Creating Contexts

for

Multiple Literacies Learning Experiences

Dr Anh Le, Skillsplus SEE program (ale@skillsplus.com.au)

Rakesh Saha, Skillsplus SEE program (rsaha@skillsplus.com.au)

m001 - C11

Outline

• Changing Concepts of Literacy

• Literacies in Plural Form

• Multiple Literacies: The What in Curricula

• Multiple Literacies: The How – Multiliteracies Pedagogy

• Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner Class

• Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Higher Level Classes

Changing Concepts of Literacy

Alphabetical literacy (words, sentences, texts,

literatures; reading, writing, speaking,

listening, numbers; print-based, context-free

psychometric texts)

Whole Language(construct meaning of

texts in social contexts)

Language Experience

(language related to one’s own experience)

Multiple Literacies(words, numbers, images, signs, etc. in integration)

Functional Literacy(perform tasks in one’s domestic, work, public

life)

(Balatti et al., 2006; Cumming, J., & Van Kraayenoord, C. E., 1996; McKenna & Fitzpatrick, 2004).

Literacies as Plural – Multiple Literacies

Types and Levels New Literacies Multiliteracies• Basic Literacy-decoding written texts

• Functional Literacy – vocational

• Critical Literacy-empowering/transforming

• Multiliteracies –multidimentional

(Rassool,1999, in Lonsdale & McCury, 2004)

• Lingering basics-school

• New basics-work

• Elite literacies-abstracts/higher thinking

• Foreign language literacy-global economy

(Lankshear, 1997, in Lonsdale & McCury, 2004)

• scientific literacy

• ethics literacy

• health literacy,

• computer literacy

• financial literacy

• environmental

literacy

• media/information

literacy

(in Lonsdale & McCury, 2004)

• with multiple modals/modes:

+ linguistic+ visual+ audio+ gestural+ tactile + spatial

• in Multiple contexts+ work+ civic+ private life(Cazden, et.al, 1996) – The New London Group

Fully specified in curricula but On-going debate

Multiple Literacies: The “What”

The ACSF, CGEA and EAL frameworks all:

• cover the basic: phonics, phonology, syntax, texts; and learning, reading, writing,

speaking, listening & numeracy skills

• emphasise multiple contexts and functions: literacy for personal, community,

employment & further education purposes

• include multimodality: digital texts in addition to print-based texts

• extent to new literacies: elective units for Health, Environment, Computer Skills, etc.

Debates:

• Policymakers’ critique: practitioners’ focus on basic skills at the cost of functional skills

• Literacy educators’ critique: policy-makers’ emphasis on functional literacy at the cost of

social literacy

Multiliteracies Pedagogy

Multiple Literacies: The “How”a

Cope, B. and Kalantzis, M. (201, p. 5)

Who are the learners?

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice - Beginner Class

The Learners

factory workers jobseekers

Parents/grand parents

carers

patientshairdressers

Cooks/kitchen hands

farmers

machinists

Learners’ Needs for Digital Literacy

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner Class

looking for a job

further study managing health issues

managing personal life

Multiliteracies Pegadogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit– Situated Practice/Experiencing the known

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Situated Practice/Experiencing the New

Benefits of mobile devices

Class Survey on experience of using mobile

devicesRecording

Survey Results Need exposure to digital texts

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner Class Digital Literacy Unit – Situated Practice/Experiencing the Known and the New

The Known: Familiar and Relevant Context

The New: Relevant and in Approximate Zone for Digital Literacy Development

+ Class Graduation Party for three students’ completion of training at the end of the month

+ Read and create online invitation cards

+ Class tradition to invite the whole centre staff to the party

+ Create a Party Menu using Microsoft Words and the internet

+ Students’ cooking talents (party attendants often request recipes for their favourite dishes)

+ Create written and digitalrecipes of students’ own party dishes

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Instructions for Creating Online Invitations

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Applying instructions to create invitations online

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Learners’ Critical Analysis of Invitation Designs

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner Class

Digital Literacy Unit – Overt Instruction & Analysis of Online Recipes

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Instruction, Analysis and Application

Creating a sample recipe from a student’s dish – Whole Class Work

Multiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice – Beginner ClassDigital Literacy Unit – Application – Students’ Recipes

