We chose to look at www.myspace.com because, with reference to communication and multimodal text, the opportunities are endless. The navigation through the site has plenty of variation depending if you are setting up your own site or searching through other people's. People, generally, find the Myspace website through their friends, e.g. one of their friends has a page and sends it to them so they can look at it and comment on it. Rikki gave us the link to his Myspace page and so we jumped straight into his page, bypassing the home page. His page includes music, images (both of himself and apparently random choices), text detailing personal information, and a video. Not being interested in everything that Rikki is we scan the page to find elements where our tastes overlap. The first link we clicked through was the video, because it provided an enigma: we did not know what it was, so we wanted to find out. Within Rikki's area, you can navigate your own way round the page and make links to other friends that he has. For example we could click on his brother's name and this would take us straight to his page. Within anybody's profile on myspace you can alter font, colour, visuals and music to your own taste and needs. By being able to add in music, films, attatchments and photographs this makes it multimodal immediately. It would give children opportunities to learn in a range of ways, not just plain text.
As far as implications for reading are concerned, there are many opportunities for children to skim and scan across the page, and pick out the areas they are interested in. This way, you don't have to read every section.
This resource can be used to meet the National Literacy Strategy requirements:
Year 6: The range of work needs to include 'autobiography, diaries, journals, letters, anecdotes, records of observation etc which recount experiences and events. '
This links directly with Vygotsky's theory that learning is a social construct, as Myspace is a social environment which provides purpose and audience for learning.
Thanks for listening...
and goodnight.
xXx
All Hail Our Leader!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Hi,
Loving the name dropping of Vygotsky! Nice links! Do you think there might be some possible problems with using a site like Myspace in classrooms? How will you get around them?
Love Poddington Pea-Christina xxx
I love your idea of using myspace, lots of opportunity for reading and writing. Love the blog guys!
We realise this site may not appear to be appropriate in a school setting, however, seeing as children are using it outside school we feel it would be beneficial for them to understand how to use it properly, and responsibly within a safe environment. If a class were to set up their own myspace, problems such as unwanted visitors or comments can be rectified simply by blocking access to anyone outside of the selected group.
We believe that as a reading task this site provides plenty of opportunity for exploring a variety of multimodal texts. Thanks for your comments, glad you're all paying close attention!
Love and man hugs
Us xXx
Interesting using 'Myspace' in a classroom, it is something I wouldn't have thought about.
Love your photos!!
Also, love wotsits!!
Alison xx
Very interesting discussion. i am trying to research kid's use of myspace - but the ethical considerations are immense! This may be something to consider for classroom use!
Post a Comment