back in the day" either. But, combining reading assignments with a creative outlet to prove the
retention of information seemed to work well for even the technically challenged in my case.

The assignment to incorporate pieces of favorite readings into a creative multigenre & multimodal product tested my abilities. Remember what I've read?! My first thought was, "You're going to have to give me a second."
That second turned into 90 seconds of "Going Home"- an off-the-cuff Multigenre & Mulitmodal creation.

Writing Outside of School 

In the publication Writing Outside of School, the authors indicate "Teachers of writing can be more effective when they understand and build upon students’ extracurricular composing." The multigenre and multimodal assignment had no restrictions on the type of content to be used. It listed only suggestions. In this case, the instructor is able to determine a bit about where I come from, who is important to me and even what kinds of music I may prefer.

 

Literacy Learning in the 21st Century

The publication, Literacy Learning in the 21st Century, includes the statement: "the 21st century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies.  Twenty-first century readers and writers need to be able to develop proficiency with the tools of technology."  The emphasis to use technology in this a new-to-me technology or tool allowed me to transform the words I'd read into a new product that may peak the interest of other readers.  It did so in an unconventional way that would engage an audience through more than just written words.  It was also useful way to express my own reaction to a reading or lyrics.  

 

Reading and Writing Differently

Reading and Writing Differently is a publication that focuses partially on how reading and writing are changing textually.  As a potentially aspiring teacher, it is important for me to learn how to keep all students engaged, including those who aren't necessarily eager to read text and regurgitate facts.  The authors indicate, "Visual representations, in particular, can make content more accessible for students who struggle with written text."  Through a multigenre and multimodal display, a student may be more inspired by an assignment if it is presented to them in a more appealing manner with less text and more visual stimulation like pictures and graphic elements.

Writing Now

Writing Now focuses on the authenticity of writing.  The authors wrote, "Today's students need to learn how to use images, graphic design, and social networking to compose and represent their ideas."  Without question, the multigenre and multimodal assignment encouraged the use of existing, easy to use technology but allowed the creativity to add personal touches to the assignment.  That lead to incorporating pictures and designs that would further share with an instructor my interpretation of a reading.

 

Adolescent Literacy

"Allowing student choice in writing tasks and genres can improve motivation," is a major point in the publication Adolescent Literacy.  If the ultimate goal of a teacher is to encourage a student to read and reflect upon what they've absorbed, it makes sense that an assignment would be open to some choice in context.  In the case of the multigenre and multimodal task, I was given a choice on the topic and even the source I'd like to use to meet the requirements assigned.  It also allowed me the opportunity to expand upon what I had read or heard (in lyrics) to express what I thought the text means.  That means truly sharing an interpretation of content as opposed to simply proving I'd read material through multiple choice questions.

Reinforcement

As indicated in a previous blog I believe great learners are great communicators who can take what they've learned from a number of traditional and non-traditional resources and share it in an unlimited fashion.  Each article focuses on tapping into an individual's interest and their unique way of communicating what they've learned.  Through the multigenre and multimodal assignment, I was able to:

• choose a topic that appeals to me (sappy novel, sappy country song).  That generated more interest in completing the assignment.
• share a personal interpretation of what excerpts from a novel mean to me or what kinds of thought lyrics to a song may provoke.  Simply reiterating what I read, in my opinion, would not be an efficient tool to measure exactly what kind of information I'm taking away from what I've read.
• see how a proficient teacher would incorporate technologies to promote reading and communicating.  Many of the publications emphasized the importance of seeking out new technologies for students to use in additional to traditional reports, essays and research work.  By using just one new tool, I recognized how simple it could be to connect with someone who may need information in a digital format.

Real Life Example

Look what I found!  A lesson plan that lets me live in the past! In The News is a lesson plan that incorporates researching, reading, writing, producing and filming.  Some are traditional forms of assignments.  But, portions of the lesson plan include interpretation by students, creative forms of communication and even team work which, while not mentioned in this blog, was focused upon in many of the publications sited. It is also lesson plan that would work across disciplines.  As depressing as it can sometimes be, a newscast often incorporate (to name a few):

•  geography in weather maps
• language in the stories written by producers and reporters 
• math because a producer has to time out the show
• history if an event covered reflects on the past