Poetry Video

I thought this project allowed for a lot of creativity, but I personally also found it to be difficult and, at times, frustrating. I quickly discovered that my first ideas for the video were going to require much more time than I had, mostly as a result of the fact that I, to my knowledge, have never made a video like this before. So I decided that where I had cut down on the complexity of the images themselves, I would make up for with editing the simple images I had chosen- changing the temperature of the images, making them warmer or colder, changing the brightness so that they are lighter or darker, all depending on how they were being described in the text. My next decision was to put the text in the video, using different fonts based on what subject that line of the poem specifically focused on- a more flowing, gentle style when the poem focused on love and rose briar; a simple but, at least in my eyes, more solid font for when it focused on friendship and holly; and a plain font for when it made general statements that did not seem to focus on either. I had a difficult time finding music that I could use, but in the end, I chose something gentle and relaxing, which I think goes well with the tone of the poem. The last choice I made for how the video should come together was whether or not to also have a reading of the poem. The only reading of the poem that I could find online was not available for me to use, so I tried recording the poem myself- and I hated it. I thought that, perhaps because it was my own voice, it took away from the power of the poem; so I decided to simply have the text. As far as using this for a tool in the classroom, I think that having students consider how they would make a poem (or any other piece of literature for that matter) into a video is an interesting way to see how each student interprets a poem differently, but actually making the video might be too complicated. Honestly, I am not all that happy with my finished project, and that is because it does not compare to the original ideas I had, which were beyond my skill level to create. So I think that making the video could be a hindrance to students that are not well-versed in the process of video making. They may have bold, brilliant ideas, but lack the skills and/or tools to bring those ideas to life. If I were to use this as a required project, which I do not foresee, I would only require the draft of their ideas. Maybe a storyboard, with quickly drawn sketches of what images they would choose and a couple sentences of explanation under each, which would allow all students to envision a video that is as complicated as they would like. But I would offer extra credit to those students who would like to make the video (if I recall correctly, one of my high school teachers did this). I do think that, in the classroom, I would offer this as an option for a final project after reading a book. Students could, if they chose to, make a video which shows what they believe to be the most important scenes in that novel. But this would also give other options to students who, like me, would much prefer a project that does not involve making a video. Overall I feel that technology does have a place in the classroom, but I still believe that traditional methods have their place as well. Making a video is fun and creative, but only for certain students; other students would enjoy a written project or even making a poster. I definitely believe that students should have options open to them.

Almost Perfect Response 1

The first thing that I noticed about this book was the style of the narration. The story is told in first person from the perspective of a senior in high school, Logan; with sarcastic one-liners and brutally honest descriptions, it follows his stream of consciousness. As someone who grew up in a small town, his snarky observations about his hometown had me smiling at the truth of it. When the new girl Sage shows up, she is different from anyone else in the town and stands out in stark contrast, catching Logan's attention. After a handful of failed attempts at kissing her and vague references of a not-so-nice homelife on her part, they decide on being friends. This lasts until she calls for help and he shows up at her house, where the ensuing altercation ends with a brief kiss, after which Sage finally tells him her secret: biologically, she is male. Logan proceeds to explode, nearly punching her before literally running away, at which point his stream of thought becomes nearly painful to read. Some memorable quotes:

"I had never been so disgusted"

"I'd kissed a boy. French-kissed a boy! That made me a fag, didn't it?"

"Now my mental image of her naked body filled me with horror. Big, hairy balls. An eight-inch cock. Flat, hairy chest and hairy back. And I had kissed her."

