Multimodal Literacy

My 2008 Multimodal tools for teachers!

Here’s a snapshot of some of the tools I enjoyed using the most this year when working with teachers to plan literacy tasks. Links to the tools shown in the photos can be found further down this page. Just look for “Some other useful resources from the web!”

I used a slideshow called “RockYou!” ( see link below). Enjoy!

| View Show | Create Your Own

Bloom’s taxonomy revised and the place of digital literacies

Bloom’s Taxonomy is used regularly by many teachers to extend their student’s thinking through engagement in stimulating learning tasks. This diagram of the revised taxonomy from Andrew Churches webpage, identifies key verbs associated with learning at each skill level.

More importantly, Andrew links new technologies with digital literacies in each level of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. In the diagram below, the blue words represent the new skills required at each level for students to engage in using new digital literacies. He elaborates on how digital literacy can support the development of each of these thinking skills particularly as most of our students encounter these new literacies on a daily basis outside the classroom. This is a valuable guide for teachers in looking at ways to incorporate contemporary literacy practice into classroom teaching. (If you are not sure how to incorporate digital technologies, go to this terrific blog Transitioning to Web 2.0 ).

Andrew Churches wiki on traditional and digital practice

Andrew’s blog

Andrew’s Bloom’s Taxonomy Digital Practice wiki

Transitioning to Web 2.0 blog – all you need to know about blogging and student learning

Blogs, wikis, podcasting = learning?

“Lots of teachers I talk to want blogs and podcasts and wikis. Without question, there are thousands of teachers, tens of thousands in fact, who are already using the tools with their students. I see new examples every day. But I’m still bothered by the fact that very, very rarely do I see new pedagogies to go along with them that prepare students for the creation of their own learning networks. That allow them to take some ownership (or at least envision the possibility of it) over their learning. That help them learn self-direction and get them to stop waiting for someone else to initiate the learning. And even rarer is to find one of those teachers exploring his or her own learning through the tools.”

Will Richardson on his blog, weblogged.

Let’s hope we are not in this category of learners…..let’s hope that we DO view ourselves as learners and through this project, have looked more closely at the pedagogy that makes the use of technology in learning.

But Wait! Check out Year 1 at Regents Park…

A day later, Nicole Kolibac, Year 1 teacher at Regents Park, replied to my post “WOW! Regents Park Shines!”. I think she has countered Will’s concerns about pedagogy and technology beautifully. When visiting her/colleague’s classroom(s) I saw wonderful learning occurring where pedagogy drove the use of technology. Read on…..

It has been a wonderful experience to be a part of the learning community at St Peter Chanel and the CEO’s 2008 Multimodal Project!

“I have just looked through some explanations that our 5 and 6 year old children have written, drawn, created and illustrated about chickens and I am overwhelmed at the complexity of understanding, depth of knowledge and competent use of technical language like, pullet, membrane and albumen. We really think this is because the direction of the inquiry has been driven by the children’s constant ponderings and “but why?”.

Negotiating the curriculum has been exciting and taken us places we never would have contemplated, like cutting up a chicken carcass to examine the skeletal structure.

We are so proud of our year one children and their learning’s this term at St Peter Chanel. We also hope that these types of projects are ongoing so that we can continue to share positive teaching experiences as well as sustain excitement and passion amongst educators!”

Day 1 Multimodal Literacy -March 08

What a great day of professional learning! Surpassed my expectations. As the first full day of the Multimodal Literacy professional development project, it got off to a good start. An informative session by Maureen Walsh investigating the different aspects of Multimodal Literacy followed by Jon Callow’s highly practical workshop demonstrating what it can look like in the K-6 classroom. The teachers were buzzing by the time we went into the school teams planning session. After a somewhat confusing and uncertain start over six months ago, when the Multimodal Literacy committee first met, this project finally looks like it has purpose and clarity. What a relief! The schools involved, 2 per region, are all highly enthusiastic. Each school team has taken a different tack with their Multimodal Literacy project, which makes it even more interesting. While the focus is on pedagogy and effective learning, I am feeling slightly daunted by my limited IT skills. This blog is my first ever attempt – so along with the teachers, I want to learn, learn, LEARN!!!!! Here’s a link to an interesting site gickr that Jon pointed out. It creates animated gifs using your own photos. He also showed us the Dove video – a great resource to use with students regarding body image. I feel inspired and energised after Maureen and Jon’s presentations. It will be interesting to see where this journey ends up!

