EDX3270 Assignment 1, Semester 2, 2012

Created by Kaylene OrtonStudent Number: U1006054

Theme

Annotation 1Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning

multiliteracies: Changing times changing literacies (pp. 56-81). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

 According to Anstey and Bull, teachers need to support a multiliteracies curriculum to help students explore, engage and develop their literacy skills. This chapter provides teachers with different guidelines and frameworks to help them evaluate if their pedagogy is providing their students with a dynamic teaching approach. This chapter also explores the importance of incorporating the Four Resources Model and Productive Pedagogies in the classroom. These two elements allow students to use both lower order and higher order thinking skills which are required to understand multiliteracies. By incorporating these elements teachers provide their students with a dynamic pedagogy. A dynamic pedagogy allows students to gain a greater understanding of the different literacies they are exposed to in today’s society.

Annotation 2Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New Literacies,

New Learning, Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164-195. Doi: 10.1080115544800903076044

 Cope and Kalantzis (2009) refer to The New London Groups (1996) original theories of multiliteracies pedagogy. They believe the findings of The New London Group (1996) has important elements in literacy teaching such as situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing and transformed practice, however whilst these elements have been very successful and played an important part in literacy teaching and learning, society is changing. Due to these changes Cope and Kalantzis (2009) have expanded The New London Groups (1996) multiliteracies pedagogy to include four ‘knowledge processes’ which include, experiencing, conceptualizing, analyzing and applying. These new and emerging literacies have made it imperative to adapt our pedagogical framework to reflect these changes and to ensure students are being taught literacy effectively to guarantee they are literate participants in today’s world.

Annotation 3Healy, A. (2006). Multiliteracies: Teachers and students at work

in new ways with literacies. In R. Campbell & D. Green (Eds.), Literacies and learners: Current Perspectives (pp. 191-207). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.

 Healy (2006) believes that print literacy has not become unimportant or redundant in today’s society as it is still an essential medium for learning. Students need to read and write, however, its exclusive basis of literacy has diminished due to the emerging range of technologies in literacy. Healy (2006), therefore believes that “contemporary language in literacy education must base its practices on texts from a range of technologies, involving different media” (P. 192).To do this, teachers need to change their pedagogical ways to expose their students to a variety of learning texts and understand that students do not only learn from written texts. This will allow students to maintain a literacy understanding in today’s increasing technological society.

Annotation 4Henderson, R. (2004). Recognising difference: One of the challenges

of using a multiliteracies approach? Practically Primary, 9 (2), 11-14. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/fullText;dn=136268;res=AEIPT

 Henderson (2004) refers to The New London Group (1996) multiliteracies pedagogy which focuses on the magnitude of teachers engaging with their students and the importance of understanding each student’s cultural and linguistic diversity. These characteristics should be taken into account in our teaching pedagogy to ensure all students receive the required help to achieve in their literacy learning. Henderson (2004) refers to the ‘alens analogy’ which is how teachers may use different lenses to see their students. This analogy describes how teachers may vision a child’s learning and how teachers may overlook the actual problems involved in a students learning. By combining the alens analogy and The New London Group’s (1996) multiliteracies approach, teachers are able to observe their students and appropriately consider what is required to support them in literacy learning to achieve greater outcomes.

Annotation 5Stewart-Dore, N. (2003). Strategies for practising multiliteracies.

In G. Bull, & M. Anstey (Eds.), The literacy lexicon (2nd ed., pp. 161-180). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Prentice Hall.

In this chapter Stewart-Dore (2003) distinguishes the difference between both teaching and learning literacy strategies. Although Stewart-Dore’s (2003) main focus in this chapter is on the different strategies required to teach using a multiliteracies framework, he still discusses strategies that also assist in learning such as ERICA and Spheres of learning. Stewart-Dore (2003) believes these strategies become good literacy tools and resources for students learning of different text types and assist in both teaching and learning multiliteracies. The chapter provides a list of questions for teachers to evaluate their chosen teaching strategies as he emphasises that teachers require some guidelines to ensure their teaching strategies are appropriate to literacy education.

Annotation 6The New London Group (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social

futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66 (1), 60-92. Retrieved from http://ejournals.ebsco.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/direct.asp?ArticleID=4A1C82FD3FDB21B5590E.

The New London Group (1996) explored the theoretical overview between the changes that students and teachers are facing in their social environment and a new approach to teaching which they refer to as ‘multiliteracies’. A multiliteracies approach consists of four pedagogical aspects, Situation Practice, Overt Instruction, Critical Framing and Transformed practice. By implementing these four components into literacy education, The New London Group (1996), believes that if students are taught using a multiliteracies approach they will have the skills they require to be successful in social environments including employment opportunities in our fast paced globalised world. The authors agreed that as our society is fast becoming culturally and linguistically diverse and increasingly globalised, literacy pedagogy is changing rapidly and teachers need to understand the importance of changing their pedagogical ways to explore the different forms of texts that are entering our society.

