Michael’s Text-to-Image Post Using Sora
https://blogs.ubc.ca/mcafuta/task-11-text-to-image-using-sora/
I love how Michael chose three very different prompts to see how well they matched the memories and images in his mind. I selected a prompt based on a recent event to see whether an AI-generated image could represent something that had just happened in my life. I came to the same conclusion as Michael: to get an image that more closely matched what I envisioned, I needed to be far more specific with my instructions. Had I included the details I later realized were missing, the generated image might have more closely resembled the games night event at my home. I hadn’t considered asking ChatGPT to recreate the image with those additional details, so I decided to give it a try.
Here’s the prompt I used:
A family sitting around a dining room table with a game board in the middle, showing varying joyful expressions. An external or overhead view, capturing the full scene, rather than a frontal view where every family member faces the camera. Include a more diverse group, possibly a mix of family and friends of different ages and ethnicities.
Here’s the image it generated:
Surprisin
gly, ChatGPT is still not much closer to replicating the real image of family games night at my house. This generated image is more ethnically diverse and includes multiple generations, but it remains front-facing and looks very scripted. All the expressions are nearly identical, and the game board has no words or pieces. Much like Michael’s second image, ChatGPT is simply guessing what a family game night might look like based on the examples it has access to.
This experience reminds me that while AI can approximate a moment, it can’t fully capture the authenticity, spontaneity, and small personal details that make our real memories so meaningful.
Andrea’s Task 4 Post: Manual Scripts
https://blogs.ubc.ca/andreaness/2025/09/28/26/
Even though I didn’t complete the manual script and instead created the potato stamp, as I read through Andrea’s post, I felt like she was retelling my own school writing experiences. I was also born in 1978 and completed all written assignments by hand, even well into my college courses. I remember writing in the margins, drawing arrows to insert extra thoughts, and using a whole lot of white-out, or those erasable pens. I’m not even sure those still exist anymore, or maybe I just haven’t noticed them because I haven’t handwritten anything of real importance in a very long time. I also remember the first time I was asked to submit a typed essay; at the time, I thought it would take me even longer because my typing skills were atrocious. It’s funny to look back now and realize how dramatically our writing practices have changed, and how much technology has reshaped not just how we write, but how we think and organize our ideas.
I agree that the biggest difference between handwriting and typing is speed and accuracy. Writing by hand feels more personal and reflective, but typing allows ideas to be captured much more quickly. I never took a formal typing class, in fact, all I remember is doing a few lessons of All the Right Type sometime in grade 7. Since I was in French immersion throughout school, one of the best parts of typing my papers was being able to use spell check. It not only saved me time, but also helped me feel more confident in my writing as I navigated between two languages.
I need to thank you, Andrea, for reminding me how therapeutic writing by hand can be. Even now, as a graduate student, I still find myself taking notes the old-fashioned way for certain tasks. I like being able to connect to the material by writing out my notes and thoughts in my own way. Technology has certainly made many aspects of writing easier for us, but there is still something meaningful and grounding about slowing down, putting pen to paper, and allowing our ideas to unfold at their own pace.
Tarana’s Palladio Task
Tarana’s Palladio reflection is beautifully written and is very thought-provoking. She argues that the visualization is not neutral but shaped by cultural and political biases. She draws on scholars such as the New London Group, Haraway, and Simpson to examine how data visualizations can flatten context, erase meaning, and reproduce dominant ideologies. Tarana discusses how familiarity influenced her own choices and connects these insights to broader implications for educators and data literacy.
It’s so true that data dashboards and analytics often present themselves as objective, yet they can easily overlook the complex social, cultural, and emotional contexts that shape learning. Her emphasis on prioritizing context, dialogue, and student voice feels especially important. It makes me wonder how we might design data tools that invite interpretation and reflection rather than simply ranking or categorizing students.
I chose to touch on cultural and emotional factors that might shape participants’ choices but focused more on patterns of preference and possible reasons for them. I did not reflect on the song choices that weren’t chosen so I appreciate Tarana bringing that up as well. I hadn’t considered how the tracks we don’t choose can carry such deep social and cultural meaning. It makes me think about how often our own educational data, like grades or survey responses, misses those invisible stories behind what’s not said or not selected.
