Multi-Genre Project

When taking a reading class a few years ago, one of the assignments was to do research and create a multi-genre project. We got to choose the topic and the ways to represent the information we found. I was teaching 4th grade, so I decided to research the Orville and Wilbur Wright, so I would create something I could use when I taught NC Social Studies.

After finding lots of good information from a variety of resources, I decided to create a scrapbook that could have been kept by their mother. I added things and wrote a journal about them from her point-of-view. I included some funny drawings and stories about the brothers that I had never heard before. I have often said that I learned (and remember) so much more from that project than any other project I have done.

I know that the fact that I was able to choose a topic that relevant to me helped in my learning and enjoyment of the experience. Also being able to choose how to "display" my research helped me be able to use my talents and multiple intelligence areas for what worked best for me.I wonder how this project would be different if I did it now using the various web 2.0 tools I have learned about . . . .

I could create a blog or a glog the brothers might have kept or a digital scrapbook. I could use the images I found with animoto or photopeach. I could use xtranormal or blabberize to tell the story of why I chose to create certain things. I could put all the information and projects into something like prezi or livebinder for the presentation. Imagine how fast news of the first flight would have traveled using twitter and facebook? What would those messages have said?

So many ideas and options are available for things to create to show my learning . . .

Shouldn't students have opportunities of various ways to show their learning?

More information and examples of projects created with some of the sites linked above can be found in this livebinder: Presentations with a Punch!

image from http://langwitches.org/blog/