Designing Multimodal Texts

Ladies, I hope this doesn’t overwhelm you but BARB had lots to discuss this week. Happy reading J

In the BARB reading this week, chapter 8, we all had the chance to read different ways of understanding and creating multimodal digital texts, which were elaborated on using three major components, namely images, audio and video. However, I will elaborate only on the “images” section which talked about a variety of digital tools that students and teachers alike can use to access, create, display and analyze images.  For accessing images students can use image repository sites like Yahoo Flicker can locate different images using “folksonomy,” which is the tagging of a photo online so it can be easily found. I bet you didn’t know that was the word for “tagging pictures?” I sure didn’tJ.

What are some teacher folksonomies that you know about and on what sites do you use them?  Maybe we can all get some ideas for our classrooms or lessons. For example I like #teachersofthegram on Instagram and the tag “teacherstuff on Pinterest.

Also discussed was the use of different image creation tools like Adobe PhotoExpress as well as different ways for students to share their photos. For example, through photologs like Fotolog, Photoblogs and TextAmerica. Uploading photos to these kinds of sites is known as “moblogging.” Who knew?! It also mentioned that students could compose multimodal texts through images using Instagram, Snapchat, which are two photo sharing tools. Also, Voice Thread and Marqueed which allows users to add voice comments to pictures. ThingLink for adding links within images and Glogster, which allows students to collect and comb visual images to create Glogs. In addition to Haiku Desk, Comics Creation Tools like Comic Life for Man and Windows http://plasq.com/education/take-comic-life-to-school/ , and Drawing and painting images with apps like Sketchbook and Doddle Buddy are great resources for students to use when composing multimedia texts through images. It was also noted that students should respond to images using the critical response protocol as well as the importance of copyrighted images. BARB noted that “students need to be aware of “fair use” provisions of the copyright law that allows for uses of copyrighted images for educational purposes associated with transforming an image for purpose of critical analysis, parody, or remix. To learn more about this you all can check out the Code of Best Practices in Fair Use For Media Literacy Education.

Chapter nine of BARB focused more on understanding and creating digital texts for an audience. It noted that students should first “consider how use of different formats or designs serves to communicate different meaning to audiences.”  I think this is very important because all images, covey a certain message and it is important for students to first analyze and understand what they mean. Students should also have the opportunity to analyze the design of documents to learn how to design and edit their own digital texts. When presenting their digital texts students can use presentation tools like Power Point, which I love, Keynote, Google Slides and Prezi. Students who know how to create effective presentations can utilize print, images, charts, graphs, images, audio or video clips and websites. I think it is important for teachers to teach students how to create effective presentations as it helps to

I think that all students can engage in creating effective presentations. Have you ever engaged your students in creating group or individual presentations? What did it entail?

Bridget Dalton in her article DIY E-Books Designing Enhanced E-Texts along with BARB (9), discussed the creating of E-books. Dalton noted that “The 21st century teacher is a DIYer who takes advantage of digital tools and social media,” Which is a statement I totally agree with as she went on to discuss the free DIY e- book–making tool, the UDL Book Builder. She noted that the book making tool allows the user/author “to embed multimedia supports for fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension within the digital text.” After reading this article I think it would be a great, fun and easy way for students to create their own multimodal texts. This tool can be used by all types of students as there are many features that can be used to support their individual needs. For example, the read aloud tool, Text-to-Speech (TTS) which can be used to support reading online or the Audio-Recorded Narration which gives students the opportunity to record their own voices on each text screen. With this e-book builder they can also create multimedia glossaries to build vocabulary and language where they can use hyperlinks or the mouse over technique. This book builder allows students to create their own e-books, as it supports students’ interest and allows them to be super engaged with the many options it provides.

BARB notes that e-books allows students to add links, images, videos and or presentations and they too can self-publish (to sell) them through Amazon Kindle, the Apple Store, or Smash Books. If students were interested in sharing their writings online through another means, BARB mentioned the use of FanFiction.net, Figment, and Wattpad. They could also use Joomag, Scoop-it, UniFlip, OpenZine, Calameo and Themeeefy to create magazines or create online newspapers or newsletters by using word processing tools, blogs or Printing Press.

 BARB also indicated that students should learn to code, create apps, and ensure that their digital designs have readability. In addition, students should engage in using digital tools that help with the editing, of which include grammar and spell-checkers like Word and AbiWord. Word Clouds, like Wordle (Tabitha made one of these for our group-which was really nice) and Tegxedo can also be used to identify the repetition of certain words. Students should also know how to cite or reference the work they may use that belong to someone else, they should know how to use the different types of reference styles like APA and MLA and they should also know how to use citation software such as Bibme, Easybib, Write-and-cit and Citation Machine which give students the upper hand on easily creating and saving their own references for future use. Last, the one thing that all students must remember when designing and editing digital texts for an audience is plagiarism. If work is taken from another source students should do the right thing and cite its origin.

Do you use any of these sites in your classroom? If you do, which ones and why? If you do not, would you consider using any in your classroom and why?

Moving on to Dalton’s second article, Level Up With Multimodal Composition In Social Studies, defined the phrase “level up” as the “means to improve, or more precisely, to increase one’s stature in life or performance at a particular task.” While reading this article felt as if the author was giving us the inside scoop on what we should do or what should occur when our students begin to create their own e-books, and in this case it was during a social studies lesson. However, I do believe these steps can be adopted for all subjects.

Consequently, this is what I gathered from the article. Before students begin creating their books, teachers should engage the entire class in creating one multimodal text. As Dalton says, “This was [is] important to developing students’ identities as multimodal composers and to begin conversations about design.” When this is done it is easier for students to then work in groups. During this time students can be shown different designs, and other tools for example the audio narration tool, to enhance their projects. After students have had the opportunity to view modeled behavior they can be placed in guided multimodal composition groups. When students work with teachers and peers they learn from each other. In addition, when students get the hang of what they are to do they can also assist their classmates and this was referred to as the Cascading Expert Model and/or Jus-in-Time Help. Creating multimodal texts encourages students to be creative, work collaboratively and gives them the chance to use many apps and tools thus increasing their digital literacy skills.

In what subjects do you implement multimodal activities in your classroom? How do you (or how would you) implement them and what are some examples?

Here's the Wordly that Tabitha made for us.