M3: Blog Post 3 - Leveraging Tools, Texts, and Talk in My Teaching Context
Designing activities across spaces is not about choosing between pen and paper or iPads. It is about weaving them together so students can move fluidly between their worlds. Our kids already live in a mash-up of TikTok, notebooks, family kitchens, and group chats. The question is: how do we honor that hybridity in our teaching while still pushing toward complex learning goals?
One project I could use is a Family Cookbook + Digital Storytelling unit. The idea is simple but layered. Students bring in a recipe from home and interview a family member about its history, like why grandma’s arroz con pollo shows up at every birthday or how their uncle tweaks mac and cheese with extra cheddar. From there, they create:
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An analog piece: a handwritten or illustrated cookbook entry with drawings, measurements, and family notes.
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A digital piece: a short story told through Flipgrid, Canva, or iMovie where they narrate the recipe’s cultural significance and share it with classmates.
This project hits multiple literacies at once. Students practice interviewing, narrative writing, and digital composition. More importantly, they see their family knowledge as curriculum. Knobel and Lankshear (2007) remind us that literacies are social practices. We are not just teaching formats, we are teaching students to value the texts and traditions that already shape their lives.
There are tensions to consider. Equity is real. Not every student has Wi-Fi or a quiet space to record at home. I would need to carve out classroom time and provide devices to balance access. Engagement is another tension. Some kids light up on camera while others shut down. Offering choice is key so different strengths can shine. And then there is the critical piece: asking whose stories get preserved and whose do not. That question cracks open conversations about culture, representation, and power (ILA, 2018; Vanek, 2019).
Designing beyond the screen means my students are not just uploading projects for a grade. They are learning to navigate literacies with purpose, to see their voices as valid in any medium. A cookbook may look old school, but paired with digital storytelling, it becomes a site of pride, critical reflection, and multimodal growth.
References
International Literacy Association. (2018). Digital literacies in the disciplines. Newark, DE: ILA.
Knobel, M., & Lankshear, C. (2007). A new literacies sampler. Peter Lang.
Vanek, J. (2019). Digital literacy for all learners. World Education.
I love the ways you describe the myriad of ways that students are connected to family, friends, and strangers on the internet. I have never thought about how students ned to be able to shift the ways they communicate from one platform to another, but I have seen the effects of how they take their language to my class. One student called me "bro" recently in front of the class; I put him in his place and emphasized the importance of separation between a professional and a peer. On the flip side, some of the six seven brain rot has also entered my rehearsal space, and if I need students to perform those measures, I will say it occasionally. It's a fine line to ride, but that's what I reflected on upon reading your opening paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you recognize the inequities that this project could present, but also the cultural and familial value it brings to individuals and to your class. I love your analog and digital incorporations for the elements of this project, and would love to see the results!
ReplyDeleteHi Sasha,
I love the idea of a “Family Cookbook” activity! You bring up a good point that new literacies in the classroom are even more beneficial if “layered”. This not only helps students with differing learning styles but also provides multiple opportunities to engage students. It also helps us as teachers create an atmosphere that is fun and promotes creativity. Another thing that this cookbook activity will do is expose students to different cultures and provide students with an opportunity to express their interests, individuality and uniqueness. I also really enjoy that you put so much effort and thought into this. You thought about the tension of technology inequality and “carved out time” for students without technology at home. You also thought about social emotional learning and that some students are “camera shy” and give them the opportunity to choose another outlet. Great job!! Something I could add to this is an activity where students work on their writing skills is to have them journal after they see their peers’ projects. A journal question prompt could be: What new recipe would you enjoy trying at home that your peers presented and why?
Wow, I love your Family Cookbook + Digital Storytelling idea—it’s such a beautiful way to blend home, culture, and literacy in both analog and digital spaces. Even in Pre-K, I see how powerful those family connections can be. My students love sharing “family snack” days, where they talk about foods they eat at home, draw pictures, and record little voice notes to their families through Seesaw. It reminds me how storytelling often begins with sharing what we know and love.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate how you name the tensions—especially around equity and voice. Offering options for how students participate (on camera, through illustration, or narration) really honors different comfort levels and communication strengths.
Your post makes me wonder: how might projects like this evolve across grade levels, starting with oral storytelling in early childhood and growing into digital storytelling like your cookbook unit?
—Laurie