Multimodality: Multimodal teaching resources would be tools that reach out to all of our 5 senses in order to create a more engaging and interactive experience. A multimodal activity would incorporate linguistic, visual, spatial, gestural, and audio modes which reach out to all types of diverse learners. Using multimodality in the classroom allows teachers to lean away from traditional teaching approaches and instead provide a more experiential way of learning.
Multi-literacies: Multi-literacies on the other hand, are supported by multimodal tools. Multi-literacies are integrated in modern curriculum and teaching pedagogies as they support learning beyond the traditional subject content. Multi-literacies promotes a more holistic form of teaching that encourages “social change, metalanguage awareness, higher order thinking, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation” (SCRIBD). Through this mode of teaching, students are also challenged to inquire and find solutions to problems on their own using critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Some multi-literacies could include technological literacy, visual literacy, media literacy, and information literacy, which are all relevant and prominent in modern day society.
In conclusion, one can see that multimodality supports multi-literacy if the multimodal tool is chosen carefully and creatively by the teacher. Multi-literacies go beyond use of technology and instead aim to educate students to be critical thinkers and contributers to their society. Our students in the 21st century need to flourish into citizens that will be capable of understanding, making use, and evaluating all different forms of communication.
For more detail on multi-literacies and multimodalities from and education perspective visit SCRIBD.