Tag Archives: student blog

student blogs

Final Project Workshop # 2 Progress

I was able to develop a better direction to how to make my elit project be more interactive and make sure it has the essential navigational element in it while readers are going through the piece similar to some of the ones in the electronic literature collections in (vol’s.1-4) we have all been influenced by. Both Hunter and Jenny provided some insight when I shared them a few examples of what I would like to do. We all used the Curated Collection of Tech Tools Google document provided to see how we can apply one or more of a combination of tools to our own personal ideas and projects. I have decided to use WIX as the main program and Adobe Illustrator, Animoto to create some images, videos then save them in the digital formats of PNG, JPEG, or PDF and bring into WIX as uploaded media to be used as content along with other elements to create a interactive framework filled with hidden links, sound, video, and my own poetry. This will be a Blog page that allows various ways of interaction and engagement, and most important a navigational experience.

I would like my reader to find escape, feel vulnerable and engaged when scrolling, clicking and contributing to the piece. A Blog Role such as an outside contributing writer can be added with their email,  multiple if I upgrade my plan which would be an effective feature for anyone who interacts with my piece to leave a comment and active blog of their experience. This is limited thought due to the free version and only allows me to have 1 additional blogger to add content, or comment. Being able to Invite a New Writer, Blog Writer, Guest Writer is another reason I chose Wix. I like also that I can upload media to Wix and create a world of my own and turn video clip fragments into a part of the experience that embodies the fragments of my consciousness keeping an archive of moments or interesting content for archival reflection that would live outside this dimension with no access or proof of existence if not recorded or kept in a digital format and shared with others who were in a completely different part of space in our Galaxy.

Digital Art by Jason Norton created in Adobe Illustrator

student blogs

Project Update

I found the missing piece to my project. I’ve decided to base the Minecraft experience on Louise Gluck’s “The Wild Iris”. I wrote a series of Haikus that are dispersed across the small “experience” I’ve created, attempting to mimic the vibe of the book in Minecraft.

I have a very solid rough draft created right now. It is a short loop that mimics the beginning and ending of “The Wild Iris”. It begins in a dark tunnel. As you walk through the tunnel, you are provided with simple instructions, and at the end, you are met with a door labeled “DEATH”.

You must climb up a staircase with water flooding down, then climb up a waterfall to a glass staircase that takes you to “Heaven’s landing”.

I utilize two different Haiku forms,

3 4
3 and 4
3 4

student blogs

It’s going.

This project is finally going in a direction for better or for worse. After our class workshop, I felt that I had concepts of an idea but still nothing too concrete. Over the long weekend, I really sat down and though about potential ways to tackle this project and the type of story I wanted to tell. In the end, I feel that I now have my main idea fleshed out and ready to go. I want to make this project about people’s online identities and voice within a digital space. To achieve this, I wanted to make two blogs from the same “writer” that showcases their two wickedly different sides. One side is the professional scholar who works in academia, and the other a more casual version of the same writer. I want to showcase their two sides through two blogs from the writer. The quirk is that the “real” blog will be hidden within the “professional blog”.

            After I ironed that out, I began to really focus on building the two web pages. I have begun to work on WordPress to create and publish the two blogs. I am most familiar with WordPress (especially after taking two classes with Dr. Z). The more “casual” blog will take more time to build out since I want to place much more stylistic and personal element into it compared to the other one. I feel like I will be messing with the actual composition of the blog up until the finish line.  

 This week I plan to begin to start writing the actual blogs and building the “narrative”. I have some ideas of what will be in the blogs, and I feel like they will fall into place as I begin to actually write. I want this part to be finished by the weekend, so I am able to begin to edit and fix up the blogs. I feel like I am out of my element for this project honestly, but I want to see where it goes. We will see.

student blogs

E-lit Progress

I hope everyone enjoyed and had a safe and restful Thanksgiving. With the end of the semester only a few weeks away, I’ve been reflecting more deeply on how my project is taking shape.

Our workshop last week helped me clarify so much. I walked away with new perspectives and ideas that shifted how I’m approaching this piece. Even though I’ve had the core concept for a while, I still wasn’t sure how to structure or design it. Emily’s suggestion to experiment with Canva and/or Prezi really stood out to me since both platforms offer the kind of flexible, visual design that can suit a nonlinear story like mine.

