Know Your Meme Reflection

The multimodal project was the only project completed individually this semester.  Since we have been learning about interactive technology, we were assigned to use some type of interactive software program and create a “multimodal” presentation.  We were initially asked to analyze a poem or story on the basis of symbolism and imagery.  Next we were asked to take that interpretation and create a project that incorporated Joddy Murray’s elements of perspective, juxtaposition, layering and unity using one of the interactive software programs.  For the assignment, I chose to analyze the poem “Once by the Pacific” by Robert Frost.  I then decided to use Prezi to create my presentation.  I liked the way that I could create a Prezi presentation any way that I wanted as opposed to some other softwares that just had you choose a presentation format and basically plug in your information and pictures.  Instead, Prezi allowed me to arrange my slides however I wanted and put anything on the slides that I preferred, even video.  Although I was new to Prezi, I was able to align my slides in the shape of a wave (to go along with the poem) and incorporate images from the poem, but also some images from my alternate interpretation of the poem, along with the actual lines of the poem.  For this project, it was also emphasized that we cite everything that we used in the project, even if they were just images found on Google. 

            One of the education standards of technology that applied to this project well was 4,A which states that teachers should “Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and documentation of sources”.  In the beginning of the semester we were taught all of the logistics about citing sources and what is legal.  This project really made us apply that.  I think this caught some people off-guard, because we are used to simply looking up images on Google, and do not necessarily consider them sources.  Our professors emphasized that no matter what you use in a project, if you incorporate something into your project that you did not personally create, it is imperative that you give credit to the person who did create it; this project forced us to do just that.

            Citing information is not something that is encourage for practice, but is an actual legal obligation.  Not only is it imperative to cite information, but it is important for teachers to emphasize the importance of abiding by the laws to their students.  Therefore, in my future classroom I will absolutely require the citation of all sources in the appropriate manner.  This will likely be an easy element to incorporate, as most schools require that teachers have their students cite information.

http://youtu.be/YBner7eyf4U