RESEARCH PAPERS E-LEARNING TEACHER TRAINING COURSES FOR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IN MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS: REFLECTIONS UPON THE PARTICIPANTS' EXPERIENCES By CATHERINE DIMITRIADOU * EIRINI NARI ** NEKTARIA PALAIOLOGOU *** * Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Western Macedonia. ** Teacher, M.Sc in Education, B.Sc in Computer Engineering. *** Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Western Macedonia. ABSTRACT The focus and purpose of this paper is to present an e-learning teacher training course, including its aims and main results from teachers' interviews. The case study presented here examines the effectiveness of an in-service training seminar which was targeted toward teachers at multicultural schools. It concerns qualitative research that stresses interpretative and subjective dimensions of texts which comprise multiple meanings, resulting from multiple readings and interpretations. The structure of the paper is set out in three parts: First, the educational framework within which the study was developed is presented, then, the methodology connected with its development is described, and finally, teachers' replies are presented and discussed. The e-learning teacher training course was created within the frame of an Intercultural Education programme, focusing on differentiated instruction. Participating teachers were asked to create teaching scenarios in the direction of Intercultural Education. Human rights posters were used as motivation for the teachers and the derived scenarios were used for an arts-informed narrative inquiry aimed at investigating the teachers' knowledge on how to exploit resources as intercultural storytellers through media texts. The study also sets a framework for the development of visual literacy practices in multicultural classrooms, thus enhancing the intercultural competency of teachers. Keywords: E-Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Intercultural Education, Narrative Inquiry, Teaching Scenarios. INTRODUCTION develop their professional competency toward a gradual Theoretical Underpinnings shift from an imposed, predefined teaching and learning delivery to a reflective collaboration and response, that The socio-cultural diversity of student population during the would meet the different needs of different students last three decades in Greece has created urgent needs (Koutselini, 2008). In accordance with this need textual concerning the intercultural competency of teachers practices turned to literacies as 'socially recognized ways in (Palaiologou & Evangelou, 2011). Recent research findings which people generate, communicate, and negotiate have shown that Greek teachers' ineffectiveness in facing meanings, as members of Discourses, through the problems encountered in multicultural classes are medium of encoded texts' (Lankshear & Knobel, 2011, 33). associated both with their theoretical background and their ability to apply teaching practices in line with Differentiated instruction should address equal opportunities intercultural education (Dimitriadou, Pougaridou & Vrantsi for a broad range of learners, based on the acknowledgment 2009). Teachers should be able to enrich instruction with of their varied readiness levels, interests, and learning subject-matter and methods which will permit the students preferences (Tomlinson, Brighton, Hertberg, Callahan, Moon, to mutually influence each other, demonstrate their Brimijoin, Conover & Reynolds, 2003; Boyle-Baise, 2005; individual talents and develop a variety of interpretations of Campbell, Gillborn, Lunt, Sammons, Vincent, Warren & reality (Ladson-Billings, 1999; Gundara, 2000; Kesidou, Whitty, 2002). Educators have to respond to the socially and 2004). Working towards this aim, it was essential for them to academically diverse populations in most classrooms, 14 i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 RESEARCH PAPERS including subject matters which are meaningful, namely, as to develop their capacity in organizing differentiated with deep and personal meaning for the students (Ausubel, instruction through the use of multimodal texts? 1963; Barron & Darling-Hammond, 2008). One of the most One of the most effective ways are distance learning effective practices in this direction is the exploitation of programmes, which are suited to the teaching of multimodal texts in teaching. individuals whose knowledge needs to remain current and Multimodality is based on the assumption that meanings competitive (Starr, 1998). This concerns an extension of are made, distributed, interpreted, and remade not only traditional teaching with the use of Information through language but through many representational and Communication Technologies (ICTs), 'where learning communicational resources i.e. 'modes' as organized sets opportunities can be provided in asynchronous, self- of semiotic resources for meaning making. The students' paced formats or in synchronous virtual classes' in keeping background knowledge determines the qualities of with the needs of those being educated (Zahner, 2002, 12; meaning as the result of articulation and interpretation Keegan, 2001). In this way, what is achieved is the deriving from a learning activity (Kress, 2003, 37). dispensation with the temporal and geographic limitations Accordingly, the classroom culture influences not only the of conventional training (Zgaga, 2008), while there is a process of knowledge construction but also the way the saving of time, money and teaching staff. Distance e- students conceptualize the diversity of cultural meanings learning programmes should be flexible, innovative, and deriving from their interaction with and negotiation