Responding to Multimodal Texts

#TeachWriteober19

Day 8

Prior to 7 a.m. and upon arriving home after a long day of work, I consumed several texts across a variety of modalities. I experienced everything from written blogs, to talk-show sound-bites, to FB posts, to digital opinion montages in the New York Times. 

In our new set of Texas state standards for language arts, there is a heightened emphasis on multimodal texts. Additionally, students are asked to respond to anything read, viewed, or heard. Today's post is dedicated to these standards! 

This message is spot on. "When I say be kind to one another, I don't mean only the people who think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone." Isn't Ellen Degeneres delightful? As a closet fan of George W. Bush, I couldn't love this video enough. The world would be a much happier place if we all just learned to accept that different doesn't mean less. 

Aeriale Johnson on the Confluence of Love & Brutality 

Thanks to Twitter, I stumbled across this blog, and it took my breath away. Her manifesto, titled Fed Up: Change Has Gotta Come, was a phenomenal call to action for educators everywhere. Teachers near and far are tired and weary. When will the martyr mentality that's no longer serving us or our kids cease? Dichotomies fascinate and puzzle me. A particular line that lingers is . . . "the kids are the reason why, the only reason, I barrel through the turmoil of teaching." 

Jen Hatmaker - FB Post

A colleague I respect the hell out of reposted a short reflection from Jen Hatmaker on FB. So much of what she wrote challenged me to the core Her courage to call out the corrupt power present in our religious institutions blows me away. When white folks are working to decenter whiteness, hope is restored. I love that she dedicated her fiery sermon to Rachel Held Evans, a writer and thought leader I admired so much and was taken from this Earth way too soon. 

And last, but not least . . . Is New York City an Empire in Decline? | NYT Opinion

This particular video caught my attention because I love NYC, and I think opinion writing is stinkin' hard. I love how this journalist composed a multimodal text that included balanced evidence and a compelling call to action. The mixture of commentary + cartoons was my favorite. I am sure she had to write out her argumentative essay before she could create her monologue vignettes. The impact of multiple modalities was not lost on this Texas girl who secretly loves New York City culture.