Talking Multimodality in an Early Literacy Classroom: Exploring One Teacher’s Semiotic Practices

• In Event: Semiotic Understandings of Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine how one teacher talks about multimodality with her second grade students in the context of a school literacy curriculum that blends print and digital literacy practices. Until recently, there was little room for multimodality in the school literacy curriculum and thus little reason to talk about it. However, changes in the communication landscape have made multimodality essential to 21st century literacy. Despite the irony of focusing on the mode of sign-making that has been privileged over all others in school, there are a number of theoretical and pedagogical reasons for pursuing this question. (101 words)

Authors

• Ting Yuan, College of Staten Island - CUNY

• Marjorie Siegel, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Carolyn P. Panofsky, Rhode Island College

• Lauren Bakian, NYC Department of Education