Week 7- Multimodal texts

During the seminar I created a multi-modal text using PowerPoint. I created an interactive book on the story of Cinderella. I think an interactive book is an effective way of engaging children as it is interactive and less scary then simply putting pen to paper. This is supported by East Riding of Yorkshire Council [Online] who suggests that texts which integrate images and sounds as well as texts are a great way of engaging children in meaningful interactions with both writing and reading. I also thought the interactive book was a great activity as it is adaptable and can be used for any subject area such as learning about adjectives in Literacy whilst also supporting the development of ICT skills. East Riding of Yorkshire Council [Online] also claim that multi-modal texts can be created by both teachers or children and are adaptable to suit learning needs and contexts.

It is important that teachers embrace multi-modal texts and multi-literacies as they are now an important part of the curriculum, as pupils are expected to become digitally literate and should ‘be able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world’ (DfE, 2013: p.1). Therefore multi-modal texts are a key competent of our curriculum and teachers need to be able to teach children how to use multi-modal texts so that they can be equipped for when they enter the real world. Medwell, Moore, Wray and Griffiths (2012) highlight how multi-modal texts can sometimes be demanding for readers as the layout and sequence of text is not as simple as when reading from a book. This demonstrates the importance that teachers have in giving children exposure to different types of digital texts so that they will be able to access these texts as they develop.

Before this seminar I was unaware of the different uses that PowerPoint has and was surprised at how easily I could create an interactive story. This module has helped me realise the potential that multi-modal texts can have in the classroom, as I have enjoyed engaging with multi-modal texts and multi-literacies myself, therefore I can see how children will have the same enjoyment from working with these exciting technologies. Whilst is essential that children are still taught in traditional ways, I believe that it is also important to embrace the technology that is available today, in order to make learning fun, engaging and memorable.  

Bibliography:

Department for Education (DfE) (2013) Computing programmes of study: key stages 1 and 2. [Online] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239033/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Computing.pdf.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council (Undated) What is multimodal writing? [Online] http://www.eriding.net/english/multimodal_writing.shtml.

Medwell, J. Moore, G. Wray, D. Griffiths, V. (2012) Primary English Knowledge and Understanding London: Learning Matters.