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It
all started one day when Grayson's Momma was reading the newspaper. She
saw a notice about a special contest to be held on the 4th of July for
Little
Mr. Firecracker. "Our family just loves
Independence Day," she thought, "and we've been so busy with work and school
and Grayson's medical condition. It would be a nice change to have something
fun and creative to focus on." Two months earlier Grayson had developed
an uncommon blood disorder called ITP. The specialists told Grayson's parents
that the disorder should be temporary but that Grayson needed to be kept
safe during this time because his platelet count was very low.
The Problem
The Little
Mr.
Firecracker
Contest
would be judged primarily on most patriotic outfit. How does one turn a
rascally little toddler into a patriotic and authentic message, and for
low cost and with limited time?
The Analysis
Grayson's Momma made a list of her resources and she came up with these
items:
Grayson would have to wear his message. She realized she was part way there with the suit and hat that had been given to Grayson, unrelated to this endeavor. One caveat: she did not want to destroy the sailor's suit with paint or direct transfers because it was a gift. So, she would have to find a non permanent solution.
- Knowledge of history
- Knowledge of patriotic symbols
- Understanding of toddlers lack of patience and skill
- Home computer & color printer
- White and blue sailor's suit (from a Grandmother)
- Red, white & blue floppy hat (from other Grandmother)
- Needles, thread, buttons but limited know-how
The Process
Grayson's Momma decided to check the local computer stores to see if
she could get iron-on computer paper. This way she could customize the
design rather than depend on what was available commercially. She found
it! Plus she was able to purchase neat looking material so that she could
create iron-on patches that could be sewed onto the suit and removed later.
She also found red-blue-silver metallic ribbon that would look like fireworks
as they stream from the sky. The process became more time-consuming she
than she hoped but everything came together well.
She designed four patches to be sewn onto the suit in red thread, like baseball stitching. A small patch on each sleeve read "USA." A patch on the back read "From Sea to Shining Sea -- America", which is from a favorite patriotic song. This patch was in between two red, star buttons with the metallic streamers attached. The patch on Grayson's front leg carried a constitutional like document with "1776" in the middle. It also carried the terms "Freedom", "Justice", "Peace" and "Law" against a bed of stars. These are foundational concepts to the constitution of the United States. A button was sewn onto the floppy hat to give it a form like a revolutionary tri-corner hat.
The Result
The Inaugural Little Mr. Firecracker!
But how does Instructional Technology fit in? While this is a non-traditional learning environment it works if you take the simplest, most basic definition of IT. That is...the process of using technologies to convey information and concepts. Children in the crowd learned more about patriotic symbols and the contest added to the festivities of the day. The judges accepted the message and crowned Grayson, literally, Little Mr. Firecracker.
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