Foot - End of the Semester Reflection

The multi-module forms I would like to incorporate into my classroom are the multi-genre autobiography, a blog, story boards, wikis, especially Canotical Text wikis, graphic novels, video games, and of course good ole fashion books.

• I believe the multi-genre autobiography is an excellent way to get to know my students and to gauge their interests. This activity could be done at the beginning of the year and another option is to repeat the activity but have students only cover the year they've been in school. This way the students and myself could see what's changed and if the students grown.

• Blogs are fantastic for group discussions about literature, films, just about any subject imaginable. It is also an avenue to allow students to express their opinions in a safe environment and it teaches how to communicate effectively and respectfully. Blogs can also encourage and help develop critical and analytical thinking.

• I love the story boards for a group activity. It's fun, interactive, requires team work, and it allows students to break up a scene from a book and better understand it.

• The Canotical Text wikis are great! Giving students to power to choose how they can be taught the classics or rather how they can learn them it a wonderful idea. It will give students an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the text and it will introduce them to multi-module learning opportunities.

• Graphic novels of classics or just graphic novels are interesting, textually different from other texts, visually exciting and more "modern". Graphic novels are very popular in teen culture and incorporating them into the classroom is an excellent way to grab students attention.

• Video games in the classroom is a fun, but I fear risky idea in the classroom. I like the idea and the principle behind the idea is sound; but I just don't want my classroom to become a playroom. Education is fun and used in the right way video games can enhance that.

All of the above list can be used to enhance communication. Students either must communicate with each other to complete the assignment, such as in a blog or making a story board, or topics of conversation will crop up such as in the use of wikis and graphic novels. Video games can even enhance communication as students help each other through the game and the activities that are spawned from the game.

Reviewing my blog it seems I am more willing to include pictures and links in my postings. This could reflect my growing appreciation of and skills in technology.

Overall this class was very enjoyable and useful. I am excited about the technology available to us in the educational sphere. It is truly amazing the lessons we can teach through the many multi-module texts available and those yet to come.