of signs. applicable to the needs of the pupils, while their potentials Teaching language and culture in a digital age is a range from the dispatch of texts by correspondence to challenge for today's teachers at all levels of education sound recorded files and teleconferencing. According to (Chamberlin-Quinlisk, 2012). Wilson and Harris (2004), the incorporation of ICTs into distance e-learning programmes augments cooperation Due to dynamism they provide, the multimodal texts set the and learning within a sociopolitical framework, as well as scene for flexible educational strategies which facilitate the the development of critical thinking skills, reflection, self- diversification of teaching. Particularly, they can create adjustment and meta-cognition of the educators. educational contexts emphasizing denotative, connotative and symbolic meanings (Van Leeuwen, 2005, Designed on the multimodal theory of representation and 94-100), thus offering opportunities for complex communication (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 1996; Kress, 2001), communication and bringing to the fore personal the social semiotics of visual communication (Van interpretations. Thus, multimodal texts can transform the Leeuwen, 2005; Jewitt & Oyama, 2003), the determining function of reading at school from 'I speak about the world' role of multimodal texts in the application of differentiated to 'I see the world', a fact well founded theoretically due to instruction (Tomlinson, Brighton, Hertberg, Callahan, Moon, the significance of design (Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001; Brimijoin, Conover & Reynolds, 2003), as well as the Kress, 2003, 120; New London Group, 2000, 19-23). usefulness of 'electronic technology that enables the compression of space-time' (Edwards & Usher, 2000, 32), According to Kress and Van Leeuwen (2001, 43-78), one of the case study presented here examines the effectiveness the fundamental functions of the image is narrative of an in-service training seminar which was meant for representation, which refers to 'doings' and 'happenings' teachers at multicultural schools. It concerns qualitative (Jewitt & Oyama, 2003, 141) as it unfolds actions, events or research that stresses interpretative and subjective processes of change. Its function as a narrative will dimensions of texts which comprise multiple meanings, constitute a core concept in this study, since it will be resulting from multiple readings and interpretations (Basit, interrelated with the diversification of teaching in the 2010, 181-201). It is noteworthy that its theoretical and direction of intercultural education. The question that methodological basis is the idea that images may serve as arises: How is it possible for teachers working in schools with storytellers and provide for the creativity of teachers in order a diverse student population to be facilitated in such a way i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 15 RESEARCH PAPERS to compile teaching scenarios toward the perspective of participants were asked to study the material and create intercultural education. In this sense, this study deals with assignments in the form of teaching scenarios for pupils in the narrative as a basic human strategy for coming to multicultural classes. terms with time, process, and change (Hermann, 2009). Having outlined the educational framework which the Since it extends into the three-dimensional space of the examined case study was placed, in the next sub-sections past, the present, and the future (Bach, 2007, 283), it may we refer to the aim of the study and the methodology be seen as a visual narrative inquiry in the sense of an applied; we also present its main results. 'intentional, reflective, active human process in which The Study researchers and participants explore and make meaning Aim of experience both visually and narratively' (Bach, 2007, This study focused on the teaching scenarios created by 281). teachers for the thematic division 'Didactic exploitation of The Context of the Study multimodal texts'. These scenarios were based on posters In the framework of the Educational Programme entitled with human rights contents, which served as storytellers 'Education of foreign and repatriated pupils' which has 'through the photographs that others take of them' (Bach, been assigned by the Ministry of Education in Greece to be 2007, 282). The objective was to determine to what extent developed by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki the familiarization of the educators with visual literacy (duration: 2010-2013) (http://www.diapolis.auth.gr/ index. practices emanating from the didactic exploitation of Php)1, an e-learning seminar on differentiated instruction multimodal texts in the role of storytellers enables them to took place during spring in 2011, incorporated in the incorporate socially informative practices in the classroom Activity entitled 'Training of teachers and members of the through differentiated instruction. educational community', Sub-Activity 'Distance Learning'. Research Questions The three co-authors have worked as trainers in the above The main research questions were posed as follows programme during its e-learning courses. ·In which ways can distance e-learning facilitate in- The seminar was entitled 'Differentiating school work: service teacher training aimed at visual literacy? methodological approaches', was of six week duration · How can visual literacy practices bring about change (17/05 - 21/06/2011) and addressed elementary and for differentiated instruction towards intercultural secondary school teachers of a variety of specializations education? employed at schools with students coming from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. The