For my New Literacies project I chose to create an online comic on Environmental Literacy. At first I chose the new technology of an online comic because it looked completely different from what I was used to doing. It was not until I began the project that I realized that I needed to also practice the technology of websites and digital photos. First I downloaded a free 60 day trial of this program called Comic Life where you are able to turn your digital photos into a comic strip and alter the photos to look like a comic. That was a simple program to understand but I needed to get even more creative than that because digital photos are fine and dandy but how was I supposed to have people in them talking with thought bubbles? That's when I thought that I needed a narrator for my project and my Dwight Schrute bobble-head sitting on my desk looked like the perfect person for the job. I spent a few hours one day walking around campus taking photos of Dwight Schrute in various locations so it looked as if he was telling a story. I also had done the same thing previously with a "gift" for someone last summer so I had a ton of Dwight photos still on my computer from the previous summer sitting in trees and swing sets. After I had the comic up and running I needed to post it to a website, so to showcase my assignment I thought to just attach it to my website I had already created as a web portfolio. This was difficult to do because I did not want it to be confusing when you clicked on the hyperlink. It actually took a while to configure the comic to the page so it was easy for people to click on the first page and read the online comic.
I felt that the technology I chose fit my personality so well because I was able to be as creative as I could possibly be without the hindrance of HTML rules or website restrictions. I was able to let my personality take over my project in all its glory. This feeling of boundless possibilities gets me excited to think that if I made an assignment like this for upper elementary grades that the projects that I would receive back would be so unique and original! If I had a blast taking my Dwight Schrute bobble-head around taking pictures with it, I can only imagine how the students would feel if they got the same chance to do what I did.
However, I cannot say that this would be the case in the future when I teach. Who knows what kinds of households my students will come from and resources my students will have in the future. What I have is an ideal situation. Many projects using technology will have to be put to the side due to lack of funds and resources. Every teacher needs to teach to the group of students he or she has in the classroom. If the school has the resources and allows the students to borrow the supplies, perhaps my online comic could be something my future students could be able to implement as an assignment. Otherwise, other technologies would have to be used to ensure that each child has a chance to complete the assignment successfully.
I chose to study environmental literacy because that topic interests me the most and will have the most direct influence on my teaching if I gain a position as a 6-8 science teacher in the upcoming years. The research of environmental literacy is what interests me the most. Especially since I have read the book, Last Child In The Woods, by Richard Louv. This books defines exactly what I want to do as a teacher when it comes to the subject of science. The main purpose of his book and the main purpose of the Campaign For Environmental Literacy is to alert citizens that their actions affect the world around them. Richard Louv, primarily speaks about the research done on children who do not get the exposure to the outdoors as they grow up. Louv links this lack of nature to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.
What this project has pushed me to do in the future is get the kids outdoors. I know that when I think about taking kids outdoors for a walk around the school (even if it was in the confines of the school property) the first thing that comes to mind is that they will go wild and not pay attention whatsoever. But just like any other classroom management, wouldn't one have to teach and model to the students the correct way to be "scientists" in the outdoors? Especially if you made this time a part of the natural weekly routine the students will begin to take this time learning outdoors seriously. I know it can be done with high school students because I was in a class junior year that went on ecology hikes once a week and we learned our native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers in all seasons and were assessed on how to identify them. If my teacher at the time could have us behave while learning outdoors, I can too create scientists out of my students as well. In my mind I know what I would want to do if I had the chance to make outdoor learning a part of my bi-weekly or even weekly routine, it just depends on how it would be taken by those above me in the school hierarchy. It would never be used in a way to keep the kids from going out of control like I have memories from, from elementary school. I would be providing environmental literacy to my students.
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I really like your idea of using a comic for your new literacies project. I had not even thought to do something like that. I think putting together a comic was a very fun and creative way to demonstrate your literacy. I had done a scrapblog, which also involved a lot of photo editing and working with digital photos that I was not used to doing so I had to figure out that aspect of my project as well. I am glad you got every thing to work though! I think your project turned out great. I also think it is really important that you pick a technology that suits you. I think it is great you could do something like a comic, where I think that would be more of a struggle for me, however I think by picking a technology that allows you to express your personality makes the project that much better.
ReplyDeleteI to had thought about the technological restrictions we might face in the future. In a perfect world every student would have computers in the classroom and at home to work with and we could assign several cool projects, but this is not always our reality. I think it is important to work with what we have. If we lack technology we can make the best of it and do really amazing projects the good old way with paper and glue! However, learning about all this amazing technology does make me want to have it in my classroom.
I really like your future thoughts about your science classroom. I spent most of my science days stuck inside listening to boring lectures. I think if I had a more interactive science experience I would probably feel a lot more comfortable with science today. I really like how you would include environmental literacy into your class. I think it is such an important part of our society today that it has to be talked about, especially in the classroom! I really enjoyed reading your blog post, you have some really great ideas and I think the comic is really unique!