"We are what we say and do. The way we speak and are spoken to help shape us into the people we become. Through words and other actions, we build ourselves in a world that is building us.
​That world addresses us to produce the different identities we carry forward in life."
—IRA SHOR

OVERVIEW

Our perspectives on language and literacy don’t arise out of thin air. How and why we learned and presently “do” speaking, reading, and writing depends on our individual backgrounds, experiences, and motivations (e.g., where and how we grew up and what we want out of life, language, and literacy), and it depends on societal realities (including dominant beliefs that deem some language “good” and others not). We never speak, read, or write in isolation—there is always some history, issue, person, structure, institution, standard, or belief system affecting our language and literacy practices. One way to reflect on the reading, writing, and language experiences that shape a part of who we are today is to narrate these experiences. For this assignment, you will compose two separate yet interconnected language and literacy narratives, one delivered in writing and the other delivered orally/visually in the form of a short digital story.

---

You’re asked in this assignment to zoom into a particular moment from your life. What moments stand out to you when it comes to how you use language and literacy? Can you recall any family, cultural, or social events related to reading or writing that you found enlightening, encouraging, awkward, challenging, or unjust? A key language or literacy moment when positive or negative emotions soared, where you struggled or triumphed? An object or artifact that serves as a memory of a place, activity, or person connected to your language and literacy development? The moment you write about forms the basis of your literacy narrative, so it should be a subject matter that you are comfortable sharing. Just as important as the moment you select, however, are the reflections you include in your narrative or cover letter to help readers make sense of the moment’s significance and implications. You’ll also want to carefully consider your tone and language choices. Carefully craft and personalize the delivery of your written and spoken narratives as you see fit. You’re welcome to draw on your “native,” “home,” or “other” languages, literacies, and ways of being as you so choose.

"As people tell literacy stories, they also formulate their own sense of self; with each telling, this self changes slightly according to a constellation of social and cultural factors, personal aspirations and understandings, the audiences being addressed, and the rhetorical circumstances of the telling itself, among many other factors." 
—CYNTHIA SELFE

DETAILS

WRITTEN LITERACY NARRATIVE (WLLN)

Your written narrative should be no more than 500 words (2 pages) and should contain:

• a carefully crafted and revised story of a specific moment, event, or experience; 
• vivid details and dialogue that draw your readers into the scene; 
• your interpretations of the larger social significance of the event chosen. After all, our individual narratives reflect larger trends in society, history, where you grew up, and identities like gender, race, culture, linguistic background, and ability. (Your interpretations may be explicitly included in your narrative or implied. But if left implied, be sure to be explicit about these connections in your Cover Letter.) 

CLICK FOR COVER LETTER ASSIGNMENT SHEET

DIGITAL STORY (DS)

Your digital story should be no more than 3-3.5 minutes and should contain:

• a voiceover of you reading your narrative; 
• 3+ materials and media to support your narrative, such as pictures of artifacts, images,  video clips, quotes, sound bites, music, etc. 

To complete this assignment, I will give you free, temporary access to WEVIDEO, an online, cloud-based video editing platform. If you prefer, you may use platform of your choice (iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Vimeo, etc.). I will hold a few brief WEVIDEO workshops during class and outside of class, but you can begin to familiarize yourself with platform basics at the Online WEVIDEO Academy below:

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS WEVIDEO ACADEMY

"We live in story like a fish lives in water. We swim through words and images siphoning story through our minds the way a fish siphons water through its gills. We cannot think without language, we cannot process experience without story."
—CHRISTINA BALDWIN

ASSIGNMENT CRITERIA

WWLN CRITERIA

FOCUS & RHETORICAL EFFECTIVENESS	COMMENTARY ON SIGNIFICANCE & IMPLICATIONS	STYLE & CREATIVITY	GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Does the essay clearly address the prompt by telling a story about your literacy? How effectively does the language and literacy narrative provide 1-2 concrete examples and specific details of the writer’s language/literacy experiences? How effectively does the language and literacy narrative attend to description to appeal to audiences?	How effectively does the narrative highlight some central idea about a larger social significance? That is, how well does the narrative implicitly or explicitly comment on the larger implications of the narrative, signaling connections to national trends or to the writer’s life, family, generation, gender, race, culture, linguistic background, ability, and/or geographic location?	Does the story demonstrate originality and mastery of the objectives or material? Does it contain many creative details, dialogues, and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader's enjoyment. and understanding? Has the author used imagination and narrative elements?	Were all requirements for length and due date met? Has the essay been polished for errors in grammar, spelling, or mechanics? Is the format correct? Does the story contain a title that sparks interest and captures the subject of the story? Has the author included a cover letter reflecting on the assignment objectives?

DIGITAL STORY CRITERIA

FOCUS & RHETORICAL EFFECTIVENESS	USE OF MULTIMEDIA	STYLE & CREATIVITY	GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
How effectively does the SLLN presentation draw audiences into the writer’s language/literacy experiences? How effectively are the 3 minutes utilized?	How effectively does the DS integrate multiples modes (not just speech but also the use of pictures, images, objects, quotes, sound, music, etc.)?	Does the DS demonstrate originality and creativity to enhance the viewer's enjoyment and understanding? Has the creator used imagination?	Were all requirements for length and due date met?

NOTE: This is NOT a film editing course, therefore, you will NOT be assessed on how well you are able to master WeVideo or on the sophistication of your video and editing skills. Consider this an opportunity to learn a new literacy (digital storytelling) and to demonstrate your effort in attempting to navigate a new platform. As always, effort is key! 

“Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.”
​—RUMI