new directions
Having just finished DesigningFYC.com in time for my defense, I can only speculate what the next iteration might hold. In my post about Prototyping, I used a little anecdote about dinner leftovers. My intention was to analogize making a new dish out of leftovers to mining the writing I had already done to forward the design of the landing page of the site. Essentially, I was saying that I had to use my own work as a valuable resource. Instead of starting from scratch, it was smarter to REframe my approach to the project and use what I had already begun (also see Project 4).
Like the Thanksgiving turkey, all broken into bits and coagulating in a Ziplock, it had a greater purpose: to make a fantastic sandwich.
In each of the boxes below, I have identified features that I considered during my process developing the site. For a host of reasons (time constraints, technological skill, or being outside the scope of the current project), I did not pursue the ideas at that time. When I return to my work on the website, I plan to incorporate the following features. DesigningFYC.com will remain BOTH a resource and source of inspiration for instructors interested in implementing multimodal pedagogy in their FYC classrooms, but I hope to expand it.
open access membership
In the last iteration of the site, I wanted to lose the structure of an implementation guide and instead assume something more like a “choose your own adventure” book. To generate a sense of community among educators interested in this kind of work, I will set up an open access membership feature for K-12 teachers, post-secondary instructors, graduate students, and others can contribute to the site by uploading their own materials and reflections.
a digital library
Although I have included many pedagogical materials (lesson plans, lesson excerpts, Design Journals, Project Builders, & Project Descriptions), I would like to compile a comprehensive feature that shares my full set of documents and files, and those of other instructors, so that they may be downloaded and edited for use.
image gallery
The site includes many screenshots and images of student work samples. Some have links to larger versions where details and text are easier to read, while others remain a thumbnail. The next iteration of DesigningFYC.com will include a main menu item to navigate to a virtual collection of every student sample for full-scale view.
a playlist
Music was a huge part of my process. I listened to a few playlists that I had created over the last couple years while I worked each day. Whether I was in my home office, at the local coffee shop, or at my patio table, I always wore my headphones. Not only would sharing my playlists on the site provide a sense for me as a person, but also my state of mind as I writer. Most importantly, the playlist would build connections with audiences using the site.
greater visibility
On the backend, the site needs to be accessible by setting up content keyword phrases for online search engines. This will generate more traffic to the site. I also plan to share the site with the Wayne State University community, graduate students at other institutions and local K-12 educators through university channels (email and global network).
documentary
Although the case studies have temporarily served a purpose, there is a more impactful story to be told. I will use an application or software to create documentary-style short films about the students featured in the case studies. Working from the research interviews, lesson excerpts, and case analyses, I plan to create engaging narratives of the student experience in a DFA to FYC.