This document discusses a course on vampires taught at Gallaudet University. The course examines vampires in literature, film, and pop culture from various historical and critical perspectives. Students engage with texts like Dracula and Nosferatu, analyze films like Deafula, and discuss representations of vampires in popular culture. Students also write scripts and create short films on vampire themes. The goal is for students to develop visual literacy and critical thinking skills through interactive study of vampires across media.
A Study in Sherlock: Bridging the Digital Wilds & the Language ClassroomShannon Sauro
This reflective practice presentation builds on prior work that has looked at the use of fandom tasks (Sauro, 2014) for language learning. Such tasks include those that focus on fanfiction, defined by Jamison (2013) as "writing that continues, interrupts, reimagines, or just riffs on stories and characters other people have already written about" (p. 17). Initial investigation of fanfiction in the advanced English classroom has shown that collaborative fanfiction tasks that makes use of blog-based role-play to tell a missing moment from a story can be useful in bridging both language and literary learning (Sauro & Sundmark, in press 2016). However, although such tasks borrow from digital and linguistic practices found in online fan communities, the resulting stories do not fully reflect the linguistic or literary norms of the fanfiction in the digital wilds. This was a concern for language learners whose interest in publishing their online fanfiction was to communicate with online fans and fan communities.
The means of addressing this may lie in better integrating fan practices and fan voices in the tasks themselves and in actual classroom practice. This presentation, therefore, explores the revision and implementation of collaborative fanfiction tasks and instructions that do just that.
Building on previous blog-based fanfiction projects, the current project, A Study in Sherlock, was carried out as part of a course for students in the teacher education program at a Swedish university who were specializing in teaching English at the secondary school level. Students self-organized into small groups of 4-6 to write and publish online a collaborative mystery inspired by a Sherlock Holmes story. As part of their preparation, students were guided in the reading of several Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but were also required to read Sherlock Holmes fanfiction that had been identified by online fans as representative of the tropes and specific fan genres found in this type of fan writing. In addition, online several fanfiction writers were contacted to share writing activities they used when helping other novice fanfiction writers and these were incorporated into class instruction. Once completed, these stories were shared with online Sherlock Holmes fan communities.
Analysis of the language, content, and formatting of the 16 completed online stories as well as the reaction of fans, in particular to the six stories that were published to online fanfiction archives, revealed advantages for integrating fan practices into task design and teaching to support greater mastery of fanfiction genres in a manner more likely to reach (fan) readers and thereby link the digital wilds with the language classroom.
Fan Fiction and Fan Practices: Integrating the Digital Wilds and the Language...Shannon Sauro
Online fan communities and fan sites are home to many different kinds of fandom tasks and projects, perhaps the best known of which is fan fiction These are stories that reinterpret and remix the events, characters and settings found in fiction and popular media. Other online fandom tasks include translation projects such as fan-subbing, amateur subtitling of movies and television series carried out online by teams of fans in different countries, and spoiling, in which fan networks track down and share information via social media for the purpose of speculating about a television show or movie’s plotline before it is released (Duffet, 2013).
Research in applied linguistics on fandom practices has explored how youth have used fan fiction, in particular, to foster identity and second language development in the digital wilds (see for example Leppänen, 2008 and Thorne & Black, 2011). However, less attention has been paid to the older language learners in online media fandoms who also represent a type of language learner engaged in autonomous and long-term extramural language learning (Sundqvist, 2009) in the digital wilds. Moving from the wilds to the classroom, more recent research has begun to explore the domestication of fan fiction tasks in formal classroom contexts (Sauro & Sundmark, in press 2016) and which also holds promise for the design of technology-mediated tasks to support the learning of both language and literature.
This talk, therefore, discusses findings from case-study research with older fans as well as classroom-based research to explore how these fandom tasks and fan practices are used to facilitate the development of linguistic, literary, and digital competences both in the wilds and in the classroom.
