Part 1:  Above the ground: 2050 CE 

Prologue:

This story speaks for inhabitants of the more Northern inhabitants of the planet Earth. We do not pretend to speak for the world as that would not present “The Truth.” 

Thirty years ago much of the world imploded sparking a change in the way humans live. 

Why? Eco-terrorism? Instability or imbalance in political or economic power amongst nations? You decide . . . it may have been a combination of many what we do know is that oil fields, refineries and distribution networks exploded adding to the pollutants that were rapidly changing the climate. 

I invite you to go back in time and play a game . . .  play Feed the Beast (Hydamacka, Irwin & Passaglia, 2020)  – to experience what our elders of the boreal forests of the world experienced in 2020 and think about the choices they made and what forced them to do so.

Click to play: Feed the Beast1

Fast forward to 2050 CE 

The world as we knew it imploded .  . .  we don’t know why they seemed to be targeted. .  but the technology and knowledge had  been preserved. We have become more conscious of how we live, learn  and how we sustain ourselves. 

School is no longer the way it once was . . . research is no longer primarily conducted by university PhDs but by young students . . . professor’s roles are to work in tandem with the elders, to mentor and guide the youth’s explorations in areas of interest.  

“Interest helps learners pay attention, make connections, persist, and engage in deeper learning” (Ito et al)  

Family units have reverted to a multigenerational living and teaching arrangement . . .  wisdom is delivered to youth by elders . . . First People and the Forests (Simard, 2016) have always known this is the way to teach.  Parents leave the responsibility of childcare and education primarily to grandparents while they work and/or continue their studies.  Daycares have proven to be too dangerous since the outbreaks of COVID-19 followed by COVID 20, 21 and 22.  Schools have also been deemed unsafe as well as  less effective in their delivery as project based, collaborative, self-directed studies evolved under the careful watch of the old ones.  Multi-age group students connect to each other in cohorts or work alone on their projects. Students work on real-world problems, solutions and designs for the future. Following Moussa et al’s (2013) earlier  suggestion, “Technologies for learners emphasize student agency by allowing users to select their own learning goals and the means that will help them achieve those goals” (p. 1).  Aikenhead & Ogawa (2007), also suggested “design thinking offers great potential because it aligns with traditional Indigenous understandings of knowledge as active, relational, and produced through the actions of humans, objects, and non-humans.” This is the hope for our new future. Later, you will come to see an example of the non-human which has been long ignored.

It takes a village to raise a child – unknown (possibly origin: the Igbo or Yoruba of Africa)

Youth remain under the tutelage of their Grans (grandparents) until their brains are fully developed at age 25-30 or until their research is completed or at least their first stage. Some will continue on with the help of a cohort of members studying similar areas and problems as well as mentors and elders in their “community of learning.” Grans will also be to connected to their children’s learning cohort.  

Elders also feel the benefit as they are valued as they once were as knowledge keepers and transmitters. Many also continue to study and learn alongside younger family members. Having a sense of purpose and being valued adds to their longevity which is not without problems as general health. vision, hearing declines.  Science and technology must strive to solve these problems.

As independent adults, humans will continue to either work in their chosen area of specialty or continue with research. Areas are interconnected and fluid in a more holistic approach. Humans may also choose to apprentice in areas of medicine, science, technology, environment etc. 

A family learning unit: Kaira and her Gran

Kaira was trying to understand a local protest and thought she could talk to her elder about it; maybe even clarify a few questions she had.  “Granny, can you tell me more about 2020?” 

“Sorry, Kaira, I can’t find my Memglasses©” the old one replied. 

While brain exercises and the stimulation of  tutoring have been helpful, the addition of Memglasses© has proven to significantly reduce memory loss and slowed the progression of dementia amongst the elderly. These glasses use facial and object recognition as well as auditory cues to aid memory which tends to deteriorate.

Memglassses© work by collecting visual and auditory information which is processed, catalogued and can be accessed automatically or by request. The visual information is projected on the glass lens while a small earbud whispers crucial information.

The user may also ask for information: such as “Mem, who was the last president of the United States of America?” Second thought, we may want to forget that one.  Glasses by SUNTECH and ASVP available on Amazon.ca – (yes it is still around!)

“Ya right, nice try. They are a short term memory aid not long,” Kaira snorted.  

