Week 3.
Discussion prompt: Describe and analyze a pedagogical practice that locates linguistic meanings in the context of spatial, tactile, or gestural meanings.
Regarding Gestural meanings and body expression in pedagogical practices, they are very important in what regards physical exercise and gymnatics, children need space and moving around, since it’s unnatural to oblige children to stay seat and quiet at a desk, when they need to expand their energy - https://youtu.be/weZZT8U9NGQ - https://youtu.be/NIk1-ck4c6Q
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In theatrical/music expression in school activities the body movement plays a fundamental role - https://youtu.be/zVLiaM3G4m0
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In lab and tech contexts the making with the hands is also another dimension o f gesture and tactile learning. - https://youtu.be/U8-9vEiVIQI
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The making of scenarios and characters to capture images with a camera is another way of learning to produce film, such as stop and motion techniques or editing clips of vídeos and photos taken by students - https://youtu.be/n2o9T1gN-PE
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Field visits are also an important way to learn. In the beginning of his career Freinet taught in a rural school and he would walk with his pupils around learning with nature, called «classe promenade», a very nice metaphor associating leisure, pleasure and learning. Even in urban areas visits to parks and botanical gardens is a great way learn botanics, by touching plants. Visits to museums can turn history, science and art much more motivating to learn. - https://youtu.be/sJtbrYkNw4Y
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Sensory experiences are fundamental in pre-school, the interaction with real objects is important for children to become aware of textures.
For children with severe limitations sensory experiences are a great stimulus. Children with multiple disabilities and reduced mobility may be stimulated by light or sound with a small movement of their body. - https://youtu.be/X4xYej2syNo
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As I’ve mentioned in a previous post gesture that deaf people communicate in sign language, the movement of fingers , hands, arms is the main way to do it. For a blind person tactile sense is crucial to perceive forms or the dots of Braille - https://youtu.be/0BZrqxZdOL0
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Related to spatial and gestural meaning I recall certain habits that nowadays are forbidden. I remember that it was allowed to smoke at the University during lectures . In winter times with all windows closed the smoke was intoxicating. The same happened in cafés, where students would take na expresso and delayed the whole afternoon studying and smoking. Today it’s not allowed to smoke in cafés, restaurants or public transports.
In Lisbon some cafés had a tradition of gathering of artists and writers, nowadays they became more of a touristic attraction, like «Brasileira» in downtown. The statue ofone of our greatest poets Fernando Pessoa has been placed outside the café which has an art-nouveau decor and the place became a touristic one.
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Regarding spatial meanings, I would like to compare settings of the classroom in a chronological perspective, thinking of my primary school days and present times.
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I recall certain symbols that existed in every primary school classroom in the old fascist days. One was a black cross, the religious catholic symbol (Church and State had a close cumplicity) and two photos of the prime minister and president, who remained in power for decades, symbols of an authoritarian regime.
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I recall the punitive tool of a ruler to strike pupils’ hands when they committed mistakes or for disciplinary reasons. In older times, eventually in other rural schools at the time, subsisted the «palmatória» a wooden tool with holes to beat the pupils.
In this photo other objects of my old days have disappeared such as the «school slate» and the porcelain ink well. I’ve also used fountain pen. at the time, though BIC pen became mainstream. Schoolbooks also lasted for a long period of time and the geography maps would be displayed in the classroom to bear in mind the great Portuguese Empire from Africa to Asia.
The architecture of primary schools in rural areas was typical of those days and we still can see many of these buildings across the country, most of them reconverted to other purposes by municipalities.
In urban areas schools would be installed in common buildings. My primary school was located in my residence quarter in a central area of Lisbon, close to the Republic Assembly building. Google Maps turns easy to capture locations namely with street view feature.
In this third module of the course, we examine spatial, tactile, gestural, audio, and oral meanings – all today part of a wider repertoire of teaching and learning that we call "literacies" in the plural, or "multiliteracies." In the final section of the module, we explore how we use literacies to think in characteristically "academic" ways. In this sense, literacies play a critical supportive role in the learning process.