Day 9 -- Intellectual Production Piece
Identify one curriculum element (e.g. a particular lesson)
for which you presently rely entirely upon linguistic
representation and consider, then write about how it might
be remediated to become more multimodal in the ways
explained by Michaels, Sohmer and Kress.
OR
Explain in your own words the “it’s in your hands” narrative
in Michaels and Sohmer
1. By proclaiming a communications “revolution”, Kress
urges the need to rethink the traditional dominance of
written language as the central medium for
communications in a culture in which visual
communications have increasingly assumed a
dominant role.
2. Draws on the distinction traditionally made between
communication and expression in order to explain the
difficulty we have had in viewing music as a form of
communication, not just expression.
3. Gives reason for why music and visual arts have been
typically left out of theories of communication (e.g.
seen as forms of expression).
4. Returning to the ‘revolution’ notion in 1st paragraph, uses
argument about inevitablility and intensification as a result
of economic, social, political and cultural changes to
support the view that we need to look more closely at the
ways some kinds of information might be expressed
visually rather than verbally.
5. A new agenda for a broader theory of communication that
he has thus far justified is now given some detail; its
‘urgent elements’ are theory and description of a full range
of semiotic modes and uses.
6. We therefore need to rethink our notions of
communication, including linguistic communication as
multimodal.
7. This paragraph sets up shift into next section -- materiality
and medium.
8. Here he stresses the role of biology and physiology; most
explicitly the senses
9. Discussion of ‘stuff’ (materiality) as what connects the
physical to the cultural world
10. Introduces concept of ‘secondary materiality’ to refer to
nonphysical ‘stuff’ -- specifically linguistic signs as cultural
tools
11. Definition of ‘mode’ as a means of representation and
communication --example is graphology
12. Extralinguistic distinction is taken on, arguing against those
who would see tone of voice as extralinguistic are incorrect,
instead a systematic phenomenon which embraces both
word and tone of voice should be considered.
13. Sign language helps understand point more clearly
14. Issue of medium is raised, example is ‘speech organs’
15. Finishes by showing relationship among mode, medium and
materiality; that there will be social and cultural differences
which we need to start paying attention to, examples offered
in next section.