MULTILITERACIES: THE FLUIDITY OF LITERACY
Literacy or being literate no longer just means the ability to read and write and be skilled in literature or writing.
We can no longer look at literacy with an exclusive focus on the act of reading and writing because to be literate includes acquiring and conveying knowledge through: reading and writing, speaking and listening, designing and creating.
The definition and application of literacy must be fluid, as our world, societies and cultures changes continuously so that the future is made up of critical thinkers and thoughtful communicators.
“Literacy is the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, compute, and communicate using visual, audible, and digital materials across disciplines and in any context.
The ability to read, write, and communicate connects people to one another and empowers them to achieve things they never thought possible. Communication and connection are the basis of who we are and how we live together and interact with the world.” -The International Literacy Association.
Despite having been taught literacy skills that Cope & Kalantzis would refer to as the “skill and drill regime” I can see clearly how that method does apply itself to the ways in which literacy manifests itself in the digital age. For so long, we saw television, video games and smart tablets as something we should keep purely as a means for pleasure and never something that incorporates itself into education. I have even encountered parents who allow their children to play with the smart tablet but still have this sense of guilt and or overlooking its advantages if used purposefully. When we continue to look at literacy as an singular skill set we fail to consider the historical, cultural and social of today.
MULTILITERACY BRINGS LITERACY INTO THE PRESENT DAY:
Multiliteracy applies itself to literacy as it asks students to engage with multiple literacy methods.
Simply reading for comprehension = old literacy.
Reading multimodal texts to then critically think about it or problem solve as it applies to the context of one’s community, society and culture = multiliteracy.
In this Tedx talk, Seth Lerer explains the relationship of writing, reading, technology, the body and cognition and its parallels to the history of reading and writing:
With this shift toward multimodal literacy, the expectation of teachers has become to support students as they come to utilize and understand the multimodal texts. Cope and Kalantzis explain that “literacy teaching is not about skills and competence; it is aimed a creating a kind of person, an active designer of meaning, with a sensibility open to differences, change and innovation” (p. 17).
As a future educator, I have to engage in the direction technology and communication is changing because my classroom and curriculum are not separate entities. Understanding this direction and culture means that I am understanding my students and the ways I can create a classroom environment that is conducive to a community of literacy. Essentially teaching literacy means providing students with the options of tools and strategies for what/how they read and write/respond critically/engage in what they read. By consciously providing the opportunities for students to have agency in multiliteracies I in turn am creating pathways toward a literacy identity.
If I engage students in texts by allowing them to choose while consciously providing varying genres and modes, I seamlessly contribute to their interests and want for meaningful learning.
How terrible is that? Quite the opposite actually!
So, we’ve given them a choice that peaked their interest, they engaged in the reading and now I want them to continue on this path, but how?
- By allowing them to share their experience and critical thinking with their peers by talking,
- or reviewing the text through a podcast or even a book review they record and post to their YouTube page.
The modes in which they can communicate, share and engage with one another develops their positive literacy identity and that identity in the classroom.
References:
- Literacy Worldwide - The International Literacy Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2017, from http://literacyworldwide.org/
- Cope, Bill and Mary Kalantzis, ‘Multiliteracies: New Literacies, New Learning’, Pedagogies: An International Journal, Vol.4, 2009, pp.164-195.
- Infographic: by Anna Layson with reference to Cope, Bill and Mary Kalantzis, ‘Multiliteracies: New Literacies, New Learning’, Pedagogies: An International Journal, Vol.4, 2009, pp.164-195.
I really enjoyed this blog post! Providing us with the details about multiliteracies and then giving us a visual was extremely helpful. Ironically, it’s easier for me, personally to see things as a visual, than have to read it! Sometimes I find myself reading, and then re-reading and then reading again, just to understand it. But when given the opportunity to access the same content in a picture or video, I understand it with ease.
ReplyDeleteThis particular part of your blog stood out to me. "As a future educator, I have to engage in the direction technology and communication is changing because my classroom and curriculum are not separate entities." This is something that we as teachers really have to work very hard at doing. Technology is constantly changing and our students are usually the first to keep up with it. This means that they are likely to better understand things through this new means of technology and we have to try our best to incorporate it not just in the classroom, but into the content of what we are teaching through the curriculum. This is something I have a few hesitations about myself as a new teacher. I want to make sure that I'm not only doing the typical, reading and writing for literacy skills, but incorporating all different types of multiliteracies.
I also really liked the incorporation of the ted talk video as it went really well with this week’s blog theme. As he wraps up his talk he mentions that text messages and emails aren't damaging, but they are a "kind of code" and that everyone "uses a different discourse of language." His talk was not only interesting, but true. Times are constantly changing and we must not refute these new technologies but embrace them and use them in our classrooms.
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your blog entry. The beginning of your blog provided the reader with a clear definition of the term literacy as it was defined in the past and the present. Your use of color was helpful at highlighting the important terms in your explanation. The quote you used from the International Literacy Association, did a great job further supporting your views on literacy. The visual you use to explain multiliteracy modalities was clear and extremely helpful had identifying the different modalities. I actually found it useful, especially because it broke each modality down separately. I thought you chose appropriate resources to support your definition of literacy. I liked the part where you explained what equaled “old literacy” and what is considered “Mulitliteracy.” I think that referring to literacy as old literacy help makes the point that literacy as it once was it outdated in today’s society. I found the section where you described your responsibility as a future educator empowering. You mention some important responsibilities that teachers make understand in order to help their students reach literacy identity. Each child should have access to an education that provides them with these important tools. Today’s society is very different than it was 20 years ago. This means that education should also be different. Your blog entry does a great job of showing the importance for change and for education to evolve along with society.