Running head: TRANSFORMATIVE WORKS PROJECT 1

Transformative Works Project

Analysis Paper

Robert A. Deason

The Florida State University

Author Note
Robert A. Deason is currently pursuing a M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction with an Emphasis in

English Education and a Graduate Certificate in Publishing & Editing at The Florida State

University. This assignment was completed on April 4th, 2017.

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Transformative Works Project

Analysis Paper

For this transformative project, students will be focusing on creative fiction, and this will

take place after students in a 9th grade English class have read J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit

(1937). Students will create a transformative work from a short list of choices after reading The

Hobbit, completing chapter review assessments, and participating in classroom discussions about

the novel before moving forward. This is to ensure all of the students understand Tolkiens work

before beginning their project. Assuming students have vigorously interacted with the text, this

assignment will give 9th grade students opportunities to recreate certain aspects of Tolkiens text

in their own way. In Listening to 21st Century Literacies: Prehistory of Writing in an Academic

Discipline (2014), George Boggs refers to Leo Vygotsky (1978, p. 117), and writes that writing

is learned optimally when it is necessary for something and relevant for life (p. 17). Thus,

the final step in this project will be for students to publish their transformative works onto a class

blogand thereby increase students motivation to write. Their works will also be printed and

taped onto the classroom wall after each work has been graded (if students dont want this, I

wont require it).

The intended learning goals for this assignment are as follows: Students will be able to

create a cohesive response that demonstrates their writing capabilities, show understanding of

Tolkiens work, and participate in collaborative group-work cooperatively; therefore, they should

also demonstrate efficient communication skills. Students will have three choices for their

transformative projects: They may rewrite the ending of The Hobbit, create a missing scene

from the novel, or rewrite a scene from a different characters point of view (Gandalf, Thorin,

Smaug, Gollum, etc.). Students will work in pairs, and both students are expected to choose one
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option within the first ten minutes of the first session. They will be completing their projects in

reserved computer labs over two class periods. Their projects should be at least two pages long,

double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12-point font. Once the projects have been graded and

returned to each group, I will give pairs the opportunity to add graphics, use creative fonts, etc.

before publishing their work online. There will be a classroom set of The Hobbit available in the

computer lab if students need to retrieve information while writing. I will also provide students

with scratch paper if they prefer to write by hand before typing a final draftstudents will be

encouraged to include images from actors in the film adaptations, such as Sir Ian McKellen,

Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom, and Elijah Wood.

All of the information above is based off the assumption that students have read the text,

completed thorough reviews, participated in classroom discussions, and watched Peter Jacksons

film adaptationwhich includes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Hobbit: The

Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). Based on

three articles from School Library Journal (2013), its easy to see where this transformative

project is appropriate for 9th grade ELA students. Though the assignment isnt focused on

fanfiction, creative fiction still gives students an opportunity to create samples that branch off

from traditional academic writing, provides them with multiple choices, and it bridges the gap

between in-school and out-of-school literacies (Berkowitz, 2013). In Berkowitzs articles,

however, he lists three warnings about the incorporation of transformative works in classrooms.

These include institutional constraints, unintentional alienation of students whove read Tolkien

outside of class, or turning fun into work, and the possibility of cyber-bulling occurring

(Fanfiction: What Educators Really Need to Know, 2013). This transformative project will

overcome these challenges by facilitating effective classroom management practices as well as

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communicating with the administration. Institutional constraints are preventable during this

assignment: By checking with the administration and IT personnel beforehand, an instructor

may avoid students being blocked from search engines, thereby making it easier for them to

Google images, research information, and publish their projects online in a timely manner.

Students who are big fans of Tolkien may feel alienated when theyre being forced to complete

this project. The number of choices, as well as the emphasis on collaboration, may prevent this

issue since these students can demonstrate their understanding however they choose. I think its

important to avoid limiting these studentsas their passion for Tolkien (or other fantasy authors)

shouldnt go unnoticed. Lastly, cyber-bulling is a huge concern after students have published

their work on the classroom blog. However, facilitation of consistent classroom management

will prevent such an issue. In other words, students who post offensive comments on other

classmates work will receive consequences, including an office referral, a zero on the

assignment, and their parent/guardian will be contacted via telephone.

