Student's Digital Stories "On Becoming an Ichthyologist". by Don Orth

In teaching Ichthyology, I ask my students to tell their story using digital video techniques.   This started four years ago and you can read about it at Inside the Head of a Fish Head.    Asking students to tell their story tells them I care about them, their hopes, dreams, and struggles.  One of my students  once wrote: “Imagine a world where everyone treated those around them - and all around the world for that matter - equally and with respect rather than being judgmental.“ I can’t afford to kill this dream. 

“dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.”  James Dean

 We can all learn to communicate our message with storytelling.  I share these stories from 2019 with permission of the students.  It's important that we learn to tell stories and not wait until the story is completed.  As I profess to my students, "Life is a Comprehensive Exam" and we have to learn as we go.   From Peter Brown, I've learned to create desirable difficulties in and out of the classroom.   The digital storytelling is the student's creation that reflects their lessons learned. 

Students in Ichthyology pose with the Mahi Mahi Coryphaena hippurus specimen.

Brittany Bailey was raised fishing but it was always a hobby until she took Ichthyology.

A desirable difficulty is a bucket filled with unknown minnow species. 

 Andrew Bartee tells about his encounter with a fisherman in a village near a coral reef in Belize. 

Andrew Bartee is excited over the small Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum specimen. 

Aaron Betancourt tells about his early love of fish and the fading of a passion as engineering and robotics took up his available time. 

Jack Boyer has been surrounded by water throughout his life.   His fascination with fishing with his father developed a passion.  Today is explores new types of fishing and fish he learned in Ichthyology.

This male Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum shows turbercles, which are secondary sexual characteristics.

Richie Garay asked his Dad "take me fishing."  Now Richie wants to go fishing -- all the time.   

Male Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus guards gravel nest mound.  Photo by Frimpong lab.

Emma Hultin  grew up in Virginia Beach dreaming of becoming a marine biologist.  After doing her undergraduate research on the Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus and taking Ichthyology, she is on her way to graduate school to study freshwater fishes.

Hanna Moreland learned much from Ichthyology, beyond how to electrofish and seine.  She knows the small details needed to tell the difference between a Notropis telescopis and a Notropis hudsonius.  Her curiosity is stronger than ever.

Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum captured Toms Creek, May 1, 2019.

Ben Olenick learns a trick about how to outsmart the fish.  "Is this even possible?"   First fish of the day and a guide's knowledge inspires Ben to learn more about the Florida Pompano.   Seven years later he enrolled in Ichthyology at Virginia Tech. 

Christian Park tells of his first encounter with a fish  -- "the moment prompted my love for fish, fishing, and the outdoors." His first research experience was with the Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy in Clearwater, Florida.  

 Clare Posey    was an Ocean and Surf Rescue Lifeguard for the resort areas of Virginia Beach when she learns of beach closures due to unhealthy bacteria levels. She reflects on the health of seafood imported from other countries.    

Ichthyology students doing the class shuffle on their way to downstream seine.

Jordan Wheatley is a first-generation student who began her time at Virginia Tech as undecided student.   What to study?  Interior Design or Marine Fish Conservation?   Reflections on exploring shorelines, creeks, boating, softball, and other outdoor activities led Marine Fish Conservation to choose her. 

Madeline, Jordan, and Christian view the unknown specimens in aerated aquarium. 

Pat Wicklein has a new appreciation for fish, beyond their value as game fish. He even appreciates small details of fish such as the number of anal fin rays and tail shape that I had previously overlooked before taking Ichthyology.

Joe Wood reflects on his passion for fishing and opportunities it contributed to his life.  "Fishing is a sport of patience.  It cannot be taught, only learned."

Madeline Wood  transitioned from Animal and Poultry Science and eventual Vet School to Marine Fish Conservation. 

Thanks to students who permitted me to share the stories, hopes, and aspirations publicly. Narratives increase recall, comprehension and interest. It is through storytelling that we make and store meaning. There are more digital stories that are publicly available.  Just go to YouTube. Search for "Becoming an Ichthyologist."  Among the seven aspirations for student learning at Virginia Tech, is Pursue Self-Understanding and Personal Integrity.    You are important and you matter!  Your voice matters! Your feelings matter! Your life matters! Your story matters!

