Course: English 1101 Instructor: Anthony Borrero Email: Aborrero@uncc.

edu

Project #1: Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative Part 4: Genretized Narrative Reconstruction I. Introduction: Throughout the Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative project, you have explored your beliefs and experiences with reading, writing, and communication in a variety of ways. Beginning with the Literacy Experience Account, you were able to collect your initial thoughts and experiences with literacy. After collecting your initial thoughts in your account, you then expanded the scope of your narrative in the Cultural Domain Analysis, and documented the experiences you have had with literacy in multiple social settings. Finally, the third part of the project, the Literacy Sponsor Analysis, allowed you to explore some of the sponsors that have impacted your values and beliefs of literacy. For the final phase of the MMLN project, you will not only reexamine your literacy history through considering the new discoveries you have made, but will reconstruct your literacy experience narrative in a genre that you feel can articulate your narrative in the most thoughtful, accurate, and effective manner. II. Assignment Description: For the fourth and final part of the Multi-Modal Literacy Narrative Project, you will complete two tasks: First, you will compose (or if you prefer, recompose) your literacy experience narrative using ANY genre of your choice. Second, you will compose a detailed defense in which you discuss, among other things, what you wanted to convey in your literacy narrative and why you chose the genre that you used. Part 1: Genretized Literacy Narrative With respect to the first part of this project, the Genretized Literacy Narrative, know this: 1. When I say you can use any genre, I mean ANY genre: This means literary genres (such as an essay, poem, song, etc.), visual genres (like photos, paintings, film, etc.), as well as mixed-media (such a WebPages, sculptures, hyper-linked narratives, etc.) are all fair game. 2. Your genre should pose a logical and explicit connection to your literacy history: This means that your audience should not only be able to understand how your reading, writing, and communication skills have developed over time, but also why the genre you used was a logical choice for conveying your development and history. Consider what experiences you have had with this genre, how it influenced your development, how it will allow you to tell your narrative, and why it can tell your story better than other genres can. In short, you must be able to show the connection between your literacy narrative and the genre you chose. 3. Your genre should account for and represent multiple dimensions of your literacy history: This means that you should not only consider the progressive development of your literacy as it has occurred over an extended period of time, but also narrative aspects such as master and little narratives, the various social domains where you developed your literacy skills (i.e. home, school, work, community/neighborhood/peers), as well as the various textual objects and artifacts that played a vital role in your literacy development.

4. There is NO required page count for your literacy narrative: Since each genre will place different demands on each writer, there is NO required page count for your literacy narrative. 5. In all cases, absolutely NO GLITTER is allowed! Part 2: Genre Defense Essay In addition to the Genretized Literacy Narrative you create, you must also submit a genre defense essay. Within the defense essay you will be required to address the following points: 1. Explain what you wanted to convey in your literacy narrative: Since each genre can articulate the development of your reading, writing, and communication skills in a unique, and at times, abstract way, you should not only be explicit when explaining what your narrative is trying to convey, but also how we can read this narrative in your piece (i.e. point us to specific aspects of your piece that convey events or ideas from your narrative). 2. Explain what genre you chose, why you chose it, and demonstrate how the genre connects with the content of your literacy narrative: Aside from simply stating what genre you chose to articulate your narrative through, you should also make an explicit connection between the content of your narrative and how you chose to present that content to your audience. To do this, you not only need to address how the individual conventions of the genre enhance our understanding of your literacy history, but also how the genre itself can speak towards your literacy practices or development. In addition to the points mentioned above, a strong defense should also address the purpose of using this genre, the design and structure of your narrative as expressed in your genre, the quantity and quality of information being conveyed through your genre, the tone of your narrative, and the central focus points created by your genre. 3. Consider strengths and limitations of your genre: Since each genre employs different conventions, each genre will provide different advantages and disadvantages. Within your defense, consider how the conventions of your genre create different points of emphasis, as well as what your genre excludes or prevents you from conveying (For example, does your genre include images and exclude text? What about genes that have a limited word count like Tweets, or genres that have limited perspectives?). In addition to this, consider what aspects of your narrative you wanted to include but that your genre did not allow. In short, you genre defense should not only explain what you chose to include (or exclude) from your narrative and why, but also what genre you chose, what experiences you have had with this genre, how it influenced your development, and how the narrative is reinforced by the conventions of the genre. While the literacy narrative you create does not have a page count, the genre defense essay should be no less than 4 pages typed in standard MLA format (i.e. 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1 margins, double-spaced lines).

III.

Ideas & Examples: Below you will find a list of ideas for genres that you can use to convey your literacy narrative. While this list is meant to help you generate ideas, you are in no way limited to what is included in the list. Remember: a big part of this project is learning to take risks with your writing. Dont be afraid to think outside the box! Creative Non-Fiction: Narrate your literacy history through multiple objects Film: Create a video essay, extended movie trailer, or mock television show Music: Create a song or music video (both using ORIGINAL lyrics) Mass Media: Create a newspaper article, magazine article, or news report Literature: Create a mock novel, short story, or 1st person autobiography Epistolary & Journal: Create a series of letter or diary entries Graphic Narrative: Create a comic book or graphic novel Visual Arts: Create a painting, sculpture, or abstract art piece Performance Art: Create and perform a play, theatrical, or musical performance Digital Medium: Create a webpage, twitter feed, or text message narrative. Technical Writing: Create an instruction manual Non-Literary Texts: Create a menu, passport, or scrapbook Academic Writing: Create a traditional essay

Due Date: If your class is on Monday/Wednesday: Monday, October 1st 2012 (10/01/12) If your class is on Tuesday/Thursday: Tuesday, October 2nd 2012 (10/02/12)