“Manners, Kaira,” Gran chuckled. “You do need to dig deeper to understand things for yourself. How are you going to be able to complete your research if you don’t research?  Now, if I could only remember where those glasses went . . . “

Kaira let out a deep sigh, “Granny, did you set your “find my device” app to on? “

“Right.  Thanks for the reminder.  . . . Alli, find my Mems”  

“They are on your head” Alli chirped with a barely suppressed small giggle from Gran’s solar wristwatch/tracker/organizer/companion. Kaira fell on the floor roaring with laughter.

“Very funny you two,” Granny growled. “Lucky for you, I found them. They are reminding me to remind you to connect your interface to download some new knowledge.  After that, you will need to select from it what is important to your research.  Oh, and don’t forget to add to The History today. I received notification that it has been nearly a week since your last entry. 

“Ugh. Big brother is watching. Why do I need to add to The History?  What does it matter? Lots of other people are already adding to the it ” Kaira replied.

“Do I need to remind you what happened to the Democrats in the US election of 2016? Every voice counts, if only the democrats had used their voices!  They got stuck with Trump and an ineffective COVID-19 policy and riots in the streets. Did you know Australia would fine people who did not vote back then? The US should have done that,  Your voice represents your people . . . 

“Who? I am a Heinz 57 variety. Who are my people? No one” 

“You are primarily of Scandinavian descent, think Vikings, Swedes, Danes, and a wee bit of Sami along with the Heinz 57. You also represent the youth. If we rely on only a few voices to tell the truth or our stories, our history, we need to consider whose voices are left out .  .  .”

“The History” is a digital collection of voices and images of the world.  In the past history was written from the perspective of the dominant culture or the “winner” of various wars. We now try to avoid this but not without new issues. The final story is created through algorithms of the stories, filtering through to find commonalities or “the truth’ it would seem. It becomes crucial to have all people’s voices observing and creating this collective memory so that is reflective of all. However, there is a danger of digital assimilation or a melting pot. Has race become invisible? To avoid this multiple individual stories are highlighted in addition to the general consensus of the ‘true’ history of the world.

Now, maybe you should plug in that interface . . . and what exactly are you researching?”  Granny asked.

Kaira’s interface connects wirelessly to a massive network.  Next year, at the age of 12 and only after her and her family’s consent, a nanofiber will be inserted into her brain to connect wirelessly to the knowledge bases which she can search simply via her own thoughts. Despite the advantages of having access to stores of knowledge, there are also disadvantages as data mining of her own thoughts is one peril.  This data mining of thought is circumvented by an alarm system which alerts her to disconnect. The regulatory board also makes the use of “brain data” illegal. But . . . do you trust the system?  The interface is, of course, voluntary but has the added advantage of scanning the body systems for advance warning of medical issues. If one chooses not to have the fibres inserted they may rely upon the solar powered wrist device such as Gran wears. Solar is the way to go especially with the increased sun rays. One benefit of climate change, I suppose.

Kaira had a research plan alright: “I hear that there is a counter protest by the omnivores and carnivores against the Vegans happening today down by the courthouse. I’ve just found some interesting research on the language of vegetables.  And we already know that trees talk and care for each other.  Could be interesting. In one plant study (Thomsen, 2019) they cut stems and deprived of water finding that ‘the plants began to emit ultrasonic sounds between 20 and 100 kilohertz, which they believed could convey their distress to other plants and organisms in the immediate vicinity.”

There is a lot more about plant language that we now know. Plants’ behaviour, chemicals in their systems, gases and the subtle sounds emitted in addition to environmental conditions are used to create algorithms which are aiding in discovering the language of plants. 

“Yes, I remember crying when my mom thinned the carrots, thinking the babies are leaving their mothers! That is interesting.  But be careful! Sounds like things could get violent” Gran cautioned.

Off Kaira went to her Solar cycle, a single unit of human pedal power assisted by solar energy.

The Solar Cycle stores solar power to use or to assist on long trips, uphills or simply when the rider tires. The design features a comfortable recumbent cycling seat. By pedalling the cycle, the rider also generates power to store in power packs that replace the engine of a traditional vehicle of the past.  There is the additional bonus of physical exercise, of course. Each unit has multiple retractile connex or recepx (what we once called male/female plugs and receptacles) that allowed the cycles to be connected similar to Lego blocks allowing family or friends to travel together.  Standard features include oversized all terrain tires, early warning crash detection, rear back up camera, alarm system and an automatic demobilizer when safety harness and helmet are not used. Optional features include 2 wheel drive and autonomous mode when in solar drive.

