ETEC 540

I had to take a screenshot to preserve the formatting, since emojis don’t always display consistently across platforms.

For Task 6, I used only emojis to write the title and plot of one of my favourite movies.  I actually found it easier than expected; if anything, the challenge was narrowing down which emojis to include so the sequence wouldn’t become confusing.  It was fun to think creatively about how to represent the storyline using simple symbols.  I relied on a combination of words, ideas, and symbols rather than syllables, since emojis convey meaning rather than sound.  I started with the title first, mostly because it was the easiest part to visualize and translate into emojis.  I also chose this particular movie because it was easy to recall and visualize. I’ve seen it many times, so I could quickly remember the key events and characters.

While creating the sequence, I kept thinking about languages like Chinese which use logosyllabries, which are systems that represent words or ideas rather than sounds (Schmandt-Besserat & Erard, 2007).  Isn’t that similar to what we are doing with this task, using pictures to stand in for words and ideas?

I also wondered whether emojis are truly universal.  They often feel that way, but they are also culturally specific.  Would someone from another cultural background interpret my emojis the same way I do? For example, a light bulb is widely understood to represent an “idea,” but that interpretation depends on the cultural context. This raises an interesting question: can emojis ever fully replace words when communicating complex ideas, or will they always serve as a supplement?

This connects to Bolter’s (2001) idea that images are increasingly replacing words.  Using emojis can be seen as a kind of reverse ekphrasis, where images take over the role of text.  We already see this in everyday technology: a garbage can icon means “delete” and a folder represents “files”.  Emojis function in a similar way, acting as shorthand for widely recognized concepts.

Kress (2005) also discusses the importance of multimodality and the growing dominance of visual modes in communication.  This task is a perfect example of that.  It made me think about how such ideas could apply in education, particularly in primary classrooms.  Reading and writing remain essential, but perhaps we should incorporate more multimodal practices that allow students to express meaning through images and symbols. Of course, this raises questions about balance; too much focus on screens could be concerning, but activities like this might actually enhance literacy and meaning-making if used thoughtfully.

In the end, I really enjoyed this activity. It helped me think more deeply about how images, writing, and meaning-making are connected. I realized that representing a story visually requires careful choices about what to include and what to leave out, and that those choices shape how meaning is constructed.  Overall, this task reminded me that meaning-making is always multimodal, especially in today’s digital age, where the line between image and text continues to blur.

And of course, I’d definitely recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it yet!

References

Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kress, G. (2005). Gains and losses: New forms of texts, knowledge, and learning. Computers and Composition, 2(1), 5–22.

Schmandt-Besserat, D., & Erard, M. (2007). Origins and forms of writing. In C. Bazerman (Ed.), Handbook of research on writing: History, society, school, individual, text (pp. 7–26). Routledge.

For Task 5, I created a game called The Hunt for the Lost Stuffed Animal using Twine. The game invites players to explore different areas of a home and playground to search for a missing toy, with multiple branching paths and optional choices that influence the outcome.  I built 18 screens, aiming for a story that was simple and easy to follow.  I had planned to include pictures and audio, but found this challenging, so I focused on keeping the story clear and playable. To add personality, I included emojis and thought about how elementary students might engage with the story. While the game might be too complex for my first and second graders, I could imagine sharing it with a buddy class of older students or using it as a model for students to create their own branching narratives.

Bolter (2001) argues that digital technology reshapes how we read and write, allowing readers to move flexibly through text rather than follow a single path.  Bush (1945) described a similar idea in his vision of the memex, where knowledge could be linked back and forth through pathways.  Creating this Twine game gave me a hands-on sense of these ideas: hypertext allowed players to move forward and backward, revisit earlier screens, and explore optional routes, creating a non-linear experience. When a family member tested the game, they suggested being able to return to the start. I thought this was a great point, so I added a link back on my ending screens. The whole process reminded me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I enjoyed as a child, though Twine feels more immediate and interactive since navigation happens with a click rather than flipping pages.

