DFI Day 4 - Collaborate - Sites

Multi Modal Learning and Universal Design

Last year I found a good article about three types of engagement and their interconnections: behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement, relational engagement. Today we discussed behavioural and cognitive engagements and how it's important to think about all of these aspects to actually 'hook' our students into learning.

Multimodel lessons will provide multiple opportunities for increased student engagement. We looked at the different examples of multimodal lesson designs and some of them immediately made me, an adult, want to participate in these lessons. Imagine an impact on young learners! Universal design for learning is a powerful tool to engage students and cause authentic learning.

I'll definitely spend more time exploring examples of multi-modal lessons and use them to design my own tasks creating learning opportunities with lots of options.

I need to present a variety of texts, images, videos and audios, opportunities to provide learning opportunities for all students and their diverse needs because learners are going to perceive information in a different way. The same with how people express what they know, what works for one student isn't going to work for another. Navigation is also crucial for learners to be able to access the content.


Creating a new Google Site

It was my first experience of creating a Google Site. Elena's Sandpit site is here

1. Plan/ design/ map your new site's look using pen and paper (3 clicks navigation is the Golden Rule)
2. Give it a name
3. Greate your subpages (pages tab on your right)
4. Subpages (create a new page, drag and drop it into the page to create a subpage)
5. Create Dropdown subpages - select and hide from Navigation (3 dots to show more options)
6. Insert Tab - pictures et. Double clicks on the page to bring up the 'Insert' button on the page

Multi Text

T shaped Literacy Skills also known as 'Wide and deep with a narrow focus'

The learner is presented with a variety of texts to read (watch, view) including one each of: 

Complementary, 

• Scaffolding, 
• Challenging, 
• Learner 
• Selected 

MultiText Database designed for the teachers to learn from and contribute. 

My First Multi Text Site - Our Solar System 
(still to include the templates and links for the follow-up tasks)

Great learning today! Lots of relevant and practical material and ideas that I am very keen to use with my class. 
I believe that implementing Google Sites, Multi model pedagogy and use of the Multi Text literacy approach will increase my students' motivation and bring their learning and engagement to the next level up.