In this 7-10 minute reaction video, my husband and I will review the Google results for his name, noting any surprises, strengths, and opportunities in his current online presence. The reaction video is a popular YouTube genre in which the creator (often an expert of some kind) reacts to and reviews an event, piece of media, or other content. Through this project, I will play with the educational opportunities afforded by this genre to share digital literacy concepts around online identity in a new way. My video will serve as a pilot for what could become a series of ‘librarian reacts’ videos. Ultimately, my intended audience is a very public one of those who may just be starting to think about their online identity and want to be proactive about shaping their Google results. In particular, those applying to college, to graduate school, or looking for a job would find this video relevant. Other librarians, including the team of librarians I work with at Virginia Tech, are also an audience for this project. I will create this video with the intention of sharing it on YouTube.
This assignment asks us to develop a creative project, curriculum materials, or research paper that invites further exploration into a topic that connects to personal learning goals, answers professional needs, and builds on course goals. By choosing a creative project, I am looking to further explore my identity as a digital author and stretch my technical abilities. In terms of professional needs, this video project addresses the challenge of teaching digital literacy concepts for a broad audience in more personal ways. Library-created educational videos often take a fairly formal tone and rarely address the identity of the librarians who made them. In this project, I will be exploring an approach that puts me, my relationships, and my experiences at the center of the video’s content; I aim for my authenticity to enhance the learning experience.
After watching this video, a viewer will be able to identify strategies for finding information about themselves online, reflect on the value of intentionally crafting an online presence, and recognize librarians as experts on digital identity topics. I hope that viewers will be moved to Google their own names and reflect on what they find. Further, my goal for the tone of the video is to communicate approachability and playfulness, which are not often ideas that the general public associates with academic librarians.
A 7-10 minute reaction video, a 500-word reflective essay, and a 5-minute screencast Ignite talk.
The video opens with a silly moment shared between the couple on screen. They’re laughing and clearly having a great time. “I want in on this,” thinks the viewer. “Let’s see what this is all about.” We cut to a title card, followed by introductions from our hosts: a librarian and her designer husband. We're with them in their house, surrounded by some of their books. Jump cuts move us quickly through their Google searching and reflection experiences. Screencast footage is spliced throughout, illustrating the content that our hosts react to. Sound effects and pop-up commentary further emphasize the video’s light-hearted tone.