A S S I G N M E N T 1 S E M E S T E R 2D U E 1 9 T H A U G U S T, 2 0 1 3

STELLA LEOTTA

0050107785

EDX 3270

LITERACIES EDUCATION

PART A

ANNOTATIONS

1

Strong, G. (2007, Oct 02). Has txt kild the ritn wd?, The Age, 1-2

In this newspaper article Strong outlines the impact that technology has had on the evolution of literacy, given the introduction of new and fast growing literacy skills of ‘texting’ and ‘emoticon’. The success of ‘texting’, Strong explains, is due to the development of a society of ‘short attention span’ individuals. A society that has adopted ‘texting’ because of its ‘short-message’ concept and of its ‘lack of emotional content’. Society wishes to avoid/minimize its face-to-face communication. The article further discusses how ‘texting’ structure and its uniqueness has crept even into spoken language. Society is including ‘texting language’ O.M.G. (Oh My God) and ‘L.O.L.’ (laugh out loud). The author mentions how Shakespeare influenced the English language and would ‘texting’ be in the same arena.

2

The New London Group (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66 (1), 60-93 Retrieved from EJS database.

The article describes the beginnings of The New London Group as they venture on their journey to redefine the term ‘literacy’ and ‘what it means to be literate’. It elaborates how The New London Group came to realize that the Information Computer Technology had broaden the scope of literacy by introducing a multiplicity of different literacy aspects such as digital text, images and The Internet. The article explains that literacy presently is not centered on a language-based format but on a multiplicity of communication and information aspects. The article discusses the need for the development of a different ‘literacy pedagogy’ based on the escalating cultural and linguistic diversity in today’s society.

3

Anstey, M., & bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning Multiliteracies: changing times, changing literacies (pp. 56-81). Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.

The chapter, ‘Developing Pedagogies for Multiliteracies’ explores the characteristics and outlines of a Multiliterate Curriculum. The authors demonstrate that Multiliterate Curriculum are to incorporate the Productive Pedagogies framework and the Four Resources Model for students to develop as multiliterate individuals. Anstey and Bull investigate the classroom as a Social Environment by addressing the need for teachers to be sensitive to the diversity within their classroom by examining that their pedagogical practices are not excluding some students based on their social and cultural backgrounds. The chapter includes lesson plans/implementation and teacher talk analysis that may assist teachers in their pedagogical practices.

4

Callow, Jon, (2010). NOW literacies – everyday classrooms reading, viewing and creating multimodal texts video. Online video retrieved from http://www.ninw.nsw.edu.au/vidos10/Callow/7584/vid7584.htm Dr Jon Callow’s online video ‘everyday classrooms reading, viewing and creating multimodal texts’ rationalizes the impact culture has had on literacy by creating visual texts which are easily accessable to society and which result in a sophisticated standard of multiple literacies – written, visual and multimodal. The author explains that is is important that teachers identify and include visual and multimodal texts in classroom literacy in order to support twenty-first century students. Dr Callow discusses how teachers’ pedagogy impacts on children’s viewing literacy, ‘decoding text’ and ‘text meaning’. He infers that these strategies are to be applied also when children are viewing images thus engaging children to develop a deeper understanding how visual text enhances meaning. Dr Callow refers to this pedagogy as ‘intellectually rigorous’.

5

Rennie, J. (2009). Multiliteracies and Diversity in Education: New Pedagogies for Expanding Landscapes. Australian Educational Researcher (Australian Association For Research In Education In Education), 36 (1), 111-112 Dr Jennifer Rennie is a senior lecturer at Monash University. Her purpose in writing the book was to examine the traditional aspects of literacy with that of literacy in the twenty-first century – Multiliteracies. Given today’s learners’ diverse characteristics and the many facets of literacy, the author poses the question ‘what constitutes literacy today?’ the article suggests that it is imperative that the current educational systems and policies, which rely on the traditional view of literacy, be reformed to address Kalantzis and Cope (2005) theory where teachers are originators of the learning environments and learners are accountable for their own learning. Dr Rennie’s intended audience is pre-service and classroom teachers and examples how ‘learning by design’ can be practised in diverse classrooms are included.

6

Callow, J. (2011). When image and text meet: teaching with visual and multimodal texts. PETA Paper (Primary English Teaching Association Australia.), 181

Dr Jon Callow is a researcher in visual literacy. The purpose of the article was to draw the reader’s attention to the integration of multimodal texts in The Australian Curriculum and explore how multimodality focuses on image and text. The article draws on teachers’ viewpoint and their pedagogical approach to picture books and images. The author discusses the concept of ‘visual Metalanguage’ and incorporates examples of annotated picture book images and teaching practices that will assist teachers in incorporating visual literacy in the pedagogical practices.

7

Felten, P. (2008). Visual Literacy. Change, 40 (6), 60-64

The author emphasizes that today’s culture is saturated with visual communication and the impact this visual explosion has had on literacy. The author’s perspective is that images are now central to communication and ‘meaning-making’. The article introduces a wide range of publications on Visual Literacy. The topic is well researched as it includes differing points of view. Being literate in the twenty-first century is more than just understanding words and texts: it includes multiply modes of representation texts.