“I’m going to get online and I’m going to talk to people and learn English”: ...Shannon Sauro
This presentations reports on a case study of the informal L2 language and digital literacy development of an adult fan.
The focal participant for this case study, Steevee, is a female fan in her early 30s originally from a small city in eastern Germany who first entered online media fandom six years prior with the goal of developing her English in order to live and work in London. Data analyzed include semi-structured interviews, email correspondence, and analysis of Steevee’s fan-based social media accounts on Tumblr and Twitter.
Findings reveal how Steevee’s heavy involvement in the fan practice of spoiling, defined as the discovery and sharing of plot elements (Duffet, 2013), during filming of the television series Sherlock facilitated Steevee’s English and digital literacy development for the purpose of living an working in an English-speaking context. This study, therefore, documents the process through which an adult L2 English user makes use of popular culture, technology, and online media fandom to engage in informal language learning.
Fanfiction for Language & Literature TeachingShannon Sauro
Workshop held at the 2019 National Forum for English Studies at Malmö University, 10-12 April, 2019. This workshop introduces participants to the use of fanfiction for language and literature teaching. Participants engage in learning-through-doing modules developed by the FanTALES Erasmus+ project, including an overview of fan fiction and common genres and tropes, tools and in-class short-form fan fiction writing. This workshop was designed for training in-service and pre-service language teachers, particularly those working at the secondary and upper secondary level, but introduces materials and techniques that can be used for different student populations. No previous experience with fanfiction is necessary
Storytelling in the Foreign Language ClassroomShannon Sauro
Slides for the keynote talk on 26 November 2020 as part of the 3rd International Symposium on Research in Foreign Language Teaching, hosted by the Universidad Surcolombiana (Neiva, Huila) and the Universidad del Tolima (Ibague, Tolima).
A Study in Sherlock: Bridging the Digital Wilds & the Language ClassroomShannon Sauro
This reflective practice presentation builds on prior work that has looked at the use of fandom tasks (Sauro, 2014) for language learning. Such tasks include those that focus on fanfiction, defined by Jamison (2013) as "writing that continues, interrupts, reimagines, or just riffs on stories and characters other people have already written about" (p. 17). Initial investigation of fanfiction in the advanced English classroom has shown that collaborative fanfiction tasks that makes use of blog-based role-play to tell a missing moment from a story can be useful in bridging both language and literary learning (Sauro & Sundmark, in press 2016). However, although such tasks borrow from digital and linguistic practices found in online fan communities, the resulting stories do not fully reflect the linguistic or literary norms of the fanfiction in the digital wilds. This was a concern for language learners whose interest in publishing their online fanfiction was to communicate with online fans and fan communities.
The means of addressing this may lie in better integrating fan practices and fan voices in the tasks themselves and in actual classroom practice. This presentation, therefore, explores the revision and implementation of collaborative fanfiction tasks and instructions that do just that.
Building on previous blog-based fanfiction projects, the current project, A Study in Sherlock, was carried out as part of a course for students in the teacher education program at a Swedish university who were specializing in teaching English at the secondary school level. Students self-organized into small groups of 4-6 to write and publish online a collaborative mystery inspired by a Sherlock Holmes story. As part of their preparation, students were guided in the reading of several Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but were also required to read Sherlock Holmes fanfiction that had been identified by online fans as representative of the tropes and specific fan genres found in this type of fan writing. In addition, online several fanfiction writers were contacted to share writing activities they used when helping other novice fanfiction writers and these were incorporated into class instruction. Once completed, these stories were shared with online Sherlock Holmes fan communities.
Analysis of the language, content, and formatting of the 16 completed online stories as well as the reaction of fans, in particular to the six stories that were published to online fanfiction archives, revealed advantages for integrating fan practices into task design and teaching to support greater mastery of fanfiction genres in a manner more likely to reach (fan) readers and thereby link the digital wilds with the language classroom.
