Week Nine Blog - Materials, Virtual Worlds and Making

 Materials, Virtual Worlds and Making

(Image of a character I created for this week)
(OpenAI, 2023)

Through interacting with this week's character activity, it was evident just how many different ways the internet can be used to make characters. For my specific character, I used ChatGPT. I made this decision based on my interest in this app. Based on this result, it would be simple to create settings and stories, using many applications or internet resources. However, when using these kinds of opportunities, children need to understand the importance of creating their own work and ideas and that this is not a solution for all tasks, but rather a support for ideas, examples and learning opportunities. Abrams (2017) demonstrates a crucial way that digital materials can be used to build children's literary skills through emotions. Anita demonstrates a stronger understanding of explaining her emotions when doing it through the Minecraft character and while engaging in something of interest to her (Abrams, 2017). It is through the open-endedness of the Minecraft app that all creations can create emotions, connections and stories that children understand and through this are learning about everyday life challenges, rules, and emotions (Abrams, 2017). Therefore, exploring language, emotions, and how to use new literary opportunities can be useful teaching strategies and resources through exploring and questioning students such as demonstrated in the article (Abrams, 2017). Because of these possibilities, apps that have been specifically investigated can be useful resources in the classroom and can help children learn about technology, emotions, friendships and critical language development. But it should be equally considered with other activities (Abrams, 2017). 

It has been brought to my attention of the need to continually offer children resources that allow for hands-on, creative, and literacy-based learning opportunities, such as makerspaces and making (Brownell, 2020). While technology is important, children should be given areas to develop tasks using physical objects that are available to them and are also low-cost to schools/classroom teachers (Brownell, 2020). This can enable creativity and develop other skills (fine/gross motor, mathematical and science understanding, etc) (Brownell, 2020). 



Reference List:

Brownell, C. (2020). Makerspaces for literacy: making do with what's on hand: repurposing space and materials for a low-cost makerspace. Practical literacy: the early and primary years, 25(3), 12-13. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.427067719864396

Abrams, S. (2017). Emotionally crafted experiences: layering literacies in minecraft. The reading teacher, 70(4), 501-506. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1515

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Aug 7 version) Character with blonde hair, hazel eyes, wearing a pink long dress and white shoes. https://chatgpt.com/

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