In Task 1, I posted a photo of the contents of the laptop bag I carry with me daily as a TTOC. I also posted a writeup where I discuss the items in my bag and what they say about me. For Task 7, I have redesigned Task 1 and changed its semiotic mode. As The New London Group (1996) suggests, redesigning does not merely entail “a simple reproduction” (p. 76). Rather, redesigning involves remaking, reconstructing, and renegotiating (The New London Group, 1996). Thus, the product I have created for Task 7 puts a new spin on my submission for Task 1, and I have also changed the semiotic mode of this assignment. My creation for Task 7 is composed of both audio and linguistic elements, as they are defined by The New London Group.
My production for Task 7 is intended to capture a “day in the life” of a TTOC. The audio recording includes both my voice and various sound effects, and there are several instances in my recording where I am heard “using” the items in my bag. I retrieved some of the sound-effects royalty-free from YouTube, whereas others I created myself. While I am heard speaking in my audio clip, I am never speaking directly “to” the audience. Instead, the audience acts as a fly on the wall, listening in on the goings on of my day. Of course, all of my recordings for this Task were captured from the comfort of my own home rather than from an actual school building.
It is also worth noting that since COVID-19 took the world by storm, my typical day as a TTOC has drastically changed. My recording no longer accurately depicts “a day in the life” of a TTOC, as the landscape of education, and thus the job of a TTOC, has changed dramatically in just a few short months. Despite these changes, my recording is based on TTOC life pre-COVID; I am not sure exactly what the job will entail come September. I hope to enter into a teaching contract for next year, so, if all goes according to plan, I will not experience the new trials and tribulations of the life of a TTOC post-COVID-19.
References
MickfromShik3. (2012, Jan 30). Spongebob Time Cards. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgxK5vm6lvk
NostalgicDaze. (2009, Oct 31). Disney’s Recess (Opening Theme). [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zObiglKZKZc
The New London Group. (1999;1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies designing social futures. (pp. 19-46). Cambridge: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203979402-6
margaret keating
July 3, 2020 — 2:23 pm
I loved your day in the life . . .I wish you’d written more about how CO-19 has changed things so much for you . . . I am also wondering how things will be as I enter a new school next year . . . Megs Keating
Alanna Carmichael
July 3, 2020 — 2:45 pm
Thank you! I only managed to work a few shifts after schools reopened in June (there has been a major shortage of TTOC jobs) but in the shifts I did work, the high schools were a ghost town. Most of these shifts consisted of me sitting in an empty classroom and supporting any students who happened to come in (I usually only had one or two students show up). It will be interesting to see how it all looks next year!