Multimodal Literacy: Adding More Opportunities for Students to Practice Literacy Skills

“Just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved.” 

I couldn’t narrow down the quotes for this article, so here's a second, bonus quote:

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”

What is Literacy, Anyway?

According to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE, 2015):

“Literacy involves the ability to read, write, and communicate effectively across a variety of modes and media. This includes not only traditional print but also digital, visual, and multimedia forms of communication, enabling individuals to navigate, interpret, and create meaning in a complex, interconnected world.”

Multimodal literacy refers to engaging with and producing content that integrates technology into literacy allowing for expansion of reading, writing, speaking, and listening to digital media.

Ways to Boost Multimodal Literacy

Interactive Storytelling: Encourage students to create digital stories using videos, images, and text. Tools like Canva and Clips bring student voice to the forefront.

Multimedia Presentations: Students can present their projects using more than Google Slides with photos. Try Keynote and encourage the use of a combination of slides, videos, and audio clips. 

Digital Portfolios: Maximize the unlimited creation space in each tab of a Numbers app document to draw, type, use shapes, add audio, add video, and more!

Want to know more? Email me, Joe Robinson, Director of Innovation, to schedule time for me to visit your team time, department meeting, staff meeting, etc. I'd love to share ideas and templates. 

Why Multimodal Literacy Matters

How do you consume content? Is it only via text on a page? In our interconnected world, information isn’t just text-based. It comes in videos, podcasts, social media posts, and interactive websites. Multimodal literacy refers to the ability to understand and create content that combines different modes of communication. Recent research underscores the importance of developing these skills in students:

“Multimodal literacy allows students to leverage multiple modes of communication, enhancing their ability to understand and create complex ideas.” (Gee, 2007)

“Incorporating digital tools into the classroom fosters an environment where students can engage with content in diverse and meaningful ways.” (Mishra & Koehler, 2006)

These insights highlight that multimodal literacy isn’t just an add-on; it’s an integral component of modern education that prepares students for the complexities of the digital world.

References

Gee, J. P. (2007). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition, Palgrave Macmillan.

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M.J.. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record, vol. 108, no. 6, pp. 1017-1054. JSTOR.

National Council of Teachers of English. (2015). The NCTE Multimodal Literacy Statement. National Council of Teachers of English, https://ncte.org/statement/multimodal-literacy/