Connie’s Mode Bending task took the perspective of her actual bag. Like my task, I chose to use my child to tell me what was “in my bag”. We both looked to a perspective outside our own and focused on audio as our mode (mine had a bit of visual, also). Although she had more control over what her bag was saying, we both wanted to explore a new literacy. Connie and I also do not ‘like’ using audio, but she pushed herself to try a new piece of technology.
Connie used Anchor to record herself and she also sang a bit at the start! I enjoy listening to podcasts and music, so I enjoyed sitting back and ‘hearing’ the bag speak to me. I made more connections to Connie than I did just ‘reading’ and seeing items in her bag. Her voice in this example made her ‘human’ in some respect. In online courses, you never see or hear your peers (unless you’re in a group project) so it was nice to have a voice as the mode of connection.
the New London Group discusses the pedagogy of multiliteracies which to me suggest recognizing other forms of understanding and communicating. Specifically when they discuss the theory of pedagogy, they mention, “our view of the mind, society, and learning is based on the assumption that the human mind Is embodied, situated and social” (p.82). The social aspect really speaks to me here. Even though we may speak different languages- audio/voice, especially intonation, tone, etc. really tell the story. You don’t need to know, for instance, if someone is angry just by hearing their words- there is so much emotion connected to our voices. All of the aspects associated with audio- when someone is speaking is almost universal.
I’m thinking of Anchor the next time I have to use audio for a presentation. I also think it is a great tool for students who might be hesitant when speaking in front of class.
References
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review 66(1), 60-92.