objective was to · How can teachers exploit the pictorial image as a encourage the participants to design and apply innovative visual narrative inquiry field text in order to enable educational strategies in their multicultural classes, students to construct personally meaningful combining theory and practice. knowledge? Blended e-learning was applied: The seminar begun and Attempting to answer the aforementioned questions, it completed in two word of mouth meetings, while the four would be useful to first mention the role played by posters intervening meetings were conducted using an electronic as meaning-making resources, as tools for the production platform constructed for this purpose. The thematic of teaching scenarios, but most importantly as narrative divisions of the seminar concerned the differentiation of inquiry field texts resulting in data informing human rights teaching along the axes of (i) multimodal texts, (ii) notional education. maps, (iii) projects and (iv) the scientific and technological Posters as Intercultural Storytellers literacy. For each division the trainer uploaded educational As a tool and means of representing cultural experience material into the platform on a weekly basis. The and cultural values, images form non-neutral rhetorical 1The project has been funded by The National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2007-2013 and national resources. 16 i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 RESEARCH PAPERS accounts aiming at the desire to communicate meaning create teaching scenarios and the expected effort of the and create stimuli for forms of personal understanding, students to respond to the assignments, thus constructing interpretation and appreciation of the world (Bruner, 1986; personally meaningful knowledge and achieving different Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). Narratives can be perceived learning outcomes. As a result, the poster was expected to as cognitive structures, types of text, and resources for be repeatedly re-contextualized in frames of meaning communicative interaction, where stories are told and making, within a space-time context of pedagogic interpreted, exchanged and transformed. It should be discourse (Leander, 2001) (Table 1). noticed that in the present text the term narrative is used At this point it should be clarified that in conjunction with the synonymously with story, while narrative inquiry is an functioning of storytelling, there also takes place - with understanding of narrative as both phenomena under semiotic terms - the function of design (Kress, 2001) for the study and method of study (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). rendering of meaning to the pictorial elements of the Images correspond to a particular part of storytelling which poster. The role of the designer is in turn taken by the trainer is placed in time in order to 'assume an experience of time' for her to plan the teachers' assignments, the participating and capture the emotion of the moment described. They educators to create the teaching scenarios and, following convey stories that can be relayed, stored and retrieved. that the pupils for them to construct their own assignments. This was the role of the posters given to the teachers as Sample and Research Data main material to be used for their assignments. Due to the The sample of the participants in the seminar was sixteen photographic field texts they conveyed (Bach, 2007, 290), educators (N=16) who were working at various schools in they were expected to function as storytellers with the region of Western Macedonia. From these, 6 were meaningful messages addressing intercultural education. secondary teachers of Greek language, 1 mathematician, 1 The conception of a narrative which we use for the posters is agronomist, 1 home economics teacher, 2 chemists, 1 grounded in the Vygotskian theory of learning (Vygotsky, computer instructor, 1 English teacher, 1 French teacher, 1 1962 & 1978), which suggests that personally meaningful kindergarten teacher and 1 assistant nursery school teacher. knowledge is socially constructed through shared Each was supplied with a set of 9 posters from the Greek understandings. It may, thus, refer to the concept 'the world Section of Amnesty International on the theme of human shown' as the reader perceives it, as well as his personal rights, enabling each participant to select one of the posters experience as 'the organic intertwining of living human to be used as a basis for the creation of a teaching scenario beings and their natural and built environment' (Bach, for differentiated instruction in intercultural education. 2007, 283). The research data of the study consists of the four teaching Due to the photographs and the designated captions they scenarios delivered, all focused on the poster illustrated in convey, the posters can be considered as objects of art Figure 1, since it was that one which was most frequently and constituent parts of the analysis during the transition Level Readers Functions Outcomes from field texts to research texts. Moreover, they set the 1st Trainer The choice of meaningful Decision making on the scene for the creation of teaching scenarios by the multi modal texts for the educational use of particular promotion of teacher’s' posters implying sensitivity educators and the application of visual literacy practices visual literacy towards human rights 2nd Trainer Re-contextualization of the Formulation of a framework for by the students. Under this consideration, this study posters in the assignments narrative inquiry through visual designated for the teachers literacy practices corresponds with what Mello (2007, 214) calls