Early artist rendition of prototype of Solar Cycle

It would seem that solar, in addition to wave power harnessed from the oceans have become the preferred energy sources. 

R.I.P car.    Photo by Ante Hamersmit

2050 CE: Below the surface: 

Have you ever laid down and looked up at the canopy of trees in the forest? They tree’s tops seem to form a circle – a literal social circle.

Foresters have now accepted  the language of trees and their symbiotic relationships with their environments that was proposed by pioneer forest researcher Suzanne Simard. Of course the language is not English, that would be presumptuous and we humans have become more humble in our views of superiority over living organisms.

As researchers have continued to study the trees, their DNA,  rhizomes, and miocene and the exchanges that occur, our views on communication have broadened.  The trees feel, not just the wind but also emotions such as fear. Imagine a tree in the middle of a wildfire season or when their closest neighbour becomes infected with pine or spruce beetle. They communicate that fear to each other through minute chemical changes and exchanges. Despite being powerless against the wildfire, now that we understand more of their language, forest services and fire crews have advanced early warnings.  

Why is this important?  We now appreciate the boreal forests. . .  all forests in fact  . .  as being the lungs of the world. Without them the CO2 emissions, although greatly reduced will overcome us all. 

Through research, we have also come to realize that all plants feel. People have been talking to houseplants since they first brought them into their homes. We have also discovered companion planting to promote better crops.  As early as 2019, a  research paper was published that revealed that plants feel pain.  

Research from Tel Aviv University in Thomsen, 2019:

When they were stressed they plants emitted barely discernible sounds.  But what about the vegetables that we consume? Researchers pursued the little known research on the language of carrots and using more sophisticated listening devices have discovered a range of sounds and chemicals released throughout the experiences of vegetables. So, what about the feelings of vegetables? 

Hence the courthouse protest: 

The placards read: Save the veggies!  Veggies have feelings too!  Cruelty free food!  

Peta was there: Prevention of the cruelty of animals. Eat vegetables. . . 

The odd carnivore was there: In your face Vegans. .  . you are just as cruel and heartless . . . .

The chicken was there: eat beef! . . .(just kidding but you get the picture).

Just imagine if carrots had arms  . . . would all vegetable organize or would the fight amongst themselves? What if they could write?

.

The ethical dilemma was once about how to humanely raise, and slaughter our animals for consumption.  

I think using animals for food is an ethical thing to do, but we’ve got to do it right. We’ve got to give those animals a decent life, and we’ve got to give them a painless death. We owe the animals respect. —Temple Grandin

Do we need to ethically harvest our plant-based food as well? The debate rages for weeks in the media after the results of further study into the language of plants. What is the best approach? Should we look for humane ways to grow and harvest food? All food -vegetable included.  Or should we turn to genetically developed foods such as the chicken nuggets grown from a chicken feather?  Could it be replicated in carrots and peas? Should it be? 

I will leave you to decide. The future is yours . . .

References: 

Ante Hamersmit. Rusted car photo. Unsplash

Defrenne, C. & Simard, S. (2019) The Secret Life of Trees.  https://youtu.be/V4m9SefyRjg

 Farrell, P. (August 29, 2019) Do Carrots scream? Communication is all around us but we fail to listen?  The Start Up.  https://medium.com/swlh/do-carrots-scream-f9b16e8d23f5

Hydamacka, R, Irwin, M. , Passaglia, S.  (Summer 2020). Feed the Beast1. Twine game created for ETEC 565S Digital Games, Learning and pedagogy.

Ito, M., Soep, E., Kligler-Vilenchik, N., Shresthova, S., Gamber-Thompson, L., & Zimmerman, A. (2015). Learning connected civics: Narratives, practices, infrastructures. Curriculum Inquiry, 45(1), 10-29. doi:10.1080/03626784.2014.995063

Mouza, C., & Lavigne, N. C. (2013). Introduction to emerging technologies for the classroom: A learning sciences perspective. In C. Mouza & N. C. Lavigne (Eds.), Emerging technologies for the classroom: A learning sciences perspective (pp. 1-12). London; New York: Springer.

