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3.   What new technologies have you tried and what new technology skills have you developed?

Besides Padlet, every Make provided an opportunity to explore a new technology. I learned how to navigate Adobe Spark, Thinglink, draw-io, and Storyboard That. Before this course, I never would have attempted a flowchart, a video, or a comic. However, I used videos, tutorials, and peer examples to help me access the new technologies. However, I am so glad I had the opportunity to explore these technologies in an engaging and motivational course. I am excited to use these technologies in my academic, personal, and professional life.

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2. How you have, or how you might in the future, attempt to implement Writing as Making with your students?

This course gave me so many great ideas for writing in my classroom. I definitely plan to implement the six image memoir. I think it is a great way to build community and a twist on a personal narrative. Additionally, this make has so many applications for every subject. For first graders, it's important to give students consistency and practice with technology. So this could be a technology my students develop proficiency in while demonstrating their understanding of different concepts.

Additionally, I like how the Makes naturally provided high-tech and low-tech options for my students. This allows students to choose their preferred medium, while still accessing the same Make. For example, the folding story could easily be modified with paper and pencil or the hacked poem could be accomplished with cut-out words from a magazine. This promotes student choice and engagement while expanding the boundaries of writing and making.

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This course helped me redefine writing and making, allowing students to access new forms of expression and connections with others.

1.   How do your makes demonstrate the Writing as Making characteristics we’ve examined in the course?

Writing....
as sharing: By uploading our work to a community, I loved drawing inspiration from other writers and receiving feedback on my work.

as supporting: Through the Google + platform and my co-workers, I was able to share this experience with others. On Google+, I was able to help others access Make 2 by sharing advice on how to link pictures. Additionally I worked with many of the writers at my school, which allowed the opportunity for quick check-ins and questions. It was great to know I had the support of so many amazing writers during this course.

as learning: During Make 3, I learned so many new things from other people's infographics and flowcharts. I successfully folded a fitted sheet for the first time in my life thanks to Adrienne! I also learned about French lunches and kombucha. Writing as making provides a great opportunity for teaching others and sharing knowledge informally.

as playing: This is my favorite characteristic. I loved exploring new technologies. While I had many awesome technology experiences (Adobe Spark, Storyboard That, ThingLink), I learned just as much from the frustrating technology experiences. For example, during Make 5, I struggled to come up with a picture and text for a meme and anguished over this Make for days. However, this struggle led me to Storyboard That, which was incredibly fun! However, I needed that failure and struggle to help me reevaluate my plan and change course.

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Make 6- I decided to remake my six image memoir. This allowed lots of reflection since I had used images of places. I really had to consider what those places meant to me on a personal level.

However, I did decide to use quotes to help explain my beliefs. I was struggling to come up with statements, until I remembered Stephan King's quotes about books. Also, as mentioned in make 4, I'm obsessed with quotes.

I still think this was my favorite Make and I have plans to use it in my classroom.

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I really struggled with this make. I originally planned to make a meme, but I had extreme writer's block. So I changed my make, switching from a meme to a comic. This offered me more possibilities. I actually made 3 comics and picked my favorite. So, while I was hesitant to start this make, it ended up being one of my favorites.

I enjoyed using Storyboard That. It was fairly easy to use, although there are limited features with the free version. As I saw the different people in historical outfits, I considered all the different ways a comic could be used in an English or History class. it would have been fun to create a comic for the Scarlet Letter or Canterbury Tales.

However, I have had my kids make paper comics in reading. They really enjoy this project, so I think a digital comic would be an easy next step.

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When I first looked through the course outline, I was most excited for this make. It combines two of my favorite things: Padlet and quotes. I thought about waiting to post my quotes, but I was too excited...so I posted them anyway.

Padlet is one of my favorite websites to use in the classroom. It's so easy, my first graders can use it. It's a great website for collaboration and sharing ideas, plus it can be used for almost any task. I've used it with students to collect pictures of text features, words that follow a phonics pattern, and examples of shapes. It helps my students notice similarities and differences between their posts and is a great springboard for discussion.

I also love picture quotes, so I'm surprised I never considered classroom applications for them. However, I really like the idea of using them to discuss virtues. By posting, reading, and discussing a picture quote centered around a virtue, I believe students would gain a deeper understanding since they are often thought-provoking.

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Expanding our thinking about writing as making

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For Week 3's make, I made a flow chart to help someone decide where to vacation in South Carolina.

I enjoyed this Make, but it was the most technical and frustrating.  I used draw-io. This technology was temperamental and didn't seem user-friendly. While I could see its uses with older students, it did not seem suited for my first graders.  While this program seemed simple at first glance, it became more frustrating the longer I used the program. This illustrates the importance of testing and exploring technology before introducing it to students.

However, this Make helped me further understand the importance of allowing choice in the classroom, especially when writing. Even though I was limited to  a certain genre/type of technology , I was excited to write about something I am passionate about. Even when the technology became frustrating and difficult, I continued working because I was committed to the topic and the desire to share my knowledge/love for South Carolina. In my classroom, if I put too many limitations on genre/type and topic, students will be less engaged and invested in their writing. This Make reaffirmed the importance of choice when writing.

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I had so much fun composing the first make, I decided to try the second make. While I could see the "dip-in" task more applicable to a first grade classroom, I really enjoyed using "thinglink". Once you get the hang of the website, it's a great way for students to demonstrate their understanding and connections to a text or concept.

For example, I chose the poem, "London" by William Blake. It's a melancholy commentary on the city during the Industrial Revolution. While the poem conjures powerful imagery, the text focuses on the sound of the city, so I chose to add images to illustrate the poem.

By using images, I was able to demonstrate my understanding and connections to the poem. This could be powerful for students who struggle to articulate or dislike writing to demonstrate comprehension. Or it could be motivating for students who are artistic or visual learners.

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TOUCH this image to discover its story. Image tagging powered by ThingLink

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I really enjoyed this make. It was accessible, easy, and engaging. It required more time and thought than I initially planned. It also made me realize I have no pictures of the outside of my home!

Since I love traveling, I chose 6 places that I cherish and define who I am.

Overall, I think this is a great project to use in the classroom. It is a great way to build community and help students learn about their classmates. It could also be used for any subject area. For example, I could see students picking 6 words for a character, a book review, a health/social studies/science concept, or phonics. Since it's only 6 words, it's easily accessible for all grade levels, including my first graders