 

Annotation 7Cloonan, A. (2008). Multimodality pedagogies: A multiliteracies

approach. International journal of learning,15(9), 159-168. Retrieved from http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30017615

 This article was based on a case study conducted on four early year teachers to help them learn and understand how to influence their classroom using a multiliteracies pedagogical approach. The case study consisted of several stages using a multimodal schema. The multimodal schema was developed based on several studies conducted from The New London Group (1996) and Cope and Kalantzis (2009). Throughout the case study teachers introduced multimodality teaching into their pedagogical framework which allowed Cloonan to collect and analyse data. From the data collected, Cloonan concluded that a teacher’s mode of instruction is affected by integrating a multimodal schema into the classroom as they are required to expand from a print focused literacy to incorporating multiple modes of meaning which in fact helps them to adapt to the fast paced technological society that surrounds us.

Annotation 8Kervin, L & Mantei, J. (2010). Incorporating technology within classroom

literacy experiences. Journal of Literacy and Technology, 11(3), 77-100. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1352&context=edupapers

 This article reflects on a project where teacher’s integrated computer based technologies into their daily literacy pedagogy. The project went for one year and in this time teachers implemented a number of different structures to their teaching framework taking into consideration equitable access to technology providing support in both teaching and learning experiences. Data was collected and examined in numerous ways such as video, still images, interviews and classroom observations. Throughout the year all teachers were working within the whole school vision of how technology supports classroom literacy learning. The project determined the significance of implementing ICT into school classrooms. With this in mind, teachers need to understand the importance of meeting the needs of each students literacy requirements and acknowledge that teaching of technology should not just be considered as an add-on to the curriculum, it needs to be incorporated into literacy practice.

Annotation 9Wing Jan, L. (2009). Literacy and language. In Write ways:

Modelling writing forms (3rd ed., pp. 3-16). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

 In this chapter Wing Jan (2009) defines and explores different elements of literacy. Wing Jan explains how literacy requires an understanding of different text types and that certain text types are chosen depending on the different purposes and audiences they are written for. To be successful in literacy learning, people need to have a range of skills, knowledge and different strategies to incorporate different texts. This chapter explores and explains multiliteracies, Luke and Freebodys Four Resources Model and specific text structures which assist students in their literacy learning. Wing Jan (2009) believes to teach literacy effectively, it is essential for teachers to plan, organise and deliver classroom programs and pedagogy and to foster an environment that supports early language learning and facilitate literacy learning.

Annotation 10Tan, J. P. & McWilliam, E. (2009). From literacy to multiliteracies:

diverse learners and pedagogical practice. Pedagogies: An International Journal 4, 213-225. Doi 10.1080/15544800903076119

This article looks at the implementation of multiliteracies in two distinctly different schools. All teachers agreed that a multiliteracy approach was required in order to effectively prepare students for living in the 21st century. Research showed students in the first school were likely to revert to safe learning opportunities rather than looking for innovative ways to extend their skills and capacities due to the teacher’s fear of failure and understanding of new digital texts. This therefore did not extend the students pedagogical practices as the technology was seen as an add-on. In the second school, teachers believed it was more important to have the necessary alphabetic literacy skills before progressing to a multiliteracies pedagogy. It was concluded that more research needed to be conducted before a decision can be made on the usefulness of a purely multiliteracies approach and how this fits with the teaching of literacy skills.

SynthesisThe readings selected were chosen to complete a reflection on the importance of incorporating a multiliteracies approach into our 21st century classrooms. It was evident in the chosen articles that to effectively support students in our globalised world, teachers need to implement a multiliteracies pedagogy. It is necessary for teachers to acknowledge that teaching reading and writing is no longer enough in literacy learning as the changes we are experiencing call for new literacies to be taught (Riddle, 2012). This was also supported by Healy (2006). Over time, the concept of the multiliteracies approach has been developed to incorporate changes that are required for teachers to advance their pedagogy practices and to develop citizens of the 21st century.

As technology is becoming the norm in our society, teachers are required to assist their students in connecting their literacy learning into everyday practices both inside and outside of school. In the 21st Century it is vital that teachers understand the importance of integrating information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their pedagogical framework. As stated by Kervin & Mantei (2010) “ICT should not be an ‘add-on’ to the curriculum (Durrant & Green, 2000), but an integral part of a broader learning goal” (P. 79 Para. 3).

Synthesis CONTINUEDIn 1996 The New London group was formed to discuss how globalization, technology and increasing cultural and social diversity issues were affecting literacy pedagogy and what could be created to effectively teach the right literacy skills students needed. The New London Group (1996) believed that if students were taught using a multiliteracies pedagogy and their teachers were able to scaffold their students learning it would provide them with the skills that they required to be successful in their social environment. Cope and Kalantzis (2009) revisited the multiliteracies pedagogy framework and enhanced the work of The New London Group (1996) by developing the Learning by Design model. This model provides teachers with the pedagogical framework and resources that they require to design, document and explicitly teach their lessons allowing their students to gain further skills, knowledge and understanding of what is required to succeed in today’s globalised world.

