Examples of MultimodalLiteracy in the classroom.

Multimodal texts READING• Picture books and

information texts• Talking books• CDRom narratives and

factual texts• E-books• Web-sites, web search, web

quests, book raps• Games, DVDs• Emails, discussion boards.

WRITING• Emails, discussion boards• Slide shows [KidPix/ power

point]• Digital photos• Digital videos, i-movies• Video editing• E-books• Web sites / home page• SMS messaging• Scripts

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

http://www.wowwiki.com/Portal:World_of_Warcraft

http://www.bestadsontv.com/radio_details.php?id=28638

Yrs 3-4 – Visual literacy What were these children learning?

•Ts used Gorilla, to develop Ss background knowledge of visual codes, •Groups applied to range of picture books [e.g. An Ordinary Day], Advertisements from local paper, 1st Harry Potter film.•Ss used digital cameras to compose photos applying visual codes.•Ss participated in Book Raps with other schools – activities e.g. dramatisation, photos, p/point, survey, journal responses

•Visual codes [angles, framing, colour, demands/offers/salience etc] – how they construct meaning. + metalanguage.•Application & articulation of this knowledge to other texts/products.•Peer collaboration, reflective learning, creative engagement, critical awareness, critical literacy – deep learning evident.•Online communication & learning.

Teachers and students examined the components of a podcast and the technology needed.Students listened to examples of other podcasts and the teacher explained the stages ofthe podcast that students would produce: Title, Greeting, Introduction, Information Report(Spider), Narrative Episode, Conclusion. In pairs students planned different parts of their podcast with the additional criteria ofcombining words, pictures, music and sound effects. Students wrote storyboards for each section, took digital photos, saved and varied theseusing ‘Comic Strip’/Photo story software, used graphics, pictures, artwork and learnt howto combine these into the podcast files. Students practised recording in pairs with microphone and edited their recordings; addedand edited sound and music using Garage Band software. Students evaluated each other’s podcasts then podcasts were uploaded to iTunes.

Literacy processes ‘Different’ processes

•Reading: use of coding, semantic and pragmatic practice- linking of students’ background to new knowledge,understanding the purpose of different types of texts andaudience.•Researching and reading for information across other contentareas. Integration of different content areas.•At relevant times, teacher modelled and scaffolded the overallpodcast genre with the different text types: information reportand narrative, including concept of ‘serialised’ version or‘chapters’ of narrative.• Students planned and wrote different text types needed.•Peer collaboration and support essential throughout withteacher demonstration and scaffolding. Talking and listeningoccurred throughout.•Varied use of ‘voice’ for different sections.

•Teachers and students learning together: using and learning‘Web 2.0’ the technology of podcasting.•Understanding combined use of audio and video files.•Viewing and designing.•Awareness of elements of sound production through voice,sound effects, music and timing with visuals - use of laptopsand iPods.•Production of ‘storyboards’ for both information report andnarrative using digital photos, graphics or drawings.• Combination of visual, written and audio modes - studentscomposed and designed, read and recorded programs withina time limit with sound and music.• Used different ICT software, web protocols with associatedmetalanguage.•Visual and digital modes combined with text.•Viewing, designing, producing combined with talking,listening, reading, writing: all used in an interdependentprocess.•Developed a sense of an audience - ‘authentic task’.

The Good News!

In so many ways we are already exposing our students to different

modes of text.To name a few…

Short movies Picture booksWebsite explorationGarage bandi PodOnline collaborationElectronic presentations ie; Power pointMovie creating

So what’s next?

Including sequenced multimodal lessons in the Literacy PlannerConsider using purposeful multimodal experiences when planning weekly literacy lessonsInclude the 3 Semiotic Systems of Multimodal Literacies, language and print (linguistic), images and graphics (visual), music and sound (auditory) when constructing Literacy Planner or weekly literacy lessons

Taken from;Walsh, M. (2005). Multimodal Learning Environments. Think About It Conference, ACU.Walsh,M. (2009). Pedagogical Potentials of Multimodal Literacy. IGI Global, 1-16.