Week 7: Multimodal Texts and the Implications for Future Practice.

This is one of my examples of using a multimodal text to combine media and literacy. During the seminar with Pam, I found this relatively easy to make and feel that children will also find it simple to create once taught the fundamental skills of Microsoft Office PowerPoint. QCA and UKLA (2005) state the importance of children using, and creating, multimodal texts in the classroom. In relation, it can help children to develop their own digital literacy skills in combination with a well-known ICT software. I favour this particular way of creating a multimodal text because it does not hold any barriers for schools; every school that I have ever been in has a Microsoft Office Package on all of their laptops and computers. Therefore, this multimodal text will be one that it simple and accessible to both children and teachers.

In this session, I chose one image which I used at the background for every slide. After this, I wrote text on each slide to mirror a story, and to set the scene for a fictional narrative. This is a simple multimodal text device that children can use, they can simply write one sentence on each slide to slowly build up the story. Merchant (2005) believes that children benefit from being taught ways to become more digitally literate in modern society. With younger children, it may be useful to use a well-known story and allow children to explore key texts prior to creating their own multimodal text (Bearne, 2003). Ultimately, this will break down potential barriers to their learning and allow them to fully access and engage in the task (Dean, 2010).

I would most definitely use this in my classroom. As a lover of fictional narrative and creative writing activities; I am always looking for new ways to engage the children and break down any potential barriers that traditional methods such as pen and paper may possess (Dean, 2010). I feel it is an easy and simple way to integrate ICT into the Literacy curriculum in a beneficial cross-curricular exchange (DFEE, 2013).

Bibliography:

Bearne, E. (2003) Rethinking Literacy: communication, representation and text in reading UK

Dean, G. ‘Rethinking Literacy’ in Bazalgette, C. (ed) (2010) Teaching Media in Primary Classrooms London: SAGE.

Department for Education (2013) Primary National Curriculum. [Online]

Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculum [Accessed 17/1/2014].

Medwell, J., Wray, D., Minns, H., Coates, E., & Griffiths, V. (2012) Primary English Teaching Theory and Practice (6th Edition). London: Learning Matters

Merchant, G. (2005) ‘Barbie meets Bob the Builder at the Workstation: learning to write on screen’ in Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media & Digital Literacy in Early Childhood. Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer