Griffin and the Explorer

Having watched Griffin's mock-interview with the legendary explorer, Christopher Columbus, I am very impressed by the wealth of information he delivered in a very digestible and entertaining package. I would like to know more about the assignment Griffin responded to, because the format he chose involved a great deal of planning and access to media equipment, and I assume that not all students in the class submitted these videos.

Initially, I found myself giggling at "Christopher's" Italian accent, but as the interview continued, I was caught up in the wealth of information that Griffin had assembled and restructured to give breadth and scope to the assignment. He utilized many sources outside a text book, referencing studies and mock-trials from the University of Minnesota, and referred to different authors' work as he proposed questions to Columbus. 

 Griffin clearly thought a lot about the types of questions he needed to ask Columbus to elicit the responses that would provide both factual information (birth date, voyage information), and some opinions (crafted, I assume, from Griffin's knowledge of explorers and the outcomes of the expeditions). Columbus even references "faulty" historical accounts of his motivations: "Some people say I sailed to the Indies to prove the world was round, but my 1492, most people already knew that."

Griffin critically analyzes the impact of Columbus' discovery of the New World on the Native population, and Columbus stands by his innocence and intentions, "Why would I kill people who helped me find gold?"  Griffin has clearly read and interpreted information about the negative consequences of Spanish exploration, and found a way to create dramatic tension in his interview by writing an interrogative-style questioning into his script. "I'll ask you once final time: did you or did you not kill the natives?"

 With the plethora of one-dimensional accounts of Columbus' heroism available to children, I was surprised that Griffin could critically engage and weigh the points of view of different sources. The writing of his script employed a great deal of planning, language arts savvy, and the interweaving of a lot of information. Griffin was aware of his audience and used editing to move quickly from one point to the next, although Columbus' journal reading was less engaging than the dialogue between Columbus and Griffin. I also found it very interesting that Griffin's Columbus was able to look back retrospectively on the events of his life, and to demonstrate sadness and remourse over his final days. 

If Griffin were a student in my class, I would absolutely take the time to celebrate his fine work with video editing  and would hope to share the film to the school community. Depending on the needs and requirements of the initial assignment, I would assess Griffin on a few different criteria including: accuracy of information, writing (I would want copies of his script), bibliographic references, clear communicatio of ideas, and perhaps something related to the personalization and synthesis of information. While it would be unfair to give Griffin "extra credit" for the effort he clearly put into this production, I would absolutely commend his efforts and include a link to his video in our class blog. 

The initiative Griffin took in approaching the assignment demonstrates to me that Griffin is aware of the ways that he learns best. He was able to take factual information and make it his own, though the formatting, writing, and production of this piece. He clearly has some interest in film or journalism, and exploring these inclinations within the context of a classroom assignment will help him as he develops those talents and finds ways to advance skills in writing, reading, social science thinking, and technology. Simply creating a product as polished and professional as the one Griffin did allows him to reflect positively on his learning, and gives him the confidence that he can own his learning in a very unique way.

 While I would likely not require that all students create similar video products for future assignments (due to unequal access to equipment and unnecessary performance anxiety), allowing students like Griffin to personalize assignments and take ownership of their work creates an atmosphere of acceptance and celebration of our diverse styles of learning and sharing.