For Module 10 of Writing for Non-print Media, everyone in
class created and presented a non-print media assignment. This unit was very
informative and everyone came up with great ideas for projects. Some
assignments included texting, blogs, Facebook, and book trailers. My group and
I really enjoyed creating our own assignment. All these projects serve a unique
purpose and would definitely help to teach literature in the classroom.
My group’s assignment was called Instagram-A-Text. It was
meant to act as a review after students read a novel as a class. After reading,
they were supposed to make a collage consisting of at least four photos that
somehow tied in to the story. The pictures could portray characters, setting,
plot, or symbols. When finished with the collage, they would have to post it on
Instagram. If they didn’t have Instagram, they could just email it. In addition,
they had to write a rationale paragraph explaining their photos and how they
relate to the text. We created this assignment so students could have a lot of
freedom, while demonstrating their knowledge of the novel. There were no limits
as to what type of pictures could be used. For my example, I did The Great Gatsby. I used four photos
that represented the setting (West and East Egg), characters (Gatsby’s yellow
car), and symbols (the green light and eyes of TJ Eckleburg). Overall, we had
fun creating this project and thought it’d be a good way to get students
engaged in reading.
Two other assignments I really liked were the character
blogs and the faux Facebook. Both these projects make students think deeper
about characterization. For the blog assignment, students must take the
perspective of a character and write a blog from their point of view. The blogs
are due after every two chapters and have to be at least three hundred words. In
a way, the Facebook assignment was similar. Students choose a character and create
a Facebook page for them, using at least ten events of posts on their timeline.
They then justify five of the choices made. They can post status updates, bios,
photos, friends, and likes. These were probably two of my favorite
presentations because they both allow students to think about and understand a
character more.
Writing for Non-Print Media taught me a lot this semester,
such as graphic novels, blogs, video production, and process drama, just to
name a few. I will definitely be taking what I learned from this class and
using it in my classroom.
