Classroom Caffeine
Classroom Caffeine
A Conversation with Blaine Smith
Dr. Blaine Smith talks to us about creating classroom spaces that empower students, collaborating with adolescent learners to navigate and learn through multimodal literacies, and remixing projects to provide opportunities for learners to use digital literacies and share their thinking. Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor of New Literacies and Bi/Multilingual Immigrant Learners in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, affiliate faculty with the Second Language and Teaching program, and the Co-Director of the Digital Innovation and Learning Lab in the College of Education at the University of Arizona.
To cite this episode:
Persohn, L. (Host). (2021, June 8). A conversation with Blaine Smith. (Season 2, No. 2) [Audio podcast episode]. In Classroom Caffeine Podcast series. https://www.classroomcaffeine.com/guests. DOI: 10.5240/17D9-D84D-201F-D536-F60F-E
Connect with Classroom Caffeine at www.classroomcaffeine.com or on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
In education research has a problem. The work of brilliant education researchers often doesn't reach the practice of brilliant teachers. But the questions and challenges from teachers practice sometimes don't become the work of education researchers. Classroom caffeine is here to help. In a new episode every other week, I talk with an education researcher or a classroom teacher about what they have learned from their work in education, and what questions they still pursue. This week, Dr. Blaine Smith talks to us about creating classroom spaces that empower students collaborating with adolescent learners to navigate and learn through multimodal literacies and re mixing projects to provide opportunities for learners to use digital literacies and to share their thinking. Blaine is known for her work supporting teachers integration of technology in diverse classrooms, and for designing innovative research methods for capturing analyzing and representing youths complex digital literacies. Dr. Smith is an associate professor of new literacies and bi and multilingual immigrant learners in the department of teaching, learning and socio cultural studies. affiliate faculty have a second language and teaching program and the co director of the Digital Innovation and Learning Lab in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. For more information about our guest, stay tuned to the end of this episode. So pour a cup of your favorite morning drink. And join me your host Lindsay Persohn. For classroom caffeine research to energize your teaching practice. Blaine, thank you for joining me. Welcome to the show.
Blaine Smith:Thank you so much, Lindsay. I'm really happy to be here.
Lindsay Persohn:From your own experiences and education. Will you share with us one or two moments that inform your thinking now,
Blaine Smith:one experience that really stands out and that has shaped my research and teaching focused on the digital literacies of culturally and linguistically diverse youth happened about 14 years ago when I was working at a community center in East Nashville that was located in a low income housing neighborhood where the average household income of families was about 70% below the national poverty threshold. And through my work there, I was a literacy teacher and I also collaborated with Bridget Dalton, who's now at the University of Colorado. And we developed and offered a variety of digital writers workshops for adolescents in the center. And through that workshop, students created a variety of digital multimodal projects. And when I say multimodal projects, I'm referring to different ways that students are communicating through visual sound, text and movement. And a lot of those digital projects can be videos or podcasts, websites, even multimodal presentations, but it's really thinking about expanding communication opportunities beyond writing and speaking. So within that digital writers workshop, we had students create a variety of different projects. And one that comes to mind was a digital shoe poem where they took pictures of their shoes, wrote stories about them integrated writing with sound and visuals. And it was a really creative project for the students. And moments like this and formed my thinking because I really witnessed how engaged these students were with making multimodal projects. They were collaborating with their peers, infusing aspects of their identities and their lives, really taking pride in what they created and wanting to share it with their friends and families. So it was pivotal to see the potential of multimodal composing for students who might not be completely engaged with traditional literacy practices. So some other pivotal moments I've had have been working with teachers in different title one schools on integrating technology into their classrooms. I've loved seeing how they are creative and coming up with projects that help students connect to the content, but it's also really revealed for me how teachers have to juggle various technological obstacles, curricular expectations and testing pressures. And so these experiences have made me want to think about ways that I can help develop strategies and different ways for teachers to effectively integrate technology in their classrooms.
Lindsay Persohn:Blaine, you're saying some things that really make me think about, I think how we often position ourselves when we think about whether it's working in Title One schools or students who, as you mentioned, are below the threshold for poverty. I don't think that digital literacies is the first thing that comes to mind. You know, we often tend to think that these are students, while they don't have access to technology, so we need to teach them something more basic. And and what I hear you saying is that the experiences in multimodal kinds of literacies really reach beyond all of those kinds of potential barriers that we might think of when we initially think of working with with students who, who are members of this population. So I think that that's such an important message that we've got to get out of deficit thinking, you know, that students who maybe maybe they don't have an internet connection at home, or maybe they don't have a laptop of their own at home. But that doesn't mean that they shouldn't, and can't learn about digital technologies. And I think it's really empowering to think about how we can as teachers, empower students to share their ideas through these these kinds of technologies. So I appreciate those examples. So what else would you like teachers to know about your research?
