ED-MEDIA 2008 paper: Multimedia and multiliteracies in the early elementary years.
Abstract: The widening of the concept of literacy has many implications for teachers. In this paper three classroom activities will be discussed and linked to concepts of ICT literacy and to questions of pedagogy when language, media and computing combine in the classroom. The first activities were carried out by five and six year old students exploring computer graphics and text. The other activities were used with grade 3/4 students, and involved graphics, text and sound to illustrate or explain specific contexts or situations.
The author spoke about the need for children to reflect on their use of technology to really develop higher order thinking skills. In his examples, working with an inner-city primary school in Melbourne, the teacher would guide a class discussion during or after the learners used software to create digital artefacts. To back this up this approach he quoted the paper Literature Review in Thinking Skills, Technology and Learning.
The software the kids used was MicroWorlds — constructivist learning technology.
———————–
Author: Anthony Jones, The University of Melbourne, Australia
Steven Vosloo 