Multiliteracies:
Being part of the 21st century it has come down to the understanding that as a society people are advancing and in doing so the world around us is changing to support those new advances. Throughout the article “Multiliteracies”: New Literacies, New Learning” written by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis goes on to talk about the changes that have been made in the educational system to literacy and how it is taught now in comparison to 1994. These changes in literacy they talk about within the article from my understand happen because the way people communicate is changing due to new technologies, and the notion that English as a language is become more versatile within many different cultures without discrimination, therefore literacy should be developed to meet the needs of all.
That being said there were parts of this particular article that failed to provide me with the satisfaction of new multiliteracies being equally available to all. “However, inequality is not unjust insofar as education is one of society’s “opportunities”. It is free and compulsory, and through education, people can become anything they like and succeed on their own terms—if they have the will and the “ability”, that is. Education is one of the key sources of social equity” (Cope & Kalantzis, 167-168). This quote also mentions becoming anything one dreams of becoming if they have the “will” and the “ability”, one’s ability in this statement could be their financial situation. Post secondary education may be necessary, but to many it may not be affordable; the government does provide students with loans but they are then badgered to repay their loans as soon as possible. Does this then mean that the educational system is just to those whose opportunities are far from reach due to the difference is social standing and their financial situations? Students may have the “will” for further education but their “ability” (financial instability is stopping them from doing so.
These day speech and written language are not the only forms of communication, technology is being made so text is then combined with sounds, and images that are put into motion pictures. Within the classroom these technologies are being used as an alternative to written or traditional methods of the past. The article, “Rethinking Literacy Education in New Times: Multimodality, Multiliteracies, & New Literacies” by Jennifer Rowsell and Maureen Walsh, mentions, “Instead of writing a report and even talking to the class about it, as may have occurred in previous years, they designed a “claymation” to present an aspect about light” (Rowsell & Walsh, 58). This practice helps students become more involved in their own learning and education.
For future practices I believe that by embedding the proper use of multiliteracies into the classroom, both educators and learners will become more engaged in what is being taught and how it is taught. The importance of these practices are the underlying fact that the English language is becoming more cultured and others globally use English to communicate as we do. Therefore as we develop multiliteracies to be more equitable and readily available to all, it should be taught to all in a just manner.
References
Cope, B, & Kalantzis, M,. (2009). Multiliteracies: New Literacy, New Learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4: 3, 164-195 (Link on Resource Page)
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