Blaine Smith:Sure. So my research really focuses on how these multiple modes of meaning making can really help students engage with content, and serve as a valuable tool for thinking when creating multimodal projects. My work with multimodal composing for academic purposes has ranged from looking at ELA classes. But you know, in high school classes where students are creating digital hypertext, soundscapes and videos, to analyze and interpret literature. And ranging, you know, also to other another program where students created multimodal science fiction's to problem solve local climate change issues. And so similar to my work in the community center that I just described, my research has found that students can really engage with content in powerful and meaningful ways. But these projects are also offering opportunities for students to express themselves and empowering ways connect to issues that matter to them, a lot of times social justice issues, and also, you know, are a great platform for developing collaboration skills. Also, my work on scaffolding with digital multimodal composing, I really try to think about how we can help teachers strike a balance between supporting students as processes with using digital tools, while also giving them the creative flexibility during their process. So one example I'll give is one of my studies with 11th graders, found that students really when creating digital projects follow different composing paths, and they had different modal preferences. So for example, one group of students creating a video had a visual preference where they really wanted to search for striking images and create collages and really beautiful visuals before attending to any of the writing with their project. Whereas another group, they really wanted to write all of the aspects of their project first, and kind of laying a written foundation before layering on visuals or sounds. So um, I think we need to realize that students do have these different preferences and ways that they want to compose. And so we don't want to overly stifle their process by saying, Okay, you have to storyboard everything and write everything first. Because that can be stifling for students. So when I'm thinking about scaffolding, I focus on how teachers can provide explicit instruction on the tools, even on multi modality so some of the language around that and what it means to compose with multiple modes, offering a variety of resources so students can watch tutorials on their own and kind of learn the tools along their way. I think it's helpful for teachers to show a variety of models, other student examples, or real world examples of maybe podcasts that students might encounter in their real lives. And even the teacher creating their own multimodal products, I think is really helpful because they can provide kind of a think aloud of their process in creating the project. And that also helps teachers identify any potential stumbling blocks along the way where they'll need to provide additional support for students. Also, collaboration is really key. With these multimodal projects, the research shows that they can be very collaborative And students like to, you know, Delegate projects based on different parts or different tools of the that they're using for the project or even different modes. So thinking about how to scaffold purposefully in all these different ways, but also leaving the process open, for students to have freedom and flexibility to be creative when, you know creating these projects connected to content.
Lindsay Persohn:And it seems to me that we potentially talking about empowerment on a couple of different levels, right, you're empowering them to not only use the tools and know how to use them, but also to convey their own their own life stories, their own identity, their own ideas, and what a powerful example of what technology can do for us in schools. And I think this also kind of loops back in I mean, this is an equity issue, right? Whenever we think about, you know, how do we prepare students for the future? How do we prepare them for careers that don't exist yet? You know, how do we how do we get them ready for what their jobs might entail? And I think that this is a really powerful way to do that.
Blaine Smith:Yeah, definitely. So students in their everyday lives encounter multimodal texts, you know, an avalanche of videos and social networking messages. And they're also actually multimodal ly composing on their own, whether they know it or not. And so these are really foundational digital literacy skills that are needed. Just another point connected to the power dynamic. When integrating these digital projects, it sometimes does shift what power looks like in the classroom. And so teachers often have to kind of take more of a role of facilitator and letting you know, it's okay for the teacher to not know how to use every digital tool and every program. And a lot of the classrooms that I've been in, we actually have a survey that we give students first to kind of understand what tools they use outside of school. And there's always a couple students who are really experts with different technology, or composing. And I think it's a great opportunity to let those students shine as you know, an expert in the class and maybe give a little mini lesson on how to edit sound with this podcasting software, or how to create a collage in PowerPoint. And so I really welcome those opportunities to let students come forward as the experts when using digital tools.
Lindsay Persohn:I think for anyone who's used to teaching in kind of a more traditional mode, that's a little bit scary to let go of some of that control in the classroom. But I know I found that in my own teaching, whenever I am able to make space for students to become the experts when they are able to bring their questions forward. And that is what we work with. Those, for me are some of the most joyous moments in teaching, and they're really some of the most powerful learning experiences for them. And for me, you know, I feel like as a teacher, it really helps you to grow, to turn that over to students and find out what what did they already know. And also admitting that you're not the expert on everything. You know, I think that that's also a really a really great example of how power can shift in a classroom.
Blaine Smith:Definitely, I agree.
Lindsay Persohn:So let me ask you one, one other little question that I'm hoping will help teachers get started with something like this. So if teaching with technology, if multimodal composing is something that is brand new, where do you begin? How do you how do you get that going? Because like, I think that it can be a little bit intimidating. And I'm, I'm hoping that many schools have technology to support this kind of thing. But I also know that many students have their own cellular devices. So I know there's a lot you can do deal with that. But how do we get started?
