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=Welcome to Literacies in New Times=

You will discover journal articles relating around the concept of Multiliteracies.

The following are links to the individual journal overviews 1. Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006)

2. Borsheim, C., Merritt, K., & Reed, D., (2008)

3. Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (2009)

4. Erstad, O., Giljie, O., & de Lange, T. (2007)

5. Henderson, R., & Hirst, E. (2007)

6. Honan, E. (2008)

7. Ljungdahl, L. (2010)

8. Mills, K., (2009)

9. Santoro, N. (2004)

10. The New London Group (1996)

Below is an Overview/Synthesis of the journal articles

** OVERVIEW/SYNTHESIS **

Ability to read and write and understanding a simple statement of one’s daily life (Riddle, 2012a) was the meaning of literacy. However, Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl and Holliday define literacy as the ability to read and write with an understanding of all forms of language and the meaning within the context. Hirst, Henderson, Allan, Bode and Kocatepe (2004), also state, literacy has moved forward to being a social practice that is embedded in social and cultural contexts. Society is changing rapidly with new technology and the way we communicate. Children are learning to use, communicate and interact with technology on a daily bases. Therefore, educators need to prepare their learners for the changing society and develop a repertoire of pedagogical practices.

There are many debates about literacy and who is responsible for teaching student’s ‘literacy’. Riddle (2012b) states that literacy is a contested area within education and that all teachers are teachers of literacy as it is essential to all areas of learning. Due to the changing technological society, the New London Group (1996) presented the theory of multiliteracies (new approach to literacy pedagogy), to educators to ensure all students benefit from learning in order to participate within the changing society.

Implementing the use of multiliteracies within the classroom is not just incorporating the use of a computer to present a digital assessment item, but to provide another view of learning to engage students and make learning enjoyable (Borsheim, Merritt, Reed, 2008). Multiliteracies pedagogies that are successfully implemented within the class, and projects, can provide inquiry and student-centred learning (Ljungdahl, 2010). Effectively implementing digital texts into literacy classrooms require teachers to understand student knowledge of technologies and feel confident to incorporate own knowledge of technologies into teaching practices (Honan, 2008). However, students will show remarkable knowledge, understanding and understanding within making media, but struggle to provide reasons for explanation of why they are doing/using that information, text, image or technology (Erstad, Giljie, de Lange, 2007). Therefore, students need to develop understanding of the fundamentals in media and learning otherwise the critical and creative dimensions of using technology will be pushed aside (Erstad, Giljie, de Lange, 2007).

Productive pedagogies provide all learners equal opportunity to learn. Understanding how Luke and Freebody’s Four Resource Model in literacy works is a major aspect in relation to any ICT’s (Information Communication Technology) (Honan, 2008). The combination of productive pedagogies and the Four Resource Model allows learners to use high and low order thinking skills to explore, learn about and engage with multiliteracies (Anstey, Bull, 2006). Santoro (2004) mentions, the Four Resource Model is a valuable learning tool for learners to understand the literacy demands within specific subject contexts as all teachers are teachers of literacy.

Using the Four Resource model along with the six design elements to achieve meaning; linguistic, visual, audio, gestural and spatial meaning (The New London Group, 1996), the four areas of productive pedagogies; intellectual quality, connectedness, supportive classroom environment and recognition of difference (Anstey, Bull, 2006) and the four major dimensions; situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing and transformed practice (Cope, Kalantzis, 2009) provides educators with learning tools to develop a repertoire of pedagogies to produce an inclusive multiliteracy classroom.