Right now, I’m imagining the project as a multimedia scrapbook, an experience that blends essays, poems, audio recordings, voice notes, photographs, and other digital materials. A big part of my current process is collecting and curating all those multimedia elements I need, and figuring out how they speak to one another. I’m also working on an outline/timeline of activities to help me organize and remember those fragmented memories that will shape the narrative.

This is definitely an interactive and evolving process. Ideas keep feeding each other, and each new piece changes the shape of the overall story. With a project like this, it feels especially important to pause, think, and analyze every step so the final piece remains cohesive, emotional, and intentional.

student blogs

A World riting 2025-12-01 10:05:19

Electronic Literature Project Introduction

Educators Must Respect Families’ Languages and Cultures

Early childhood educators should honor families’ languages and cultures while consistently building loving relationships with children and their families. Additionally, teachers’ practices and curriculum should reflect the diverse cultures and languages of the children. This is part of my introduction to my children’s e-book that I will be creating with the software tools Kotobee Author or Book Creator. (Children’s version: Culture and languages are important for families. In class, teachers love discovering and sharing them. Children get to celebrate what makes them unique, and this way, school is warm like home.)

My electronic literature project aspiration is to create digital spaces for children to explore a variety of cultures and their own feelings of emotions. This e-book features simple, accessible content customized for young children, especially those aged 8 to 10. It includes stories about various emotions children often experience, presented on bright, colorful pages to engage young readers. The goal is to promote confidence, compassion, and a sense of belonging. Supporting children’s emotional, social, and cultural development. This fun, short story e-book helps children understand their feelings, appreciate diverse cultures, and build a positive self-image.

By: Lareice Weeks-Bigelow

student blogs

A World riting 2025-12-01 10:05:19

Electronic Literature Project Introduction

Educators Must Respect Families’ Languages and Cultures

Early childhood educators should honor families’ languages and cultures while consistently building loving relationships with children and their families. Additionally, teachers’ practices and curriculum should reflect the diverse cultures and languages of the children. This is part of my introduction to my children’s e-book that I will be creating with the software tools Kotobee Author or Book Creator. (Children’s version: Culture and languages are important for families. In class, teachers love discovering and sharing them. Children get to celebrate what makes them unique, and this way, school is warm like home.)

My electronic literature project aspiration is to create digital spaces for children to explore a variety of cultures and their own feelings of emotions. This e-book features simple, accessible content customized for young children, especially those aged 8 to 10. It includes stories about various emotions children often experience, presented on bright, colorful pages to engage young readers. The goal is to promote confidence, compassion, and a sense of belonging. Supporting children’s emotional, social, and cultural development. This fun, short story e-book helps children understand their feelings, appreciate diverse cultures, and build a positive self-image.

By: Lareice Weeks-Bigelow

student blogs

Almost Done!

Hey Everyone!

We are winding down to the end! I am happy that things are finally winding down, but I will miss class as well!

My final project is going really well. Last class was really inspiring for helping me hone in on my project. I have finished the visual part of the project and have been working on my outline. I have a basic idea of what my narrative is and the events that I will include in the project. My project will be based in poetry and it won’t be a straight forward narrative like my thesis. Instead, my project will be a series of events that are connected, yet the moments don’t spell out a concrete story.

The moments in my project will be memories of a deceased person and I think it serves the themes of the project better if the story is more abstract like All of Your Time Tossed Selves. I have decided to include an intro page that serves as a frame work for the story. I will let the reader know that the protagonist has killed themselves and that it is up to them to unravel the memories of what was. I think this will be a gentle entry for the reader into the work instead of no intro and letting the reader figure things out on their own.

I am finishing up my outline. Once the outline is done, I just need to create the poems for the piece. Some poems will be written by me and others will be blackout poems of songs. They will be “emo” songs from the mid 2000’s. These are the songs that many millennials, including me, have grown up on. The genre is called emo because these songs are highly emotional. Many emo bands sing about depression, anxiety, and heartbreak. The song that served as a large inspiration for this piece is called “Die Romantic” by the band Aiden. Link here: https://youtu.be/YbygUxEjnos?si=A8oqqqkXBTso4Mom

The song is very dark as it is about suicide and how there is romance in dying. The video shows the singer of the band following around different people who are thinking about self harming or committing suicide. Rather than tell then to keep going, his character is the finally whisper that causes the people in the video to commit the act. It almost subverts your expectations because a happy ending is more acceptable to society. But I think that’s the whole point of the video. It’s that there are people who think and feel dark things and the words they hear can be the final thing that push them over the edge. Rather than thinking in a negative light, it shows that we have the power to help people, but we also have the power to harm. And maybe if we look at someone who committed suicide, like the protagonist of my piece, we will see moments that seemed simple on the surface, but held deep seated trauma. And maybe we’ll start to see things in a different life and embody the phrase “Everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about.”

student blogs

Final Project Continuation

I hope you all had a great and restful Thanksgiving and long weekend!