Adrianne’s Mode Bending Task
I really like Adrianne’s redesign. Her digital textile collage is unique and had me trying to recall from the fabrics what her original items were before reading her response. It was a bit like a game of memory with clues. Her redesign focuses on texture, colour, and material representation (canvas, leather, metal, plastic), highlighting how digital tools can evoke touch and mood. I on the other hand explored pacing, gesture, and sound to convey meaning for my redesign. The focus of Adrianne’s design is how materials and textures communicate identity, moving from “what I carry” to “how it feels to carry it”. With my design the focus shifts to presentation, rhythm, and interpretation, from showing items to choreographing their meaning through movement and sound.
I appreciate Adrianne’s connection to The New London Group (1996) and Cope & Kalantzis (2009), using their framework of multiliteracies and “meaning as design.” She applies the four components of multiliteracies pedagogy (situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing, transformed practice) and explains them in a very clear way.
Throughout the process Adrianne notes the challenge of translating touch into digital form and how to evoke texture without physical sensation. A challenge I found was trying to communicate without words, using gestures, pacing, and music instead of text.
This was a great task that really highlighted the power of our individual senses. I’d like to try a similar activity with my students.
Jodee’s Twine Task
https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540jskiba/2025/10/04/task-5-twine-task/
As I started reading through Jodee’s post I found some similarities. We both noticed how using Twine brings Bolter’s (2001) ideas about hypertext to life by allowing readers to move non-linearly through a story. We recognized Twine as a tool that makes writing interactive and flexible, turning readers into active participants who make choices. We both also connected the experience of creating a branching story to classroom applications, seeing potential for student creativity and engagement.
However, our reflections do differ in focus. Jodee’s post is more detailed, design-oriented. She describes the specific story she created (“The Hunt for the Lost Stuffed Animal”), the structure (18 screens, branching paths), and the challenges of keeping it clear for young learners. She also includes reflection on technical aspects and future improvements like adding sound or visuals. I really enjoyed reading this part as these were details I hadn’t thought about. I on the other hand, emphasize the learning process and emotional journey of discovering Twine, including initial hesitation and realization that the tool is more accessible than expected. While Task 1 analyzes the creative design process and classroom use, Task 2 focuses more on personal learning, confidence-building, and the connection between theory and hands-on experience.
I chose this post because I enjoyed working with Twine and appreciated Jodee’s improvement suggestions. They really made me reflect on the learning process for students. Including pictures and audio would add depth and immersion to the experience, much like how visuals and soundtracks enrich films. Adding images could help younger players visualize the spaces (like the home or playground) and make navigation easier. Sound effects, such as footsteps, doors opening, or playful background music could strengthen the atmosphere and emotional tone, helping players feel more connected to the story. Maybe future versions of this tool could focus on multimodal storytelling, combining text, visuals, and audio to make the learning and narrative experience more engaging and emotionally resonant, especially for young audiences.
Julia’s Voice-to-text Task
https://blogs.ubc.ca/macisaacj10/2025/09/16/task-3-voice-to-text-task/
This post resonated with me because Julia and I found many of the same details in what was going on with our voice to text transcripts. The transcription deviates from conventions of written English by lacking proper punctuation, paragraph breaks, and overall structure. It is conversational and informal, with repeated words, and casual expressions like “ended up” and “kind of felt like.” Some words were also transcribed incorrectly. The main “mistakes” are punctuation errors and incorrect word transcriptions, both of which can confuse readers and reduce readability. However, the transcription is still understandable. If the story had been scripted, it would have been more organized, polished, and detailed, with proper grammar and structure, making it easier and more engaging to read.
There was one section of this reflection that I found particularly interesting. Julia mentioned that “a lot is communicated through body language, such as facial expressions, as well as the person’s tone of voice, pauses, and expressions when telling a story.” When I thought about storytelling, I focused more on the words themselves rather than on ‘how’ they were being delivered yet these delivery elements are exactly the important aspects Julia highlighted.
When I teach Career Life Education, we constantly remind students of the importance of body language, eye contact, and a positive tone in strengthening the message they are delivering, especially in job interviews or other important conversations. A story or conversation becomes much more meaningful and memorable when supported by the way it is delivered.
This exercise is a reminder that communication is more than just the literal words, it’s about the layers of meaning added through delivery. In education and in everyday life, this distinction matters. While transcripts can provide accessibility and convenience, they can never fully capture the emotional and relational aspects of human interaction. This is why teaching students to be intentional not just with what they say but how they say it is so valuable.