Simard, S (2016).  How trees talk to each other. https://youtu.be/Un2yBgIAxYs

Thomsen, M. (9 December 2019) Plants feel pain too. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7773333/Plants-emit-ultrasonic-scream-stems-cut-water-short-supply.html

*please note the rambling nature of this post is designed to reflect my path through the frustration and confusion I felt as I navigated this task.

As a digital-immigrant and highly distractible (possibly ADHD?) individual it is quite difficult. As noted in ETEC 540 Module 1.5, “children who grow up with screen media will prove more adept at negotiating the image-based, multi-sequential learning environments of the present game website format.”  This language is one that I am learning and as I delve farther into the game, the “language” changes, no longer matching my understanding.

Did I win? Eventually. After much frustration.  Now, let me take you on my adventure in frustration.

User Inyerface Game –Round 1:  

Initially, I thought that this  User Inyerface “game” was a ploy to enslave my attention and waste my time. Tristan Harris and Zeynep Tufekci’s TEDx videos have set me up to be on guard against unscrupulous web practices.  I wonder what data is being collected and what will I be directed to later. (I feel a little bad about the nasty user name “Bagaarsucksx2). The game, for me started definitely as a “Baagar frustration.”

First, I immediately looked for the “form” to quickly fill out but which I could not see despite the prompts. I wondered, if the purpose to have people realize that they should not be carelessly giving out information. Maybe. 

Confession: I actually clicked on the big green NO button first. Was I really ready to quickly, and with little thought, give my information and data to a random site?  Not really. So I clicked on “NO.”  Then, I could not proceed. Clicking on “next” did not work. I was stuck.Was it because of the “NO” response, was there no going back to try again?  End of round 1.

Round 2:

Distracted I check emails, notifications . . .Mattermost.  . . .Why is Ernesto checking in on us regarding this task? I should be suspicious?   Hmmmmmm . . .

Still stuck on the first page of the game,  I changed my security settings to allow popups thinking that was the problem.  No.  Try again.  Avoid the “NO” button.  It still did not work. Very frustrated, I request help on Mattermost and am prompted to carefully read directions (thanks Earnesto).

I carefully read the directions: “Click here” means literally on the word “here” not on what appears to be a link!

We don’t read pages. We scan them — Steve Krug

Ahhhh! Yes, this is precisely what I had done, quickly seeing there was some sort of form, along with the click to proceed.  But I still wasn’t actually reading the page.

Next, getting to the first information screen, which along with each subsequent screen has a timer. By adding a time constraint the reader is encouraged to rush through without properly reading which has the potential of being considered a deceptive practice.  The password required is very specific in wanting at least one letter of my email which did not seem like a good idea but I proceed.  I am told in bright red colour text that the password I create is “not unsafe.” Seems rather odd wording. Then, I wonder what sort of spam mail, I will get after this or what YouTube suggestions and Facebook ads.

Even the terms of agreement check box is not worded in what I have been accustomed to as it is a “negative box” to tick to not accept terms of agreement.  This seems deceptive.  I clicked to read the terms of agreement which lead to a contract with no company name inserted.  It is a long agreement. According to Brignull, “people tend to start reading at the of a piece of text and as they advance, an increasing percentage of people give up and do not read to the end.” I keep reading. These terms seem sketchy.. . before clicking “not accept” rather than the usual “accept” is a really misleading tactic especially if this site, with no name is given, use of my comments and may edit them:

5.You hereby grant to [Insert company or website name] a non-exclusive royalty-free license to use, reproduce, edit and authorize others to use, reproduce and edit any of your Comments in any and all forms, formats or media.”

Seriously? They are going to edit my comments . . .I do not think so.

I have difficulty getting beyond this screen.  A further request for help, on the game site, gave me a “Please wait, there are 408 people in line”  Really? This annoying little screen keeps getting in the way. Popping up “In yerface.” I hit help several times just to watch the number of people in line go up.  I can be such a jerk. But is it real?  Maybe it is time to log out,   block the site, check security and dump cookies and take a screen break?

