Connecting, Creating, and Composing: A Shared Multimodal Journey

Abstract

Given the dynamic nature of our society, literacy conceptualizations are constantly being redefined. While print literacy continues to be the primary literacy within elementary classroom, the growing nature of technological capabilities, social networking, and multimodal affordances require educators to delve into explorations of how children can be successful in negotiating meaning in our world. As an elementary educator, university instructor, and mother of three children, the author explores personal views of literacy through a shared multimodal journal experience with her children. This article highlights the experiences of her son through the journaling process and how he selects material for a multimodal composition. Through this experience, the author highlights shifts in her personal beliefs about what constitutes literate behaviors and how these conceptualizations could potentially translate into authentic classroom practice.