Multiliteracy in the Classroom

I am a big fan of multiliteracy used in teaching, because I once taught classes which were suitable to employ multi-media. PowerPoint is just one of them.

In my listening classes, I used a very expensive system with numerous functions, which looks like the one above. All the computers are linked in the system and there is electronic blackboard, where both the teacher and students can type to communicate, and it is usually used for examinations; any type of listening materials can be shared among students; there could be group discussions of two or four divided by the teacher's computer and the teacher can spy and join any group; interpretation can be carried out; students can speak to the mic and record their answers during exam; the students can finish written test and the system can help to correct and get the score, etc. A lot of functions and the teacher's computer is a complicated one, filled with a lot of resources. So many activities can carry out and listening is never boring.

While in some other classes, it may not be a good idea to use the system. Multiliteracy is used to carry meanings and contents to learners effectively. So the core is that learners can really benefit. There is no harm to make students learn knowledge and touch new technology at the same time.

As stated by the New London Group, our working lives, public lives and private lives are changing by technology everyday, so is pedagogy. But the more multiliteracies you use in classroom, the more cautious you will be, because you will know where and when to use it and how to make it beneficial.