We are living in the middle of the largest increase in expressive capability in the history of the human race.  — Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody

Where do you find time for bags of gold? — Gardner Campbell

There is gold in “them thar hills”!  But creating the conditions for inservice and preservice teachers to learn new literacies and discover the power of their expressive capability is a daunting challenge in education.

I’m pleased to report that there shining successes as teachers, from 21 to 50+, are learning to create in digital media and loving it.  In their reflections on the course, “ECI 521: Learning Through Literature with Young Adults?,” they speak of the technology-creativity connection they’ve experienced personally and how they are inspired to make that learning available for their students:

“What do you think will be the greatest impact of this course on your teaching?”

“This course has inspired me to reevaluate my teaching and encouraged me to find ways to infuse more creativity and technology in my classroom.”

“Making sure assignments carry some creative value  . . .”

“Definitely the technology. And how technology contributes to creativity rather than detracts from it.”

Hope you’ll enjoy these small bags of gold from English Language Arts teachers and teachers-to-be . . .

Expressive responses to books — bookcasts

Have to brag a little on this one:  Inspired by Janni Sumner’s Bones of Iraq, this, Lara’s first video, won the NC State Campus Movie Fest award in the drama category and went on to the regionals in Atlanta and the nationals in Vegas.