Weekly Reading #3

As you read this article consider the following questions and post your responses to them in a posting on your blog:

1.      What is the main argument presented in this article?

The main argument, I feel, is using education by using a more of a 21^st century viewpoint.  We need to address the term “multimodality.”  Since kids are being exposed to diverse forms of technology and learning situations, we need to be aware of all the tools available for use. 

2.      Why is it imperative that teachers and educational policy makers recognize the role multimodality plays in redefining literacy in the 21st century?

It is important because we need to bring everyday life into the classroom in order to make the connection between learning and why it is necessary. 

3.      What is the fundamental philosophical orientation of educators who engage in multimodal literacy instruction?

“…Children and adults learn best when engaged in complex, socially constructed, personally relevant, creative composition and interpretation of texts that incorporate a variety of meaningful communicative modes or symbols.”  Basically this is saying that we learn when it matters to us.  The more complexity sometimes draws us in the learning situation. 

4.      What is the rational for engaging children in learning through the arts promoted by educational philosophers like Maine Green and Elliot Eisner?

“Engagements with the arts offer us aesthetic experiences that are pleasing and transform the very way we encounter the world.”

Do you share this philosophical orientation? Why? Why not?

            I do share this philosophical orientation.  Reaching children is the most important thing as an educator.  When I learned in school, I learned best when the teacher had incorporated some hands on activity.  One was when I took French.  We made Mardi Gras masks to celebrate Fat Tuesday.  I feel I learned a lot within the few days we did this.  In my math teachings, I want to incorporate activities so the kids are engaged and learn at the same time. 

5.      Name three benefits of multimodal reading and writing for students? Be specific and use quotes from the text to support your claims.

1.      One benefit is making connections between school and home.  “If educators read such multimodal texts…they may find connections between home, school, and other spaces and facilitate conversations that bridge home and school literacy practices.”

2.      Teachers can design improved lesson plans to incorporate different multimodal literacies.  “Through such projects, teachers create something significantly new, experiment with new technologies, and share innovative learning that moves well beyond the four walls of the classroom.” 

3.      A third benefit of multimodal reading and writing is students learn how to look at situations with a different viewpoint.  “The children’s multimodal drawing artifacts revealed details…called “sedimented identities”, or traces of past experiences visually shown in the drawings. 

 

6.      Give an example of how blogging supports the four aspects of multimodal theory proposed by Kress and Jewitt.

The four aspects are Materiality, Framing, Design, and Productions.  Blogs allow the user to be creative, share information that is available anytime, rather than for class, and create something that has more meaning to the user than some assignment with a required list.  Blogs break the boundaries of formal papers. 

7.      What can teachers learn about their students from their image productions? Why is this important?

Teachers can learn what their home life is like.  They can also learn how students view certain learning situations.  This is important because students might not have any other way other than drawing to properly express their learning. 

8.      According to this article, why should teachers use technology in their teaching?

Technology allows for greater participation, collaboration, and distribution of knowledge that has not been possible before.

9.      How does multimodal literacy relate to 21st century literacy?

21^st Century literacy and multimodal literacy seem to have similar concepts.  Multimodal addresses different ways to reach the students.  The article says two connections are 1. New technical stuff and 2. New ethos

10.  What project described intrigued you the most?

The project that intrigued me the most was the Holocaust project.  I think it is important for students to study history so that we as a human society do not end up in the same situation from past years. 

11.  What challenges to integrating multimodal reading and writing into schools do you most identify with?

I can identify with teacher collaboration.  Being a young teacher, it is challenging when season teachers do not want to hear anything new about teaching.  I also get some looks when I try something that breaks the normal way of teaching. 

12.  Why is multimodal literacy essential in preparing students for work, play and democratic participation in the 21st century?

Multimodal literacy addresses the everyday interactions of the students.  If students are growing up in a society where multimodal literacies are present, then we need to be preparing them.  We should not teach the old way if we, as a society, are not going to live the old way. 

      13. Find and Embed an image in your blog posting that relates to multimodal literacy. 

Resources:
Sanders, J., & Sanders, J. (n.d.). Multimodal literacies: An introduction.