arts-informed 3rd Teachers Re-contextualization of the Teachers knowledge creation narrative inquiry. The whole process included activities such posters in teaching about narra’tive inquiry through scenarios visual literacy practices as the effort of the core researcher (i.e. the trainer) to gather 4th Students Re-contextualization of the Engagement in visual literacy posters in students' practices. Construction of field texts (i.e. posters), the invitation to the participants (i.e. assignments personally meaningful knowledge. the teachers) to formulate image-based teaching Table 1. The Four Levels of the Arts-Informed Narrative Inquiry scenarios for the students, the effort of the teachers to as a Framework of Our Study i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 17 RESEARCH PAPERS selected by the participants. In the lingual text of the poster teachers conceptualized it (Basit, 2010, 195). the following was written: From within the scenarios the pupils were supposed to be 'Odyssey2 2006'. 'They travel in a tub searching for a prompted to negotiate relationships, reevaluate purposes better future. They encounter everywhere the and negotiate transitions, and to live their stories alongside hideousness of xenophobia and racism. However, they the protagonists who appear in the poster picture. have not found Ithaca anywhere...' 'Amnesty Moreover, they were given the opportunity to play the role International Greek Section' Resist Against The of a narrative enquirer, who maintains flexibility and Violation Of The Rights Of Refugees. openness to an ever-changing landscape (Bach, 2010, The poster is considered as part of the analysis during the 285). transition from field texts to research texts, as a way of Results of the Interviews informing the meaning made by the participants. The Following are mentioned the main results that came out analysis refers to the delivery of the teaching scenarios that from the interviews addressed to teachers, in congruence the teachers created for their students and follows the with the main aim of the interviews: to find out whether the model described above, furnishing elements of content teachers six months after the completion of the seminar analysis and – to a limited extent – of semiotic analysis. applied techniques that are associated with the Data Analysis differentiated teaching, which they were taught during the In order to initiate a notional framework for the analysis of seminar. the teaching scenarios, the trainers turned to the 'Reflective Initially, teachers were asked to express the echo of the e- Learning through Storytelling Model' shaped by McDrury learning training they followed on their teaching during that and Alterio (2003, 60), which, in turn, is based on the five school year. Teachers stressed that henceforth they give stages of reflected learning, as outlined by Moon (1999). more importance in the elements that compose the Based on the assumption that the participants were guided thematic units were taught; for example, they give more towards knowledge creation on how to incorporate the emphasis on pictures and conceptual maps that exist in poster in their scenarios' articulation, we linked Moon's the books and develop them during the differentiated learning stages corresponding to the five-stage approach instruction. Moreover, teachers provide their students with to learning with a set of representations of learning, educational material that includes pictures and assumed to be within the teachers' scenarios. encourage them to work as a team for the implementation The structural elements of this rationale, as well as the of activities during the duration of one teaching hour. relationship with which they are interconnected are At this point, it is worth mentioning that the thematic unit illustrated in Table 2. "Differentiated teaching with picture as its axis" constitutes Based on the stages of classification of learning the thematic unit that teachers remember more intensely representations in accordance with the stages of reflected Learning Learning Learning through Representations of Learning learning, as presented in Table 2, there follow Stages Storytelling in the teachers’ scenarios corresponding indicative examples of quotes from 1st Noticing Story finding Memorising, representing 2nd Making sense Storytelling Re-contextualizing, participant teaching scenarios, arising from the analysis of producing ideas their contents (Table 3). The trainers used the content 3rd Making meaning Story expanding Designing, linking meaningful ideas analysis method in an effort to understand the inherent 4th Working with Story processing Developing alternative meaning perspectives meaning in the teachers scenarios' components and then 5th Transformative Story Developing critical learning reconstructing implications to self and synthesize them by using a meta-language (Unsworth, practice 2001, 16-19), in order 'to tell the complete story' as the Table 2. Links Between Learning, Storytelling and Learning Representations in the Teachers' Scenarios in Accordance 2In Greek: Οδύσσεια ( Odysseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It 2is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, his other work. with Stages of Reflected Learning 18 i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 RESEARCH PAPERS Learning Stages Quotes (from the delivery of the scenarios) Representations of teachers' learning 1st Study the picture and attempt to decipher it, taking into account the text Memorising, representing: Homer's Odyssey epic. written on the poster (inparticular the word 'Odyssey'). The metonymic use of the word (metaphor): odyssey = eventful wanderings. Denotations-connotations. 