How can teachers use technology to reach students with multiple literacies?
The multiple literacies approach can be beneficial to students of varying grade and academic levels. More and more students are struggling to achieve success in literacy. In order to motivate students to read and write in school settings, we need to consider revolutionizing how literacy is taught in schools. A study conducted by Malette, Henk, Waggoner, and DeLaney (Multiliteracy Home, 2012) found that traditional ways of teaching literacy continue to be prominent even in schools that are noted for their excellence. In order to prepare students for their futures within a globalized society, the education system needs considerable restructuring towards new literacies. This means including multiliteracies as part of a curriculum through the use of technology. The challenge now is to put these ideas into practice despite the barriers. New technologies need to be incorporated into the traditional methods of teaching.
In order for educators to rise above these barriers and alter the traditional methods of teaching literacy, they must understand what multiple literacies are. Multiple literacies can be defined as the various ways students read and write. This includes print, non-print materials, and digital media. Some examples of print materials include novels, magazines, food containers, bus schedules, newspapers, etc. Non-print materials include music, visual arts, film, television, etc. Multiple literacies also include digital literacies which can include emailing, instant messaging, blogging, tweeting, video gaming, etc (Sheridan-Thomas, 2007). This list does not exhaust all the possibilities of literacies found in today’s society. Educational practices have transformed as new ideas are developed. One of these transformations includes the theory of multiple literacies.
According to Sheridan-Thomas (2007), multiple literacies enable students to value the literacies of their community as well as others. The idea of educating students using the multiple literacies approach allows students to express themselves through reading and writing in multiple formats. These formats can be chosen from print, non-print, digital, or a combination of the literacies. Educators need to take into account multiple literacies before creating curriculum, lessons, and assessments. Multiple literacies theory is capable of motivating students who struggle with reading and writing by adapting to their needs. Sheridan-Thomas (2007) says adolescents who appear to be struggling readers and writers, disengaged from academic literacies, may actively engage in multiple literacies outside of school.
In order to successfully implement multiple literacies theory, we need to take into account the obstacles before attempting to resolve the issue to transform our schools into a multiliteracy environment. According to The London Group (1996), though the phenomenon of multiliteracy provides many profound changes to the ways in which we are able to read the world, and change it, educational practices are failing to equip students with the skills they need to be responsible citizens in a global world. There are many hypotheses as to why instruction in multiliteracies is not occurring. Here is a list of reasons why multiple literacies are not occurring in schools (Multiliteracy Home, 2012):
1. Understanding that change is necessary and the knowledge to make the change possible,
2. Training and education in multiple literacies and the technology to access them,
3. Understanding the learning needs and home environment (socioeconomic status, language, culture) of students,
4. Adopting a curriculum that aids specific needs of students,
5. Teaching safety and how to critically analyze information before use, and
6. Exchanging information concerning multiple literacies and educational practices.
Hopefully through understanding of these obstacles, we can break through the barriers and learn how to use multiple literacies to meet the needs of all of our students.
As education continues to progress, educators need to adhere to the new literacy ideals especially concerning technology. Multiple literacies create an educational environment where students can thrive through options rather than the traditional reading approach. No longer do we have to see students sitting in rows doing round robin reading. We can now use different approaches to teaching literacy rather than just using text. Multiple literacies give students options to reading and writing in different ways and opens up its doors to the needs of diverse learners. According to the American Association of School Librarians, “21st century reading is accomplished through a variety of resources beyond the traditional print, one can: read a picture, read an auditory story, read a multimedia website and more.”
In order to be part of 21st century reading, we need to change the way we teach literacy to encompass the objectives of multiple literacies. We desire our students to flourish especially since literacy is part of everything that we see and do. We strive to keep students at an appropriate reading level by teaching literacy in schools. However, we have lost many students to a variety of different technologies and thus reading an actually book is not as important any more. In order to break through this barrier, we need to incorporate the new technological age to engage the students in literacy. Technology has become so prevalent in schools, and this technology can enable literacy to become an important aspect of students’ lives again. We need to continue to use these multiple forms of technology to help our students excel in literacy. According to Bean (2011), “until we bridge this gap by tapping the multiple literacies in adolescents’ lives, we will continue to see adolescents develop a disinterested cognitive view of in-school literacy functions and a more enthusiastic sociocultural view of out-of-school discourse functions.” As educators, our primary goal is to meet the needs of students and to do this we need to come together and use the new advances in literacy and technology. We cannot demand our students to learn literacy using the traditional approach. The times have changed and so has the way literacy can be learn and taught.
The following links were developed to give educators an idea of how to use multiple literacies and technology to teach literacy to elementary, middle, and high school students. Each lesson can be adapted to meet the needs of the students and the environment.
4th grade lesson plan
7th grade lesson plan
10th grade lesson plan
Additional resources
Support to elementary educators on how to use multiple literacies in teaching literacy especially regarding new technologies. Videos are included to help display how to use the technologies available for teaching multiple literacies.
A brief introduction to the theory of multiple literacies
Discussion of the impact traditional literacy approaches on culture and race and how the theory of multiple literacies aid in helping these students use their social and cultural background to analyze literature
Information about how multiple literacies can promote adolescent literacy
How multiple literacies have shown to increase student motivation and achievement in literacy
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action. Chicago: American Library Association.
Bean, T. W. (2001). What adolescents deserve: A commitment to student’s literacy learning. (p. 223). International Reading Association, Inc.
