UNS – The Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, in collaboration with The Association for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Indonesia (TEFLIN), organized a community service event titled “Multimodal Literacy for Teachers in Inclusive Schools.” TEFLIN is a professional organization focused on teaching English as a foreign language in Indonesia. This event took place on Monday (8/7/2024) both in-person at Petit Boutique Hotel and online via Zoom Meeting.

The team of lecturers involved in this activity included Febriani Fajar Ekawati, S.Pd., M.Or., Ph.D., Dr. Nur Arifah Drajati, M.Pd., and Sugini, S.Pd., M.Pd. The event was attended by teachers and principals from special schools (Sekolah Luar Biasa, or SLB) ranging from elementary to secondary levels in Central Java. Febriani Fajar Ekawati, S.Pd., M.Or., Ph.D., mentioned that the aim of this event was to enhance multimodal literacy among teachers in inclusive schools along with their photography skills and marketing strategies to increase competitiveness.

The event began with an activity report by the event coordinator and the Head of the Teacher Professional Development Division of TEFLIN, Dr. Nur Arifah Drajati, M.Pd. In her speech, she expressed her hope that the results of this activity would introduce participants to multimodality and could be implemented in their respective schools.

The event featured three main presentations. The first presentation, titled “Publikasi Karya untuk Meningkatkan Nilai Ekonomi Karya PDBK sebagai Persiapan Kehidupan Pasca Sekolah” (Publication of Works to Increase the Economic Value of PDBK Works as Preparation for Life After School) was delivered by Sugini, S.Pd., M.Pd. She is a lecturer in Special Education (PLB) at UNS and a member of the community service team. In her presentation, she explained that children with special needs (ABK) have skills that can be developed through Multimodal Literacy activities.

“Children with special needs or ABK have various skills that can be developed through appropriate education and training. Multimodal Literacy activities are an example of education and training that can enhance ABK’s skills in expressing themselves through various media, thereby strengthening public confidence in their abilities,” Sugini explained.

The second presentation was delivered by Prof. Victor Lim Fei, an associate professor at the National Institute of Education, Singapore. He presented material titled “Multimodal Literacy for Teachers in Inclusive Schools.”

He explained that multimodality can be used to learn various subjects specifically and present them in different media. He also shared ideas on designing learning with multimodality based on his research, which participants could later adapt to inclusive teaching.

The final presentation was by Abdurrahman Hakim, S.Sos., owner of Searah Foto, who delivered material on “Basic Photography.” In his presentation, he introduced the basics and fundamental techniques of photography. Afterwards, he accompanied participants in practicing photography around Gedung Djoeang 45 Solo.

The community service event concluded with reflections from the participants. Ardhika Yusuf Bakhtiar, S.Pd., a participant from SLB C YPLB Danyang Purwodadi, appreciated the relevance and necessity of this training in teaching entrepreneurship in special schools.

The final products of this activity include scientific publications in ISSN journals, books, and events to be uploaded on YouTube. By designing these final products as attractively as possible, the goal is to maximize their impact and reach a wider audience. These publications aim to contribute to the scientific community, ensuring that the findings and knowledge gained from this activity are disseminated effectively and widely, thereby promoting greater understanding and application in the relevant fields.

HUMAS UNS

Editor: Dwi Hastuti