23nrdd We observe the picture 'Odyssey 2006'. In what way are the people Re-contextualizing, producing ideas: in the boat crowded? What are their faces like? What do their stares The universality of the refugee problem: the show? Write the personal story (300-400 words) of a refugee of your age characteristics of this vulnerable social group; special to be published in a magazine's special report concerning human rights, factors in the survival difficulties of refugees; human after you take into consideration the answers you will give to the following rights; the analysis of sentiments; empathy; personal questions: What sentiments does the picture arouse in you? In what story; denotations-connotations; a story without an condition (economic, social, emotional) are the refugees? Comment on end; creativity; continuation. the means of transport (e.g. its condition, age, technology etc.). What makes an impression on you? How do youimagine the end of these people's journey? How would you confront such an 'Odyssey'? Note the distinct elements of the picture (the sea, the wretched vessel, Designing, linking meaningful ideas: – far too small for the large number of people it carries – passengers from Analysis and interpretation of composite meanings: Africa). What are the differences between Homer's Odyssey and the refugee, migrant, xenophobia, racism, inclusions, Odyssey of the refugees? How do the refugees feel? What are your human rights; empathy; analysis of the sentiments of feelings on seeing the poster? Why is the term 'refugees' used? What is the the refugees and the pupils; the development of a difference between this term and the word 'migrant'? What other sense of toleration, solidarity and respect for fellow terminology is used to describe those uprooted and made homeless? human beings; critical awareness. How would you define what a refugee is if asked to give a general description? How would you react to social exclusion, to the violation of human rights, to the misery of social oppression? What does the logo of Amnesty International in the bottom right hand corner of the poster symbolize? 4th Give voice to one of the refugees in the picture, so that he tells us his Developing alternative perspectives: personal story. Using the contents of this story answer the questions: What Scenario in a scenario; storytelling in storytelling; was his life like prior to the journey? What forced him to leave from his creation of comics; an imaginary interview; the country? What difficulties did he encounter during the journey? What is the collection of photographic material in tandem with a refugee's life like? The task may be presented in two ways: either in comic written text. form or as an interview for a magazine accompanied by photographic material. 5th Initiate a discussion on the subject of refugees and their rights in our country Developing critical implications to self and practice: and the rest of the world. In which parts of Greece are most of the recently Definitions; rights of refugees and human rights; arrived refugees gathered: Why? Why is it that the country receiving the protection of refugees by the UN; hypothetical refugees does not wish to accept them? What problems would be created if scenarios; research of jurisprudence; international the receiving country obliged them to return to their home country? Which organizations, literary texts, documentaries, human rights hold in this case? How does the UN protect refugee rights? photographs, posters and the bibliography concerning Search for information concerning the work of Muhammad Yunus and for refugees and human rights; the creation of a collage. organizations such as Amnesty International, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, Minority Rights Group, Antigone, Hellenic League for Human Rights. Find relevant literary extracts, interviews and texts from international organizations. Prepare a collage with related photographs and mottos from magazines, newspapers and the internet. Table 3. Content Analysis of the Participants' Scenarios and Correspondence with Representations of Learning and apply it during teaching. The target of the e-learning and its consequences on the environment and people's course was differentiated teaching with axis (i) the teaching lives. use of picture, (ii) the use of conceptual maps, (iii) the Following are two characteristic answers that indicate the assignment of projects, (iv) students' educational and usefulness of the seminar in the question: What is the echo technological literacy. of the distance e-learning training on your teaching during A language teacher reported the following as an example the current year? of application of the instructive use of pictures connecting Informant 1: Onwards, I can use new things for first time, cross-thematically/disciplinary the history and literature which I could not use easily in the past. For example, I use courses at the second grade of junior high school. This more the digital pictures which the Ministry of Education teacher initially asked from the students to read the literary had given to us and I try to inspire children to use the text "Hiroshima's flowers" and then to observe pictures from pictures in order to discover things on their own. the destruction in Hiroshima. The pictures constituted the Informant 2: The seminar was a new field for application of inception for a discussion around the nuclear explosion new ideas and thoughts. I believe that the thematic session i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 19 RESEARCH PAPERS which refers to the teaching use of pictures is something present more interest for the course, they participate and very useful that all teachers could follow. are involved actively in the activities, and they