Journal Entry 3 - Classrooms, Multimodal Pedagogies and Remixing

This week I read about multimodal pedagogies and remixing, which I found to be quite interesting. According to Vasudevan, Dejaynes, and Schimier (2013) by using multimodal play "educators are better able to make pedagogical connections with adolescents' evolving literacies" (p.24). One of the examples given is from Dejaynes classroom, where she allows her students to blog and use various technological devices in the classroom (p.28). She even has a couple laptops that are not locked and filtered by the DOE, for her students to use. Allowing them "to access Youtube and other social netowrking sites"  (p.28).  As a fellow NYC educator, I know the frustration that sometimes ensue from not being able to access Youtube or other sites for a particular lesson. I will now consider working more closely with the school's tech guy, to have him give me access when needed, as I don't think the use of permanently "open" laptops is possible. Blogging is also very useful in class settings (as demonstrated from its use in this class) and helps students use a digital forum to write and be creative. I think the student, A'idah describes it best when she says, "...I feel like my hands can't keep up with my thoughts when I write on paper" (p.30). I really connected with this statement, as I sometimes suffer from the same frustration in regards to writing. And if I can feel this way as an adult, who did not grow up with all these technological gadgets, how much more must it affect my students.

Dejaynes use of computers, cameras, blogging and social media in the classroom, truly give the students options in expressing themselves. By allowing the students to use unlocked computers and cellphones in the classroom, this form of education lends to Ted Sizer's educational theory of "student as learner and teacher as coach." Moving away from the traditional roles of transcriber and dictator. An example of the learner-coach relationship is evident in how Dejaynes works with A'idah. She doesn't just leave the A'idah on her own when she asks to blog, instead she sets goals to check her work, "because sometimes she only pretends to blog as she sifts through Facebook pages and music videos instead" (p.29). There is a certain amount of trust that is rendered to the student, however Dejaynes checks in on her students, so they don't feel like they are on their own.

While I find the use of technology to be important, and after reading these chapters wanting to implement more technology into my lessons, I still find some of Dejaynes practices to be a bit controversial. Particularly the use of cellphones in the classroom by students. Just like Dajaynes, there are teachers in my school who believe cellphones and all other devices should be used in the classroom. While I can see the purpose of cellphones in the classroom, I think with the advancement of cellphone technology, it can prove to be more of a hindrance than a useful tool. When this piece was written, cellphones were not as popular and advanced as they as today, which is evident from the devices that she mentioned ("Sidekicks, iTouches, Blackberries..."(p.29)). With cellphones that have cameras clear enough to capture a picture across a room and post to various social media sites within seconds, I find it more difficult to monitor and stop students from doing what they want to. Even with the use of laptops that are locked, students find ways to get into "trouble." Of course, this doesn't apply to all students, but it is a reality. Just this summer I had a situation where students decided to record themselves using profane language and hand gestures, when they should have been working on an assignment. Not to mention those who use their cell phones to post indecent pictures of classmates or fights that take place during school hours. While these may be rare occurrences, they still happen and are the reason why certain devices, I believe, should not be used in the classroom.

Overall, I think the use of multimodal pedagogies is important, especially in urban settings where there are higher accounts of students with IEPs and behavioral modification plans. By integrating non-traditional methods into lessons, more students may become engaged and benefit from what is being taught.

Reference

Vasudevan, L., Dejaynes, T., & Schmier, S. (2013). Mutlimodal Pedagogies: Playing, Teaching and Learning with Adolescents' Digital Literacies. In Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (Eds.) A New Literacies Reader. (pp. 23-37). New York, NY: Peter Lang.