Multimodal Composition PD
Workshop Overview
In this two hour split workshop between online and in-person connections, we’ll be learning what multimodality is, how it can benefit you and your students, and leave with takeaways you can use with your students. Using Google Classroom as the interface for our communication, we will explore multimodality together!
Agenda
Learning Outcomes
Enduring Value - What is the grounding research supporting this topic?
Times are a’changing and education should too. In the words of cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, “We must teach our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet” (Mead, 1970). There are changes in the way we communicate, the way we learn and share learning, and the speed in which all of this happens. Much of this change has been brought about by the advent of the digital age and the increase in collaboration and the use of technology and images to convey ideas. According to researchers Tapscott and Williams, “These changes, among others, are ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history - a world where value creation will be fast, fluid and persistently disruptive” (Tapscott and Williams, 2008). Never before in history have there been so many changes within such a short space of time. The ability to adapt, innovate and create is in high demand. Creativity in teaching and learning will be imperative for our students to be successful currently and in the future. A comprehensive education should provide an environment that fosters innovation and critical thinking, encourages collaboration, and gives opportunities for students to analyze and solve complex problems.
Educators need to re-examine the way they teach concepts and how they ask students to show their learning. Traditionally, tests, whether paper or computer based, have been used to show knowledge gained but this method leaves something to be desired and often does not require creativity, making work public or deep conceptual understanding of a subject. Multimodal learning and teaching is a great way to address changes in education and societal needs while meeting the needs of diverse students at the same time. A mode is a unit of expression and representation (Roswell, 2013). Multimodal compositions are works that use more than just words and letters to communicate a thought. There are a variety of modes available: film, sound, visual interface, videogame, space, movement, word, and textile. Technology can and should be integrated throughout students’ learning as well. Through the use and creation of multimodal compositions, students have the opportunity to utilize a variety of linguistic, auditory, visual, physical and technological means to gain, understand and apply knowledge. Multimodal composition encourages teachers to stretch their views of making meaning as it is currently envisioned in education. By tapping into various areas of expertise and interest, educators are able to reach a wider array of students and produce deeper understanding of a topic.
Resources
Google Classroom: classroom.google.com, Class Code: phigc7
Google Form: How do you show understanding?
Keeler, Alice, and Libbi Miller. 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom. Print.
Learning About How We See Assessment: Multimodality: Gretchen Brinza’s Website (6th Grade)
Rowsell, Jennifer. Working with Multimodality: Rethinking Literacy in a Digital Age. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Rubistar: Creating Rubrics for Your Project-Based Learning Activities
Tapscott, D., and A. D. Williams. 2008. Wikinomics. New York: Penguin Group.
In this two hour split workshop between online and in-person connections, we’ll be learning what multimodality is, how it can benefit you and your students, and leave with takeaways you can use with your students. Using Google Classroom as the interface for our communication, we will explore multimodality together!
Agenda
- Entering Google Classroom
- What is it? How is it useful for teachers? Students?
- How to join a class?
- Entering class code
- Entering students manually
- Entering class code
- What is it? How is it useful for teachers? Students?
- Google Form: How do you show understanding?
- Complete the first assignment in Google Classroom
- Discussing the results to inform teaching
- Complete the first assignment in Google Classroom
- Multimodality: What is it?
- Books/Twitter/Websites overview
- Highlighting examples of multimodality
- Sound
- Touchpoints
- Sound
- Books/Twitter/Websites overview
- Quickfire: Vocabulary Representation
- Choose any vocabulary word you’ve been learning about in any subject area.
- Agree as a team about your word
- Express that vocabulary word using at least two different modes (dance, speech, drawing, video, text, etc.)
- Share out! Attach, link, or create your mode in Google Classroom. Don’t forget to turn it in!
- Choose any vocabulary word you’ve been learning about in any subject area.
- Quickfire: Rubric Development
- Create a rubric specific to showing understanding of your vocabulary word
- Rubric is transferable across modes
- Share out! Attach, link, or create your rubric in Google Classroom. Don’t forget to turn it in!
- Create a rubric specific to showing understanding of your vocabulary word
Learning Outcomes
- Defining Multimodality
- Examples
- Bringing multimodality into the classroom
- Assessment: Getting there and then what it looks like
- Practicality: Takeaways
- What using Google Classroom looks like in actual classrooms.
