Maggie Stough’s Highlight Reel from Noir106
There were many, many amazing things about this semester’s noir-themed version of ds106. And I want to try and capture some of them before they slip into oblivion over the next couple of weeks. I’ll start with one of the more radical moves we’ve taken with this class in a long while: including UMW student Maggie Stough, who took the course in the fall, to help design the spring edition. Maggie was part of the planning process from the very beginning, and helped us broaden the original vision of the class from Tech Noir to the Noir genre more broadly—which worked brilliantly and allowed for far more play.
On top of helping us build the syllabus and frame the narrative arc of the course, she created a transmedia narrative which really took off during the last five weeks of the semester. It propelled the course into brave new territory that we really haven’t explored yet. Students creating characters, building out detective agencies, and articulating complex stories around a series of cases we provided. It was truly a remarkable framework for designing engaged, interactive, and student-driven curriculum. Her work was nothing short of genius, and she documented the whole process on her Noir106 Archive site.
So let this post be a testament to the awesome work Maggie contributed to noir106 as both a student and an instructor, as well as a place holder to note we have only yet begun to imagine the full implications of what Maggie has helped us build in noir106 for the comingiterations of the multi-headed hydra of a creative course!
It was a great ride. Thanks to you, Paul, and Maggie for letting me hitch along at the last minute!
Maggie’s video is awesome, and having her as partner in these shenanigans was great fun!!
From the sidelines- this iteration was epic.
Maggie did wonders and added much – it was evident. She also had mentors who realized her talent and gave her the opportunity and freedom to try out her stuff and accepted her as a full partner.
The syncing of the lead team of @mburtis, @jimgroom, @phb256, plus Maggie made the experience diverse and open to all. At anytime throughout the semester someone could align with one of the leads and feel a part of the community and at anytime know they could “cross over” and find all was well and support or a kick in the pants if needed.
It was hypnotic and surreal to watch the characters come to life and then the agencies form and take on cases. At times hard to follow – but then there would be a cosmic creation from a group that would pull a thread to close the gap and I would be like “really? – OMG! – How? What? How do they think of these things? Perfect!”
Watching and seeing the growth and the next level risks of creation by UMW students was goose bump time. My wish for all is that they continue to apply the skills and the structure they have established in their future work no matter what it is. Those who applied and jumped in have learned deep! And that’s what the world needs them to apply. Many also will not know what this experience actually did do to them for some time to come – but they will. :-). The high flyers figured it out already and now it is for them to add to their tool belt and life journal as to how it may support or change their future look at things in their new paths.
Truly a summer camp experience for me that I will remember well and fondly for a long time. Kudos to all! Thanks for letting me ride along.
Thanks for letting me join in and being willing to do the transmedia narrative to the extent that we did. I am so proud of all that has been created and accomplished in the realm of Noir106. I will always be #4life!