This week I read about multimodal
pedagogies and remixing. For this blog
post, I’m going to discuss multimodal pedagogies. According to Vasudevan, Dejaynes, and Schmier
(2013), multimodal composing, “refers to more than bringing together separate
modes of expression, such as sound or image, in the production of a text” (p.
24). In addition to the juxtaposition of
modes of expression, multimodal composing also includes the various tools
required to merge those modes, as well as the physical spaces in which the
composing occurs (pp. 24-25).
My favorite example of multimodal
composing appears in the description of Mr. Cardenas’ New Media Journalism
classroom (Vasudevan, Dejaynes, & Schmier 2013, p. 26). The class reconstructs the learning
environment and turns it into a workspace consisting of a conference table and thirty-five
Emac computers. Working as reporters,
the students utilize various forms of media (cameras, audio recording, .pdf
files, podcasts) in order to bring their learning experiences into their own
realities. This environment allows the
students to engage in and create community: “Rosy was one such student whose
podcast documented the exceptional artwork of a student at the school” (p.
27). It also allows the students to
engage in forms of social action: “The space allowed her [a student] to
critique the circumstances in her school, and design a multimodal text, which
articulated what she saw as a grave injustice [referring to a lack of
experienced teachers” (p. 28).
From my experience with urban youth,
many students still view the classroom as a boring space disconnected from
their own worlds. I do believe that
utilizing media in the classroom, and reconstructing the space itself, are two
ways to alter this perception. The
students described in this journalism class were genuinely engaged in learning,
and were developing skills that will certainly be applicable to the 21st
century.
The reading inspired me to rethink a
project I’ll be implementing in my classroom.
This year I’m teaching a course for incoming students that allows them
to engage with the mission of our school.
One aspect of the course involves having them investigate aspects of a
culture that they identify with. I’ve
decided to have them create a cultural blog that utilizes multimodal composing
and teaches some basic literacy skills (creating the blog, creating links,
inserting images). I’m looking forward
to this, and I always try to incorporate technology (right now the students are
editing personal narratives in Google docs), however, I know I will face
serious obstacles in implementing the project.
Wi-Fi has been inconsistent throughout the school year, and my laptop cart
has yet to have its software updated. I
also casually explained to a few students what we would be doing next, and many
had no clue what a blog was. Thus, I’ll
face two realities that I know many teachers in urban settings can relate to: inconsistent—if
not lack of—technology, and extremely low levels of digital literacy. However, if the school Wi-Fi is down, it may
be the perfect opportunity to have students get into their phones and bring
their own technology across school borders.
Works Cited
Vasudevan, L., Dejaynes, T., & Schmier,
S. (2013). Multimodal Pedagogies: Playing, Teaching and Learning with
Adolescents’ Digital Literacies. In Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.) A New Literacies Reader. (pp. 23-37).
New York, NY: Peter Lang.
