Technology played a limited role in building the narrative. Much of the “character” building took place in class, though I did use twitter messaging to nail down some details for my blog. I also checked other blogs so I could respond appropriately. Technology helped, but it did not play a central role. We could have made better use of technology to arrange our presentations prior to class.
Reflection “Wrestling Real Tough 2” multi-genre class narrative
My dual major is elementary education, so working on the multi-genre piece was both fun and useful. I feel I can use this project in the classroom when I become a teacher. I like the idea of giving each student a different role and asking them to build a character along with a narrative. By incorporating both character and narrative, the students are forced to work together to get facts down about “time,” “place,” and “histories” of other characters. Each student is forced to complete his or her part in order for the class to succeed. I think it is an excellent way to work on writing skills as well as collaboration skills. The students must work together to build a cohesive narrative, yet each student’s work is individualized and can stand alone. Students must engage each other to build a cohesive narrative and must also reflect of what they’ve done to see if any changes are necessary.
For elementary students, the project would require more structure and some clear guidelines, but it could definitely be incorporated into a writing assignment at nearly any primary grade level. The project also allows students to express themselves in different genres and through non-traditional means of writing. This is a great way to differentiate instruction.