https://sites.google.com/view/etec540blois/10-tasks?authuser=0
What a terrific idea Patrick had with this assignment to re-envision the ‘What’s in My Bag?’ assignment. By turning the original, written work into a written form of language that I hadn’t considered before: Braille.
The ‘transmediation’ of written English to Braille allows for accessibility to those that may be visually impaired, and by coupling it with audio, he has provided a multisensory experience, affording access to to many who might not have been able to read the original text. Not only is Patrick sharing the information, he’s allowing virtually any English-speaker the ability to access and understand his narrative independently.
It also shines a light on how technology, in this case a Braille translator and YouTube, can convert traditional text to alternative formats in ways that would be unimaginable to previous generations. As educators, we now can leverage this technology in ways that, as Patrick has shown, promotes equity and accessibility, while allowing for the essential, core meaning of the text.
This also sparks some questions to consider. How does the use of non-traditional texts, (in this case an audio and a tactile form of narrative), make us reconsider what ‘text’ is? Even if the Braille and audio is a direct translation of the original text, how does the format of the story change how it’s perceived by the audience?