MULTIMODAL - PRESENTATIONS

The learning process in action!!

1. Bankstown -Learning Snapshot

• texts with image and print were more engaging for chn than just print-based texts
• Use of graphic organisers e.g. concept maps to organise prior knowledge and new knowledge via SMARTboard
• Use of learning process for extracting information from videos e.g. Back-to-back viewing
• created myclasses page on video editing; examined language associated with videoing e.g. long shot, close up, mid shot, high angle, low angle
• use of screen capture tool to investigate these techniques in videos
• chn learnt skills of using digital video e.g. zooming in and out

Reference for the teacher’s report was Marc Pernsky blog which has some interesting material on different skills used by digital natives and immigrants.

2. Kensington: Architects of Learning

• Linked the project to LFTT (for ESL learners) and CEO’s Learning Framework
• Aim to transform learning with a focus on meaning and purpose
• Produced paper, electronic and live texts
• Equity in production and process of learning
• New language developed around the production of video, images
• Like to explore further the global context of learning via blogs etc
• Critiqued websites, video excerpts and their own “text”
• Collaborative nature of the learning tasks was a great benefit in developing student centred learning
• Teachers role changed as they became learners alongside the students and were removed from being the director of learning
• Encourage more negotiation and choice in student learning – A MUST!!!!!
• Advantage of working across grades to further develop skills, understandings and LANGUAGE
• S3: Artist study on Picasso involving blogging, online production of texts – producing a picasso via Mr Picasso Head
• Wrote a procedural text based on producing picasso using Notebook software
• Wrote Literary Descriptions using Microsoft Publisher about Picasso the artist
• Use of graphic organsiers to investigate Picasso the artist e.g. venn diagrams
• Grammar Ninja was an online program the chn loved to assist their writing – self-regulated learning
• Guernica by Picasso was a major focus for developing language
• Brainpop animated videos for children – great resource
• S1 Environmental unit creating an environmental superhero using research
• Chn created audio wordbanks and graphic organisers via SMARTboard, online texts
• 2Create and 2Publish software used to create posters, life cycle diagrams
• Skill of creating storyboarding for S1 and S3 a major focus
• Both projects were a great motivator for student learning and created a REAL audience and purpose for their work. Brilliant!

3. Penshurst S3 – Tiered Learning

• Examined how children learn particularly chn being actively involved in their own learning
• Differentiation of learning tasks via William’s multiple intelligence model
• The importance of teachers working collaboratively to plan learning
• Grade blog Tired Learning at St Declan’s Penshurst created to model what high quality learning tasks looked like; for children to comment/critique their learning;
• Blog made chn more aware of appropriate language choice – core of functional language approach!

4. Regents Park – Deep learning, negotiated learning

• ES1 “Plants” and S1 “Life Cycle of Chickens” collaborative planning process with grade team, Principal and Adviser
• Created a visual log of chn learning to display in classroom
• Use of Voice thread -chn became deeply engaged in using this technology which had great spin offs for their language development
• Malaguzzi (Reggio approach)- deep level engagement in learning, opportunities to explore and investigate
• This allowed chn to take learning further than the teacher expected as their curiosity expressed through questioning, drove the program
• Use of digital microscope, light table, 2Create, take digital photos and download
• Teacher’s role – step back, listen, guide don’t tell, work from students interests, high expectations of all chn, stay curious and wonder with the chn, importance of purposeful play in learning
• Early learning pedagogy in ES1 embedded in the multimodal project
• Visual literacy focus in reading program
• Development of language a focus as well as skills of solving problems, investigating….
• Planting of a vegetable garden by the chn – REAL experiences create REAL purpose for learning
• The early learning program in Term 1 made a definite impact on the development of English language with the chn – and their ability to self-direct their own learning within a co-operative smallgroup framework
• The importance of feedback to teachers about the learning process for teachers and students – from peers, Principal and Adviser – via blog

