Media, Language and Multiliteracies/Multimedia and Technology

We live in a globalized, networked, culturally diverse world, where we encounter knowledge in multiple forms; in print, in images, in video, in forms of digital context.  Literacy has been taken to a new level, and words like digital literacy and multiliteracy have appeared in our vocabulary. The National Curriculum of English states that the primary aim for English is to promote high standards of language and literacy, and that it is crucial to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life (DFE, 2013). It is therefore educators’ task to prepare pupils for adult life and citizenship, and by that we can no longer just teach them to read and understand only the written word (Stafford, 2011). We need to open our horizon and develop our repertoire, so that we can embrace and use these new digital literacies in our curriculum. We teach children how to read and understand traditional books, because we believe that they need scaffolds and guidelines to do so, so why should we expect that they are able to read and understand these new forms for literacy without help? (Stafford, 2011).

Learning style, languages skills, background knowledge etc. can vary widely within the classroom, and no two pupils will enter a classroom with identical abilities, experiences and needs (Hiim et al. 2007). Regardless of their individual differences, all pupils are still expected to master the same skills (DFE 2013). This is a huge challenge to overcome, and it is up to the teacher to differentiate her lessons, so that she can take all of the pupils’ factors into account when she plans and gives instructions (Bearne, 1996). A way of doing this could be by using new technologies like SW did, when we visited the school. The school used iPads as their main focus to create a digital classbook. The pupils were divided into groups, where they all had different assignments, so that every single child could use their skills and background knowledge. They worked together as a team, and all contributed to the finished result.
Another positive outcome from using new technology and working with multimodal texts was the motivation around it. The pupils seemed so motivated and engaged in their work, and they were all trying to make an effort in creating something of their own. Motivation plays a huge role for the children’s learning process, and I would agree with John Guthrie when he claims that if there is no motivation, there is no learning. (Roe, 2010).

I still believe that the traditional books and printed written words etc. should be an effective part of the curriculum since it is though literature that children learn an awareness of themselves and others, and it is in the literature they are able to identify themselves with the characters and the world around them. I would also use nontraditional literature like comic books and graphic novels, because through visual literacy (Stafford, 2011) they can likewise be able to do all of this.
I have learned that there are so many opportunities and ways of using new literacies and technologies, and it has opened my mind and I feel more prepared to go out and use it in my own future classroom, then I did before.

 
Bibliography:
Bearne, E. (1996) Differentiation and diversity in the primary school. London:Routledge

DFE, Department for education (2013) The National Curriculum of England, English available at http://learn.winchester.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/363135/mod_resource/content/1/English%20NC%202013.pdf

Hilde Hiim and Else Hippe (2007) Læring gennem oplevelse, forståelse og handling. Gyldendal

Roe, A. (2010) Læsedidaktik – efter den første læseundervisning. KLIM

Stafford, T. (2011) Teaching visual literacy in the primary classroom. Abingdon:Routledge