Different Contexts for Multiliteracies for Higher Level Students

5/30/2016

Self-employment : Designing Flyers

Planning

Researching

Publishing

Focus was on:

• using MS Word• typing• researching • keyboard shortcuts• editing• creative writing

Analysing

5/30/2016

Self-employment: Designing Business Cards

•Students used MSPublisher to design theirbusiness cards

• The cards were used topromote personal skills at

Skillsplus has got

talent

5/30/2016

Self-employment: Basics

5/30/2016

Presentation by

Vladimir Kiselev

Self-employment: Cashing in on Hobbies

( a Maene Toefa presentation)

5/30/2016

Earning while Learning: Growing Mushrooms

5/30/2016

Earning while Learning: Hands-on Approach

5/30/2016

Health: Sharing Knowledge and Passion

- Richard Anthony Bernon

By Nancy

Liu5/30/2016

5/30/2016

Mutiliteracies Pedagogy in Practice: Richard’s ‘Mental Health’ Project

• Richard joined the SEE program in July,2015.

• He completed a Bachelor degree in MentalHealth from Deakin University.

• He was struggling to find employment due tohis lack of experience.

5/30/2016

Richard’s Goals:

Employment in “health promotion” “Community work”

5/30/2016

Initiation:

• Richard was asked to undertake a project• Scaffolding was provided in form ofcompleted student work

• Received feedback on a regular basis• He had the opportunity to work with CALDclients at Skillsplus, Frankston to have anunderstanding of his target audience.

• Delivered a trial lesson

5/30/2016

Experiencing:• Richard used Power Point slides topitch his ideas ( a trial lesson). It wasorganised to give him theopportunity to ‘share’ informationwith a diverse cohort (mostly CALDclients).

• Richard delivered his presentationin a familiar setting (at FrankstonSEE class where he was enrolled)prior to delivering it at otherSkillsplus sites (Cheltenham,Springvale and Dandenong).

5/30/2016

Analysing + Critical Thinking + Overt Instruction :

Richard’s self-analysis (areas of improvement):

• Need to speak slowly.• Couldn’t get through some of the students due totheir lower English proficiency.

Feedback Richard received from his trainer (keypoints):• Change the structure ( Presentation → Workshop)• Elicit information from the clients beforeintroducing the topic ( try to relate the topic withtheir personal experience).

• Grade your language of delivery• Make it interactive ( a lot of students lost interestafter the first 5 minutes) – think of having engagingactivities.

• Use more visual cues

5/30/2016

Analysing + Critical Thinking+ Overt Instruction :

On the basis of the feedback, Richard made necessary changes -

• Re-structured• Added a questionnaire at the start• Used interesting hypothetical

scenarios for group work• Used pictures for his narrative

( also as trigger for discussion)

5/30/2016

Applying :

• Richard conducted 5 workshops across 3 Skillsplus sites (August, 2015 –September, 2015)• The learners found Richard’s sessions informative, useful and practical.• He was offered a volunteering opportunity for the Certificate I in Workplace Education

program at Skillsplus, Springvale (February, 2016).

References

• Balatti, J., Black, S., & Falk, I. (2006). Reframing adult literacy and numeracy course outcomes: A

social capital perspective. Retrieved July 2009, from National Centre of Vocational Education

Research http://www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr4L05s.doc

• Cazden, C., Cope, B., Fairclough, N., Gee, J., Kalantzis, M., Kress, G., et al. (1996). A pedagogy

of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Havard Education Review, 66(1).

• Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2015) The thing you do to know: An introduction to the pedagogy of

multiliteracies. In B. Cope, & M. Kalantzis (Eds.). (2015), A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Learning

by design (pp. 1-36). London: Palgrave.

• Cumming, J., & Van Kraayenoord, C. E. (Eds.). (1996). Adult literacy and numeracy: Assessing

change. Melbourne: Language Australia Ltd.

• Lonsdale, M., & McCurry, D. (2004). Literacy in the new millennium.

• McKenna, R., & Fitzpatrick, L. (2004). Building sustainable adult literacy provision. Adelaide:

Australian National Training Authority.