A challenge was making sure the pathways didn’t confuse players.  I had to carefully consider when to offer choices versus guiding the story and troubleshoot broken links, which was a valuable learning process. Overall, this task showed me how hypertext can make narratives interactive, engaging, and flexible, and it sparked ideas for using interactive storytelling in classrooms to support student choice, creativity, and collaboration.  Finally, I realized how much more engaging the game could have been with visuals and audio; just as sound effects and music enhance movies, they could add another layer of immersion to a Twine story. This experience also made me wonder: how might adding sound and audio change the way students interpret or emotionally connect with a story?

References 

Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Bush, V. (1945). As we may think. The Atlantic Monthly, 176(1), 101–108.

References

Cooke, D. (2012, January 26). Upside down, left to right: A Letterpress film [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6RqWe1bFpM

Course notes. (n.d.). Module 4: The Mechanization of Writing [Class notes]. University of British Columbia.

Lamb, R., & McCormick, J. (Hosts). (2020, May 26). From the vault: Invention of the book: part 1 [Audio podcast episode]. In Stuff to blow your mind. iHeart Radio.

Lamb, R., & McCormick, J. (Hosts). (2020, May 28). From the vault: Invention of the book: part 2 [Audio podcast episode]. In Stuff to blow your mind. iHeart Radio.

Analysis of My Oral Story

Please click on the link here for my unscripted story (using the Notes app on my iPhone, voice-to text function).

Deviations from Written English

The text deviates from standard written English in several ways. Punctuation is minimal, capitalization is inconsistent, and there are many run-on sentences. Filler words like “like” and “yeah” appear frequently, reflecting natural speech. Some words were misheard by the voice-to-text app, such as “Convo lie lie” instead of Kadavu Lailai, and “gravel” instead of Gravol. I also corrected myself at times, pausing to find the right words.  Such hesitation feels natural in speech but would be edited in writing. Even so, the main point comes through clearly.

Common Mistakes and What’s “Right”
From a written perspective, informal grammar, missing punctuation, run-on sentences, repeated filler words and misheard words are considered mistakes because they interrupt smooth reading.  However, many of these “errors” work in speech.  Repetition, incomplete sentences, and hesitations add pacing and emphasis: for example, repeating “getting on/off the boat” helps listeners follow the story.

Scripted vs. Unscripted
If I had scripted the story, it would have been easier to read, more concise, and free of filler words. However, scripting might have removed the humour, spontaneity, and personal voice that make the story lively. Speaking freely captures how I would naturally recount this adventure to friends. For example, my use of “Oh no!” conveys expression that would likely be lost in a script. This makes the story sound casual and conversational.

Oral vs. Written Storytelling
Oral storytelling differs from written storytelling in several ways. As Ong (2002) notes, language is fundamentally oral, and this orality is a permanent feature of human communication. Oral stories often use repetition, patterns, and rhythm to aid memory, while written texts preserve words, allowing reflection, editing, and dissemination.

For example, when my tote bag spilled, the oral transcript included a long, rambling sentence with repeated phrases and filler words:

“we were on the boat and I had like this tote bag with me like a tote bag and I had all my stuff in extra clothes so when I change out of my swimsuit and flip-flops book stuff like that, so I had it in my tote bag and we were going on the small boat to the island and for some reason the contents of my bag spilled out onto the bottom of the boat …”

If I wrote my story instead it might look something like this:

“On the small boat to the island, my tote bag with clothes, flip-flops and a book spilled onto the floor.  Luckily, only a few items spilled.”  

The oral version was lively and humorous but difficult to read, while the written version was smoother and structured.  This shows oral storytelling captures spontaneity and voice, while written storytelling prioritizes clarity and structure.

Oral storytelling also maintains cultural identity. The Anishinaabemodaa (n.d.) video shows that losing a language is like losing a society’s memory and spirit; oral storytelling keeps culture alive, connecting learners to their ancestors. Written storytelling, in contrast, creates permanence and historical record.  Hadley (2019) demonstrates that an Indigenous language app can preserve endangered languages and help learners reconnect with cultural knowledge.

Oral and written storytelling also share similarities: both communicate meaning, often have a beginning-middle-end structure and convey emotion.  Ong (2002) notes that written storytelling depends on oral storytelling; without oral language, we could not organize or share thoughts effectively.

