The Wrap-Up

As I think back on everything that we have been doing in this mulit-modal literacies class, I think about how I can use all of this as an educator. One of the most impressive and useful things that we did in this class, at least for me, were the wikis. I think this would be a great tool to not only use as an educator, but to set up as a lesson for students. They could post different sources of information on a given topic and go back to edit, or to just look through the links, etc., and learn about another topic that htey did not cover. I looked through the wikis that we did recently, and I was able to get some ideas from a few of them for other classes. It is so nice to have this at our disposal, and I feel it is a great learning opportunity for ourselves and our students.

Another thing that I liked was the autobiography. I still remember the ones that I was able to see, and I had a lot of fun doing it as well. It was nice to be able to open up to those around you and share your life with them. It was also nice to see how we were similar and different in so many aspects of our lives. I think it was a great opportunity to share a little part of us, and it was fun to see what everyone's interests were. I just had a lot of fun with it, and I think it would be a great starting point with my students. They could not only get to know me on a more visual level, but also on a personal level. I also think it could help build a community within the classroom that would really enhance the learning.

I still have to admit that the blog was not my favorite part, but I did fin value with it. It made it so easy to connect with the students in class, no matter where you are. Normally you only get to see each other in classes and bounce ideas off each other then, but here you can talk to them no matter what time it is, even if you are miles away. I think there were some really great entries that really made me think about education, among other things, and I feel that this was a great way to connect people. I had a little trouble sitting down and actually blogging though. Sometimes it would slip my mind, and other times I felt it was a little weird that anyone could read it. But I still found an interesting way to stay connected with people, and I am sure there are many future students that would love to do this.

I also enjoyed reading the literature we were given in class. I actually really enjoyed Little Brother, even though I didn't think I would initially. The technological terms were a little difficult at times, but it was still a great story and it really came through the pages, even though there was some jargon I didn't recognize. I also loved Persepolis, and I would really like to teach it in my classroom someday. I never thought I would ever present a graphic novel to my students, only because I didn't know much about them. I just thought they didn't really have substance to them, and I was definately proven wrong. I didn't care for Naruto, but I would still love to use Persepolis.

I also loved the activities in class, and I am glad that we actually were able to physically do them. A lot of times you are presented with ideas, but you don't get to try them out. The fact that I had a blast with them at age 23 is a good sign. I have no doubt that my students would love to do the activities presented in class, and it's a great way to get the students moving and interacting with each other instead of just listening to a lecture. I think it will help promote cooperative learning, and I think they will appreciate the break from traditional teaching.

I didn't really know what to expect with this class when I first signed up for it. I was not sure what we would be doing in class, and I was not sure what it was all about, but I am not disappointed in the least. Not only did I learn a lot of valuble information to use in the near future, but I actually had a lot of fun doing everything! That is not something I get to experience everyday in all of my classes. And given the current trends with young adults, I feel that what we have done within the classroom, as well as the projects, will really help me incorporate new literacy ideas into my classroom, because without this class, I might not have given certain things much thought.