Walsh (2010) proposed that teachers need to prepare their
pupils for the new literacy practices; it has become apparent that technology
in education can be integrated with other curriculum subjects, other than
ICT/Computing, to create seamless lessons that can engage and inspire the
children able to use, develop ideas and express themselves at a level suitable
for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world (DfE, 2013). There
is argument that ‘a multimodal approach to learning starts from a theoretical
position that treats all modes as equally significant for meaning and
communication’ (Jewitt and Kress, 2003).
‘New literacies, whether intentionally or
unintentionally impact literacy instruction in classrooms’ (Leu, Kinzer,
Coiro, and Cammack, 2004: 1). For many
children in the primary classroom, technological advancements in their short
lives has made it possible for them to
be able to use their imagination and creativity to combine print, visual and
digital modes to create multimodal texts; that can be and should be applied in
classroom writing. As Edwards-Groves
(2011) argues technologisation and globalisation have advanced the need for children
to design, produce and present multimodal texts as representations of learning. This has led to technology, innovation and
creativity being viewed as important goals to develop through current
educational agendas (DfE, 2013, Dickenson, 2010 and Lewis, 2005).
However, creativity
and innovation in some classrooms can be restricted due to less confident teachers’
poor subject knowledge (Ofsted, 2011). In
these classrooms the new reality is that teachers’ personal familiarity,
capacity and facility with technology determines what is taught and how it is
taught. Children’s opportunities
to design and produce multimodal texts as representations of learning and
activity, for example, are consequently bound and possibly restricted by this
(Edwards-Groves, 2011). Jewitt (2008) claims it is crucial how knowledge
is represented; ‘making the form of
representation integral to meaning and learning’ (Jewitt, 2008: 241). Therefore it is essential for teachers to explore
the ways in which representations in all modes that feature in the classroom so
that they can better understand learning and teaching in the multimodal
environment of the contemporary classroom.
As mentioned earlier, teachers who are beginning to work
with multimodal texts often associate them with technology, and may be
reluctant to engage with them if they lack confidence with ICT. Teachers who begin to engage with multimodal
texts and more sophisticated technologies will find that their concepts about
literacy, definitions of literacy and their literacy-related pedagogies are
challenged; which can be daunting (Antsy and Bull, 2010). However,
as with all outstanding teaching, if teachers are able to use practical and
relevant contexts; use questioning to deepen understanding and effective use of
peer and self-assessment is used to help structure their lessons (Ofsted, 2011);
teachers can develop their pedagogy whilst incorporating multimodal texts with
new communication media to ensure children receive top quality lessons.
As discussed, the government has placed an emphasis on
learning with innovation and creativity
which can be achieved through the use
of technology. The use of multimodal
texts within schools can represent a reflection of pupils’ own inherently
multimodal and digital socialisation experiences. Here we see teaching changing to reflect the
changing world of digital literacy, encouraged by the government (DfE, 2013) to
embed the use of technology and texts throughout the curriculum.
References
Antsy, M. and Bull, G. (2010) Helping teachers to explore multimodal texts. Curriculum and Leadership Journal, Vol. 8 (16) [online] http://www.curriculum.edu.au/leader/helping_teachers_to_explore_multimodal_texts,31522.html?issueID=12141
(accessed 15/03/2014)
BECTA. (2008). Harnessing Technology: Next generation
learning 2008-14 [online] http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/8287/1/download.cfm%3FresID%3D37348
(accessed 15/03/2014)
DfE. (2013) The National Curriculum in England: Key
stages 1 and 2 framework document. London: DfE
Dickenson, P. (2010) ‘Developments in English: Text2txt’
in Clarke, S. and Dickenson, P. (eds) Becoming
an English teacher. London: Sage
Edwards-Groves, C. (2011) ‘The multimodal writing
process: changing practices in contemporary classrooms’. Language and Education, Vol. 25 (1), pp. 49-64.
Jewitt, C. (2008) ‘Multimodality and Literacy in School
Classrooms’. Review of Research in
Education, Vol. 32 (1), pp. 241-267
Jewitt, C. and Kress, G. (2003) Multimodal literacy. New York: Peter Lang.
Leu, D., Kinzer, C., Coiro, J., & Cammack, D. (2004).
‘Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the Internet and other
information and communication technologies’. Reading
Online [online] http://www.readingonline.org/newliteracies/lit_index.asp?HREF=/newliteracies/leu (accessed 15/03/2014)
Lewis, T. (2005) ‘Creativity – A framework for the
design/problem solving discourse in technology education’. Journal of Technology Education, Vol. 17 (1), pp. 35–52
Ofsted. (2011) ICT in Schools 2008-2011
Pahl, K., and Rowsell, J. (2005) Literacy and Education: Understanding the New Literacy Studies in the Classroom.
London: Paul Chapman Publishing
Walsh, M. (2010) ‘Multimodal Literacy’. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy,
Vol. 33 (3), pp.211-239
One of the biggest issues of using multimodal texts in the classroom is the lack of confidence from the teachers as the children's learning is therefore restricted. If the confidence is present then multimodal texts can be extremely beneficial if they are used across the curriculum. By allowing children to use multimodal technology across the curriculum, they are learning how to adapt their skills and theory to different subjects.
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