WHEN THINKING ABOUT READING LITERATURE ABOUT MADNESS…
Before this course, I was pretty unfamiliar with how madness is usually represented in literature and how prevalent it actually is in pieces of literature that I’ve read. For example, I never viewed “The Tell-Tale Heart” in the specific lens of analyzing mental illness. When I read this short story in 7th grade ELA class, that was not the emphasis of discussion. I can see now how important and relevant this conversation is, though. Narrative and creative expression in literature offer a whole new lens into the world of mental illness that might not be able to be seen through a different perspective. In other words, narrative and creative expression are more intimate and raw, allowing readers to literally place themselves in the minds of these people. Clinical observation, psychological study, and medical diagnosis just cannot achieve that same outcome.
When thinking about COPYRIGHT…
Since I am an English major and have been taking English courses at UNE for 3 years now, I am mostly familiar with the concept of copyright. I am usually fairly informed about what should be cited and how it should be cited, but I did learn a little about this process in my ADE project. I learned about “image credits” and how difficult it is to find good images available for use in the public domain! I have not been asked to credit the source of my images since English 110 when I started with ePortfolio. Professor Tuttle gave me a refresher on how to do this, and I learned a lot through this process. Everything in my ADE that was taken from other sources is cited, so my project is public and available to all.
When thinking about EPORTFOLIO AND WORDPRESS…
I think this project just makes the most sense to be done through ePortfolio and WordPress. I believe that if we had typed the pieces of this project and handed in a stapled copy of them, it would not achieve the same effect. The ability to navigate through this program and showcase our learning creates a more professional and advanced effect that I do not think could be achieved from a hard copy version. Similarly, as we advance further into the digital age, it is important to use and learn these skills (it’s another entire aspect of curriculum to learn)! Using ePortfolio for this project allowed for better organization and easier navigation as every single item was laid out specifically for the reader, and the site was created to guide them in the intended direction; I do not think this guidance could be accomplished through paper. I do feel slightly more confident in my WordPress skills, but I was confident before this project even came about. I consider myself an experienced user, but I was able to enhance my skills through the conversations with Professor Gennaco and other peers. I was also able to create an entirely new ePortfolio site for this project and start from scratch, which I can see myself utilizing in other classes or even in my future teaching career (possibly as a class website).
Thanks for these thoughtful musings, Olivia. I think you put all of this very well. I’m glad the course enabled you to revisit familiar texts through a new lens as well as to exercise your existing writing and ePortfolio skills! I believe you’re right: writing in digital environments will be more and more common, and it’s great you feel prepared to do it. I think your site is a wonderful showcase of your abilities there!