Final Thoughts
This exercise helped me see how spoken stories capture personality, humour, and lived experience, while written stories structure thought, preserve information, and allow for wider sharing. Using a voice-to-text app showed how technology shapes oral storytelling today: it captured my words but misheard some terms, preserving yet slightly altering the narrative. It also reminded me of the “telephone” game: a spoken story can never be repeated exactly. If I told the story again, I would likely add details, forget others, and change aspects in the retelling.  This highlights the unique, fleeting quality of oral storytelling.

References

Anishinaabemodaa. (n.d.). Waking Up Ojibwe.

Hadley, H. (2019, January 11). New Indigenous language app targets ’21st century’ learners. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/indigenous-language-app-1.4970376 

Ong, W. J. (2002). Chapter 1: The orality of language. In Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word (pp. 5–16). Routledge. (Original work published 1982)

6 statements from Lera Boroditsky’s lecture that I relate to:

1. [2:05] – Tense and verb differences across languages

Dr. Boroditsky explains how some languages, like Indonesian, do not mark tense on verbs, while others, like Russian, can be highly specific about aspects such as whether an event was completed or personally witnessed.

This struck me because many of my students are English language learners whose home languages may differ greatly from English in how tense and verbs are expressed.  I realize how confusing English grammar can feel to them, and how important it is for me to be patient and understanding.  Their struggles are not a lack of ability, but a reflection of how their first language structures thought and expression differently.

2. [11:19] – Time and directionality

Dr. Boroditsky shares how a Nestle advertisement failed in Arabic speaking countries because the left-to-right sequences of images didn’t align with how readers process text in Arabic.

This made me wonder how my students might conceptualize time or sequences, especially if their first written language reads right-to-left or top-to-bottom.  Even when my younger students are not yet literate, older students may naturally approach tasks in ways shaped by their home languages.  It reminds me not to assume there is only one “correct” way to sequence ideas.

3. [20:05] Gendered language

Dr. Boroditsky discusses how many languages assign grammatical gender to nouns, such as the sun being feminine in German but masculine in Spanish.

This resonated with me because I remember struggling with French in school, especially with grammatical gender. I studied it from Grade 4 through university, yet I’m still nowhere near fluent. Conjugating verbs and remembering the gender of nouns were constant challenges, and I often felt frustrated. Looking back on those struggles helps me empathize with students learning a new language, since rules that seem arbitrary can easily make them doubt themselves.

4. [34:07] Math as a universal language

Dr. Boroditsky challenges the assumption that math is universal, showing that some cultures use base 5, base 20, or body-based systems.  Other languages have no exact number words at all.  I had always naively believed math was a neutral, universal language.  Learning this makes me rethink how I approach math instruction.  If number systems themselves are culturally embedded, then students who grew up with different systems may need more support, not because they’re “bad at math” but because they are adjusting to a new way of quantifying the world.

5. [41:23] Prunes vs dried plums

Dr. Boroditsky highlights how renaming “prunes” to “dried plums” boosted sales because of the associations carried by each word.

This example reminded me how much words matter, not just in advertising but in education. The words I choose in class can influence how students feel about themselves and their learning. Subtle differences in phrasing can shape motivation, confidence, and engagement. For instance, I often tell students, “It’s okay to make mistakes,” and even share my own, like admitting I’m not great at drawing but still try my best. I also highlight their effort by saying things like, “You worked so hard on this, I love all the colours you used.” These small choices in language help build confidence and encourage a growth mindset.

6. [53:40] Reading fiction improves theory of mind

Dr. Boroditsky points to research showing that reading fiction strengthens our ability to understand others’ perspectives.

This resonated deeply because I enjoy reading aloud to students and encouraging families to do the same at home. Picture books provide a powerful way to introduce social-emotional learning, such as kindness and belonging. At the start of the year, I make a point of sharing a variety of SEL books to help establish our classroom community. For example, this coming week I will read The Kindness Quilt by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace with my class. Afterward, we’ll discuss what it means to be kind, and students will each write a sentence and draw a picture. For me, literacy is not only about decoding words but also about nurturing empathy. Reading in students’ home languages is equally important, which is why I encourage parents to continue sharing stories in their first language.

