Unit 1 Reflection

     In our first unit in Writing for Nonprint Media, we learned about visual literacy. This is the skill of being able to gather information from a picture, rather than a body of text. I found this topic to be very interesting and applicable to everyday life, as we are constantly inundated with things that require visual literacy, yet we are not always taught the skills necessary to decode the information that they send to us. Some examples would be TV shows, movies, advertisements, pictures, charts/ graphs, and so on. A particular article we read that went into detail on this subject was, “A Suite of Strategies for Navigating Graphic Novels: A Dual Coding Approach,” by Barbara J. McClanahan and Maribeth Nottingham. In their article, they discuss graphic novels and the specific “dual coding approach” that one must use to read them. This combination of words and images results in better retention of information, being a perfect example of the benefits of multimodal learning.

I also found our study of multiple intelligences to be interesting. In “Multiple Intelligences in the English Class: An Overview,” by Peter Smagorinsky, we read about different learning styles and ways in which people can be intelligent. The multiple intelligences include spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. When we took a quiz to see what type of intelligence we have most of, I got intrapersonal. I think this is pretty accurate. I love being by myself and can generally entertain myself with my thoughts alone. This study of different intelligences got me thinking about the variety in ways in which people learn. No matter students’ learning styles, school should still be accessible to them. With multimodal assessments, students would be able to better display their knowledge because they can use the methods that best help them express themselves. I hope to use these kinds of assignments if I teach someday, so that students can have fun with their projects.

In thinking about my future classroom, I considered what kinds of multimodal assignments I would give. In the article by Gail Godwin titled, “The Green Knight Should be Green: Graphic Response to Literature,” the author provides an example of a multimodal artifact made by a girl named Bonnie. She made a tree like the one in To Kill a Mockingbird out of felt. It is such a simple material and was not difficult to execute, yet her explanation of the small details showed such a deep understanding of the book. Multimodal learning may be new, and teachers may not be incredibly informed on the topic, but there is a great value in allowing students creativity to shine in their assessments.

I've chosen to include this image because while it provides insight into the different intelligences that a person may possess, it also paints a picture of all the different people that a society needs to function. While we do need farmers and therapists, we also need artists and musicians. Different intelligences and learning styles are not something to be ashamed of. They are something to be celebrated. While agriculture and engineering are integral, how dull life would be without music and art!