This week I settled on a light-hearted story about a apartment of roommates and some missing dessert. Since class on Monday, I began drafting a bit of the story and nailing down which platform I’m going to use. I haven’t thought of Prezi in a very long time. In fact, I didn’t even know it still existed until Monday’s class. I think I will either land on Canva or Prezi. Right now I have my intro complete and one character profile. I am actually feeling excited about this project. I really enjoy creative writing so being able to tap into that side is very fun for me.

I really think creating work that feels light-hearted and fun is just as important as creative pieces with profound themes and meanings. The world always seems to feel heavy lately and I think creating pieces that just mainly entertain people is equally important. I also am leaning on the side of simplicity when it comes to design. This semester I found myself always a little lost when navigating some of the pieces so by design I want it to feel like an easy experience for my readers. Ultimately I am very excited for the design aspect (although I am not an artist or really all that tech savvy).

student blogs

ELIT Underway

To begin, I express my hope that everyone had a great holiday with friends and family. Thanksgiving break always comes at just the right time. For me, I always feel invigorated when I return after this specific long weekend. Not doing work for three days was great. Despite thinking about it from time to time, because I am quite the thinker-holic, it was great to be able to just forget about it after a moment because I didn’t have to do the work in that second. It could wait, and that it did. Well, until tonight.

I finally embarked on creating my website. By the recommendation of Sarah, I created a Wix website (am I allowed to mention a competing website creator? ha!). I am really enjoying how it is going so far. It looks just how I wanted it to: simple. And, even though I have used WordPress for quite some time now, I feel Wix is a bit easier to navigate. For some reason, I just could not get a handle on WordPress. Ever.

So, I came up with a title for the whole work: “Migration: An Interactive Flock”. I found it funny and thought using the word interactive would really just hit the nail on the head. Of course, it is not set in stone, but I do not see myself changing it. I created the home page, about page, and created the first page for the first haiku each reader will begin with. I also put up pages of two other haikus just to mess around and see what I would like those to look it, if I would want some kind of variation between the sections I laid out in my head, etc. I have said this to my peers in small groups, but I really would like my website to be simple like Twelve Blue was. There wasn’t much to Twelve Blue in terms of design; there was the text, the hyperlinks, and the reset button. There was no nonsense, and I liked that.

I will not link the website here even though it is currently published. I want you all to see the finished product. Or, at least the finished product at the end of the semester. I think I will keep up with maintaining this website and continuously adding to it because the whole thing is just cool.

I am also scouting for audios of the birds I write about to really immerse the reader. I think I can actually record some of the audio myself, but with birds at this time of year, I will definitely not be able to catch all of them. Though I do think I can record some audio for the more general haikus that talk about the weather and the overall season. In fact, I recorded a 15-second audio earlier this week of running water in a small creek to be used in conjunction with a haiku I already have. I think including sound will give the work a bit of an exciting edge.

My goal for tomorrow, Sunday, is to create pages for the rest of the haikus I have written so far (so, about 10). I will also play around with that audio and see how I would like it to appear on the page. Then, starting next week, I will really dial down on the audios and write more haikus; both of which I do not anticipate any hardship. I am looking forward to seeing this final project.

student blogs

Working with Twine

I’ve been really excited for this project because I had an idea that I have wanted to focus on for awhile. While I necessary do not have an outline, the website that I am using is an outline in itself. I was able to write out whatever I was thinking and Twine also gives the option to “Press play” so I can see how my project will look when everything comes together. Personally, whatever I do have so far is pretty cool for me but I think I can definitely play around a lot and perfect the piece. Twine is super easy to use so I am not afraid of losing any of my work. Honestly, since I kind of figured out how to use Twine, my project should probably be done by end of this week. I provided what I have so far in terms of the interactive story that I am working on.