learn and work in teams, something that they did not use to do in the Teachers have comprehended that the design of a past. Of course, the less active and with minimum conceptual map is characterized as an excellent activity participation students are involved, since they are given for the support and promotion of creative thinking as well as individualised or team work assignments according to the for the recognition of new methods for the resolution of abilities and skills of the team members. problems (Novak & Cañas 2008). However, because for two teachers it was the first time that they dealt with this It is worth mentioning the case of a student with thematic issue, they do not feel the familiarization that is attendance disorders who through team work he became necessary so that they can use it widely during their more acceptable from his classmates and improved his teaching. The rest of the teachers reported that henceforth communication ability. they use conceptual maps in order to represent the Teachers have observed that the students who participate theoretical part of the course, so that it is more easily in a project to produce a final product, they also seek to comprehensible from the students mainly in the theoretical have a satisfactory result wishing to present it to their courses (e.g. history, domestic economy, geography). A classmates. Moreover, a teacher reported that through the teacher uses, where this is feasible, the conceptual maps visual literacy the course becomes more comprehensible, as a tool of evaluation in order to find out whether the thus, the real time of study for students at home is objectives of the thematic unit have been achieved. For decreased significantly. example, whether students can design a conceptual map All teacher participants reported that they sought further that would contain the basic concepts of the course. information through the Internet or scientific books in order As far as the assignation of writing assignments (teaching to implement the weekly activities. Four teachers sought scenarios) to teachers, most participants reported that they information after the end of the seminar in order to enrich had the enthusiasm to apply them. However, teachers had what they learned and to increase their knowledge on the difficulties because of the big heterogeneity in the differentiation of teaching. Three teachers sought more classroom and the lack of time. For this reason, the projects information mainly on the conceptual maps and on the that they were assigned to their students were of short time ways of their integration during the courses of the junior high duration (approximately 40 minutes), so that they could be school. completed during one teaching hour. However, a project On the basis of an assessment, most teachers consider that was applied in the biology course (first and third grade of they improved their specific skills, like the methodical junior high school) with satisfactory results. preparation and organisation of the course, the collection As far as differentiated teaching is concerned with of appropriate educational material, the familiarization reference to the scientific and technological literacy of with the Technologies of Information and Communication students, teachers found very interesting the knowledge and the way of approaching their students. Moreover, it which they acquired as well as the methods they were was reported that they changed, to the extent they could, taught. As a teacher reported, he is planning to apply in the teacher-centred method and they tried to apply more future some from these methods with the form of project student-centred methods. Of course, they pointed out that during teaching thematic units that are appropriate for this this required enough until they familiarize themselves with aim since a very good preparation is required in advance this method as well as their students. from the side of teacher and a good collaboration Also, two teachers reported that their self-confidence was between at least two teachers. improved and they felt more safe during teaching. A The feedback which teachers receive from their students teacher reported that the seminar was a new field that when they apply the above is absolutely positive. Students motivated her for further thoughts but also an action 20 i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 RESEARCH PAPERS offering to her more teaching options. In other words, all education. teachers consider that they developed in various domains Conclusions and Discussion not only professionally but also personally. This study is focusing on a functional part of an art-informed All teachers expressed a wish for attending similar seminars visual narrative inquiry aimed at investigating to what extent associated with differentiated instruction in the future, since the teachers having attended a distance e-learning they teach in mixed type classes. Also, they expressed a seminar for the differentiation of teaching managed to put wish to be informed about new techniques on this field as into practice what they had learnt: to create teaching well as on training programs that focus on their field of scenarios for their socio-culturally diverse students based expertise. on multimodal texts, with a view to engaging them in visual In addition, some teachers reported that the training would literacy processes and giving them the opportunity to be more preferable to take place at the beginning of the construct personally meaningful knowledge. Thus, the school year so that they would have more time to teaching scenarios constituted the vehicle for the implement what they learn. A teacher reported that due to differentiation of teaching, while the posters