The Multimodal Language and Literacy Narrative

(VIEW Phase 1 Calendar)

Assignment Overview:

You will compose two separate yet interconnected language and literacy narratives, one delivered in writing and the other delivered in speech.

Length:

Written Narrative: 2.5 – 3 pages

Spoken Narrative: 2.5 – 3 minutes

Due Dates:

• WLLN First Draft due- Thursday, Sept. 14^th.

• SLLN First Draft due- Tuesday, Sept. 19^th.

• SLLN FINAL due- Tuesday, Sept. 26^th.

• WLLN FINAL (with cover letter)- Thursday, Sept. 29^th.

• PORTFOLIO VERSION of WLLN (with cover letter) due-Tuesday, Oct. 24^th.

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?
  
• Or a key language or literacy moment when positive or negative emotions soared, where you struggled or triumphed?
  
• How about 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 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. The delivery of your written and spoken narratives should be personalized as you see fit. I encourage you to draw on your “native,” “home,” or “other” languages, literacies, and ways of being as you so choose.

Your written narrative should be 2.5-3-pages and should contain:

1. A carefully crafted and revised story of a specific moment, event, or experience.
   
2. Vivid details that draw your readers into the scene.
   
3. 3+ materials and media to support your narrative, such as pictures of artifacts, images, links, video clips, quotes, sound bites, etc. (All of your major assignments will be placed on a WordPress site you develop, so creating multimodal texts is important.)
   
4. Your interpretations of the larger social significance of the event chosen. (How are larger trends in society, history, where you grew up, and identities like gender, race, culture, linguistic background, and ability represented in your writing?) 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.

Some things to consider while you’re writing:

• How do perspectives on language and literacy arise?
• What factors can affect our perspectives on language and literacy?

Cover Letter

Your Written L&L Narrative should be preceded by a Cover Letter when you submit the final portfolio version. Refer to the Cover Letter assignment sheet in our course materials.

Spoken Language and Literacy Narrative (SLLN)

The presentation can take one of many forms but should be no longer than 3 minutes. You can:

• Read your favorite lines from your written narrative and explain the significance.

• Write an entirely new narrative.

• Reenact a moment from your literacy past.

• Read/perform lyrics that you or someone else wrote that captures something about your language/literacy identity.

• Do something else that you’ll discuss with me beforehand.

Whatever you do, be sure to include the use of 1+ multimodal aide(s) like photos/objects, text, music, or PowerPoint slides.

Your SLLN can be delivered “live” in class or you can choose to show a pre-recorded video (just please email the file to your instructor 24 hours in advance of class). Remember who your audience is (your classmates and instructors) and tailor your presentation to fit the audience and context of the assignment.

Assessment Rubric for the Language & Literacy Narrative Assignment

Assignment Criteria

1. Appropriate Focus and Rhetorical Effectiveness of the Written Narrative. How effectively does the written narrative provide 1-2 concrete examples and specific details of the writer’s language/literacy experiences? How effectively does the narrative attend to description? How effectively does the narrative appeal to the intended audience?

2. Explicit Commentary on Significance and Implications. How effectively does the written 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 story, signaling connections to national trends or to the writer’s life, family, generation, gender, race, culture, linguistic background, ability, and/or geographic location?

3. Appropriate Focus and Rhetorical Effectiveness of the Spoken Narrative. How effectively does the spoken presentation draw classmates into the writer’s language/literacy experiences? How effectively are the 3 minutes utilized?

4. Use of Multimedia. How effectively do the written and spoken narratives integrate multiples modes (not just speech vs. writing but also the use of pictures, images, objects, props, links, and music)?

5. General Requirements. Were all requirements for length and due date met?