Fan Fiction and Fan Practices: Integrating the Digital Wilds and the Language...Shannon Sauro
Online fan communities and fan sites are home to many different kinds of fandom tasks and projects, perhaps the best known of which is fan fiction These are stories that reinterpret and remix the events, characters and settings found in fiction and popular media. Other online fandom tasks include translation projects such as fan-subbing, amateur subtitling of movies and television series carried out online by teams of fans in different countries, and spoiling, in which fan networks track down and share information via social media for the purpose of speculating about a television show or movie’s plotline before it is released (Duffet, 2013).
Research in applied linguistics on fandom practices has explored how youth have used fan fiction, in particular, to foster identity and second language development in the digital wilds (see for example Leppänen, 2008 and Thorne & Black, 2011). However, less attention has been paid to the older language learners in online media fandoms who also represent a type of language learner engaged in autonomous and long-term extramural language learning (Sundqvist, 2009) in the digital wilds. Moving from the wilds to the classroom, more recent research has begun to explore the domestication of fan fiction tasks in formal classroom contexts (Sauro & Sundmark, in press 2016) and which also holds promise for the design of technology-mediated tasks to support the learning of both language and literature.
This talk, therefore, discusses findings from case-study research with older fans as well as classroom-based research to explore how these fandom tasks and fan practices are used to facilitate the development of linguistic, literary, and digital competences both in the wilds and in the classroom.
“I’m going to get online and I’m going to talk to people and learn English”: ...Shannon Sauro
This presentations reports on a case study of the informal L2 language and digital literacy development of an adult fan.
The focal participant for this case study, Steevee, is a female fan in her early 30s originally from a small city in eastern Germany who first entered online media fandom six years prior with the goal of developing her English in order to live and work in London. Data analyzed include semi-structured interviews, email correspondence, and analysis of Steevee’s fan-based social media accounts on Tumblr and Twitter.
Findings reveal how Steevee’s heavy involvement in the fan practice of spoiling, defined as the discovery and sharing of plot elements (Duffet, 2013), during filming of the television series Sherlock facilitated Steevee’s English and digital literacy development for the purpose of living an working in an English-speaking context. This study, therefore, documents the process through which an adult L2 English user makes use of popular culture, technology, and online media fandom to engage in informal language learning.
Fanfiction for Language & Literature TeachingShannon Sauro
Workshop held at the 2019 National Forum for English Studies at Malmö University, 10-12 April, 2019. This workshop introduces participants to the use of fanfiction for language and literature teaching. Participants engage in learning-through-doing modules developed by the FanTALES Erasmus+ project, including an overview of fan fiction and common genres and tropes, tools and in-class short-form fan fiction writing. This workshop was designed for training in-service and pre-service language teachers, particularly those working at the secondary and upper secondary level, but introduces materials and techniques that can be used for different student populations. No previous experience with fanfiction is necessary
Storytelling in the Foreign Language ClassroomShannon Sauro
Slides for the keynote talk on 26 November 2020 as part of the 3rd International Symposium on Research in Foreign Language Teaching, hosted by the Universidad Surcolombiana (Neiva, Huila) and the Universidad del Tolima (Ibague, Tolima).
There and Back Again: Tales of Fanfiction from the English ClassroomShannon Sauro
This talk explores the use of fanfiction, writing that recycles and reimagines existing characters and storylines from books, movies and television, as a pedagogical tool in the English classroom to bridge both literary and language learning. It follows the implementation of The Blogging Hobbit, a task-based fanfiction project based on Tolkien’s The Hobbit, that was carried out as part of a course for students in a teacher education program at Malmö University and explores the outcomes and challenges that emerged.
The Quality of Writing in Blog-Based Fanfiction for Language LearningShannon Sauro
This presentation builds upon work in media and fandom studies to explore the use of fanfiction as a pedagogical tool in a technology-enhanced university foreign language class. It examines the linguistic complexity and sociolinguistic choices of advanced learners of English who engaged in blog-based collaborative fanfiction to write a missing moment from Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Presented as part of the Bedömning, Dokumentation och Kvalitetsarbete (BeDoK) series on 15 October 2014.
