Cowan & Albers

Cowan and Albers article, "Semiotic representations: Building complex literacy practices through the arts"

I found the illustrations included in this article to be very interesting.  It was neat to see the various displays of artwork that were included. Cowan and Albers state, "Students must have experiences in which they construct and translate meaning across sign systems through what we call semiotic representations" (p. 124).  When students are participating in semiotic experiences, they are typically more engaged in the learning process.  They are making conscious decisions and becoming strong communicators by engaging in these experiences.  Semiotic experiences further give students a chance to develop strong literacy practices. By engaging in various learning experiences, students are gaining many important skills.  Students can often make connections with artwork, as stated by some of the students in this article. (For example, Sarah on page 132 said that art helps her imagine in her head.) Ultimately, the use of the arts and semiotic experiences have a positive outcome for students.