Week 12- Dalton "Level Up" & Images

According to Urban Dictionary, "level up" means "to make a move in your life or career for the better."

When first presented with this terminology, two images immediately came to mind...

My first true love-
Zach Morris from "Saved By the Bell"



Oh yes, he was quite the popular crush back then, but I was determined that some day he'd be mine. And so would that cell phone. (How cool was he?) Now, before you get too judgmental, rest assured I have since "leveled up"...

My future husband- 
the one and only, Jason Statham



Pardon me while I sit and admire for a few moments ..............................................................
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Ok, I'm back. I'm focused. I'm.... gosh darnnit he's staring at me...
Anyways, obviously not only has the cell phone "leveled up" in the past 30 years, but so has my taste in men. I mean, I've certainly taken it to the next level in a desire to improve my life. 

All joking aside, Dalton's article "Level Up with Multimodal Composition in Social Studies" was an excellent practitioner article that provided great insight into how two teachers brought their instruction and assessment to the "next level" by incorporating multimodal composition in their classrooms. Dalton states that "to level up, I knew I needed to explore new tools, genres and devices and to stretch from language arts to another content area." This really resonated with me because I feel 
very strongly that a desire and choice to continually grow and develop as an educator has significant implications on student achievement. 

The pedagogy presented in this article truly represents a level of professionalism, flexibility, reflection, and best practices that is admirable and inspiring. One method utilized in their unit was the use of the Cascading Expert model and "just-in-time" help. This best practice employs student "experts" (whom have already mastered the skill or technique) as peer teachers, assisting students in the classroom and helping them become proficient at a skill, whom then become peer teachers as well. This collaborative method of learning also helps to build confidence and community within a classroom. 

Although not required, I highly recommend that you take the time to read the article. It is easy to read and provides great insight on what it can look like to dig deep into your own practices and expectations, step slightly outside of your comfort zone, and make minor changes that have huge implications on student understanding, engagement, and achievement.

On another note, and not completely unrelated, I explored the use of images in multimodal texts.

Although posted in 2010, the above video entitled "The Power of Images and Symbols" does a great job of emphasizing why and how images influence our perception and thoughts about a specific topic. Although set in a video format and has an audio file (music) that plays with it, the video itself is more of a slideshow in the sense that it includes on still images. 

In discussing with my husband and 11 year-old son the differences between images, video, and audio components of a multimodal text, we all agreed that one benefit of images is that they leave room for a tremendous amount of interpretation by the reader. This allows the reader to view the image within the context in which it is being presented and/or within the context of their personal experiences. 

Although images have strength and can be used effectively on their own, a writer may choose to add a text overlay or an audio file to enhance the image, or more clearly explain what their intention behind the use of that specific image is for the reader.

When contemplating how the use of images in multimodal texts can help to develop 21st Century skills, the Toledo Museum of Art provides these connections to visual literacy and critical thinking, and visual literacy and creativity.

Perhaps some of the challenges associated with using images in multimodal texts include the use of deliberate images that are chosen specifically to fill a need within a text and providing enough context for the reader to enhance their understanding without providing such clarity that they do not continue to interact with the text. Additionally, given the ease and plethora of images that are so easily accessible, one could consider the sheer volume of images needed to look through to select the right one, and the determination of copyright limitations, can also be considered challenging

Additionally, from an instructional perspective, a teacher must ensure that they spend time analyzing images with students in order to develop the skills necessary to benefit (more than superficially) from the images presented within a text. Robert DiYanni from "The College Board" writes that the ability to read images requires explicit instruction. His methodology includes how to approach an image, making observations, making connections, drawing inferences, and formulating a conclusion. Related to today's discussion of Veteran's Day, I've included the image he uses as an example in his article "Reading Images: An Approach and a Demonstration" (displayed below).

I'll leave you with this final video, which was created by students for their teachers. I found it to be very interesting and hope you do as well. :)