constituted the the fact that the seminar was implemented during the tools for the construction of the scenarios. Further analysis of period of school's exams, he had more time to organise his this data will shed more light on comprehending the role own learning. teaching scenarios played in the whole procedure, as well as their significance concerning the essential enrichment Regarding their assignments, the teachers reported that and renewal of intercultural teaching in the contemporary even though creating teaching scenarios was a school. demanding task, which means that they had provided enough personal time, their effort was of catalytic The poster offered information for a framework concerning significance for a deeper comprehension and a practical the time and space in which spatial and temporal application of the theory they had approached. indicators are fused (Herman, 2009, 131) and set the scene for the teachers' knowledge creation on how to apply visual Some teachers felt proud that they managed to literacy practices in the classroom. Taking under accomplish the requirements of an e-learning seminar, as consideration the photography techniques, such as this was the first time that they participate in such type framing, distance, lighting, or focus ('photogenia', Barthes, training and they feel more familiar with the use of ICTs. 1977, 23), the teachers built their scenarios mainly on the More specifically, two teachers said that in future they connotations emerging from the indicative units of the would prefer to participate only in e-learning training poster. Since they used qualities that are yielded by the programs rather than to the traditional programs they grammar of visual design, several analytical categories of participated in the past, while the rest expressed their wish a semiotic inventory could fall under headings of visual for training on both types of programs, since in this way they analysis, such as modality (image and text), demands and could combine the advantages of the two types of offers (the stare of the refugees), social distance (the training. photographic shoot), coding orientation (reality), centre- All the teachers who participated were very satisfied by the margin (the location of the boat), vector (the mast) (Kress & seminar for two main reasons: (i) for the educational Van Leeuwen, 1996). Moreover, a discourse analysis content and the knowledge that was offered to them, (ii) for (Fairclough, 2003) could be applied to the captions learning the possibilities of a flexible learning. included in the poster in order to highlight the effect of the Despite the fact that, at the beginning, teachers had dovetailing of word and image into a unified whole. difficulties to adapt to the requirements of the seminar (like All the above procedures are compatible with the video conference or weekly assignments), finally all of fundamentals of social semiotics (Van Leeuwen, 2005) and them seemed to be pleased with the knowledge and symbolic interaction theory (Bernstein, 2000) and have as a experiences they acquired on the distance e-learning i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 21 RESEARCH PAPERS prerequisite that the teacher is capable of interpreting together and assigned tasks that seek emancipation, events related to specific socio-cultural frameworks, taking the responsibility for the ethical responsibilities encourages students to cultivate communication skills and towards pupils in multicultural classes. In a word, they interact with other cultures, cultivates a critical cultural supported social learning which promotes the 'pull' models outlook in students and enables them to overcome of education (Lankshear & Knobel, 2011, 24-25, 226-229). prejudices and stereotypes towards diversity by using a This conclusion fits to the teachers' need for new variety of pedagogical approaches and the ICTs approaches and new tools in order to explore issues (Palaiologou, 2012). Furthermore, what is of greater against racism and promote multicultural education in significance is that the teachers are given the opportunity their classes (Aragon & Kaminski 2012). to focus on themes of social justice prompting students to With reference to the second question, the visual literacy respond to the crucial questions put forward by Gorski practices which pervade the teaching scenarios aimed at (2009, 89): 'to whose benefit and at whose expense'? a series of representations of learning which shift the Regarding the first research question in this paper, we might teaching towards the points of pupil readiness, interest and say that from the distance e-learning seminar the teachers learning profile. Moreover, they can drive the existing official developed practices which are mediated by 'post- pedagogic discourse on the micro-level of classroom typographic' forms of text and correspond to a new interaction to an innovative re-contextualization. theoretical and research paradigm for looking at literacy: The teachers' visual literacy competencies are expected to the 'New Literacy Studies' (Lankshear & Knobel, 2011, 27- enrich instructional environments so as to supersede 29). The teachers were involved in new and changing ways traditional 'chalk and talk teaching', which is usually of producing, distributing, exchanging, and receiving texts dominated by sterilized, shallow, superficial and controlling by electronic means, they had access to texts of public practices. In this way the educators are expected to be communication and created teaching scenarios for equal to a fundamental contemporary educational need: multicultural classrooms. Having been familiarized with the the superiority of quality over quantity measures in the theory and the application