- Exploring multimodality with students
- Assessment opportunities
- What using Google Classroom looks like in actual classrooms.
Enduring Value - What is the grounding research supporting this topic?
Times are a’changing and education should too. In the words of cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, “We must teach our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet” (Mead, 1970). There are changes in the way we communicate, the way we learn and share learning, and the speed in which all of this happens. Much of this change has been brought about by the advent of the digital age and the increase in collaboration and the use of technology and images to convey ideas. According to researchers Tapscott and Williams, “These changes, among others, are ushering us toward a world where knowledge, power, and productive capability will be more dispersed than at any time in our history - a world where value creation will be fast, fluid and persistently disruptive” (Tapscott and Williams, 2008). Never before in history have there been so many changes within such a short space of time. The ability to adapt, innovate and create is in high demand. Creativity in teaching and learning will be imperative for our students to be successful currently and in the future. A comprehensive education should provide an environment that fosters innovation and critical thinking, encourages collaboration, and gives opportunities for students to analyze and solve complex problems.
Educators need to re-examine the way they teach concepts and how they ask students to show their learning. Traditionally, tests, whether paper or computer based, have been used to show knowledge gained but this method leaves something to be desired and often does not require creativity, making work public or deep conceptual understanding of a subject. Multimodal learning and teaching is a great way to address changes in education and societal needs while meeting the needs of diverse students at the same time. A mode is a unit of expression and representation (Roswell, 2013). Multimodal compositions are works that use more than just words and letters to communicate a thought. There are a variety of modes available: film, sound, visual interface, videogame, space, movement, word, and textile. Technology can and should be integrated throughout students’ learning as well. Through the use and creation of multimodal compositions, students have the opportunity to utilize a variety of linguistic, auditory, visual, physical and technological means to gain, understand and apply knowledge. Multimodal composition encourages teachers to stretch their views of making meaning as it is currently envisioned in education. By tapping into various areas of expertise and interest, educators are able to reach a wider array of students and produce deeper understanding of a topic.
Resources
Google Classroom: classroom.google.com, Class Code: phigc7
Google Form: How do you show understanding?
Keeler, Alice, and Libbi Miller. 50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom. Print.
Learning About How We See Assessment: Multimodality: Gretchen Brinza’s Website (6th Grade)
Rowsell, Jennifer. Working with Multimodality: Rethinking Literacy in a Digital Age. London: Routledge, 2013. Print.
Rubistar: Creating Rubrics for Your Project-Based Learning Activities
Tapscott, D., and A. D. Williams. 2008. Wikinomics. New York: Penguin Group.
Newsletter
Below is the video from our DPG about the books we read and our takeaways. It was our first attempt at Google Hangout on Air, and we had a few technical difficulties, as well as some display issues. Consequently, it isn't the most beautiful video, but if you just listen to the audio, I think that you will find nuggets of wisdom throughout the whole thing.
50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom by Alice Keeler and Libbi Miller, and Working with Multimodality: Rethinking Literacy in a Digital Age by Jennifer Rowsell were the two main books that were talked about. 50 Things was very practical, and gives a great foundation for using Google Classroom. Jennifer Rowsell's book was very thought-provoking and really makes you think about how you are meeting the passions of the students in front of you. Are you including enough modes in your instruction and in their practice so that their learning is optimized? We also discussed how we are creating digital portfolios and how that process is going.
50 Things You Can Do with Google Classroom by Alice Keeler and Libbi Miller, and Working with Multimodality: Rethinking Literacy in a Digital Age by Jennifer Rowsell were the two main books that were talked about. 50 Things was very practical, and gives a great foundation for using Google Classroom. Jennifer Rowsell's book was very thought-provoking and really makes you think about how you are meeting the passions of the students in front of you. Are you including enough modes in your instruction and in their practice so that their learning is optimized? We also discussed how we are creating digital portfolios and how that process is going.
Deep Play Group
Our DPG worked very well during the time off and we enjoyed our time together in September. The following video gives an overview of some of the things I learned this summer and shows two books that we are focused on for our group. It was my first Screencastify video, and I can see why people enjoy it!
Our Deep Play Group is focusing on Multi-Modal Composition. This was a new concept to me, and a term that I hadn't heard about before making this group. From what I understand, the term is mainly used in writing as a way to allow students to be creative in their presentation of their ideas. We are going to apply that idea to STEM this year, and have the students create online portfolios showing their work.