5. Liverpool – teachers of pedagogy

• S1 and S3 working collaboratively on the project
• Liturgy and differentiaton as the focus -aim to create tutorial on how chn can prepare a liturgy
• The learning process determined the end product
• The S3 chn became the teachers of pedagogy regarding the use of Movie Maker technology
• Chn chose the music and created the lyrics for the liturgical music – an amazing process!!
• LFTT pedagogy for ESL learners important to the learning process
• Developing field knowledge of the topic was crucial through research on the internet and collaboratively sharing knowledge
• Mixed ability grouping played an important role in the learning – supporting each other – again chn as teachers of pedagogy
• Use of visual literacy in demonstrating thinking – collaboratively working with Movie Maker software to produce exposition text

Punchbowl - Dream Believe Achieve Fly!

• Making informed environmental choices – Linked to Gifts of the Holy Spirit:creating a TV advertisement to conserve the environment via 1 of the gifts
• Skills of Talking, Listening, Reading for Information, Writing, Viewing, Analysing, Designing, Researching, Scripting and Editing, Collaboration and Inquiry learning
• Deconstruction of print and TV adds: e.g. Maccona coffee add to understand how advertising works
• Science investigations created data (entered online to myclassess) for their environmental campaign
• Students reflected on their own learning particularly how to create a video and the use of different filming techniques; their experiences of working collaboratively
• Research skills needed to be taught to know what information to find and how to understand and record it themselves
• Group concensus skills were introduced to enable the chn to co-operatively create a TV add in a small group
• Building Field knowledge crucial to the learning process
• Project motivated and engaged ALL students in their learning
• Development of language for exposition was an important focus

MULTILITERACY CONFERENCE NOTES

I couldn’t make it to the Multiliteracy Conference facilitated by Dr. Geoff Bull and Dr. Michelle Anstey but here’s the next best thing! Notes from the conference found on Graham’s blog.

NIFTY IDEA! Just found a very simple idea that would be useful for our ESL students involved in Multimodal project. It’s from a blog called Global Teacher. It is a clip demonstrating counting to 10 in English and Chinese using PhotoStory 3. Great for our bilingual kids in the early years!! Check it out!

FREE Images at FlickrCC

Hey Jude’s blog always alerts me to great resources for the classroom. The latest – it took me a while to catch on!! – is FlickrCC. Type in a word and a selection of thumbnail photos appear to match the word. Brilliant! A must for teachers and students.

Photo Toolbox

Here’s another free photo resource recommended by Hey Jude! It is Mashable Photo Toolkit. It is a comprehensive site well worth checking out.

Free photos from Powerhouse Museum

A great new resource for teachers! Copyright free photos of Sydney from the Powerhouse Museum’s archives. At present there are 50 photos available for use with more be added each day. It is also worth checking their blog for the Photo of the Day!

Are we up for the challenge?

Judy O’Connell in her blog Hey Jude, asks if teachers are up for the challenge of teaching in a multimodal environment. Her presentation, which I have posted on my blog’s Home page (don’t ask me why I can’t post it here – am still working on that one!!), is really worth viewing. This slide, one of many from her presentation, says it all!!

New Media Literacies

Some other useful resources on the web!

1. BBC in motion gallery can be used as a resource for teachers using Interactive Whiteboards. There are some great little videos – some only a few seconds long!!! – that can be linked to graphics used in presentations/lessons.