Multiliteracy home. (2012). Retrieved from http://multiliteracy.wetpaint.com/
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 66-92. Retrieved from http://wwwstatic.kern.org/filer/blogWrite44ManilaWebsite/paul/articles/A_Pedagogy_of_Multiliteracies_Designing_Social_Futures.htm
Sheridan-Thomas, H. K. (2007). Making sense of multiple literacies: Exploring pre-service content area.Reading Research and Instruction, 46(2), 121–150. Retrieved from http://coedpages.uncc.edu/amedina1/Techno/content%20area%20multiple%20literacies.pdf
In order for educators to rise above these barriers and alter the traditional methods of teaching literacy, they must understand what multiple literacies are. Multiple literacies can be defined as the various ways students read and write. This includes print, non-print materials, and digital media. Some examples of print materials include novels, magazines, food containers, bus schedules, newspapers, etc. Non-print materials include music, visual arts, film, television, etc. Multiple literacies also include digital literacies which can include emailing, instant messaging, blogging, tweeting, video gaming, etc (Sheridan-Thomas, 2007). This list does not exhaust all the possibilities of literacies found in today’s society. Educational practices have transformed as new ideas are developed. One of these transformations includes the theory of multiple literacies.
According to Sheridan-Thomas (2007), multiple literacies enable students to value the literacies of their community as well as others. The idea of educating students using the multiple literacies approach allows students to express themselves through reading and writing in multiple formats. These formats can be chosen from print, non-print, digital, or a combination of the literacies. Educators need to take into account multiple literacies before creating curriculum, lessons, and assessments. Multiple literacies theory is capable of motivating students who struggle with reading and writing by adapting to their needs. Sheridan-Thomas (2007) says adolescents who appear to be struggling readers and writers, disengaged from academic literacies, may actively engage in multiple literacies outside of school.
In order to successfully implement multiple literacies theory, we need to take into account the obstacles before attempting to resolve the issue to transform our schools into a multiliteracy environment. According to The London Group (1996), though the phenomenon of multiliteracy provides many profound changes to the ways in which we are able to read the world, and change it, educational practices are failing to equip students with the skills they need to be responsible citizens in a global world. There are many hypotheses as to why instruction in multiliteracies is not occurring. Here is a list of reasons why multiple literacies are not occurring in schools (Multiliteracy Home, 2012):
1. Understanding that change is necessary and the knowledge to make the change possible,
2. Training and education in multiple literacies and the technology to access them,
3. Understanding the learning needs and home environment (socioeconomic status, language, culture) of students,
4. Adopting a curriculum that aids specific needs of students,
5. Teaching safety and how to critically analyze information before use, and
6. Exchanging information concerning multiple literacies and educational practices.
Hopefully through understanding of these obstacles, we can break through the barriers and learn how to use multiple literacies to meet the needs of all of our students.
As education continues to progress, educators need to adhere to the new literacy ideals especially concerning technology. Multiple literacies create an educational environment where students can thrive through options rather than the traditional reading approach. No longer do we have to see students sitting in rows doing round robin reading. We can now use different approaches to teaching literacy rather than just using text. Multiple literacies give students options to reading and writing in different ways and opens up its doors to the needs of diverse learners. According to the American Association of School Librarians, “21st century reading is accomplished through a variety of resources beyond the traditional print, one can: read a picture, read an auditory story, read a multimedia website and more.”
In order to be part of 21st century reading, we need to change the way we teach literacy to encompass the objectives of multiple literacies. We desire our students to flourish especially since literacy is part of everything that we see and do. We strive to keep students at an appropriate reading level by teaching literacy in schools. However, we have lost many students to a variety of different technologies and thus reading an actually book is not as important any more. In order to break through this barrier, we need to incorporate the new technological age to engage the students in literacy. Technology has become so prevalent in schools, and this technology can enable literacy to become an important aspect of students’ lives again. We need to continue to use these multiple forms of technology to help our students excel in literacy. According to Bean (2011), “until we bridge this gap by tapping the multiple literacies in adolescents’ lives, we will continue to see adolescents develop a disinterested cognitive view of in-school literacy functions and a more enthusiastic sociocultural view of out-of-school discourse functions.” As educators, our primary goal is to meet the needs of students and to do this we need to come together and use the new advances in literacy and technology. We cannot demand our students to learn literacy using the traditional approach. The times have changed and so has the way literacy can be learn and taught.
The following links were developed to give educators an idea of how to use multiple literacies and technology to teach literacy to elementary, middle, and high school students. Each lesson can be adapted to meet the needs of the students and the environment.
4th grade lesson plan
7th grade lesson plan
10th grade lesson plan
Additional resources
Support to elementary educators on how to use multiple literacies in teaching literacy especially regarding new technologies. Videos are included to help display how to use the technologies available for teaching multiple literacies.
A brief introduction to the theory of multiple literacies
Discussion of the impact traditional literacy approaches on culture and race and how the theory of multiple literacies aid in helping these students use their social and cultural background to analyze literature
Information about how multiple literacies can promote adolescent literacy
How multiple literacies have shown to increase student motivation and achievement in literacy
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action. Chicago: American Library Association.
Bean, T. W. (2001). What adolescents deserve: A commitment to student’s literacy learning. (p. 223). International Reading Association, Inc.
Multiliteracy home. (2012). Retrieved from http://multiliteracy.wetpaint.com/
The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 66-92. Retrieved from http://wwwstatic.kern.org/filer/blogWrite44ManilaWebsite/paul/articles/A_Pedagogy_of_Multiliteracies_Designing_Social_Futures.htm
Sheridan-Thomas, H. K. (2007). Making sense of multiple literacies: Exploring pre-service content area.Reading Research and Instruction, 46(2), 121–150. Retrieved from http://coedpages.uncc.edu/amedina1/Techno/content%20area%20multiple%20literacies.pdf