Week 2 Reading Reflection

For this week’s reading of Lankshear & Knobel Chapter 4:New Literacies and Social Learning Practices of Digital Remixing found myself intrigued, confused, and inspired by the concept of remixing.

In this chapter Lankshear & Knobel discuss the topic of remixing and copyright. As I read the chapter, I began thinking about my experiences in my classroom observing my students using media, gaming, and internet sharing. Lankshear & Knobel discuss the importance of remixing as a necessary condition for culture. An example that I found interesting from the reading was how individuals take an artifact and remix it into their lives.

I remembered that one of the class assignments I gave students to do was to voice over a short movie clip from the movie Cinderella. I was fascinated with their works as everyone's project was different and marked with their own interpretation. For example, one student gave Cinderella a new identity, say, she is from Australia. Some narrate says her father murdered her mom so her dad could get married with her stepmother. Out of their turned in assignments, I picked a few "weird" and "unusual" ones to share with the students. Students were proud that their work being viewed in front of the whole class and they were given opportunities to demonstrate their creativity. Well, the voiceover seems like an successful activity, I would definitely use it again in the future as it promoted student's passion to create something related to themselves. After reading this chapter, I realized remixing is not just a music term, nor it is something new. I have already used it in my classroom without even taking time to reflect why it has a positive impacts on students.

I believe remixing allows individuals to produce a story and add their own personal meaning or relationship to it much like how the movie Rashomon: the story has its own variations depending who is telling it. With access to the internet, individuals are able to share their personal experience remixes with others to seek critique. In my last ILT E-Learning Trend class, I learned the term and phenomenon of Maker Space. I can't help associating maker culture with remixing trend. I believe remixing is another form of maker culture in the literacy world. It promotes the craftsmanship in second language learning especially.

I also have a chance to read An Open Letter to My Students this week. Boy, do I appreciate every word that Kris Shaffer write in this letter? YES! I am thinking to use some of the words into my next semester's letter to my students.

I especially agree with what he wrote "A class is a negotiated space. Every class is full of students — and an instructor — whose backgrounds, goals, and attitudes differ. Even when students’ goals are congruent, the “best” route for each student towards those goals is different." I have two Chinese 3 classes. I found it is difficult to practice same activity and assignments to both classes as they are various on size and combinations of groups. I has not been doing much to make the more differentiation this year because it is my first year at this school and had too much things in my hands. I plan to think more differentiation next school year and provide more opportunity for students to make meaningful practice.

My focal theme is " a change from black thumb to green thumb", I have explored a whole bunch of articles and online videos on Internet focusing on how to take care of Fiddle Leaf Fig tree as I bought two small ones half year ago and a tall one two weeks ago and I have sworn to keep them alive. Through the resources, I learned that Fiddle Leaf Fig is a tricky plant! It prefers indirect sunlight, that means abundant but not direct sunlight. South or east facing window is probably the best spot for this kind of tree and north-facing window is the worst. Fiddle leaf fig also do better without frequent watering. Constant moisture in the dirt would like to cause mold and rotten roots. However showing or flooding once a while can be used to wash off all the salt accumulations from watering. Someone from Atlanta in the comment area said fiddle leaf fig actually grew a feet last time she left it on a covered patio. With all the information I had, I did a few adjustment for my watering schedule, for example, lower my water rate from once every week to once every two weeks. I am going to try putting my fiddle leaf fig in the shower to give it a good rinse. I am also going to leave it on my north-facing patio where is shaded but hot and humid(I live at North Carolina and the weather here is really steamy).And last but not the least, my daughter named our tree "Greenie". Yes! we would like our tree to know she is part of the family now. Hopefully she will thrive.

The resources I found about taking care of fiddle leaf figs are :

http://www.popsugar.com/home/Fiddle-Leaf-Fig-Tree-Care-32164481

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/tips-for-caring-for-fiddle-leaf-figs-199919

http://www.gardenista.com/posts/the-fig-and-i-10-tips-for-caring-for-a-fiddle-leaf-fig-tree/

http://www.today.com/home/what-know-about-fiddle-leaf-fig-tree-t37706

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_14D3l5PwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnc7mEUAfw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr8kNFWUCvs