Teaching Multiliteracies for Social Change

DefinitionMultiliteracies means being cognitively and socially literate with paper, live and electronic texts. Anstey and Bull, 2006

Social Change is any major alteration in the pattern of social interactions in society. Answers .com

Theorists and Educational Researchers

Key Theorists• Mary Kalantzis

Born in Greece in 1949, Mary Kalantzis moved to Australia in 1953 and is today recognised as a Australian citizen and a permanent resident in the U.S. She has a Ph. D from the Macquarie University’s School of History, Philosophy and Politics and also a Bachelor of Education.

• Bill CopeBorn in 1957 in Sydney, Australia. Like Kalantzis, Cope also has a Ph. D from Macquarie University as well as a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History from the same institution.

The New London Group

• Founded in 1994 in New London, New Hampshire.• A collection of ‘genre’ theorists and world leading

English educators.• Began collaborative work on “Multiliteracies”

document which was completed and published in 2000.

WHOLE LEARNING APPROACH“It is the belief that language should not be separated into component

skills.” encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/wh/Whole_language

PROCESS WRITING “Process writing is learning how to write by writing," notes Stone (1995, p. 232).

The basic premise of process writing is that all children, regardless of age, can write. The initial focus is on creating quality content and learning the genres of writing” http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/instrctn/in5lk11.htm

GENRE APPROACHThe genre approach to teaching writing focuses, as the terms suggests, on

teaching particular genres that students need control of in order to succeed in particular settings. This might include a focus on language and discourse features of the texts, as well as the context in which the text is produced.

http://www.englishaustralia.com.au/index.cgi?E=hcatfuncs&PT=sl&X=getdoc&Lev1=pub_c05_07&Lev2=c04_paltr

Putting the “Multi” into Literacy

Multi Modality“Text” can now refer to written, oral, visual, audio, tactile, gestural and spatial

Multilingualism Does not only mean those who can speak more than one language but how we use the English language to achieve different social functions

The ‘Investigation Identity and Power Relations’ Research Project

• Aim: To investigate areas in the curriculum where print and visual texts can be used to develop critical literacy and explore social issues with students

• Exploration of how technology can be used when constructing and deconstructing visual texts and multiliteracies

Teaching Social Change in the Classroom

By developing literacy as a social practice in our classrooms, “than we can consider discussing social issues with our students”

(DECSA,2009)

Frameworks and Teaching Strategies

Learning-by-Design Framework‘Knowledge Process’

(Kalantzis and Cope, 2008)

Teacher Planning

2

3

4

1

“Mindful and appropriate deployment of the range of

knowledge processes is intended to foster higher order thinking skills and deeper learning” (Kalantzis & Cope,

2008).

Essential Learnings and Resources

Changing Forms of TextText forms now include:

• Electronic Literacies• Techno-literacies• Digital Literacies• Print Based Literacies• Visual Literacies

Planning

Writing = Designing

Recording

Reading = Predicting

Scanning Interpreting

Analysing

Essential Learnings

Education Queensland has embraced the concept of multiliteracies. Teachers are

encouraged to create context for learning that are multi-modal and to incorporate the use of

new technologies.

Resources• Students must be challenged in the classroom

to harness and develop skills that enable them to understand, negotiate, analyse, sort and navigate the breadth of communication, information, media and text options that they are presented with now, and in the future.

Australian Children’s Television Foundation, 2005

Turning Theory into Practice

OutcomeFocus Question:

What image of beauty is being portrayed in society.

Intended Learning outcomes:Students use magazines to explore how beauty is portrayed in society and then debate the pros and cons of this representation in popular culture.

