I am now on week 5 of the digital technologies module, and in today’s class I further developed my understanding of multimodal texts used within the classroom and their benefits. Multimodal texts contain many different elements; linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial. Multimodal texts can be digital, paper based or live, covering media such as games, posters or performances.
Education Scotland highlight the importance that children experience many different types of text in multimodal settings (Education Scotland, 2019), it is a key part of the curriculum. Multimodal texts are also key in developing communication skills; “…such an approach would use many modes of communication including visual representation, sound, movement, gesture and language…” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.81).
Today we focused on creating our own multimodal text in the form of an eBook on the ‘Book Creator’ app. Book Creator is a simple way to make your own eBook on an iPad. Oxford dictionary defines eBooks as “an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a computer or a specifically designed handheld device” (Oxford University Press, 2019). With over 25 million eBooks created on Book Creator it could be a valuable resource to use in the classroom, as it is clearly a popular widely downloaded app. As it is a free download there is no extra cost, therefore if iPads are available in the school it is not difficult to access.
There are many advantages to using eBooks as multimodal resources, they have some “technological features that give them advantages over printed media” (Jarvis, 2015, p.146). As they are small, very portable and hold power for several hours this allows them to be used in different environments for relatively long lengths of time.
Personally, I have not come across the Book Creator app before, I haven’t used it during my own school experience, however I have heard about it several times in university during a digital literacy lecture in a previous module. I am surprised that the app wasn’t used during any of my primary school placements, as from today it is clear that this resource fulfils many curricular outcomes in a variety of subject areas.
Today’s workshop task was to recreate a children’s book on the Book Creator app, and we were challenged to make our recreations interactive and engaging. The eBook my partner and I created was our own version of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. I have used this book many times and built activities around the story during my placement therefore I feel very comfortable using it.
We began creating our eBook by adding in original illustrations and text from the book so that it was consistent and children were familiar with it. We were able to record audio and insert this to the eBook, we chose a clip from YouTube of the story read out in a song style, meaning pupils could sing or tap along. Throughout the eBook, we would ask learners interactive questions and for their own opinions, such as “What noise do you think the snowstorm would make?” We also challenged creativity on the concluding page, asking pupils to create their own obstacle of the bear hunt, which they could then add onto their own page of the eBook, allowing them to expand their digital skillset.
The experiences and outcomes which accompany our activity are; “I explore sounds, letters and words, discovering how they work together, and I can use what I learn to help me as I read and write.” LIT 0-13a, and “I can explore digital technologies and use what I learn to solve problems and share ideas and thoughts.” TCH 0-01a (Education Scotland, 2019).
There were very few aspects of Book Creator which I didn’t like. As we were in a full classroom it was fairly noisy therefore difficult to record audio clips, although this was easily solved by leaving the room so find a quieter space elsewhere around the campus. However, I feel that it was unfortunate that the software did not allow us to import videos or audio directly from YouTube, as this would mean audio would be clearer and there would be no limitations to what sound can be added. Also, when choosing a background only colours were available, although for the background of our eBook we decided to have the illustration images from the original book. This meant we had to increase the size of the image until it covered the background, however this didn’t always line up perfectly causing inconsistency. The app itself took quite a lot of experimenting with the many different tools and operations, but overall it was fairly straightforward to use, which means that in the classroom it can be used by both the teacher and pupils. I also liked that images could be added from the internet or camera roll, or the pen tool could be used for more creative eBooks. There was no limitation on the number of pages which gave us more freedom to express ideas. There is lots of potential with the ability to add videos, sound, pictures or text contributing to the multimodality of a text and the enhancement of learning and teaching (Beauchamp, 2012).
I found working with a partner very beneficial with this task; we worked very well together and incorporated both our ideas into the final product. We also took equal turns in using the app, to ensure we were both familiar with the app if we were to use it in the future.
As a student teacher, I would personally use Book Creator as a form of multimodal text in the classroom, it is a new and exciting resource to use with learners and could potentially encourage reading. As an eBook is a multimodal text it enhances teaching and learning, this app also allows children to express creativity and builds confidence due to the interactive features.
After this workshop, I have become more aware of the variety of ways multimodal texts can be displayed in the classroom. My knowledge of digital technologies is growing, and I am realising the endless possibilities accompanied by huge benefits of being a digitally literate student teacher.
References:
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson
.Jarvis, M. (2015) Brilliant Ideas for Using ICT in the Classroom. Routledge.
Online References:
Education Scotland, 2019 Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] Available at: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed on: 20th February 2019]
Oxford University Press. (2019) Definition of e-Book. [Online] Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/e-book[Accessed on: 20th February 2019]
