Multimodality, ‘Reading’ and Literacy

From Jewitt's reading on the abovementioned, I feel that people are generally familiar with the multimodalness of traditional forms of reading and writing (text and images) on print. Most would be considered literate these days based on just that notion. However, with the advancement in technology, a new configuration of reading is required. Today, we understand that one can only be deemed truly literate should he or she be able to interpret and reproduce an integrated display of text, image, sound and movement on screen. Despite the shift in the definition of one's literate-ness, we can never escape the inherent irony that is engraved in our curriculum's policies and assessments which underscore the linear view of reading yet linguistic view of literacy. There is therefore a mismatch between what the world demands of students and the offer made by the officials.

With regard to the article's focus, while it appears that writing is gradually decentred and reliance of image/visual and other modes over words is increased, the prevalence of it in relation to other modes seem to be a pressing concern when one 'reads' the screen. I found what Jewitt mentioned about the relation of writing to tension and critique rather intriguing and interesting. In my opinion, such design of information gives an opportunity for it to be a stimulus for a fruitful and critical discussion. Additionally, it is especially useful for critical literacy classes that require students to uncover contradictions or underlying agenda perpetuated in such design.

In view of such benefit that the evolvement of reading and literacy offer, the call to rethink about them should be embraced as it prepares our children for the future world. Hence, if I had my way, I would really urge for the reform of assessment methods so that students do realise too, the value of being critical of the writings or generally designs of information they see surrounding them.

Language and Literacy Education: Purpose?

Based on Stein's and Tan's readings, the following is my take on the gist of what I have read and understood:

"The purpose of language and literacy education is to provide a platform for pupils to fully participate in classrooms through the process of meaning-making or representing meaning regardless of their cultural or linguistic background. The equal opportunity provided by the education system will also empower every individual to communicate their identity by granting them a voice in any mode possible instead of marginalising them."

I have used the phrases "fully participate" and "equal opportunity" to describe what I understood of the reading because both Stein and Tan suggest the notion of 'inequality' when it comes to the way classroom lessons are delivered because most of the time, the information perpetuated in class would marginalise or exclude those who do not share the same cultural or linguistic background that the school values.

For example, in a discussion of Places of Interest, be it located in Singapore or more so, overseas. Given the scenario that Pupil A comes from a family who is well-travelled and had the opportunity to visit maybe Paris, Japan, and all the places of interest in Singapore and Pupil B who had just been to the Zoo with the school. Chances are that Pupil A would be in a better position to participate fully in the discussion as compared to Pupil B because the former would have more to share. This would lead to the silence of the latter's voice. Thus, I believe that here, with the introduction of multiliteracy pedagogy, if properly embraced and carefully delivered by the teacher, Pupil B will have a higher chance of being included in the discussion since the pedagogy underscores how "language meets with cultural and linguistic diversity" (Cope and Kalantzis In Tan, 2008).

Conclusively, both readings also propose how literacy and language education would "...empower every individual to communicate their identity by granting them a voice in any mode possible..."
because, in my opinion, when diversity in the classroom is seen as a valued quality, every pupil will be able to voice out their opinion in their preferred mode – verbally, linguistically, visually or best still, integrating the different modes into a digital story.

Establishing Personal Identities through Videography

How do we, as teachers, get students to understand that the different elements in videography – angling, movement, positioning of shots, voicing, selection of shots, etc. – generate certain meaning in establishing their personal identities?

Using a video clip or a film as a teaching resource in the classroom seems to be less of a dream these days. The fact that pupils are well exposed to these modes (after undergoing various multimedia courses) makes those resources appropriate to engage and lead them to achieve a more critical understanding of what is presented, represented or more so perpetuated in them.

As an extension or complementary step to using these resources, teachers should consider and encourage pupils to become videographers that explore their "real identity" and generate certain meaning when establishing them. So, pupils must firstly undergo a course that explains the technicalities of videography skills as mentioned above.

Now, for them to discover what matters to them or who they are in the first place, I think that it can be achieved by getting pupils to experience various situations that they are unfamiliar with. I strongly believe that one's true character or personal identity will finally surface when pushed to the extreme. Therefore, these situations must be carefully crafted and may also be situations which reflect a 360-degree turn from the life they encounter.

For example, pupils may visit the boys' home or girls' home or even a community service trip to any neighbouring country and think about how people their age are coping or living their situations. Prior to this trip, teacher must first tap on the technical skills that they learnt and examine a couple of documentary-like clips with regard to issues that are pretty much opposite of their lives in Singapore. The following could be an exemplary clip that could be shown to pupils:

After showing the clips, teachers will engage pupils in a class discussion of how the videographer of each clip had used the elements mentioned and based on those elements, the kind of meaning or message they got from it – be it how the music matches the visual they see, the impact of zooming in and out of the picture or even how text complements the thought of the participant represented and many more.

Teachers will then lead them to reflect on themselves, what they like or dislike about their lives and then compare it with the people they are visiting. With the skills they had learnt from the videography course and knowledge on the elements based on the discussion, pupils will then record probably a 2-minute clip in which what they feel importantly for and their individual perspective on the issues are shown through the positioning and selection of the shots as well as the angling, voicing and etc... This would also mean that viewers would comprehend the attitudes, beliefs and values of each pupil just by watching what they portray in the clips and thus pupils would have successfully communicated and established their personal identity through placing what reflects or is of importance to them in the video.