Multi-Modal Learning Vs. Institutional Culture (Lauren, Adama, Queen, Megan and Analie)

"Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose--not the one you began with perhaps but one you'll be glad to remember" -Anne Sullivan

This meaningful statement describes our journey as future urban transformative teachers. "The Dynamic Design of Learning with Text: The Grammar of Multiliteracies examines the different techniques of multi-modal learning, and how beneficial it is for students' success. But, there seems to be a division between multi-modal learning and institutional culture.

As future educators we reminisce on past experiences of institutional structures that primarily focused on learning to learn only using three strategies. The educational system has failed to recognize the various ways of learning, while embracing the culture of the students while using the multi-intelligence theory:

 "Sociologist Dan Lortie (1974) explained how teachers, when they are students, engage in 12 or more years of apprenticeship of observation, and this apprenticeship offers a compelling explanation as to why so many teachers replicate and reify the methods used with them when they were students" (60).

If this cycle continues to repeat itself, social justice is not activated and represented for students. For instance during our Pre-Practicum visits we might internalize our observations to be considered appropriate within the institutional settings, rather than the advancement of self-reliance with multi-modal learning.
-How do we recognize the ability to embrace multi-modal learning when it is not considered the norm within an institution?
-How do we examine the success rate of students who receive multi-modal learning versus institutional culture type of learning?

Furthermore, Mr. Smith's belief of multi-modal literacy strategies is incorporated within his work as an educator providing support for his students. He manages to give the students the ability to learn through a variety of techniques that are essential to their needs. However administration views this technique as a failure to the required ways of achievement and learning.
-As future educators what will be our mission? Will we serve for our students or will we serve for the institution?
There are always back-ends when providing multi-modal learning techniques into literacy for students. Students too have trouble with understanding the equity of achievement, and administration suffers in embracing different ways to learn.
How can we solve these issues as well as others?
This can be an overwhelming process.