Finding one’s voice through the development of digital essays

We will describe the process by which students were taught to use multimodal elements in order to express their perspective on an element within the intersection of sports and culture. We will highlight the importance of incorporating digital technology into the curriculum as well as walk you through the process of best practices to utilize as well as pitfalls to avoid integrating this into your pedagogy.

From the Beginning

Digital Essay by Niyah Becker

Where I Found my Passion

Digital Essay by KJ Trujillo

Presenter Information

Dr. Adam Friedman

Director, Instructional Technology Group Professor, Social Studies Education

Dr. Adam Friedman serves as Director of the Instructional Technology Group at Wake Forest University. He is a Professor of Education, focusing on social studies education, and served as Chair of the Department of Education from 2014-2020. He teaches numerous undergraduate and graduate level social studies education courses along with a First Year Seminar (FYS) course entitled Sports, Culture, and Geography. Friedman’s research focuses on the advantages as well as drawbacks of technology integration into pedagogy, as he co-edited the book Research on Technology in Social Studies Education, has authored over 30 refereed journal articles and book chapters, and delivered over 80 presentations pertaining to pedagogical uses of technology. He has also been awarded several grants to study technology’s impact on teaching.

Robert Vidrine

Instructional Technologist

Mr. Robert Vidrine joined Wake Forest University in 2000 and supports faculty and staff in the Departments of Education and Counseling. He also works with colleagues across campus to support academic websites hosted in WordPress. When he is not coding PHP or Javascript or studying universal accessibility in web pages, Robert enjoys practicing Aikido, playing the ukulele, and riding his bicycle around town.

Kj Trujillo

Sophomore, Communications Major, Entrepreneurship Minor

Hello, my name is KJ Trujillo. I am a student-athlete at Wake Forest University. I am a redshirt sophomore, majoring in Communications and minoring in Entrepreneurship. If everything goes to plan, I will graduate in the fall of 2022.

Niyah Becker

Junior, Communications Major

Niyah Becker is a junior communications major. Becker is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is a member of the Wake Forest Women's Basketball team. After graduation Becker intends to play basketball professionally and then work within the sports world.

Brianna Healey

Associate Director of Academic Technology

Brianna is the Associate Director of Academic Technology, a division of Information Systems. Her position aims to enhance teaching and learning in the curriculum through the use of digital technologies. Brianna aims to stay at the forefront of teaching, learning, and technology in order to provide transformative learning experiences for students at Wake Forest University.