As transferable skills, digital and media


literacy sit in Strand A, the broad “umbrella” strand that is the context for all the other Language learnings, such as communica- tion and comprehension. When students digitally create responses to their walk, they play, experiment, investigate and discover its full possibilities and limitations. Tey have space to transform, express and refine their ideas through an inquiry and iterative pro- cess. All the Language learnings are at play. When layered with digital tools especially, the experiences are positive, enjoyable and change-making. Media production does not always have to


be digital to allow children to deeply engage with and represent their learning experienc- es and ideas. In our classroom, the children work with loose parts (open-ended materi- als). It is a particularly powerful production tool that supports kids in their representation of their understanding of inquiries. Aſter our walk, I might ask students to create their own signs or re-imagine how they could remix or recreate the signs they saw. For example, a child notices that people oſten let their dogs run in the garden bed that is below our class-


24 ETFO VOICE | FALL 2024


room window. Tey carefully arrange various loose parts in the form of red, white, and yel- low gems and wooden blocks to create their own sign. Te student explains that “this sign is for the flower garden.” It warns – through the use of red and yellow (media codes and conventions) – that people cannot enter the garden and to watch for flowers. Tis child’s production involves creating media content through analogue visual representations and also demonstrates learning about the codes and conventions of signs. Conversations develop from the sights,


sounds and memories captured on the walk and the children are able to use these expe- riences as a springboard to reading, writing, speaking and listening. While reviewing the signs we noticed, I ask students to engage in reading environmental print in its real-world context. For example, many of the signs we see use the word “No,” or imply through im- agery and colour that they are meant to alert and control people in the community. Here, they are considering the use of words or phrases to communicate meanings and in- fluence audiences. Tis exploration of signs also develops their understanding of how vo-


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