Images, audio, and video are all common characteristics of multimodal text. All are included in the text help give the reader a deeper connection to the text and build a better understanding. In the 21st century, teachers are called to incorporate multimodal texts and learning into the classroom. Many of the Common Core Standards reflect the push towards multimodal learning.
Images
- Flickr - students and teachers can look for images on Flickr by search words. The text used a term "folksonomy" that I had not heard of before. The search terms for Flickr images were created by users as opposed to an outside source.
- Google - google is a great resource for students and teachers to find online images by using search words.
Copyright
Copyrighted images can be used as long as it fits with the "fair use" provisions. Criticism, comment, news reporting, and teaching all apply under the fair use provisions. It is important to teach our students about copyright and citing sources. Each website has its own copyright rules. Flickr has specific usage rules for each user. Users may require permission or even payment to use their images. Flickr has a section called "Creative commons copyright" that means that students do not have to ask for permission before using these images.
- Images - need to be used in good faith
- Text - brief quotations used to make a point
- Audio - brief clips 30 seconds or less can be used
Image Creation
The smartphone or a tablet can be a great classroom tool for the students to be able to create their own images. Teachers can create a classroom Instagram or snapchat account for students to upload their images for classroom use or assignments.
One interesting online tool I want to try out is VoiceThread. Students can import an image that they found online and add audio or written comments. Other students, teachers, or even parents can then comment their own thoughts on the VoiceThread and start an educational conversation.
Haiku Deck is a good tool for presentations. Many times research presentations can turn into reading off a powerpoint. Haiku Deck encourages students to use more images to convey their information than a bunch of words.
High school students used photography to create web-based autobiographies. They wanted the images to be highly intentional and personal.
Responding to Images
It is true that images can be worth a thousand words. Students need to be able to form an opinion about images and describe what they think and feel. We also should encourage them to think about the photographer and the intended purpose for the image.
Questions -
1. Image copyright is not something I think about often. I guess it is different because we use quotation marks and have specific citation rules for texts. How do you teach copyright rules? As a general lesson or tied to a specific lesson/project? Maybe this lesson could be tied with internet safety?
2. What age should kids start learning about copyright?
3. Have you ever asked kids to do a photography project? This interests me. I think it turn into a good writing project if students write about why they chose to take that photo and what they think about it.
Analyzing Digital Design
We need to get our kids think about how design of a text affects their understanding. A good activity to do this is giving kids a bunch of different sites to visit with various levels of design complexity. It is good to have a discussion about design, particularly the multimodal features of a text, and how they help our hurt comprehension. Analysis of digital texts is important before kids create their own digital texts because it lets them know how to design the text to suit their readers.
Process - print vs digital
When we read a digital text, we usually have a purpose for visiting the website. We may want to find out about movie times or find a new coat for the winter. Many times with print text, we are just reading to learn. Our eyes move left to right on the page. With a digital text, our eyes may go to the prominent feature(s) or the specific area of the website they need. If websites are too cluttered or the reader cannot find the information he/she needs, the reader may give up or go to a different site.
Questions -
1. Do you think digital texts (and digital design) encourage our culture of skim reading? I feel that sometimes this is harmful because students do not want to read other than to find an answer.
Dalton article - Level Up - Multimodal Composition in Social Studies
This article taught me a new term! Level up means to improve in the gaming world. The author wanted to "level up" his multimodal composition skills. Working with his students, he found that his students were highly engaged and motivated to participate in writing these multimodal compositions. Dalton actually teamed up with a fourth grade teacher who taught mostly bilingual students. The kids composed the compositions using an iPad during social studies. Dalton introduced the lessons by showing them various digital designs to get them thinking about how design affects comprehension. The students' project was to be to create a digital poem with using an e-book. Dalton showed the students how to do this in small groups in the hallway throughout the week. Students were involved in the entire process of creation - from writing the poem, to typing it in (or voice to text), to finding images/videos to accompany their poem, to recording the audio for their book. Some students became "expert recorders" and helped students one-on-one with their e-book and recording. It took several composing sessions for each student to complete an electronic book page, but it was a learning process for all. Multimodal composition in elementary schools is a practice that is pretty new and will require more work than other text composition, but is worth it for the students.
Questions -
1. I know I need to "level up" on my multimodal composition skills as well! Have you had a multimodal composition project in your classroom?
Answer a question or two and provide some information about the sections you read :). Thanks!