Final thoughts

Taken together, these six moments highlight how deeply language shapes thought and understanding. As Boroditsky (2011) notes, why can a five-year-old in one culture point north with ease while scientists in another cannot? The answer lies in language. Struggling with a concept does not indicate a lack of intelligence, it may reflect differences in linguistic or cultural systems.  For example, the Pirahã people of the Amazon do not have number words, and Deaf signers without number systems face similar challenges.  Personally, I often need visual references to draw, while others can imagine and create without them.  Lacking a skill does not mean lacking understanding; it means needing the right entry point.

These ideas connect with other perspectives explored this week. Alexander MacDonald (2016) emphasized oral traditions, showing how knowledge can be passed through rhythm, song, or dance.  This reminds me that oral traditions, rhythm, poetry, and sign language are not secondary to written text but equally powerful ways of knowing and communicating.  Christine’s (2014) Shetlandic story also highlighted the importance of embracing one’s mother tongue as part of identity, resonating with Boroditsky’s (2011) point that the languages we know shape how we think and share knowledge.

Altogether, this reinforces my responsibility as a teacher: to create entry points that allow all students to access knowledge, while affirming their linguistic and cultural identities. Language is not just a tool for communication, it is a gateway to thinking, understanding, and belonging. As a teacher, I want to honour not just written English but the full range of ways my students can communicate – through story, song, movement or sign – because all are valid languages of learning.

References

Boroditsky, L. (2011). How language shapes thought. Scientific American, 304(2), 62–65.

MacDonald, A. (2016, February 26). Oral tradition in the age of smart phones | TEDxFulbrightDublin [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egO_46P894k   

School for Advanced Research. (2017, June 7). Lera Boroditsky: How the languages we speak shape the way we think[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGuuHwbuQOg 

Wikitongues. (2014, September 21). Christine speaking Shetlandic [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0EwquC6wBU

Items as Texts

Several items in my bag can be seen as “texts.” My laptop, planner, phone, driver’s license, and bank cards all hold information about who I am and how I interact with the world. My district fob in particular identifies me as a teacher, linking me to my professional community. It also signals the district I work in (Richmond), hinting at my location and cultural context.

Text Technologies

The “text technologies” in my bag include my laptop, phone, fob, and bank cards. These tools enable me to engage with language and communication in various ways: completing assignments, emailing parents, collaborating with colleagues, messaging friends and family, and making purchases. My phone has replaced the need to carry many other items, such as bank cards, since I can now pay digitally. This shift shows how communication and transactions are increasingly streamlined through technology; a good example of how everyday tools continue to change the ways we interact and organize our lives.

Literacies and Identity

The items in my bag reveal the literacies I use daily. My laptop and planner reflect organizational and digital literacies, showing my reliance on technology and systems of planning. My phone demonstrates media and communication literacy, but unlike my laptop and planner, it connects both sides of my life.  Professionally, it helps me stay organized and efficient, while personally it reflects my interests.  For example, Spotify shows the music I enjoy, while Instagram reveals some of my travel experiences. In this way, the items in my bag highlight my professional identity, while the apps on my phone provide a window into my personal life.

Past and Future Perspectives

Fifteen to twenty years ago, my bag would have looked quite different. Instead of a laptop, I would have carried notebooks, pens, and textbooks. My phone would have been a basic flip phone with limited communication functions. I had a driver’s license, but no car yet, so no car keys.  In many ways, it would have looked more like a student’s bag than a teacher. At that time, most students didn’t typically carry laptops as they do today, so paper-based tools such as notebooks and pens were more central.

Looking ahead, if an archaeologist examined my current bag, they would likely see evidence of a highly digital society. My laptop and phone would stand out as essential tools for communication, work, and daily living. The fob would signal my professional role in education, while the mix of digital and practical items would illustrate how work and life were interconnected in this period.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the contents of my bag highlight how central technology, organization, and my role as a teacher are to my daily life. The apps on my phone and the photo of me at Machu Picchu reveal personal interests, like travel and exploration, that aren’t visible in the physical items I carry. That photo is especially meaningful to me because visiting Machu Picchu had long been on my bucket list, and it reminds me of the value of curiosity and exploration beyond the classroom. In this way, my bag illustrates how I navigate both my professional and personal worlds.