8

Mouly, F. (2011). Visual Literacy. Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children, 9 (1), 12-14

The author emphasizes the special connection that graphic novels have with visual literacy. The article brings to light the approach comics have in presenting stories visually. Comics have been around for more than a century and they are now appearing in schools as a means to encourage students to read and develop their visual literacy skills. The article lists numerous proficient uses of comics in developing literacy. It is evident from the article that author’s graphic novels are being promoted. The article does not quote any supporting research.

9

Rowsell, J., Hamilton, M., & McLean, C. (2012). Visual Literacy as a Classroom Approach. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 55 (5), 444-447. Retrieved from: Education Research Complete, Ipswich, MA: August 9, 2013.

The authors enlightens the reader to what Visual Literacy is and how it has infiltrated the learning environment of the twenty-first century. The article states how learners are interacting with Visual Literacy and the ways that these learners proficiently use it. It discusses the reasons why Visual Literacy needs to be included in a teacher’s pedagogy and provides multiple examples/strategies on how to apply Visual Literacy thus developing learners as critical analyst.

10

Purvis, J.R. (1973). Visual Literacy: An Emerging Concept. Educational Leadership, 30 (8), 714-716.

This article explores how Visual Literacy has emerged through technological development and the misconceptions that educators have on what Visual Literacy entails. The author informs the reader on the four general types of learning experiences that have contributed to the development of Visual Literate individuals. The article covers the reasoning behind the importance of incorporating Visual Literacy into the educational environment as a mirror to the individual’s technological home environment. The author provides response to the Visual Literacy in the United States of America and lists pertinent resources.

OVERVIEW/SYNTHESIS

In the past, the contexts for learners to acquire ‘literacy’ was through comprehension and composition of written texts. ‘Literacy’ can no longer be defined as simply paper-based with words proceeding from the top left to the bottom right. The concept of ‘literacy’ is culturally determined. (Emmitt, Komesaroff & Pollock (2007)Technology is also changing the nature and use of literacy. ‘Literacy’ in the twenty-first century means more than learning the skills of reading and writing. Luke, Freebody and Land (2000:20) define literacy as, ‘the flexible and sustainable mastery of a repertoire of practices with the texts of traditional and new communications technologies via spoken language, print, and multimedia. The term ‘Multiliteracies’ was introduced by the New London Group (1996) which deemed it necessary to broaden the concept of literacy to include linguistic and cultural diversity as well as computer-based multimedia texts.

OVERVIEW/SYNTHESIS

Multiliteracies is used to describe the multiple nature of literacy that has developed because of social practices in the twenty-first century: the combination of text and graphics and cultural process where its roots have grown strong and firm as it engages, stimulates and involves children in having rich and varied literacy experiences. Today’s children have grown up with technology and are often referred to as ‘digital natives’ (Prensky 2001) and defines them as individuals who have grown up with a society surrounded by digital technologies. The volume and complexity of literacy these ‘digital natives’ achieve at home probably exceeds that which they do at school. Teachers mainly are ‘digital immigrants’ because they have adapted their worldview to accommodate the idea of computer technology. Teachers need to be aware of how children use Multiliteracies at home and build upon these experiences to maximal their learning.

OVERVIEW/SYNTHESIS

The Australian curriculum places Multiliteracies firmly within the core of the primary English Curriculum as it recognizes the rapid ways that today’s children communicate with technology. Kress, (2003) states that, ‘New technologies are largely accountable for the fact that young children are increasingly encountering multimodal forms of texts’.

Learners of the twenty-first century arrive at school having rich and varied literacy experiences and have already learned to make sense of visual literacy. These individuals are well-equipped with Multimodal texts that comprise multiple symbols, words and pictures. Learners need to learn in authentic, meaningful and real situations reflecting the visual literacy/Multiliteracies nature of their society.

Choosing an ICT component for this assignment was not an easy task. My schooling years were of the time when ICT was new and not so easily assessable in the classroom. Prensky (2011) would refer to me as a ‘digital immigrant’ an individual who has not grown up with digital tools but have adopted several aspects of ICT but would rather use the ‘old ways’. I approached this part of the assignment with the willingness of furthering my technological knowledge. Therefore, I set my sights on using the program PowerPoint and uploading the presentation onto YouTube. I have learnt many things on my technological journey – ‘not giving up; computers are stubborn and at times it is best to walk away’. The main element that kept me on my target was to demonstrate to the younger generation of the family that even a ‘digital immigrant’ is a life-long learner.

SELF-REFLECTION ON ICT LEARNING

SELF-REFLECTION ON ICT LEARNING

My reflection on completing this assignment was one of exhilaration and contentment. Rapid changes have taken place in ‘literacy’ and ICT has had a strong influence on these enormous transformations. Through this experience I came to the realization that ICT is essential in teaching literacy because it centers on what the learners of the twenty-first century and beyond are ‘native to’.