Gain or not to Gain

“It is the supreme art of the TEACHER to awaken JOY in CREATIVE EXPRESSION and KNOWLEDGE.” – A Einstein

Gain or not to Gain!

Multimodal texts is a relatively new term for me. The process has been used, but never determined by name. This wonderful creation allows me to express myself and convey meaning in a variety of ways. Of course, standard writing guidelines are equally important, so I can’t dismiss standard essay formats entirely. Why? I believe that individuals should be able to present their information in a way that can be understood through writing alone. Also, its rather difficult to have students redefine/recreate an essay, when some might have issues with comprehending how to start. Students need to be weened off the traditional essay style. However, multimodal texts does

  E – X – P – A – N – D  &       

                                      E

                                  N

                            G

                         A

                             G

                                E  the readers, while it challenges the writer to think outside the box.  Jody Shipka mentions in a passage “that the framework is geared toward increasing students’ rhetorical, material, and methodological flexibility by requiring them to determine the purposes and contexts of the work they produce. Importantly, students working within this framework also assume responsibility for generating the solution procedure strips, or what I prefer to think of as the more dynamic and flexible “action sequences” (Hutchins 293), that will guide them through the successful accomplishment of each assigned task (p 286).” 

        Okay, it sounds good, but what are the complications with multimodal texts?

I would say time is one of the biggest factors which could cause complications. True, a student could paste a few pics, but when trying to captivate an audience, the creator has to think of their paper as a work of art.  Extensive research/resources may cause problems as schools may not have enough funds to generate the information or supplies needed. Last, students might not even know how to approach the topic chosen. After all, students are responsible for following these four steps:

1.Determine the product

2.Consider the process and methodologies used

3.Find enough resources and materials

4.Delivery and involve the reader

Not an easy task to take on when unsure or underprepared in the use of multimodal texts. Teachers should have students take a step-by-step method when learning multimodal text.  Small assignments and models could help them learn to develop their strategies when  compiling a multimodal project.

Adam Banks video shows how effective multimodal can be. When using media or audio, people can hear new pronunciation and associate the speaker with a particular area. Accents do play a huge role in comprehension and connection between the audience and speaker. Media can also visually show people who is speaking. It’s always nice to place a face to an article or voice.  Last, certain words/sentences come across more powerful when expressed through voice.

As we live in an age of technology, it would make sense for information to be developed to our times. People seek innovative and interactive ideas, which can be used to draw others into what information they are trying to sell.  Although multimodal texts have some cons, I still love how it gives students more room for expression. I think all classrooms should incorporate multimodal texts; it will bring a new perspective to essays.