One of my many comments on Mattermost:

I think that it is an attempt to take my time and attention, sending me down a dark rabbit hole of nothingness. . . I will now read about the “Dark Patterns: Deception vs. Honesty in UI Design.” Grrrr . . . so glad you are apologizing Ernesto

The userinyerfac,com title reads “User Inyerface – A worst-practice UI experiment.”  So, not so much a game but an experiment to see just how we will “sell our souls” for grades, perhaps? Am I that desperate? What is the catch? According to  Brignull (2011), “deception is deeply entwined with life on this planet.”  I begin to think that this game is a massive deception in that it is not a game but an experiment. My trust has been broken.

I noticed “Baagar frustration” in text. Yes, I was frustrated. I was so done with this game.  Stuck on the first screen, I was not playing anymore,  . . . or so I thought.  But WAIT! Distracted, I noticed a logo or icon at the bottom left-hand side of the screen. I need to click it to explore . . . distractions abound online as we are encouraged to explore and some people explore more than others. I wanted to know more about this “Bagaar.”  Was it truly evil? What was its point with all of this torture? I spent quite a bit of time exploring.

I wonder if this side trip was intended by the game maker. Advertising for Baggar.  Clicking on the icon takes me to Bagaar’s site . ..  there is even an option to be their  “friend”in the top right corner as well as option to “Keep up-to-date with key industry trends and receive first-hand invitations to our events”   . . . just enter your email and . . .  “By submitting this form you agree that we may store and process some of your data. We won’t flood your mailbox, we promise” (Bagaar https://www.bagaar.be/) .  

Well, that is nice of them, but the game as well as course readings have already set me up to be not only annoyed but also suspicious. They are collecting data. So, what exactly is the purpose of the”game”? Is it to take me to this website so that I  might become their friend to be “processed”? I am torn. Do I like them for their honestly or does my distrust rise. At least they are upfront about their usage of data. 

Round 3: Back to the “game” . . .because

a) I am curious ( Can you tell why it took me so long? This is not a good game for the highly distractible) and

b) I am determined. I refuse to give up.

Adjusting my privacy settings, I am able to progress further.  And I am eventually rewarded. 😀 I was so excited I had to share this in Mattermost:

I got further into the game and is it ever upside down .. . sort of like Alice in Wonderland. Yikes!

This game is like an escape room.  Some of the directions are really literal. And much is unexpected.

The digital clock continued to tick up, adding the pressure to hurry. Nothing like a timer to make someone make hasty and sometimes bad decisions.  I expected clicking on “lock”  would temporarily stop the clock but it appeared to do nothing. At this point, it just seems to be an annoyance. Then, I am stuck. What fresh hell is this????????

Finally I discovered that if I lock the page, the clock keeps running but then clicking on unlock takes me to the next page!!!  I felt a celebration was in order.  (This is so sad and pathetic.)

A refresh (refresh becomes my “friend”) of the screen and I see this an unusual twist on  “cookies are collected prompt:

In bright, “can’t miss it,” red the top of the screen reads “This site uses cookies, is that a problem?”  With the choices  “Not, really no” or “Yes”   Yes, seems the obvious choice due to the web design.  I am really feeling disoriented at this point. The wording again, and the positioning,  is odd. How many  cookies have already been collected?  It seems sort of late to have this. But at least they are up-front about it. 

As I proceed through the screens I am thrilled to find a screen to give away my information. It is a good thing at this point they didn’t ask for my Visa card number because I would probably just fill it in in my haste to move the pages on.  Yet another tactic.

Throughout this game, the world as I know it has ceased to exist. Nothing is familiar: format, colours, wording. location.  I am so conditioned to expect what I already know which makes everything so much more difficult.  Filling in forms I am hit will a weird intermittent auto-correct.  Sometimes the text “inserts” and overwrites existing text. and other times it must be deleted first. The order of boxes is different than usual.  Strangely, the gender that I select does not match my title, um last time I checked Rebecca is a female and a Ms (no option) for that.  The form is also really oddly ordered to what I am accustomed to. Numbers scroll in the opposite directions, but I manage to “relearn how to enter info.” and am taken to the dreaded “I am not a robot” page. Select the word bow.  The selection boxes are in a different place (above rather than below the image) and the word “Bow” has 3 different meanings. So close to the end and yet so far. 

After about 3 attempts of approximately 20 minutes each and 3 final rounds of “I am not a Robot, success!  Finally! 

Oh, and I was redirected to apply for a job at Bagaar.  This was definitely an adventure in the unexpected.

