Mandy’s website: https://blogs.ubc.ca/alvesetec540/2021/10/21/task-7-mode-bending/
After looking at Mandy’s mode bending assignment our approach to the task is quite similar as we both attempt to use multiple modes of text to convey what is in our bag instead of just using written text and an image. We both reference the New London Group’s idea of the importance and strength of making meaning through multiple modes. Mandy and I both utilized written text and videos to convey the ideas of what was in our bag. The biggest difference in our mode bending assignments was I included audio sounds of my objects and Mandy utilized the gestures of her child to convey meaning about each object.
Through Mandy’s project I learned about the power of gestures. I think the most important aspect of Mandy’s approach was that it was not her own gestures that explained each item, instead she used a third party to gesture. By Mandy’s daughter explaining and gesturing to each of the objects there was a lot of information brought to light about the importance and use of each object from an outside perspective. The perspective of a child also adds another dynamic. Children are honest creatures and will speak or convey the unedited truth. If items were not used often you could tell because Mandy’s daughter did not pay attention to the item or she tossed it aside. Items that were important, and used often by “Mom”, like a pen, were gestured to have significant importance. Mandy discusses the intersexuality of meanings that are conveyed by these gestures made by her daughter. The feelings her daughter has towards the items combined with the meaning to Mandy were shown to her through experience. It was very cute to see her daughter pretend to do work and get mad when Mom interrupted her. I can only imagine this is usually the context of this situation with roles reversed. Gestures and the interpretation of information through a third party presents vast amounts of information about text that might otherwise be overlooked by using another form of text. Mandy has pushed me to think about the powers of multimodal text.
I also want to take note of the way Mandy has set up and created her blog. Her assignments are so inviting to look at and the ease at which one can navigate her blog is also inviting. Text can sometimes get muddled or lost on blogs but Mandy’s is well organized. There are visuals to represent each assignment which presents intrigue about the tasks posted. I also love the way Mandy highlights bold important information throughout her posts. Bold texts convey extra meaning through typed text to signify the importance from the writer to the reader. In formal contexts bolding is not always considered appropriate but in the case of our blog I believe it is. I had not thought about bolding or changing color of text throughout my blog posts. Changing fonts can convey extra meaning through text as well. I really like this idea. It reminds me, in the pre-digitized world, of a poster. Where information has different font size and color and meaning can be conveyed through these visual components.