ePost #2: Humans of Kensington Market

As a classroom teacher, the importance of understanding and employing the theory of multiliteracies cannot be stated enough. In our world, students learn through “other sign systems [that] appeal to multiple perceptual systems” (Duncum 253). the primacy of text, or visuals, no longer holds true -- learning occurs via multimodalities --language, image, sound--often simultaneously.

Like Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, the notion of multiliteracies begins from the starting point that learning cannot be transmitted by one method alone. We all learn in different ways and that teachers must enable learners to learn in their ideal modalities. While it’s not always possible for teachers to appeal to all learning styles during one classroom lesson, when facing the reality of multiliteracies, we consistently dip into our “tool kit” to ensure that learning is taking place through different modes.

In my disciplinary field--history--multimodalities can be embedded in a variety of ways. I am currently creating a unit that explores the Jewish immigrant experience and Kensington Market. To gain a full understanding of how Jewish immigrants remade their lives using new and existing institutions, students will engage in a variety of modalities, such as photo and text analysis, videos, scavenger hunts, reflections and discussions, and other activities.

To introduce students to the topic of immigration and societies for mutual aid of immigrants, students will watch a series of videos and figure out the push and pull factors that spurred immigrants to remake their lives in foreign lands.

Student learning during next piece of the unit, the visit to the Kiever Shul and Kensington Market, will be geared towards visual literacy. Learning tasks include creating a Vine video and documenting a scavenger hunt through selfies. In Howard Gardner’s terms, visual, sensory, kinesthetic, and spacial learners will enjoy the field trip to a cultural site that has history embedded on the streets.

Once students enter the synagogue, students will think of words to describe how they feel in the the space, and we will talk a little bit about how the synagogue functioned as a religious prayer space but also a central institution for social and economic support. Students will then be paired so that at least each dyad possesses an iPhone. Their task is to create a 6 second Vine video with at least 15 images of the synagogue by the end of the visit, together with a paragraph explaining what new things they learned during their project.

During the subsequent scavenger hunt in Kensington Market, students will take selfies of themselves at the different cultural sites, with a caption for each photo and two relevant hash tags.

When teachers think along the lines of “multimodal” learning, it can open us up to some incredible ideas! 

My one lingering question -- how can we ensure that we have the right resources and technology (like iPhones) to be able to put these ideas into action equitably?

Paul Duncum. Visual Culture Isn't Just Visual: Multiliteracy, Multimodality and Meaning. Studies in Art Education A Journal of Issues and Research 2004, 45(3), 252-264