Blaine Smith:Yeah, that's a great question. So I think you can start small, you don't have to start off with a huge video project right away. So even just little, you know, thinking about an assignment you might already have, where it involves writing or, you know, as more traditional literacy, how could you remix that to make it more multimodal? And so I think starting small and thinking about what you already do. Yeah, if you don't have a ton of technology in the classroom, you could think about, well, what devices do students already have that maybe they could use? And I think as I mentioned, collaboration is really important here because students can teach each other different tools or different ways of composing. And just these multimodal projects really lend well to collaboration. And then I would say, you know, scaffolding is really important when introducing a multimodal project. So you'll want to show some examples. I think having peer feedback along the way and maybe some workshopping is a really great idea. A lot of times, students do some complex, composing with multiple modes that we not, may not be aware of. So when students turn in their project or activity, have them reflect a bit about what they did and why. And that really provides insights into how they use multiple modes.
Lindsay Persohn:I know I often turn to the teenager in my house, whenever I see something, I'm like, Okay, what does that mean? And thinking of our students as kind of consultants, or collaborators in these sorts of projects, I think is also another example of a really important shift of power in the classroom. So Blaine, given the challenges of today's educational climate, what message do you want teachers to hear?
Blaine Smith:Sure, well, first, I just want to say thank you for your amazing work during these difficult times. And it's the way teachers have adapted and everything they've done to meet the academic and emotional needs of their students, during this pandemic has just been so commendable. So that would be my first message connected to my work on digital literacies. You know, we've talked about how students can be experts, and they, you know, have tools at home. But I think we should not assume that all students are digital natives when we're first integrating technology. So really getting to know our students and what access they might have at home, and what skills I think is really important. And just to give you an example, last summer, I worked with Indigenous students in a teacher education program, who were expected to join class remotely from their native nations. And many of these students were in rural areas, and they did not have adequate adequate broadband or reliable technology, we found it was really important just to kind of start at the basics to make sure that everyone was getting the requisite understanding for how to use the digital tools. And so I think that's really important is, you know, thinking about, it's not just the access, but it's also the digital literacy. So helping students to effectively analyze online information, and being able to communicate multimodal-ly. And I think, you know, a last piece of advice I would give is just to kind of consider how you could expand your definition of literacy in the classroom and what that could look like. So, you know, research really shows that integrating digital multimodal projects, offer students, multiple points of entry to be empowered to flexibly connect to personally meaningful topics, and, you know, share their views with others. So I would just encourage teachers to think about how could you remix a project or ask students to express their understanding in new and different ways?
Lindsay Persohn:Yeah, I love that idea of starting with, with what you have, or starting with an assignment that's already existing, and even if it's adding a visual, you know, add a photograph, or clipart, meaningful clipart, right, not just decoration, but something that helps to convey the message. I know, as I was first approaching these kinds of ideas. You know, years ago, in my own classroom, we did a book soundtrack project, which was a whole lot of fun, you know, just to see what students come back with when you ask them to, you know, what songs reflect the the ideas and feelings that come with this book, and that we did cover art to go with it. And it was such a fun and meaningful project for them, because it led to great conversations about what sounds mean, and what kind of emotions they evoke. And, and, you know, it was it was such an interesting project to do with them and to have the conversations around what they've produced. So to me, that is half the magic is understanding their choices and why they why they made certain decisions to convey their ideas in the way that they did and, and giving students multiple modes to work with. It really does empower them.
Blaine Smith:Yeah, I agree it empowers them. And when you when you ask them, you know, why did you make these choices? Why did you pick this music or these visuals, it often just reveals complexity and also engagement with content that maybe just from looking at the project you might not have seen right away. So I totally agree with you.
Lindsay Persohn:And certainly complexity that you would never get to with a written assignment.
Blaine Smith:Definitely. Yeah.
Lindsay Persohn:Well, Elaine, thank you so much for your time today and thank you for your contributions to education.
Blaine Smith:Thank you so much.
Lindsay Persohn:Dr. Blaine E. Smith is known for her work supporting teachers integration of technology in diverse classrooms and for designing innovative research methods for capturing, analyzing and representing youths complex digital literacies. Her work particularly focuses on multimodal composing processes and empowering youth through their writing. Dr. Smith's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Center for Educational Resources and culture, language and literacy And a research discovery and innovation faculty seed grant from the University of Arizona. Dr. Smith received a National Academy of Education or Spencer, a postdoctoral fellowship, the literacy research Association's Outstanding Student Research Award, and an Emerging Scholars fellowship, a reading Hall of Fame. Her research has appeared in reading Research Quarterly computers and education, research in the teaching of English Journal of literacy research, Journal of second language writing, written communication and the Journal of British Educational Technology among others. Dr. Smith received her PhD in language literacy and culture from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Elaine is an associate professor of new literacies and bi and multilingual immigrant learners in the department of teaching, learning and socio cultural studies, affiliated faculty with a second language and teaching program, and she's the co director of the Digital Innovation and Learning Lab in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. For the good of all students, good research should inform good practice and vice versa. listeners are invited to respond to an episode, learn more about our guests, search past episodes, or request a topic or conversation with a specific person through our website at classroom caffeine.com. If you've learned something today, or just enjoyed listening, please be encouraged to talk about what you heard with your colleagues, and subscribe and review this podcast through your podcast provider. As always, I raised my mug to you teachers. Thanks for joining me