𝔻𝕚𝕘𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕄𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕋𝕖𝕩𝕥 - 𝔹𝕝𝕠𝕘 ℙ𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝟚

Multimodal Compositions in the Electronic Environment

Blog Post #2: You will compose a digital media text and reflect on your process of multimodal composition in the electronic environment. This post will include your final multimedia composition.

This quote, though referring to traditional writing, can also be used to describe digital writing in the 21st century, where writing can be seen as a sort of magic.
With technological advancements in devices and software, writing has taken on a whole new interface, yet it still retains the same profound impact on its audiences. Writing in the digital age is no longer considered the linear and stagnant process of adding words to a page but rather has transformed into a dynamic and interactive experience between the author and their audience. Within this digital age, digital texts and multimodal compositions are becoming a more common form of expression within the writing community.

The term "multimodality" refers to the employment of a variety of communication and persuasion techniques, including written, oral, and visual components (Multimodality in the writing classroom, n.d.). A multimodal composition combines two or more forms of communication, such as written, visual, and spoken text, as in movies, computer presentations or electronic books (Digital and multimodal texts, 2022). While "digital texts" refer to audio, and visual texts created using digital or electronic technology. Digital texts may also contain animations and/or hyperlinks.

With an understanding of multimodal compositions, I was able to brainstorm and compose my multimodal digital media text. It includes the use of various modes of communication like visual with the use of videos and, pictures along with audio and text. 

The purpose of the composition was to showcase the process of creating a print-rich classroom environment. As a Language Arts teacher, I believe that the classroom should be a place that inspires students to learn and provide opportunities to develop a love for reading. 

In a study conducted by Malik and Rizvi (2018) focusing on the effects of classroom learning environments on students’ academic achievement, it was found that student involvement demonstrated the highest value of correlation between classroom learning environments and students' academic achievement. This simply means that “ the environment matters” and it has a great impact on students' performance. 

Producing this piece shows the time and effort it takes to create such an environment and strategically selecting the audio clip that accompanies the visual is aimed at giving the composition a passionate feel with the hopes of inspiring others to create the best environment for their learners also.

The Process
The process of creating this piece was both enjoyable and tedious. The creation of this piece included a combination of videos recorded during the school year, where I periodically recorded myself while I added things to the classroom environment.

As a self-proclaimed creative, I enjoy capturing as many moments as possible in my daily life, even doing mundane tasks. It would appear that these recordings served a greater purpose than storage consumption on my devices, seeing that they have now been able to be utilized in conjunction with other elements to produce a multimodal composition.

Step 1
The initial footage was recorded using my mobile phone and a tripod. When recording, there were two primary functions that were used. The first is the video recording feature which only required me to position the phone and press the record button. The phone then simply captured and recorded my movements in real time. The second feature used was the time-lapse feature. In order to document change or movement that happens over an extended period of time, time-lapse is used to speed up the recordings so that one is able to see a sequence of events that took place over a long period without having to suffer through watching the entire process. For example, four hours of content can be condensed into four minutes using the time-lapse feature.

Step 2
In order to combine the videos, each clip was uploaded to a mobile application called VivaVideo. VivaVideo is a program made for amateur editors to experience professional-like video compositions. The application allows users to combine and edit audio, visual and textual information. This includes speeding up the video clips in order to shorten the length of the video, and trimming the videos to remove unwanted parts. There are also options to add text, music or even a voiceover recording to the project (Professional video editing app, n.d.).

Step 3
After the clips were uploaded, I then decided on which parts were necessary to keep and which to discard. This revising process allowed me to create a storyline that the audience could easily follow. At this juncture, the clips that were recorded in real-time speed were sped up to reduce the lengthiness of the piece.

Step 4
Next, transitions to allow the piece to flow smoothly, effects that added a personal and creative touch, and audio were then added to the piece. The audio clip was added by first locating the desired video on YouTube, and then converting the video to an mp4 audio clip using the mobile website YTMP3 . This website allows its users to convert YouTube videos to mp3 or mp4 audio recordings which can then be accessed from the phone's music library. Thereafter, the audio was added to the Viva Video application along with the video clips. During this phase of the composition, I watched and rewatched the clips numerous times so that the visual, audio, text and images were arranged in a cohesive manner that best suited my creative vision for the completed composition.

Step 5

After reviewing the video, I decided that I wanted to make additional changes and thereafter uploaded the video to another mobile application called VlogNow. VlogNow (VN) is another free video editing application which allows users to edit videos. It requires no prior editing knowledge and offers all the features needed to create professional and high-quality videos. I further adjusted the audio and added images to the composition. The VN application included more editing features as well as there was no watermark in the final product which gave the piece a more professional feel.

Step 6
After I was satisfied with the production, I then chose the option to save and publish the video. The application combined all the changes made into a cohesive whole and produced an mp4 video file.

Step 7
After being satisfied with the overall composition, I then uploaded the composition to my Google Photos, which allowed me to access it on my laptop, thereafter uploading it to the blog. As the size of the finished product was rather large, it had to be uploaded to the blog in two parts.

Highlights
The ability to create is the highest form of self-expression in my opinion. As an educator in a system which is often focused on the product of learning, it was refreshing to be able to focus on the process for a change. Creating this piece allowed me to showcase my creativity while gaining a better understanding of what digital media and multimodal compositions entail. I also enjoyed the freedom to choose what to create and how I wanted to create it.

Challenges
Though I enjoyed the process of compiling, editing, rearranging, and adding effects and audio to the piece, it was definitely a time-consuming venture. I am in no way a professional video editor and as such, a large amount of time was spent learning through trial and error. Recognizing these challenges allows me to set realistic goals for my students as I help to develop their digital literacy by allowing them to create multimodal compositions also.

Classroom Applicability
The benefits of digital writing include strengthening traditional writing abilities while enhancing digital writing skills, and preparing students to be efficient 21st-century writers. It is important that opportunities are given for students to express their individuality and creativity. Now more than ever, due to technological advancements, students are able to express themselves using one or two modes of communication.

Most students see writing as a tedious and challenging task, however, showing students how they can enhance their compositions through the use of digital media text will motivate them to not only write but also to share with audiences beyond the classroom walls.

Now all that is left to do is sit back and enjoy my multimodal composition!

                                                              

Signing out.

References 

Digital and multimodal texts. (2022). Gov.au. https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/english/digital-and-multimodal-texts 

Multimodality in the writing classroom. (n.d.). Www.bu.edu. https://www.bu.edu/teaching-writing/resources-for-teaching-writing/guides-tips/multimodality-in-the-writing-classroom/

Malik, R., & Rizvi, A. (2018). Effect of Classroom Learning Environment on Students’ Academic Achievement in Mathematics at Secondary Level. Bulletin of Education and Research, 40(2), 207–218.

Professional video editing app. (n.d.). VivaVideo. https://vivavideo.tv/

Sagan, C., & Lee, G. (1980). Cosmos. McGraw-Hill Companies.