Working Towards a New Literacy

in the English Classroom:

Rethinking Concepts about Reading

Goals and Objectives

• to reframe thinking about reading skills in the English classroom through research

• to reframe notions of what a text is through activities

• to provide an opportunity to plan or rework existing lessons with new literacy in mind

• to provide teachers with resources on the new literacy

“...most young people need much more experience than they currently get in the use of visual images as means of expression, communication, and exploration.”

Paul Messaris, University of Penn.

Why are we Rethinking Ways of Reading?

• because traditional concepts of reading involve the printed word

• and print media are becoming less important in the communication of messages for our students

• and communication is primarily a visual system

Reading the Traditional Way

Activity: With your copy of William Faulkner’s novel, The Sound and the

Fury, begin reading Chapter 1 making note of the meaning.

Be prepared to discuss what is happening in the narrative.

Reading in Hypertext

• Activity: at your computer, go to http: www.usask.ca/english/faulkner/ and read the same text of Chapter 1

• What happens to your reading of the traditional print text compared with the same words in this hypertext?

Reading a Short FilmActivity: At your computer, watch the following narrative, a short film, and for discussion purposes focus on the way the narrative develops. “How They Get There” by Spike Jonze

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2480132/artist/240829

Post-Reading Discussion

How does the narrative of this text develop?What is the message or the theme of this text?Comment on the similarities and differences of reading a traditional print text, and reading this film.

Break Time

Changing Concepts of Reading and Writing

Activity: At your computer, read the articles at following sites, and be prepared to discuss your reading.

http://writerresponsetheory.org/wordpress/2007/05/10/interview-with-jaime-alejandro-rodriguez-ruiz/

http://writerresponsetheory.org/wordpress/2007/04/28/ficlets-literary-lego/

The ways in which language is used changes with the form of the

medium, or the container of the message.

Technological change has created new containers of language.

Evolving Thoughts Towards a New Literacy...

Implications of a New Literacy on Teaching

If language use has changed, and the containers of language have

changed, then the skills required to read that language must also have

changed.

A Slide show within a Slide show......

Activity: At your computer, watch “Literacy (r)evolutions” by Jess Laccetti @ http://www.slideshare.net/JessL/literacy-revolutions-jess-laccetti-slideshare. Stop before viewing the concluding short film, “Web 2.0...”

• Discuss and critically evaluate your reading of this text with the whole group.

“Literacy (r)evolutions”

Lunch Time

The New Literacy in a Short Film

Activity: Before viewing “ Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us” complete the Previewing Questions on your

handout. At the conclusion of “Literacy (r)evolutions”, click on this film, then complete the post-viewing

questions, and be prepared to discuss your reading of the film.

Towards a New Literacy in the English Classroom

The containers of language have changed, so the conventions of communication have changed to include visual representation.

Readers need to understand how to

critically read visual content. They need

instruction in visual literacy.

What do you read from this visual text?

Reading as a Visual System:

Visual Literacy in theEnglish Classroom

In groups of three, divide the reading of: “The Visual Literacy White Paper”“Through a Class Darkly: Visual Literacy in the Classroom”“Visual Communication as a Primary System”.

• skim the articles

• discuss and summarize interesting points

• brainstorm ideas for ways to incorporate visual literacy into an English class

• present your ideas to the whole group

Visual Literacy in Your Classroom

Activity: At your computer visit some of the following sites, and develop a personalized plan to implement visual literacy according to your current lesson plans and comfort level.

• http://www.kn.att.com/wired/21stcent/visual.html

• http://www.fno.org/PL/vislit.htm - a student lesson online

• http://www.ivla.org/portal/intro.htm - a collection of links from the International Visual Literacy Association

• http://www.csuohio.edu/history/exercise/vlehome.html - an online exercise for professionals

• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/vlintro0602

Web sites on Visual Literacy

The New Literacy from a Post-Secondary Perspective

Activity: With a partner, visit the following site and click the mouse to move from frame to frame, reading as you move.

http://iat.ubalt.edu/moulthrop/talks/usc/index.htm

How many popular culture references, or allusions that can you identify in this text?

Ending at the Beginning:

Concluding Thoughts on Moving Towards a New Literacy

in the English Classroom

As teachers of language, we need to rethink the use of language in

order to give our students the skills to read the past and the present.

The conventions of language have changed with new containers of

communication.

Reading in hypertext is not the same reading skill as reading a

book.

Films and photographs are texts that need to be read.

Visual Literacy is a skill that moves students towards the new literacy, toward the critical reading of the

world around them.

“Our habit of thinking of communication as consisting

exclusively of language has delayed the study of communication.”

Sebeok, 1991

Artwork by Jayne Wilson,

“Do you say it best when you say nothing at all” 2005

Thank you for viewing, for listening, and for reading as we move towards

a New Literacy both inside and outside the English classroom.

By Melanie White

Prepared for Nipissing University, Honours Specialist English: Supervisor, Robert Brady