2. Tikatok a site for writing and publishing online stories. Use some of the stories written by children as stimulus for your own students or create your own!

3. ABC News Photo Gallery , ABC Scribbly Gum (great nature photos) and the Sydney Morning Herald are great for images (copyright) linked to current affairs, entertainment, nature and more! They have a great selection of slideshows.

4. BBC News in Pictures a favourite of mine.Great photos however they are subject to copyright.

5. Irfanview allows you to create panoramic images or montages from joining several of your photos together. just download the software and off you go!

6. Free photos can be found at Everystock, Flickr, Fotogenika, Freemedia, Free Digital Photos, Free Photo Bank, Morgue File (nothing to do with morgues!!), Stock.xchng, Picsearch, Springfield Virtual Library (has a list a mile long of where to find copyright free photos!!) and Kidsclick (a photo database specifically for kids!!!!) Copyright friendly images, clipart wiki

7. Picbite is a great site where you can add comments, speech bubbles or captions to photos. Great for our ESL kids!Big Huge Labs is another great site that allows you to make a poster from your photo, add comments etc..

8. Images (photos, videos) that support curriculum topics can be found at Picture Trail (National Library of Australia), Australia Screen (video clips from TV shows, docos, films etc),

9. Digital storytelling has loads of resources for teachers, including lesson plans, on how to create digital stories with your students.

10. Animoto allows you to make a short 30 second animated video from your photos. You can add your own music or chose one from their library. It’s quick, easy and foolproof for IT novices like myself!!!!

11. WebTools4u2use is a great wiki created by 2 academics in US to share Web 2.0 tools with K-12 teachers for classroom use. There are some really useful links!

12. Magtoo is a fun slideshow site where your students can quickly upload photos, add captions, music and other thingy’s (!!) to create a multimedia slideshow. Great fun! Useful for recounts, narratives…….anything!

13. TeachersTV is a great resource for locating educational videos on any topic to do with learning. Ideal for classroom use or professional learning with colleagues. Try TeachersTVAustralia!

14. Interactive learning in the early years is a comprehensive site developed by Queensland department of education. It has many valuable links and ideas for teachers who work with ES1 and S1 students. It covers areas such as online educational games, visual literacy, digital learning, multimodal learning and ICT.

15. Exploratree is a free web resource where you can download, use and make your own interactive graphic organisers/thinking guides. Highly recommend for ESL students.

16, Voice Thread allows you to add audio to photos, documents, videos, whatever BUT it allows multiple users to add comments so it is a truely collaborative, shared multimedia tool. Great for providing an authentic audience for ESL students practicing CALP language.

17. Mind Mapping Tool – very cool.

18. Behind the News – popular ABC news program for primary students. Has some GREAT teacher links!

19. Wikiwix is a search engine for wikis. I like it!

20. Kigose – a search engine specifically for K-12 students that can find images, videos, sounds etc plus it has a translation icon. Great for ESL!

21. Wikijunior is another resource worth taking a look at particularly if you are looking for non-fiction texts for 8-12 year olds.

22. Andrew Churches (kiwi educator) Bloom’s Taxonomy Digital literacies wiki and his blog. Highly recommended.

23. Transitioning to web 2.0 – all you need to know about the pedagogy of blogging, how to blog etc

24. Sliderocket – an alternative to powerpoint. Great stuff! As is 280 Slides – an online collaborative alternative to ppt.

25. Web 2.0 cool tools for schools – comprehensive list of all the web 2.0 tools for educators to use

26. Flowgram – a great interactive tool I have used for presentations on my wiki….Highly recommended

27. RockYou! – a photo slideshow site. Check out my post “My 2008 at a glance”.

28. 100 sites for copyright free images

Have a read!

I have come across some interesting articles on Multimodal learning. Check them out!

1. Growing up with Google by Diana Oblinger. A great read. Discusses how visual literacy is more potent for our students than print-based text.

Powerpointlessness

This is oh-so-true!

Dodging Bullets