Tumbling Lessons: Using Tumblr Iconography to Strengthen Multimodal Teaching and Learning in Preservice Art Education
Brooke A. Hofsess, Sara Scott Shields & Gloria J. Wilson
I think having the crossover between digital engagement through Tumblr and materiality through PlayLab sessions for preservice teachers is a great example of multimodal teaching and learning. I think that point of integrating varied medias into lessons is actually quite obvious: to keep students engaged in a variety of current and interesting ways. However, I am a bit confused as to why Tumblr was chosen as the place for preservice teachers to share their content. I think the icons and layout of Tumblr are simple and attractive, but it serves as a platform to share and repost content between quirky subcultures. I understand the metaphor between Tumbling and teaching (making mistakes, exploration and letting go of expectation) but I wonder who is looking at the Tumblr posts and its effectiveness in comparison to making a Facebook page run by preservice teachers, using WordPress, or even Instagram. My questions are:
- What is the best social media platform for preservice teachers to use for critical reflection?
- Who do the reflections primarily serve?
- And what happens to the blog after teacher candidates are finished their degree?