As society is developing culturally and linguistically, teachers need to consider this when planning lessons. Majority of the authors draw attention to teachers needing to gain an understanding of each student’s cultural and linguistic diversity. Teachers need to incorporate a multiliteracies pedagogy that will assist all students with their literacy learning no matter their ethnicity or needs. Teachers need to carefully consider what each student requires to be successful in literacy learning.

 

Synthesis CONTINUEDIn conclusion, it is vital that all teacher’s, in all subject areas, shift their pedagogical ways from teaching literacy that is fast becoming outdated and they therefore need to include a multiliteracies approach. Teachers need to acknowledge that literacy is integral to all areas of learning, not just English and it is essential teachers and their schools have the knowledge, skills, leadership and support to make a quantum leap in the quality of literacy teaching (Department of Education and the Arts, 2006, p. 2). If teachers are able to develop a strong multiliteracies approach and incorporate both Cope & Kalantzis (2009) four knowledge processes and Anstey and Bull (2006) four resources model, it will allow teachers to adjust their pedagogical framework to cater for strong 21st century literacies learning. Adapting a multiliteracies pedagogical framework will enable students to gain the skills they require to succeed successfully in an environment outside of school.

SELF REFLECTION ON ICT LEARNING

Initially the ICT component of this assignment concerned me as I would not call myself a tech savvy person. After considering different options I chose to create a power point presentation.

 Prior to completing my power point presentation I created my assignment in a word doc. Once this was complete I began with a blank document in power point and used the shortcut of copy and paste from my word doc into my power point presentation. Once I was happy with the layout of the text on the slides I wanted to get a little creative with how my presentation looked. I found that there were several set designs that I could use but wanted to explore my options for creativity further. I found that I was able to change the colour of the set designs and that I could also change the effect of each text box. To keep my presentation looking effective I decided not to make too many different backgrounds or use too many colours. One I had completed this, I was much happier with the presentation as I had added my own personal touches. As I was required to upload my assignment to the internet to create a hyperlink, I explored my options and decided to use slide share.

 After finalizing my multimodal text, I am happy with what I have achieved overall. I believe I have gained a greater understanding of the ICT component I chose to use. I would feel very comfortable integrating the use of power point presentations into my context of learning and believe it would be a simple ICT program students would be able to learn how to use.

 

referencesAnstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: changing times changing

literacies (pp. 56-81). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Cloonan, A. (2008). Multimodality pedagogies: A multiliteracies approach. International journal of learning,15(9), 159-168. Retrieved from http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30017615

Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009). “Multiliteracies”: New Literacies, New Learning, Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164-195. Doi: 10.1080115544800903076044

Department of Education and the Arts (2006). Literacy: the key to learning: framework for action 2006-2008. Retrieved August 10, 2012 from http://education.qld.gov.au/publication/production/reports/pdfs/literacy-framework-06.pdf

Healy, A. (2006). Multiliteracies: Teachers and students at work in new ways with literacies. In R. Campbell & D. Green (Eds.), Literacies and learners: Current Perspectives (pp. 191-207). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia.

Henderson, R. (2004). Recognising difference: One of the challenges of using a multiliteracies approach? Practically Primary, 9 (2), 11-14. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/fullText;dn=136268;res=AEIPT

References continuedKervin, L & Mantei, J. (2010). Incorporating technology within classroom literacy experiences. Journal

of Literacy and Technology, 11(3), 77-100. Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1352&context=edupapers

Riddle, S. (2012). EDX3270 Literacies Education: Topic 1 Lectures. Toowoomba: University of Southern Queensland.

Stewart-Dore, N. (2003). Strategies for practising multiliteracies. In G. Bull, & M. Anstey (Eds.), The literacy lexicon (2nd ed., pp. 161-180). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Prentice

Tan, J. P. & McWilliam, E. (2009). From literacy to multiliteracies: diverse learners and pedagogical practice. Pedagogies: An International Journal 4, 213-225. Doi 10.1080/15544800903076119

The New London Group (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66 (1), 60-92. Retrieved from http://ejournals.ebsco.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/direct.asp?ArticleID=4A1C82FD3FDB21B5590E

Wing Jan, L. (2009). Literacy and language. In Write ways: Modelling writing forms (3rd ed., pp. 3-16). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press.

 

References continuedMultiliteracies [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.wordle.net/create

Multiliteracies [Image]. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=multiliteracies&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=644&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsb&tbnid=qliepT6wn8CUjM:&imgrefurl=http://multiliteraciesforteachers.wordpress.com/what-are-multiliteracies/&docid=kayG7DfViNWpQM&imgurl=http://multiliteraciesforteachers.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/slide1.jpg%253Fw%253D300%2526h%253D225&w=300&h=225&ei=jqslUITNMsi3iQen-4GAAg&zoom=1