Starting Resource:
Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Collection of Resources Inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar:
Please note that I just used a table in a Word Document to create my resource list. I thought about using different, fancier programs, but, realized that, ultimately, sometimes simpler is better. One of the things that I have taken from the readings and discussions this week (particularly Kleckner’s and Paul’s articles) is that one does not always have to use technology and that sometimes it can, in essence, take away from the experience and/or learning. As such, I decided to stick with something simple. It is important to remember that when using technology, it must be purposeful and used to enhance learning, not just used because it can be used.
With the changes in literacy and learning, there are so many avenues that one can now take a potential resource. With The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I decided to focus my accompanying collection of resources on the overriding theme of butterflies and butterfly life cycles. However, because I did not want to be too limiting, I also broadened the theme to include other insects and other animal life cycles. In this way, it can be used to reach many different potential learning outcomes, such as investigating the basic needs of animals (and how they are met in their environment), classifying animals according to similarities and differences in appearance, behaviour, and life cycles, describing some changes that affect animals, and describing ways in which animals are important to other living things (BC Ministry of Education, 2015).
I thus envisioned The Very Hungry Caterpillar being used to start a discussion about and inquiry into butterflies and their life cycles. I selected several fiction and non-fiction books and online book websites (Raz Kids and Story Jumper) that could be used to supplement this learning. I also wanted to include some non-book resources, so I selected some youTube videos (presenting catchy songs and showcasing the metamorphosis of a butterfly life cycle) as well as several websites/databases. Because I did not want to be limited to only butterflies and their life cycles, I also wanted to include resources for insects and life cycles in general, as I can see potential to lead the inquiry and learning to other animals. Please note that because I’m on a maternity leave, the book selections are limited. If I were working at my school, I would obviously refer to the resources I have in the library, choosing specific ones that I think would be most appropriate for the teacher/grade level/students that will be using them (since that clearly has an impact on what books/resources I select). I have just provided a selection of potential ones for the purpose of this assignment.
I did not, however, want to just think of my collection as a way to meet science learning outcomes, but also as a way to meet many different literacies (digital literacy, media literacy, information literacy, visual literacy, traditional literacy, etc.). Before delving into the science outcomes, one could spend time focusing on the character and story line (sequencing activities, character analysis, plot, etc.) in a variety of ways. I also included an animation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar as well as a puppet show of it, because I saw potential for students to compare these renditions to the original story and for students to use media or puppets to retell the story in their own ways (i.e. using technology to retell the story). Magic School Bus videos and books are also part of the collection, so this too could be used as a comparison and as an area to discuss changes in video vs. book form. This could also lead to discussions/debate about the way things are visually presented (i.e. Eric Carle’s collage illustrations vs. photographs vs. animations vs. video recordings). I also included other Eric Carle books that could be used as part of an author study. There are just endless ways of taking the resource depending on the teacher’s purpose and intent. The beauty of it is that it can be used to meet learning outcomes across different subject areas (Language Arts, Science, Fine Arts, etc.). Ultimately, I would love to be able to springboard ideas off of the colleagues I am working with to inspire further excitement, interest, and learning.
Making a multimodal collection inspired from a single resource really emphasized how important it is for me, as a teacher-librarian, to be able to think quickly on my feet, have a thorough knowledge of my current collection, and have a variety of avenues to find useful resources online. If I was limited to just my school resources, it would have eliminated much potential for learning (i.e. the amazing time lapse videos of the butterfly life cycle; the ability to analyze and compare an animation or puppet show to a print book; the fun, catchy songs, etc.). With the Internet, we have so much potential to find useful, engaging, and motivating resources that could potentially inspire or motivate even reluctant learners. If I want to help my school achieve its goals (as my essential question), then I need to ensure that I am using multiple resources and avenues to help my students learn while collaborating with my amazing staff.
References:
BC Ministry of Education. (2015). Building Student Success: BC’s new curriculum. Retrieved from: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum
Grisham, D. (2013). Love that book: Multimodal response to literature. The Reading Teacher. 67(3), 220-225.
Kleckner, K. (2014, August 19). The book is far superior to the ebook for early literacy: Up for debate.School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/08/opinion/debate/ebooks-ufd/the-book-is-far-superior-to-the-ebook-for-child-development-up-for-debate/
Paul, A. M. (2014, July 1). Eight reasons why print trumps digital for readers. School Library Journal.Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/2014/07/technology/eight-reasons-why-print-trumps-digital-for-reading/
Serafini, F. (2012) Reading multimodal texts in the 21st century. Research in Schools. 19(1), 26-32.
Serafini, F., & Youngs, S. (2013). Reading workshop 2.0: Children’ literature in the digital age. The Reading Teacher, 66(5), 401-404.