So, I now wonder, what purpose did this text serve?

What was communicated in this task? What did I learn?

One of the main premises of this course, as Postman observes, is that language is a technology in the sense that it is a practical art—an invention to facilitate communication” (Mod 1.5 Thinking about Text and Language).

Fear and suspicion drove my impulses. My attention was very much hijacked in this task, but despite taking a great deal of my attention, in a weird way it is worth it. This task  helped me to understand the concept of Attention Economy and the subtle ways websites are designed to capture the viewers attention. In this case, it was to draw attention to the “language” of website design. It as draws attention to the ways companies extract information and direct information and compliance to their requests. Seeming “friendlier,” using double negatives, placement of buttons and use of “time limited” frames are just some of the tactics revealed in this “game.”

We learn this language of websites and then become complacent, perhaps skipping “terms and conditions” or clicking without reading all information, or being aware of our actions. We need to exercise caution, by very carefully reading all information and not assume anything. Just because one website works one way, another may be totally different. We are conditioned by our past experiences to expect text to appear in a certain way and when it doesn’t, we struggle.

Finally, the In yerface game has the potential to create many different emotions: frustration, amusement, suspicion, anger, appreciation, even despair and resignation as at one point I was reluctant to try any further, not really sure if there really was an end to the game.  A cautionary note for Web designers: avoid risk of alienating viewers with the tactics  employed, whether subversive or blatant.

Finally, this underscores that a sense of humour necessary for my survival.References:

Bagaar https://www.bagaar.be/.

Baggar. https://userinyerface.com/

Brignull, H. (2011). Dark Patterns: Deception vs. Honesty in UI Design. Interaction Design, Usability, 338.

The Golden Record NASA 1977

For this task I initially felt overwhelmed. This is an IMPORTANT task.  It seems impossible  to implode all of  humanity into 10 songs. I also wondered what if I  decided to select by lottery? Leaving all to chance seems the most fair in some ways. But I am sure this is not the intent of the exercise.  

What does one include and what does one exclude?  Are we looking to represent all cultures? Or countries?  No . . . not countries as they are often defined by arbitrary borders that change with conflict.  Styles and genres of music? Rhythms? Voices? Instrumentation? 

As I listened to the podcast and the aging voices quavering as they retell the story of the record, I am struck by the fact that this record has a date of the 70s. Considering what was important during that time period is different than what is valued today. Chuck Berry was early rock and roll which was grounded in Rhythm and Blues. Perhaps “That’s All Right, Mama” (1946)  by Arthur “Big Boy Crudup” should have been included instead as he was hailed as the king of rock and roll after Elvis did a cover of his 1946 version.  And why were the Beatles not considered?  According to Olivares (2017), the Beatles wanted to send Here comes the sun into space but they did not own the copyright.  (Olivares is an interesting read).

Back to the task, whose view do we go from? A Euro-Western perspective?  Who’s history are we telling and who’s are we leaving out? Should the recordings be taken from a more contemporary stance of the recognition and inclusion of cultures? For this reason, I started thinking along cultural lines and decided to eliminate some of the classical,  baroque, and opera music. So it became initially a matter of exclusion, then later one of inclusion. Some songs are selected for their titles, others for their stories, culture or uniqueness. As I reached 8 songs the selection became more difficult. Few of the chosen songs have vocals as I found I was drawn more to the instruments as I listened. Sadly, I now realize that I have no music from South America, China or Russia or Canada for that matter but I feel human emotions, musical tone and rhythms are well represented. 

An alien perspective?  Not all songs are chosen for their beauty but who knows, maybe to an alien they are beautiful. The songs were chosen because they are all different in instrumentation, rhythm, tempo, tone and volume. No one knows how another life form would look, listen or inspect this record or what tones they would hear, or even if they could hear. We would not know if they could see, or feel either. By selecting a variety of these elements of music, the grooves inscribed in the record would be minutely different and perhaps these grooves will form a language or text of a sort to be read in another way unknown to us. 

In no particular order of significance, the 10 Finalists: 

Dark Was the Night – Blind Willie Johnston 3:18  The blues are also a unique sound and the slow unwinding song and its title are well suited for an endless voyage into the dark void of space. There are no words to translate only emotions in the strumming guitar and humming and moaning Johnston that seems to represent the depths of human despair and the sorrows of centuries past and yet it has a soothing effect. It is from these roots of blues that rock and roll formed.

