401 Reading Response 1

The article "Multiple Sign Systems and Reading" by Cousin & Berghoff is about using different methods to construct meaning, such as art, music, mathematics, and language. These ways are useful when words just do not seem to be enough to express yourself. "Fortunately, we think more alike than not, and our constructed meanings are usually quite similar or parallel to the meanings expressed." (pg. 520). Multiple sign systems are used by children even before they begin school, and this can really help them make sense of the word through ways they can understand, such as drawing or singing. New ideas are constantly generated through using a multiple sign system. They can even involve nonreaders into the classroom activities by using different methods or techniques to reach out to them.

In the article, "The Arts, New Literacies and Multi-Modality" they state, "The authors in this issue challenge the reader to consider the ways in which everyday literacies that their students bring to the classroom are valued by inviting students to develop an awareness of how and what they represent, and to encourage a transformation of thinking when the arts, multi-modality, and new literacies are introduced as significant parts of new literacy practices." (page 18). It is said that the children are learning more about literacy outside of the school rather than in school. The main point is how, how do we build on what the children already know and what the children already bring with them.With the technologies that are offered to us today, students can take common things (photos, videos, projects, etc.) and fix them up with different types of technology. The arts, literacies, and multi-modality have their own principles and all that put together redefines literacy and what literate really is. Using these technologies in the classrooms could be almost close to impossible, but they are becoming a huge part in the literacy learning

Creating Critical Multiliteracies by Crafton, Silvers, and Brennan shows the importance of new teaching methods.  The article gives an example of how one classroom teacher allowed her second graders to shape the learning of the classroom.  "Whole learning experiences can not be planned in detail before students get involved. Learners must be integral contributors to the decision making process, not sideliners waiting to implement someone else's best laid plan"(p.92).   What this quote is saying is that there should only be a skeleton of what is going to be learned in class.  When a child finds something interesting though, allow them to expand on that interest and move the learning in their direction.  In the example, the teacher reads a story about dog sledding knowing that there is a large race in Alaska in the coming weeks.  When the children finish readin the story they want to know more about dog sledding and she leads them into the direction of researching and updating themselves on the upcoming race.  They use books, newspapers, and the internet to do so.  She involves all types of media and strategies for the groups to learn.  By having the children be an important part in the planning and structure of the learning you will find that they become more interested in the topic because it is something they want to know more about.

This link shows an example of how children can elaborate on their interest and still be learning.  The teachers allowed the children to find a topic that interest them and spent the next months going more in depth about the topic using different texts and technology. http://edtap.psu.edu/video/zines/