While graphic and, at least for me, horrifying, it is unfortunately realistic. Many guys would respond like this. And, when I think of the boys I went to my small-town high school with and how they would respond, I am almost surprised that he did not hit her or do worse. His anger continues for weeks, his inner dialogue consisting of nothing but hateful thoughts toward Sage, wondering if anyone else had guessed she was "really a boy" and if they would call him a fag for liking her, even thinking that he would hurt her if she "ever told the world what she really was." After meeting her in the cemetery to talk, when she asks him not to tell anyone, he calls her an ass pirate and a fag. I am about halfway through the novel now and, after a couple of months of avoiding Sage at all costs, Logan is finally beginning to regret how he acted and is considering calling her to hang out. So far, I have absolutely loved this book and although it is difficult to read at times, I appreciate the fact that it is realistic. Rather than villainizing those who would react like to this to finding out someone is transgender, it shows the situation from their perspective. While Logan's reasons are selfish and aimed at preserving his reputation, they are valid to him and it is important to acknowledge this fact. But then, he also should be educated on the importance of accepting others for who they are. I expect that Logan will, after some time, learn to accept Sage.

Tech Tool Response: Piktochart and Flaticon

I really loved this tool, mostly because trying to make posters in Word or some other program that is not really designed for that has always been a pain. And with all the design options, it really provides a lot of opportunity for creativity for those students who want to go beyond what is simply required, while also being simple enough to use for students that are not as well-versed in technology. And because this tool does not require the use of video, it is a bit more accessible than FlipGrid; any student that has access to a computer can use Piktochart. And, even if a student did not have access to or want to use Piktochart, a poster assignment would give students the option to make one by hand if they chose to. I absolutely plan on using this tool as a student, and I will introduce future students of mine to it as well.

Tech Tool Response: FlipGrid

I think that the concept of the app is pretty cool. I like that a teacher could have their class all watch a video and respond to it with a video of their own, as it is different from the typical written response. However, this tool is only useful to those teachers who work in schools in which students have access to some kind of technology capable of taking videos, whether it be that the students all own a smartphone or tablet or that the school gives the students iPads or tablets to use. I am not sure that I personally would ever use this app, but I think that it is a useful tool to keep in mind regardless.

Ash- Response 2

After finishing Ash, I'd say that I really liked the way the author wrapped up the whole story, returning to one of the central themes of the novel, which is the search for a true home. While I enjoyed the author's style of writing, I thought that the novel started off rather slow. The more I read, the more the story compelled me to read and I found myself getting through it faster near the end of the book. In my last post, one thing I didn't mention was that this novel is a sort of retelling of the story of Cinderella. There are a lot of major differences in this retelling, but the story of the girl trapped as a servant in her stepmother's home remains the same. A large part of why I like this novel as much as I do is because it is a twist on a classic fairy tale. The story of Cinderella is one that everyone knows, and most young girls wish at some point or another that they could be so lucky to find such a prince and go from rags to riches. But the problem is that it is only accessible to those girls that want a prince. The ones that want a princess don't have a classic tale to look to. While this novel is not as well known or well loved as the classic tale of Cinderella, it tells a story that appeals to young people within the LGBTQ+ community. And I think that it is important for those young people to have the opportunity to read a Cinderella-like story, to have those kinds of stories available to them. While I still absolutely would have this book in my classroom library, I do not think that I would specifically teach this book because it starts off so slow and because it is a fantasy novel; I think that a more realistic novel would hold more appeal. Overall, a good book that I would recommend reading.

Ash- Response 1

One thing I noticed about this book that I particularly liked is that it is subtle in its portrayals of same-sex couples. At one point, the main character, Ash, goes to a celebration and she sees two women separate themselves from the crowd and kiss before going back in. But, rather than some big reaction, there is nothing; Ash just starts thinking about something else. Later, she is talking to a woman, Kaisa, who tells Ash her favorite fairy tale, one in which a woman falls in love with another woman. But, again, the focus is on the story itself and not on the women lovers. I really like this subtlety because I think that there is often a lot of drama surrounding same-sex couples in novels; that kind of shock and awe that comes with something that is outside the norm. This novel shows same-sex relationships as a normal, even mundane, part of society; that those women are no different from Ash's sister, who has so far spent the entire novel in search of a husband. I think that this is important for young adults to see, whether they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or not because it helps to normalize same-sex couples so that there is no greater reaction than there would be to hetero couples. Although I haven't finished yet, I can say that already I would want to have this book in my classroom library.