Although I have mentioned some of the literacies that I engage in regularly, I will now explore some of the ways in which I am a produser of literacy. To begin, a produser is someone who actively creates or produces literacy for their own consumption, rather than just passively using and consuming what is already out there (Kalantzis, Cope, Chan, & Dalley-Trim, 2016). As technology increases and we become more involved in the virtual and digital capabilities that social media and devices bring, we are often found to be producing our own materials which we share and consume, rather than just sourcing it from somewhere else. It is therefore very easy for people in today’s day and age to be active producers of literacy, rather than just consumers; further broadening the scope of literacy and the material that is out there for us to consume.
Some examples of produsing include:
- Making youtube videos for your own youtube channel that you share and engage with. By putting your video creation online, you are opening yourself to public feedback which youtubers often respond to; furthering their part as a produser
- Creating music playlists that you use in your own life – maybe even multiple playlists for different occasions such as working out at the gym, studying or having a gathering with friends
- Developing and testing recipes for meals which you then prepare and consume – even just adapting a recipe slightly to suit your own needs and eating the fruits of your labor after would count in my opinion!
- Writing fanfiction – a lot of people write fanfic as they enjoy the way they are able to build on existing characters and storylines and make them their own. By creating new stories and sharing these, they are effectively produsing materials they would like to read as well as sharing it with others so they can enjoy it and respond to it.
- Blogging or sharing information on social media that accounts for your experiences or ideas. By posting these and sharing them in this way, you are putting forward some of your own ideas in a text or visual form, meaning you have developed your own literacies. These are then often seen by those you are friends with or who follow you and can be responded to or shared further. Even just posting a photo on facebook is produsing as you are creating a photo album or your experiences which you can access and reflect on.
Me as a Produser
As for me, I am a little more tame with the ways I produse regularly. Although I definitely do engage in this process, I do still engage with a lot of texts and literacies that I have not created. That being said, below are just a couple examples of the things I have created and regularly engage with. By first making my products and then both sharing and consuming them, I am actively partaking in the process of produsing.
As a consumer, I find exploring others ideas for ways of doing things can be really great for developing your own ideas and ways of doing certain things. One program which allows me to easily explore and save ideas on how to be more organised, what little things I could DIY as gifts, activities for the classroom and even inspiration for hairstyles is pinterest. By consuming the work that is out there and saving the ‘pins’ to my own pinterest board, I am able to both come back to these ideas myself, but can also share these with others. I am therefore acting as a produser through pinterest as I save many interesting articles, activities and ideas in one place that I can refer to, while also sharing this information with others.
Spotify Music Playlists
Who doesn’t love a good music playlist! Spotify, in particular, offers music lovers a great and easy way to create, share and listen to the music of ones choosing. I often make playlists that I will listen to or play at gatherings with friends through Spotify, which once again sees me produsing as I create and use these playlists. Below is just one of my favourite playlists that I have created using Spotify – I feel it has a good mix of songs that provide any occasion with a good beat to catch up and chill out to.
Tumblr Blog
One of my first experience with blogging has been through tumblr. This social media and blogging site allows users to post and share images and videos online in short blogs. In my tumblr blog, I share a number of images that I find calming and can also explore the posts of other tumblr users. The images that I reblog or post is shared with my followers, who can then reblog this material too. It is a great way of reblogging images you like and can be a great tool for sharing your own images or thoughts through (although I rarely do this – maybe it will be the next step I take!).
Reconciliation Inquiry
Recently I was tasked with creating an inquiry poster for the Introduction to the Humanities and Social Sciences course I am currently taking. As part of the assignment, we had to pick a topic related to a particular year level in the Australian Curriculum and prepare a graphic poster that went through the stages of an inquiry process, exploring the activities and steps you would take to teach your students about the topic. I feel that this poster could be a great example of produsing, as I have created this inquiry process and can then apply it when teaching about this topic in class. I am therefore again acting as a produser by using the content I have created.
NB. All images can be clicked on and link to each of my prodused materials. Check them out if you like and let me know what you think in the comments!
Applications in Teaching
Furthermore, I believe produsing is something that we can encourage in the classroom amongst our students. By getting them to create information or materials that they can further utilise or build on in their work, they are likely to be more engaged or excited about the work they are doing (Kalantzis, Cope, Chan, & Dalley-Trim, 2016). This could be as simple as having students create a map of an imaginative land in maths, applying mathematical concepts while doing so, which is then built on in English to create a short, imaginative story. Finally, students can illustrate or create an artwork or video that accompanies what they have written. This process which spans a number of curriculum areas would be an exciting and original process for the students as they explore their own contexts, ideas and understandings to make meaning and build up these ideas into something completely unique.
Even working as a class to create simple posters containing images and information relevant to the work they are doing and placing on their classroom walls allows students to be effective participants and consumers in their learning as they refer to these materials in their learning. They are effectively produsing throughout the process as they are utilising the things they have made to further develop their ideas and learn from.
Check out the We Are Teachers article on 23 of the Best Anchor Charts for your Classroom for some more ideas of how to create information charts and displays with your students!
Everyday Literacy 