“really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great.”  Mark Twain

Will Social Media Empower Fisheries Students Via Learning Networks? By Don Orth

I raised this question in a recent article in Fisheries. I contend that social media can be used effectively to encourage student development and facilitate the utility of personal learning networks.  Students and others must join in and create the new networks to meet their needs.  I suggested that five pedagogies will benefit students greatly if they and their instructors choose to use them.  These are public writing, Twitter and infographics, digital storytelling, online communities, and electronic portfolios.   Educators must assist students in this quest for change.    Refer to the article for a complete discourse with scholarly references. {email me at Don_Orth@vt.edu, if you have access issues.}  

The key element for this to work is development of digital learning networks (aka communities of practice).  Online networks facilitate a “just-in-time” connection with experts. One recent example on Facebook (TM) comes from the All Fish Species Identification group.  With over 2,000 members who are respected fish experts or specialists with identification of many fish families, this is the “go to” group when you have a difficult fish to identify.  Photographer Irvin Calicut recently posted a photo of a heron with a fish and asked "What fish is this?"   Within two days the fish was identified by member, Grégoire Germeau -- the Grunting Toadfish Allenbatrachus grunniens.    This is only one of many online communities that are being formed every day.  

Heron with unidentified fish. Photo by Irvin Calicut

Students in Ichthyology class are archiving photos and drawings from their notebooks to the Ichthyology Class at VT site on Flickr.   As we transition into new fish groups, students follow others on Flickr and invite them to add photos to our photo pool.  Witness the addition of a Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus chrysurus by a professional photographer.   The work of experts and novices come together on one network. 

Student work gets better over time and there is a record of their early efforts as well as improved sketches, annotations, and photos as the term progress.  Social media does not have to make students stupid. Social media is a venue for sharing results of deeper learning activities or exposing shallow learning.  As John Dewey wrote many years ago, “Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life but is life itself.”  

Photos posted in Ichthyology Class atVT Flickr site.  A. closeup of Northern Hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans; B. Breeding tubercles of Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus; C. Cartilaginous ridge of Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum. Photos by D.J. Orth.

Learning can be fun.  I know students find it hilarious to watch me struggle to sketch a fish on the whiteboard.  Even funnier to listen to me translate some lessons as musical parodies, such as Learn Your Fishes Well  and others. Writer Anne Lamott wrote “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. ... and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.”  Students realize that the first “shitty” draft is expected.  However, if final essays are posted online on the Virginia Tech Ichthyology blog, then the students have a broader public audience for their writings and incentives to revise.  Students also reflect on their struggles during Ichthyology class and create digital stories.  These digital stories evolved out of practical processes for resolving issues, educating ourselves, and pursuing our goals, while combining traditional and emerging literacies.  A quick search of “On Becoming An Ichthyologist” on YouTube returns some online stories; here’s one.  Many traditional class assignments can be readily updated to use online tools, such as meme generators, infographics, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.  Memes are internal representations of knowledge that are culturally inherited through sharing and “fish memes” are a favorite assignment.
 

Example fish meme assists the student in remember new family name

We have a key role to play in training fisheries students in the communications of fisheries issues for multiple, diverse audiences in open-access media.  Our youngest college students are entirely different than 20th century students.  In fact a 10-year old, Henry Foster, wrote to Arkansas leaders with suggestions for the state fish of Arkansas, which led to #GARkansas on Twitter, and an online petition to make the Alligator Gar the official state fish of Arkansas.  

In summary, the answer to the question is "YES" -- Social media will empower students.  However, we all have be engaged to create authentic online learning networks.  To join the network, visit us at Virginia Tech Ichthyology.  

Reference

Orth, D.J.  2018.  Social media may empower fisheries students via learning networks.  Fisheries  DOI: 10.1002/fsh.10034