Pajka, Sharon, and Jane Nickerson. "Engaging Students with Videos in Integrated Learning Classes." The HUIC Arts and Humanities Conference. January 8, 2012. Ed. Derek Leong. Honolulu Hawaii: Hawaii University International Conferences, 2012. Print.
There and Back Again: Tales of Fanfiction from the English ClassroomShannon Sauro
This talk explores the use of fanfiction, writing that recycles and reimagines existing characters and storylines from books, movies and television, as a pedagogical tool in the English classroom to bridge both literary and language learning. It follows the implementation of The Blogging Hobbit, a task-based fanfiction project based on Tolkien’s The Hobbit, that was carried out as part of a course for students in a teacher education program at Malmö University and explores the outcomes and challenges that emerged.
The Quality of Writing in Blog-Based Fanfiction for Language LearningShannon Sauro
This presentation builds upon work in media and fandom studies to explore the use of fanfiction as a pedagogical tool in a technology-enhanced university foreign language class. It examines the linguistic complexity and sociolinguistic choices of advanced learners of English who engaged in blog-based collaborative fanfiction to write a missing moment from Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Presented as part of the Bedömning, Dokumentation och Kvalitetsarbete (BeDoK) series on 15 October 2014.
Pajka, Sharon, and Jane Nickerson. "Engaging Students with Videos in Integrated Learning Classes." The HUIC Arts and Humanities Conference. January 8, 2012. Ed. Derek Leong. Honolulu Hawaii: Hawaii University International Conferences, 2012. Print.
Getting It Down and Out: Strategies for Museum WritingWest Muse
Stressed about writing? Does the thought of having to produce text send you into a panic? Relax! Our panel of experts makes the process of getting it down and out much easier. Bring your most vexing writing problems to this session, and we will help you find solutions. Writing well is key to any successful career, but for the museum professional, communicating clearly is essential for fulfilling your institution’s mission of informing the public.
Moderator: Susan Spero, Professor of Museum Studies, John F. Kennedy University
Presenters:
Katherine Whitney, Principle, Katherine Whitney & Associates
Lauren Valone, Program Coordinator, Western Museums Association
Chris Keledjian, Exhibitions Editor, Getty Museum
View the corresponding notes to this presentation here: http://www.westmuse.org/getting-it-down-and-out-strategies-museum-writing
1. Vampires: Their Historical Significance in
Literature, Film, and Pop Culture
NAMLE 2011
Philadelphia, PA
11
Dr. Sharon Pajka
Dr. Jane Nickerson
2. Introduction
Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, and Whitt's (2006) "unshakeable focus
on student learning" encourages us to reflect on our
teaching strategies to ensure that we are experimenting
with engaging pedagogies and challenging students to
perform at high standards.
Gallaudet University
• the only Liberal Arts university in the world for Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing students
• Our integrated course which is part of the school’s Identity and Culture
Learning Outcome focuses on enabling students to understand
complex social identities, including the deaf identity in the 1975 film
Deafula, and the interrelations within and among diverse cultures and
groups.
It is never just about the vampire!
4. Vampires & Critical Pedagogy
Vampires & Critical Pedagogy
•Engages students in analyses of the unequal power
relations, and it aims to help students develop tools that will
enable them to challenge this inequality (McLaren 163)
•Classroom as a site for social change
5. Visual Literacy -
• We focus on visual literacy which helps
students interpret, negotiate, and make
meaning from information presented in
images.
6. Vampires- our focus
Vampirism in verbal and visual culture
Various historical periods and cultures
Vampire lore-->rich focus for textual analysis
Themes--death, disease, social class, & sexuality
Reading selections focus on vampires from a
variety of critical perspectives
contextualize the works in the cultures that produced
them, and understand their influence on society at large
7. “I never knew that throwing
seeds down would stop a
vampire in his tracks. Since
then, I have become obsessed
thinking that some cool creator
sitting in the Sesame Street
studio knew this and thought
to include a vampire who
counts and is obsessed with it.”