Navajo Indians, Night Chant, recorded by Willard Rhodes. 0:57  This music represents the continent of North America in its infancy prior to colonizations. The chant begins sounding almost birdlike and the chants rise and fall in tone. It is amazing that just voices and rattles can create such a musical sound. 

Mexico, “El Cascabel,” performed by Lorenzo Barcelata and the Mariachi México. 3:14  Chosen for its fast pace and energy combining music and voice. The culture and language form a unique and very distinctive sound earning a spot on the record. The stringed instrument(violins, guitars and guitarrons) sound amazing, making me want to see a performance. Further reading has confirmed this choice. 

Iziel je Delyo Hagdutin – Bulgaria 5:10  From Bulgaria and representing Eastern Europe.the tone of the opening measures  sends shivers down my spine. While bagpipes are a “hit or miss” sound these traditional Bulgarian pipes or Gaida are gentle as they mixing with the folksinger’s voice to create music that is hauntingly beautiful and unique.

Cranes in their nest-Japan(Shakuhachi) 7:58. Chosen for its meditative properties. The sounds of the flute are distinctive and singularly beautiful. There are no words or other background to clutter the sounds. The grooves of this song will be quite interesting to an alien life form, I believe.

Jaat Kahan Ho – India – Surshri  3:30 This “Hindustani Raga” was chosen because of its title and the artist singing it.  Jaat Kahan Ho Akeli Gori  translates to “Where are you going alone, fair maiden?” and seem to fit the unknown voyage of the craft. The artist, Surshri  with  “her rigorously trained sur and taal (tone and rhythm) . . .”  was celebrated in her time by Prime Minister Indira Ghandi and Kings of Japir (From Goa). 

Australia, Aborigine songs, “Morning Star” and “Devil Bird,” recorded by Sandra LeBrun Holmes. 1:26  Chosen for the unique sound of instrumentation and voice as well as the Yolngu people it represents. It is almost hard to tell if it is a human voice, a bird or instrument (didjeridu). The song that tells the story of the dead coming to the world of the Morning Star, a rebirth. This music has been described as the “mark of the resilience and adaptability of Aboriginal culture” (Gorman). 

Tchenhoukoumen, percussion Senegal   This is chosen for its lack of human voices; the rhythm speaks its own language.. It is light, lively and interesting. I have chosen it to replace a classical piece that I had first chosen as it has almost the same feeling. 

Tu u ite ana. Wasi Ka Nanara Pan Pipers  (Panflutes from Solomon Islands – Second Effort) 1:04   This song is chosen for its light, lively pipe music and beat. It conveys a sense of lightheartedness because not all earthlings are serious creatures. It also represents the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific. It is also a sharp contrast to the heavy Beethoveen’s 5th.

Beethoven, Fifth Symphony, First Movement, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer, conductor. 7:20   Chosen for its dramatic sounds and contrast to the percussion of Senegal. The powerful opening measures announce this piece as IMPORTANT. The softness of strings balanced by the mournfulness of the French Horns and the strength of the deeper tones. The music crescendos and decrescendos, rising and falling like waves in the ocean with sunlight dances over. Plant Earth.

Planet Earth: view from Apollo 10. NASA, 1969

References:  

5 Candidates for the First Rock ‘n’ Roll Song https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30288/5-candidates-first-rock-n-roll-song

From Goa To Outer Space – An Interstellar Raga From India. Jaat Kahan Ho Archives   

Gorman, A. Iana. The Toronto Public Library blog. Arts & Culture
The Bulgarian folk song „Излел е Дельо хайдутин” in Space (Voyager Golden Record) ://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/arts_culture/2011/04/bulgarian-folk-song-izlel-je-delyo-hagdutin-voyager-golden-record.html

Beyond the morning star: the real tale of the Voyagers’ Aboriginal music. The Conversation.  https://theconversation.com/beyond-the-morning-star-the-real-tale-of-the-voyagers-aboriginal-music-18288

NASA. Music from Earth. Voyageur. Jet Propulsion Lab  https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/music/

NASA. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/565/earth-the-blue-marble

Olivares, E. (Sept. 2017) The Cascabel: the Mexican song that we send to outer space. https://codigoespagueti.com/noticias/ciencia/el-cascabel-cancion-mexicana-enviamos-espacio-exterior/

Voyager Golden Record. Twenty Thousand Hertz. https://www.20k.org/episodes/voyagergoldenrecorhttps://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/

These are my trails. 

