The course also incorporated the assistance of students in Professor of English Dr. Ben McCorkle's English 4569 digital and English studies class. According to McCorkle the one main thing the students learned was how literacy is supported and developed through a variety of literacy sponsors.
"While at first glance, it might seem like literacy development happens mostly in formal institutions such as schools, we find that it also happens in unexpected places like the home, public libraries, the local YMCA, hanging out in peer groups, and even while taking a stroll along a public walking trail," said McCorkle.
He also shared that his students were part of interviews conducted with the students in psychology 4554 as part of a field collection event for the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (https://www.thedaln.org/), an open-access online repository of nearly 10,000 submissions of individuals’ personal accounts of meaningful moments associated with literacy-related experiences.
Psychology major Stephanie Karrick, who I also worked on the book walk shared with the group about the process the students went through.
"At first, we decided to pick a bilingual book and we had like 10 different options. We ended up going with a book called My Town," Karrick said.
"It is basically talking about an English community and a Spanish community and how they line up," said Karrick. "We had to pick the book".
Karrick shared a more in-depth look at what her class went through to prepare for launching the book for families walking, riding, and traversing the trail.
"We went to the library, and we had to cut it all apart," she said. "We had to laminate the pages, and then we had to come up with the blurbs and the QR codes," Karrick added. "Then last week we came out during the hail and got them all up on the stanchions, which goes for the first mile of the trail," she said.
The student shared that along with the book, patrons of Marion's Tall Grass Trail can also look at other projects like the DALN that is up on one of the stanchions.
"There is also a project that I worked on about why kids like hearing the same book over and over again and why it is beneficial for them and a bilingual infographic where you can learn about why bilingualism is beneficial," said Karrick.
"It was a really fun process and I enjoyed working with all of you," she said. "I think we worked really well together, and I hope the community can enjoy our project as much as we had building it."
Marion Public Library Manager of Community Awareness and Outreach, Diane Watson shared that Let's Read 20 is an initiative that started at least eight years ago in the Marion area. Initially an incubator at the United Way of Marion County, and later coming under the umbrella of the Marion Public Library.
"I just love seeing this partnership. Also, the addition of doing two books, you've got one out there now and we can put another one at the end of summer, probably toward the end of summer, that is much like it and then be able to promote it.
"All of the people in this room have come together as a partnership and that is what community partnerships are all about. We all have that foundation of literacy that we are working towards. I love seeing that," Watson added.
Dr. Patson shared excerpts with the group in attendance at the book walk launch from what the students wrote about their personal experiences in their final reflections because they touched her heart.
Per Patson one student wrote, "I am also very happy that we did the little blurbs about what we love about Marion. I think that really allows the people that visit to see that we aren't just students of Ohio State Marion, but we are also people that live in and love Marion, as well as visitors to Marion that have learned to love the community."
Another student wrote, said Patson, "after participating in the project I learned that the community of Marion is a productive and loving community. Before I moved to this area, I'd heard some bad things connected to Marion. Although the more I interact with the community the more my view changes."
Of course, there are concerns in Marion like reading rates, but that is just like any other town. There are lots of people working to benefit the community, and these people are helping people pursue better lives. I think that is one of the biggest confirmations that I will take away from my multiple experiences of the service work in Marion.
Some of the students Patson shared, wrote about just what they got from working with each other in the community.
"I found it surprising how easy it was for me to be able to open up more and engage in all of the parts of the project with my fellow students. I am more of a shy person, so being able to have a safe environment where it was not overwhelming, and I was able to contribute was amazing," Patson shared. Most classes do not foster this kind of support within such a short period of time.
The excerpt from her student went on to say, "I am grateful to the students, teacher, library staff, and children that we worked with that made this possible. It was truly a special experience being able to give the project my all, work with some truly amazing people along the way, and give back to the Marion area."
Another student's reflection on the project gave them the motivation to volunteer in their own community.
"This experience has given me the drive to do more within my own community. Communities work best and thrive when they are sown into and when they give to the people that are in them," read Patson.
"I feel honored to be able to work with the Marion community to further the literacy development of preschoolers in the area. Many people come up with excuses on how they are not able to engage in their community and try to make a difference. But through this course, I was able to see how when everyone works together, we can make a change within a short period of time," the reflection added.
