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Crowdsourcing Woes

 sos

I decided to post my example for my produsage assignment on Facebook. I made the post in my ELA Middle School Facebook Group. I posted it in several other spaces, but here it is in case you missed it. 


I wanted some feedback and to see if anyone had suggestions or thoughts. Now I know we know that crowdsourcing is hit or miss. There's always that person. But I was surprised by the really strong adverse reactions that a few people had it terms of this assignment. Their issue was that students would be teased or stereotyped based on their song choices. 


I have to be honest, I am a music chameleon. I like all kinds of music and I don't pay much attention to genre (my real spotify playlist is a hot mess of awesome.) Also, I am also a firm believer in providing a safe space in the classroom. We don't tease each other or make fun of one another for our choices. Now I wonder if I need to reevaluate. 

The suggestion was made to come up with an alternative assignment for those who did not feel comfortable with this one. Should I do that? My thinking is that every assignment has a student who would rather do something else. But, is this one that bad. Do I need an alternate?

I also had a few people ask about students who don't "listen" to music. Now I wouldn't consider myself an avid music listener. I hear songs in the car,  in the grocery store, and from the students who I work with. I don't actively seek out music, or attend concerts. Don't we all interact with music in some capacity? I thought maybe I could clarify by adding that the music could come from a variety of sources (video games, movies, television shows, relatives, etc.). Is this enough of a modification or should I add something more? So here I am crowdsourcing once more, but with a much more specific group of experts who I trust more than the blind Facebook masses. Please let me know your thoughts on these thoughts. 




 


 


Comments

  1. Divine Ms. D, i absolutely ADORE this assignment.... but also, I was a person that had severe music anxiety in elementary school (I was so anxious I would burst into tears and I had a written excuse from my parents...) I think an alternative assignment is a great idea, but this is a good opportunity to educate students on values of non-judgement, open-mindedness, and music appreciation (mindful listening)!!!!

    Your project is such a great idea, I'm re-evaluating my project, I want an extra boost!! Maybe we could DM and might you bounce some of your tiredteacher ideas onto me?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. TT, I can't wait to see what direction you went with your project, and I really appreciate you sharing the feedback you received on it.

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