According to Alvermann & Hong Xu (2003), Because popular culture texts are part of

students' everyday literacies, they hold powerful and personal meanings for students (p. 150).

Giving students the opportunity to transform, from a list of choices, alongside J.R.R. Tolkiens

The Hobbit is a challenging, but promising and culturally-responsive way to incorporate popular

culture into ELA classrooms. I became a fan of Tolkiens writing as a teenager, and his novels

significantly impacted my imagination in middle school. Because his writing style is so

imaginative, I believe its easy for students to create transformations based on the settings,

characters, and plots in his stories. I am convinced this project allows for increased engagement,

student learning, and relevant writing practice (publication to classroom webpage) inside ELA

classrooms.
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References
Alvermann, D. E., Xu, S. H., & Carpenter, M. (2003). Children's everyday literacies:

Intersections of popular culture and language arts instruction. Language Arts, 81(2), 145.

Berkowitz, D. E. (2013, July 17). Fanfiction: What educators really need to know. Retrieved

April 04, 2017, from http://blogs.slj.com/connect-the-p op/2013/07/english/fanfiction-

what-educators-really-need-to-know/

Boggs, G. L. (2015). Listening to 21st century literacies: Prehistory of writing in an academic

discipline. Linguistics and Education, 29, 15-31.

Jackson, P. (Director). (2012). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [Motion picture on DVD].

New Zealand and United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.

Jackson, P. (Director). (2013). The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug [Motion picture on DVD].

New Zealand and United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.

Jackson, P. (Director). (2014). The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies [Motion picture on

DVD]. New Zealand and United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1997). The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. 1937.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). In M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman (Eds.), Mind in

society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press (Original manuscripts [ca. 19301934]).

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Reflection for Portfolio 04-17-2017

1.) What is the artifact within the larger context of the course/experience?

In contrast to my previous outside artifact, this selection is a more focused assignment that
covers creative fiction, secondary pedagogy, and overallthe integration of popular culture
into the ELA classroom. Within the larger context of this course, the Transformative
Works Project shows that composition sometimes interacts with a variety of modalities.
In this case, I was required to integrate multiple sources into my responsewhich argued
that J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit may be used to facilitate creative fiction writing in a
secondary setting. I also included sections where students use technology to complete their
assignments. In the end, students publish their writing samples on a classroom blog
(similar to what we do as a class on Mondays). According to Carolyn Miller and Dawn
Shepard (2004) in their piece Blogging as Social Action: A Genre Analysis of the
Weblog, a blog makes real the reflexive effort to establish the self against the forces of
fragmentation, through expression and connection, through disclosure (1469). I believe
this new genre, as Miller and Shepard note, is a worthy platform to share their creative
fiction pieces with classmates. If proper classroom management is facilitated, the platform
has the potential to be inclusive, critical, and enjoyable for students who love or even hate
writing.

2.) So what, or why was this a meaningful learning experience?

This was a meaningful learning experience because I was required to develop an

understanding of transformative works, their relevance to pop culture, and their
applicability to student engagement and learning. Students also need to interact with 21st
century technologies as much as possible, and this assignment gives them that opportunity
through blogging and collaboration. Also, this experience was especially meaningful
because it does provide a bridge between in-school and out-of-school literacies. I consider
blogging to be an example of out-of-school literacy (in most cases) because its such a
common form of expression in todays society. Lastly, the inclusion of graphics and online
images make this experience even more meaningful: This is just another type of literacy,
and students are asked to include these in their final blog postings.

3.) Now what, or what do I need to know or do for the learning that lies ahead?

As we approach the end of the semester, its important to reflect on whats important in
composition studies. This semester, weve discussed the importance of genre, which
according to Amy Devitt in Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old
Concept (1993), must be shifted from a formal classification system to a rhetorical and
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essentially semiotic social construct (573). As a newer genre, blogging seems to have
similar qualities as a resource that was developed by peopleby individuals who had the
desire to express themselves in unique ways. In the future, I need to continue researching
the benefits of blogging, using 21st century technologies, and identifying ways
multimodality can be utilized to improve students writing across the board.