Essential Learnings Knowledge and Understanding –Reading and Viewing• Words, groups of words, visual resources and images can persuade an audience to

agree with a point of view by portraying people, characters, places, events and things in different ways. (English Essential Learnings by the end of Year 7)

Ways of Working

• Students are able to:• Identify the relationship between audience, purpose and text type.• Interpret how people, characters, places, events and things have been represented

and whether aspects of the subject matter have been included or excluded.• Construct literacy and non-literacy texts by planning and developing subject matter,

using personal, cultural and social experiences that match an audience and purpose.• Make judgements and justify opinions using information and ideas from texts and

recognise aspects that contribute to enjoyment and appreciation.

LEPDeclarative Knowledge Students will know:• The text purpose of the magazine.• People are represented in different ways in magazines.• Text can be constructed to position the reader.• “Values, beliefs, cultural and societal influences are embedded in text”

(Wing Jan, 2009, P 4).

Procedural KnowledgeStudents will be able to:• Discuss the text purpose of a magazine and how people are represented in

different ways in magazines.• Explain how the reader is positioned to feel when viewing magazine articles.• Justify their reasoning behind picture selection for magazines• Create a persuasive text that advocates for change in a magazine’s content

Dove

http://www.youtube.com/v/IHqzlxGGJFo

Situated practice• Exposure to real world texts and texts

in students’ lives.

Learning by ExperiencingStrategy: The known and the new

Magazines are familiar reading material however we may not regularly judge their contents from a critical literacy standpoint

Overt Instruction• Talk about how the text works.

Learning by ConceptualisingStrategy: By namingStudents will point out features of the

text

Critical Framing• Interpreting the social and cultural

context of text

Learning by AnalysingStrategy: CriticallyPredict and discuss consequences,

identify gaps and sequences, justification

Transformed Practice• Making and using text, applying the new knowledge

about texts.

Learning by Applying

Strategy: Creatively

Authentic task: As editor of a magazine of your choice, write a persuasive text to your CEO justifying what aspect of their magazine you would like them to change and why

Other ways to learn by applying

If students are to spend time deconstructing texts (digital, print, visual or aural) than they must also receive opportunities to construct their own texts.

“They need to use technology to create, alter and use texts in a variety of ways in a range of situations”(Wing Jan, 2009, p4)

Final word

•      “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours.” (Cesar Chavez)

References• Answer (2009). Definition of social change. Retrieved on July 20 , 2009, from www.answers.com

• Anstey, M., Bull, G. 2006. Teaching and learning mulitliteracies. Kensington Gardens, SA. Reading Association.

• Australian children’s television foundation, 2005. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from

www.dest.gov.au/sectors/school.../literacy.../sub_401_rtf.htm

• Blog post. (2005). New London Group, A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. Retrieved on July 25, 2009 from

http://www.earthwidemoth.com/mt/archives/000968.html

• Cazden., Courtney., Cope, B., Kalantzis, M. et al. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: designing social futures . Harvard education

review. 66 (1) pp 60-92.

• Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2008). New learning online. Retrieved on July 24, 2009 from

http://newlearningonline.com/kalantzisandcope/research-and-writing/

• Department of Education and Children Services. Investigating identity and power relations. Retrieved on July 24, 2009 from

http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/thenetwork/files/pages/identity_web/multiliteracies.html

• Evolution of Beauty- Dove campaign for real beauty. Retrieved July 21, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/v/IHqzlxGGJFo

• Hill, S. (2005). Multiliteracies in early childhood. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from

http://www.plsa.plain.net.au/PLSA_2005/2005_presentations/Susan%20Hill.pdf

• Roesell,J. 2006. Using mulitliteracies to teach. Family Literacy Experiences. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from

20http://www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/8207-P1_ch05.pdf09 fr

• Stone, S. (1995). The primary multi-age classroom: Changing schools for children. Unpublished manuscript.• Queensland Studies Authority. (2007). English essential learnings by the end of year 7. Brisbane, QLD, Australia : Queensland

Government • Queensland Studies Authority. (2007). English essential learnings: scope and sequence. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland

Government

• Tompkins, G. (1990). Teaching and writing: Balancing process and product. Columbus, OH: Merrill Publishing Co.

• Wing Jan, L. (2009). Write ways. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press