Redesigning my first post “What’s In Your Bag” was a challenge. I didn’t know where to start or how to go about doing an audio only description of my bag without describing my bag. But then I began to reflect upon the original purpose of the post and what I valued in that task. And to me, it was about introducing myself and finding out more about myself. It provided me a space to reflect on how the decisions that I make (packing my bag) describe me. This time around, I began to think about what others may think based off of the items in my bag and this gave me another perspective altogether.
I also reflected on my approach to completing this task and the methods I chose to use. This approach can be divided into the preparation for the activity as well as the completion of the activity. My approach began with completing my readings. I then searched online for presentation methods and looked on my computer for different programs that I already had. I watched short tutorials of how to use the programs as well as read information about the different options. My ability to access this information and be able to apply it demonstrates how digital literacy is woven into my learning process. I took a “horizontal” approach, or breadth-first, and went more in-depth by exploring the features of PROGRAM after I had chosen it.
For the completion of the activity, I first wrote a script for my audio recording. I then recorded and posted it. I think this demonstrates that there is a partnership between written modes and audio-visual modes. I would find it challenging to complete an audio-visual task without first using written text to prepare. Vice versa, when I completed the original post, I started with the visuals (photographing what was in my bag) to help in the written analysis.
This blog posts demonstrates how the sharing of information online can help further others’ understanding. This post was made possible by my ability to access a plethora of information from online sources. It is a demonstration of the power of digital literacy: "Digital literacy does appear to be leading to greater literate participation in a wide range of activities, brought on by the ease of writing, creating linking of ideas and texts, and at least the promise of universal access to knowledge” (Dobson & Willinsky, 2009, p.21). In addition to this, this posting (and blog) demonstrates changing private lives (The New London Group, 1996, p.70). My learning is no longer confined to a written document that exists between my teacher and I.
Resources:
Dobson & Willinsky. (2009). Digital literacy in Cambridge Handbook of Literacy (pp.286-312). New York, New York: Cambridge University Press.
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review 66(1) 60-92.
One last thing…
Reading “A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Designing Social Futures” drew me back to one of my all-time favourite TED talks that I would like to share:
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