During the pandemic last year my students and I used Google Docs, a free web-based editor suite, A LOT. The files created and shared are located on Google cloud’s personal accounts and can be accessed simultaneously by whoever is authorized by the owner of it.

This platform and its tools helped us work together in synchronous online lessons. At first, we started using it the same way we used our black board in class – just as we would set up roles and turns for all learners be able to use it, so we did in our virtual space.

As an experienced user of web-based editors myself, I already knew there were ways in which we could all experiment and manipulate the tools available AT THE SAME TIME and after some modeling, guided instructions and gradual release of responsibility, we started doing it.

In the introduction of “Reading Images – The Grammar of Visual Design” by Gunther Kress, the concept of social semiotics proposed points out how the relationship between the sign maker and the sign itself is connected to the context:

“a semiotic ‘potential’ is defined by the semiotic resources available to a specific individual in a specific social context. Of course, a description of semiotic potential can amalgamate the resources of many speakers and many contexts.”

(KRESS 2006)

A multimodal analysis of meaning in such practice might prove useful since it happens in a virtual space in which learners enter and use together. How they see and navigate is connected to visual and gestural modes.

The arrangements of the components of the designs (available and made) are changed by the choice of the users – choices that can be explored regarding empowerment and togetherness, for example – also the structure and the environment where the meanings are shaped are mainly manipulated by online users controlling ICT tools, so the movement made by the cursor when some learner is typing on the document for example, might set up limitation and ownership of space (if one user is writing in one line, the other users can see a symbol moving, representing the person behind it) bringing gestures to virtual co-existence. Learners also did personalize their work using different fonts, size and colors for text and representation. There’s so much more that could be analyzed.

This sort of practice and analysis could be supported by one of the aspects highlighted by the idea of Multiliteracies, regarding multimodalities, which reminds us of the relevance and importance of considering the constantly changes and outgrowth of new means of communication and information available nowadays.

Traditional notions of literacy are based on graphocentrism and some tend to consider the use of modes as simple printed x non-printed text interactions. (BAZALGETTE, C. BUCKINGHAM, D, 2012)

I can’t wait to see what is in store for us further along this course. 😊

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Bellow there are some links and references:

Document shared – Made by my students (5th graders from an English Class – they are Brazilians, speak Portuguese and were learning English as an additional subject from their regular curriculum)

The first part of the document is a chart with questions, answers and images they created to feed a quiz game hosted by kahoot (and that is just another site we used A LOT)

If you scroll down a bit, you’ll see the first step of the activity, when they went online for images that would best represent each term from each line – they had no instructions about any sort of configurations they could set up and the results also bring so much scoop for multimodal analysis!

LINK: https://docs.google.com/document/d/172gXt4dcd0P_fv5y0ZZ9q1t_611Iro2ajMLZjKqeSvw/edit?usp=sharing

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Some GUIDES provided by Google about their editors:

LINK: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9310248?hl=en

LINK: https://support.google.com/a/users/answer/9878189?hl=en&ref_topic=9879855,7394060,2938454,&visit_id=637472724383812772-928389344&rd=1#zippy=%2Clearn-how-businesses-use-drive%2Corganize-and-share-content-on-drive

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BAZALGETTE, C. BUCKINGHAM, D. Literacy, Media and multimodality: a critical response. Literacy: 47:2, 95-102, 2012

KALANTZIS, M.; COPE, B.; PINHEIRO, P. Letramentos. Editora UNICAMP, Campinas, 2020.

KRESS, G.; VAN LEEUWEN, T. Reading Images: the Grammar of Visual Design. London, New York: Routledge, 2006.