For my Flickr slideshow, I decided to focus on Arlington National Cemetary. I have very special memories and a deep connection to Arlington. Although I don't know anyone who is buried there, I am a military wife, and I have been there five times. Each time, I am overwhelmed by a magical reverence that surrounds the entire grounds.

As I was selecting the pictures, I was purposeful in choosing ones without people's faces (very few are close enough to be seen). I made that decision because to me, Arlington is a place of individual majesty that is dedicated to those who are buried there. I am struck by the power of realizing the individual stories that each of those headstones represents. Every person buried there has an amazing story to tell--they are there because of their sacrifice. They may not have all died in battle or in a dramatic way, but they all gave something to this country. They have wives, husbands, children, parents, and friends.

I was also striving to find pictures from all the seasons. I have been to Arlington during all different times of the year--it is majestic anytime you go. I have a special affinity for springtime in Arlington because of a personal journey that found new understanding while I sat and reflected under a cherry blossom tree on one of the high hills at Arlington overlooking DC. There are up to twenty eight burials there each day--yes, up to 28 each day. I have been passed or witnessed 8 horse drawn caissons and cried when I saw each one even though I don't even know the names of those interred.

It is a place of dignity, majesty, and respect. The honor and pride I feel when I am there is captured in many of these photos--it makes me feel like part of the great story of our country to be among those fallen while also making me feel like one in a sea of many.




Below is my voice thread with pictures from my wedding. I shared a few stories about the day and how we got there. I enjoyed using the program and find it useful for hearing people. I am not sure how I could adapt this for deaf students since using any kind of video would mean layering or picture in picture--more complex than I know how to do. There are video comments, but since that can't really be layered, I think it is a little limiting for use with ASL.




I think both of these tools would be very strong story telling devices. I found myself very engrossed in how other people represented the words I typed into Flickr. I played around with different adjectives and was sucked into searching layer after layer of tags and photos. The quality of the pictures would also give students lots of creative ways to look at the stories in their lives. The ease of both Flickr and Voice Thread would be great tools for students to play with and use with brief tutorials. Photos can be so powerful, and with the ease of creating great slideshows with Flickr students could be challenged to tell a story without any words.

One project that would be interesting and challenging would be a 'year in pictures.' Students would need to reflect on their past year (or one year in their life). They would then need to find 12 pictures that convey the EMOTION or EXPERIENCE they had during that period of the year. They would first have to identify what they were looking for and then find images they see as portraying that feeling.

Fun assignments this week!