8. Vampires & Student Engagement
• Literature – Student lead discussions
– From Demons to Dracula
– “Carmilla” Sheridan Le Fanu
– “Dracula’s Guest,” Bram Stoker
– I am Legend, “Drink My Red Blood,” “No Such Thing as a Vampire,” and “The Funeral”
Richard Matheson
– “The Master of Rampling Gate,” Anne Rice
– 30 Days of Night (graphic novel)
9. Vampires in Films
• Film Studies
– Nosferatu, 1922
– Dracula, (Bela Lugosi), 1931
– Deafula, 1975
– Shadow of the Vampire, 2001
– 30 Days of Night, 2007
– I Am Legend, 2007
– Let the Right One In, 2008
– “Hush” Buffy The Vampire Slayer
10. Student comments about films -
• “The best movies are I Am Legend and
Nosferatu because they differed from
other movies we see today. I wonder if
what happened in I Am Legend could
happen today” (Sandra).
• “The idea of vampires or diseases taking
over the world gave us a whole new
outlook on 2012. It impacted me how
many people are serious about vampires
when they are fictional” (Richard).
11. Deafula - 1975
• Deafula is a film about Steve Adams who struggles with
his two identities: as a Deaf man and a vampire in
disguise. After 27 people in town have been killed, two
detectives focus on the murders and determine that Steve
Adams is the killer.
• All of the characters in the film are Deaf and use
American Sign Language (ASL).
12. Analyzing Deafula – student comment-
• “I personally noticed a pattern of mirrors
and reflections in the movie. There are
many shots of these so I can’t help but feel
it connects to Steve’s identity as a
vampire. My argument is that many
cultures have superstitions about mirrors,
but often one common theme among
mirrors is that they reflect our real souls,
which includes identities” (Lisa).
13. “My favorite films include Nosferatu, Dracula, and I am
Legend. Nosferatu and Dracula are classics and ever
since they were made, other horror films have used
some of their ideas. I am Legend took a novel written
in 1954 and updated it for today’s audiences. I loved
Will Smith’s character in the film as I could “feel” his
pain at times.”
“The thing that had the most impact
on me was Deafula. It is a cool
film that shows how Peter Wolf
envisioned a Deaf vampire.
Some of the ideas in that film
were clever.”
14. Writing scripts and creating short films
Students wrote
short scripts and
created
“Interviews with
a Vampire.”
17. Sandra uses her theatrical
background when she interviews
her vampire.
18. Sandra and her vampire are telling jokes in
their interview and at the end, the vampire
lunges at Sandra to make her another
victim.
19. Script writing and creating films
• Students in our classes were able to –
– Be Creative and Engaged
– Write their scripts in English and make them
visual using ASL.
20. Vampires in Pop Culture
• Students were asked to find examples of
vampires that show up in our popular
culture. The following slides show the
best examples students presented to our
class.
22. Vampire Themed Restaurants,
Andrea Amati
Vampire Café – Tokyo, Japan
• Waitresses - French maids, waiters –
gothic butlers
• A mix of Italian, French, Japanese
cuisines
• Blood is splattered all over floors
• Booths covered with red velvet drapes
http://mariannem.blogspot.com/2008/06/tokyo-night-two-vampire-cafe.html
23.
24. Bram Stoker Tavern – London,
England
• Toilets that are
reached through a
secret door in a fake
bookcase
• Dracula themed bar
http://members.tripod.com/horror_guide/resteurope.html
25. Successfully Achieving our
Course Goals
• In our course students who are engaged
learners –
– Use media and visual images when they ask
questions and explain ideas about vampires.
– Reflect on how various forms of media use
vampires.
– Critically think as they create short films using
vampire themes.
– Create presentations based on some of the
media messages they have seen.