I found this task difficult to start because we had already created a visual and a text to go with the bag which left me wondering what next?  So, here I have tried to capture the essence and meaning of my bag – a sanity saver and a way to decompress and relax.  It may be hard for some to relate to but it is what I do; as my friend says “I don’t understand people who do not run.”

And this is my bag

I have chosen to use iMovie as I am not quite savvy in its use yet and wanted to play with it and learn more. Today I discovered how to control the volume and multilayer sounds.  This allowed me to create a chaotic, noisy setting from which to escape. Our school holds about 500 students in a building designed for 300, hence the portables.  A big thank you to my colleague and fellow port dweller, Justin Nillson for his brilliant quote. The smell of mildew is overpowering and we are often locked out by the custodial staff who forget we exist. And yet, we are remembered when there are a multitude of meetings. We are also undergoing a restructuring. I really love my job but this year more than ever, I have need to take to the trails for a quick escape. 

While this task is not strictly oral one could close their eyes and simply listen. In addition to the audio-visual, I have used sound effects, dialogue and music to create the effects ranging from chaos and noise to peace. There was, however, one wee blip of excitement in the calm trail when a bear was encountered. While the photo of bear tracks did not result in a bear encounter, the dialogue is based on a true story. I actually met a mother bear and twins on the trails. She treed them and turn toward my friend and I and the dialogue is basically what I said, “backup, backup, it’s okay bear, it’s okay.” No bear spray was deployed.  Usually a bear bell will warn animals and sightings are rare. My only wish is that I could have shared the scents, there is something unsettling about the smell of a bear or moose close by but the freshness of the forest is wonderful. And yes, that really is the sound of a LifeStraw slurping up water. Actual sounds and photos that I have taken myself were used in the making of the video.  I turned the cellphone on and drove down the highway (that is my car stereo in the background.  The crowd sounds were a sound clip however, due to COVID-19 restrictions on crowds. 

In addition to the modes already mentioned, spatial and architectural design of the space is evident in the video. From the majestic spires of rock gates and turns  to the signage of  reveals a unique voice of trail builders. “What the Huck” and Angry Beaver” are my favourites. Angry beaver really did bite my butt at least 4 times this past winter. 

“ . . . there is something irreducibly unique about every person’s voice” (76)

Trail builder’s seem to have a very unique and quirky sense of humour and a culture of their own (as do trail runners). Bike parts become part of the signage on Dragon Mountain and the names on the Wonderland network reflect the history of the area: Sluice Box for the mining equipment  and Mucho Oro after a mine in the nearby Barkerville area.  Others like “What the Huck” meander or like“Angry Beaver” are just tough. “Mosster” is a monster of a trail. 

These trails were designed by professional trail builders who are mountain bikers. Theirs is a unique culture that is carving out language in the curves of the trails, the signage and the stacked rocks that signify a gateway or sharp turn. Other trails in my area are old trails along ridges that First People, the Dakelh, used. One such trail,  “Hog’s back” had an excellent view of the river and of any advancing enemies or strangers; as well as food caches. 

According to the New London Group (1996) “The redesigned is founded on hIstorically and culturally received patterns of meaning . . . At the same time it is the unique product of human agency” (p. 76). These trails are just that. 

On multiliteracies and multimodal text in the classroom: I have considered text as being not just writing for sometime now. My students read text, view audio-visual as well as audio books and create using text, audio, audio-visual and mix- media. Some of the best projects I have seen have been created when freedom of choice in representation is given. 

Students who “do” and “create” or redesign rather than memorize and copy actually learn. “Designing transforms knowledge in producing new constructions and representation of reality” (The New London Group, 1996, p. 76). 

Bonus feature: More of the Dragon Mountain Trail – There is another photo of a deconstructed bike redesigned into a signpost that I wanted to share.

Thank you to my Friends Justin, Veronica & Michelle (& pups Russell & Baxter too) for appearing in video or photo images.

References:

Applegate, C. (2012). The One and Only Ivan.  Harper Collins. p.3

The New London Group.  (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures.   Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.