It is true when O’Halloran, Tan, Smith & Podlasov (2010: 4) explained that “texts of all kinds are always multimodal, making use of, and combining, the resources of diverse semiotic systems to facilitate both generic (i.e., standardized) and specific (i.e., individualized, and even innovative) ways of making meaning”. We use all those combination of multimodal design. While our school is situated in between urban and rural environment, our academic and economic status has also been challenged when it comes to meaningful and pragmatic application of the learners’ lessons.

We have a program called Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC) Contest to prepare every year where campus journalists showcase their skills and talents in journalism, including Radio and TV Broadcasting. Winners of this DSPC go to another round in the Regionals then in Nationals. It’s a prestigious event or program motivation for students to be in because it entails wholesome development of the students, academically, socially and 21st Century skills. To get deserving spots to represent our school, I began auditioning by class after Journalism topics have been discussed.

Focusing on Radio Broadcasting team, I let the students listen to a Radio Broadcasting segment made by our previous regional qualifiers. Of course, for those who heard familiar voices would make personal connections, some would be in full awe of what Radio Broadcasting is like, and others would be so anxious as to when to produce a Radio Broadcasting segment. But little that they know that the segment they’ve just heard was just a tip of an iceberg. The workshop now is a challenge. It was a heterogeneous class and I divided the class in 5 groups, making sure they are equally distributed intellectually. At first, some may be into it, others aren’t. I observed that their interest varies according to the availability of their resources at home and in school, and that they were pessimistic about the significance of this task in their own humble lives. The students who are competitive know better what this activity would mean, the pride of being better than others, and take advantage of an opportunity to socialize and take excursions for free. They know better that learning is more meaningful outside the classroom. So, whether or not they are qualified to join the team, it’s all about the motivation of getting there. They would try their hardest researching on possible issues or news to write first. Then, practicing their vocalization, imitating that of the news anchors or broadcasters, is incredibly challenging and tiring. Through this, they learn teamwork.

Learning Radio Broadcasting is a complex mode of literacy, though it involves mainly on audio and oral skills, reading news and writing scripts are also essential in producing a segment. Learning prosodic features of journalistic type of speech is impactful in making meanings, both for the speaker and listener. One cannot achieve a worthy production if the content (script) itself is irrelevant and the speaker stammers. Then there’s the technical skills involving digital media. I highly commend Radio Broadcasting as part of the curriculum in (elementary and) high school. It is an avenue where learning process and making meaning is dynamic; making use of multimodalities available. The interaction involved in this curriculum is multimodal. Radio Broadcasting as learning repertoire is the best exhibition of a good design of multimodal pedagogy.

https://multimodal-analysis-lab.org/_docs/Dimensions_of_Multimodal_Literacy.pdf

https://www.schooljournalism.org/radio-introduction/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0gyqqDNReM&feature=youtu.be