of visual literacy practices educational process, as well as the critical approach and through e-learning, they incorporated posters as storytellers processing of knowledge as opposed to its mechanical, in embedded learning strategies within a framework of undifferentiated and standardized accumulation. The narrative enquiry, thus achieving the creation of teachers will be able to depart from the informational educational knowledge which refers to content as well as character and stereotypical formalism of teaching, giving procedural parameters, that is the 'know what' and the diverse students the opportunity to develop communication 'know how'. What is more, they integrated new forms of practices in order to interact with each other and reveal their literacy to teaching, shifting the focus of the learning ideas, attitudes and feelings (Dimitriadou, Tamtelen & Tsakou, process from the teacher to the pupil and formulating the 2011). More precisely, the poster photograph is expected to framework in order to introduce students to the practice of function as a tool which will connect pupils with other stories, meaning making through narrative enquiry. bridging the gap of time by applying their senses, intellect, Generally, teachers responded to the request for 'multiple, and emotions to a human commonality (Bach, 2007, 294). dynamic and malleable' literacies, since they responded Thus the pupils, in their turn, will be able to express their to a series of criteria essential to generate, communicate connection in a narrative form, and formulate opinions, and negotiate meanings: they developed proficiency with positions and values on the subject of migration from within the tools of technology; they cooperated and shared a state of empathy. information and practices to meet differentiated Finally, with reference to the third question, the practices instruction; they managed, analyzed, and synthesized formulated by the educators during the exploitation of the multiple streams of simultaneous information; they put poster as a visual narrative enquiry field text gave them the 22 i-manager’s Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l October - December 2012 RESEARCH PAPERS opportunity to create an educational context aiming at for intercultural competency can promote their awareness, personally meaningful knowledge and different learning authenticity and effectiveness while creating a classroom outcomes from the pupil's aspect. The delivery of the tasks climate open to critical considerations on equity and social included in teaching scenarios invited students to use justice (Gorski, 2009). Moreover, the engagement of both metaphors (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), and thereby perform teachers and students in arts-informed narrative inquiry interactionally significant personal and social narrative practices around issues of human rights can help them work. In addition, they aimed at encouraging the pupils to enhance their intercultural consciousness and 'act think hard about migration and human rights, recall and re- responsibly in contemporary late capitalist culture' (Elkins, enact their related experiences, to recontextualize 2008, 7). meanings from connections and comparisons, formulate This study emanated from the era of visual literacy as a their ideas, attitudes and sentiments, as well as develop complex and multidimensional entity that is embedded alternative perspectives and critical implications within a range of visual, cognitive, emotional and ethical concerning human rights. dimensions, thus providing a framework for diversity. With All the above were primarily achieved due to the grammar the incorporation of the poster into the prospect of of visual design, which is a vehicle for constructing personal teaching through visual narrative inquiry it appears that two representations of the world. We would have total emancipatory objectives were achieved: the teachers justification in saying that the implementation of arts- were empowered in decision-making to involve critical informed visual narrative inquiry with the poster as 'an considerations of human rights in the classroom; the image of the real' offered opportunities for visual literacy, students were called upon to have a voice presenting their thus informing intercultural issues and collapsing the ideological identity and tell their personal story from within boundaries between 'in-school and out-of-school an expanded, anonymous, global society, thus making a literacies' (Leander, 2001). step towards critical consciousness of socially transformative education (Dimitriadou, Tamtelen & Tsakou, The capacity afforded to the teachers to exploit the 2011). In future research the very same student texts could specific poster is expected to have positive effects constitute field texts for narrative inquiry, and not that alone: concerning social and communicational changes in their dialogues, the notes they retain commenting on the favour of social groups which are excluded, manipulated poster and the data they will incorporate in their texts could or oppressed. The significance of these effects reflects the constitute the field texts for a subsequent narrative inquiry. new arrangements and distributions of power which are linked to changes occurring at the social, political and Acknowledgements technological level in the New Media Age (Kress, 2001, 54; The authors would like to express their thanks to the teachers Kress, 2003). Thus, the teachers give a satisfactory response who shared their ideas with them. to the request for equal educational opportunities following References the epistemological choices of Critical Pedagogy, which [1]. 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