Week 7: Article review

The article ‘Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms” was fascinating!  I learned about the nuances that are thoughtfully placed in picture books to convey meaning and generate emotion.  I’m not sure I ever paid so much attention to the contents of a picture book beyond just the text and the illustrations.  However, after reading this article and the case studies of the elementary school teachers utilizing multimodalities in their classrooms, I now am more aware of subtle but impactful changes like text font, color and size.  Like the example in the article, teachers can engage students by discovering such modes during a whole class reading of a book.  Students can then apply their new knowledge in their own expressive and illustrative writing to make their text come alive.   By being more aware of the cues provided in a picture book and understanding the cultural context which gives meaning to such modes, student comprehension can increase.  It is important for teachers to ensure students understand these multiple modes given the diversity of experience each student bring into the classroom.  For example, increasingly larger text in a picture book may indicate the character is shouting to some students but to others, this could indicate something different depending on how their culture or experiences shape their understanding.

The article “Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners” reignites my interest in Second Life. In my previous corporate career, I had heard about large organizations like IBM utilize Second Life for various purposes.  I considered incorporating this platform to foster a culture of inclusion and respect for diversity particularly among new employees.  At that time, I was not impressed with the quality of interaction and the time it took to engage with other avatars.  After patiently with Second Life, I felt that videoconferencing and/or a conference call provided more value despite their own limitations.  Four years later however, internet speeds and bandwidths have risen considerably and I would guess users of a data-intensive application like Second Life would benefit. Given the relatively unstructured nature of Second Life, applying a methodical instructional design principle like ADDIE is necessary to tailor the platform for educational uses.  With the right design, implementation and evaluation, I can see how an effective learning environment can be designed using the collaborative and exploratory benefits of Second Life.