Multimodalities

Seigel's article is one of my favorites, although I'm still left wondering how this actually works in practice. I was especially taken with her point about social justice. I do believe, as we touched on in class, that many people are kept out of literacy just by virtue of its definition being so limited. This isn't that hard of a thing to grasp, but its implications are huge. "We" (whoever that is) need to think about what exactly are the goals of school. If we want it to be simply (ha, ha) that students learn to read and write, then there will always be students who are labeled and marginalized, and others who are labeled and held up. If the goals include developing a range of modalities and deep experiences then schools must redefine what constitutes a schooled literacy practice.

I don't think anyone is suggesting doing away with reading and writing, but even if one were to argue they need to remain priority, it still makes sense to encourage other modalities. As was discussed, anytime one transmediates, "you get smarter" (Randy). This is the depth of experience I referred to a moment ago. To touch on an idea in writing, in drama, in art, in song, etc., only deepens one's understanding; thoughts reconfigure and become more complex; things are viewed through a different lens.

If we want social justice, perhaps we must first reconsider our conception of literacy. Instead of straining to bring more people into a small room, maybe we should knock down the walls.