Multimodal Journey: Week 1: Week of January 14th

The idea of exploring a new literacy is very appealing. I have so many ideas at this point but am not completely sure the particulars of what I would like to explore. Unfortunately, I am not teaching in a classroom and my workplace is very restricting as far as what I am able to do and not do. I think for this project I will explore my own learning journey through a multimodal piece. Coming from an arts background I am challenging myself to incorporate art into my new literacy as I have seen firsthand the benefits of providing these opportunities to students. I am strongly connected to the ideas presented by Cornett and Smithrim that are as follows:

1. The arts are fundamental components of all cultures and time periods.
2. The arts teach us that all we think or feel cannot be reduced to words.
3. When students engage in the arts they have the opportunity to “be smart in different ways.”
4. The arts develop the brain.
5. The arts provide avenues of achievement for students who might otherwise not be successful.
6. The arts develop a value for perseverance and hard work.
7. The arts are a necessary part of life.
8. There is a strong positive relationship between the arts and academic success.
9. The arts offer alternative forms of assessment and evaluation.
10. The arts can be a “feel good” alternative for students who turn to drugs and other destructive means to “get high”.
11. The National Symposium on Arts Education of Canada calls for arts education for all children.

At this point I am considering incorporating photography in my new literacy as it is an art form that I do not have a lot of experience with personally. I do have a digital camera but do not use it for more than every day pictures, usually at special events. I would like to explore the possibility of PhotoStory or Windows Movie Maker. I know that I have Windows Movie Maker installed on my computer so I will have to look into PhotoStory to see if I have the appropriate requirements. My goal for this week is to play around with both of the programs and select one to explore for this project. I am also considering putting all of my notes up on a blog once I am done so that others can view it at a later date. I have been fascinated with the idea of blogging but have never explored the creation of one for myself. My blogging experience comes from reading others blogs so I would also like to explore the learning potential of creating my own blog. When I eventually have my own class I would like to be able to implement programs like Windows Movie Maker or PhotoStory into my teaching practice and blogging. These applications can provide students with other ways to demonstrate their learning. I think blogging could create a sense of community in the classroom where students could write at home and connect with one another. It could provide students with a collaborative learning opportunity that traditional classrooms lack.