New Literacy Concepts, My thoughts...

With an uncanny accuacy the latest set of readings have again matched what is happening in my world. On Mondays I teach an extension media goup. The group is called LCM or Literacy Creativity and Media. The work is being overseen by Marilyn Small who is an efellow and is studing the effects on literacy levels when children have an authentic auideince which is provided for us by the fact that our work goes onto Pukecho Echo ( A regional kids TV show ). For weeks I have avoided having converstions with Marilyn with regard to my thoughts of the literacy component of the work I do with the children. Now having completed the latest set of readings I can barely stop discussing the impacts as I percieve them to be.
Unsworth, L. (2001). “In order to become effective participants in emerging multiliteracies, students need to understand how the resources of language, image and digital rhetoric's can be deployed independently and interactively to construct different kinds of meanings.” (p.8) This then gives gives me the permission to validate my suspicions that as we create and collaborate on projects such as our sinking of the titanic add for the fair-go awards we are indeed making headway with the new forms of literacy not merely the old school beliefs of pure reading and writing. This need to validate new literacy learning for both the student and the teacher is reflected by Unsworth, L. (2001). who states that “Teachers are looking for a coherent and practical framework for classroom work, which consolidates fundamental aspects of traditional literacy pedagogy and also encompasses the multiliteracies competencies that children will need to negotiate in the new millennium.” (p.1).
By running this purely multi media program I have found other educators can be skeptical of the teaching and learning and I have until now found it hard to justify what seems like to much fun, be clearly literacy to the children let alone colleagues! This issue is was also highlighted by Lankshear, C & Knobel, M (2007) who state that, “Indeed, the kind of ethos we associate with new literacy's will often – if not typically – run counter to systemic thinking and norms. For this reason, teachers who seek to adapt their practices to take account of new literacy's ‘insider’ perspectives may well find themselves stepping into ‘minefields of local education-system politics’ (Jill McClay, personal communication). They may do this consciously or unconsciously, strategically or not strategically, in smart or not so smart ways, and successfully or unsuccessfully.” (p230).
Kahn, R. & Kellner, D. (2005) has given me the knowledge and quotes to use an example to use is, “A media-literate person, then, is skillful in analyzing media codes and conventions, able to criticize stereotypes, values and ideologies, and competent to interpret the multiple meanings and messages generated by media texts. Thus, media literacy helps people to use media intelligently, to discriminate and evaluate media content, to critically dissect media forms and to investigate media effects and uses” (see Kellner, 1995). p244
On another note I will be contemplating-the purpose of wikis and blogs as my topic for assignment 1. This was illuminated to me recently when observing a year 1 class news telling prelude to a lesson. The tiny 6 year old girl was using the class blog world feed map to show where her mums friend lived. (In England) The reason was to embellish the chocolate cake baking tale because as mum didn't have a good enough recipe she went onto her friends blog, and got a better recipe. The cake was great and she had a piece for play-lunch. Such occurrences are common now as is supported by Unsworth, L. (2001). who states that, “many instances can be cited from the professional literature and from everyday experience of children intensely involved in multimodal textual practices outside their school experience, which are rarely reflected or acknowledged as part of school literacy's.” This is the view was supported by Brown, J. S. (2000) who gave an example of photocopy technicians and collective intelligence rather than assistance from a technical manuel. The use of the web for common growth was discussed by Lankshear, C & Knobel, M (2007) who found that, “It is, then, an encyclopedia created by participation rather than via publishing; it ‘embraces the power of the web to harness collective intelligence’”(O’Reilly, 2005, n.p.) (p227).
I strongly believe that blogs and wikis have a place in every classroom and am excited to research further.

Brown, J. S. (2000) GROWING UP DIGITIAL: How the Web Changes Work, Education, and the Ways People Learn. Change March/April 2000. 12-20.

Kahn, R. & Kellner, D. (2005) Reconstructing Technoliteracy: a multiple literacies approach. E–Learning. 2.(3) 238-251.

Lankshear, C & Knobel, M (2007) Researching New Literacies: Web 2.0 practices and insider perspectives. E–Learning. 4.(3).224-240. www.wwwords.co.uk/ELEA

Unsworth, L. (2001). Teaching multiliteracies across the curriculum, Changing contexts of text and image in classroom practice. pp1-20. Open University Press Buckingham. Philadelphia.

Digital Horizons - A strategy for schools, 2002-2004 Revised edition, December 2003, Ministry of Education Wellington NZ

My musings about the latest selections of readings I have undertaken ....
I have coincidentally been leading cluster schools through the processes of creating elearning vision and planning. I was surprised to read the vision statement on page 3 "All learners will use ICT confidently and creatively to help develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve
personal goals and to be full participants in the global community." The surprise came because this almost exactly mirrors the statement made by principals and teachers when creating their own school elearning vision. I would believe that most staff would not have read the Digital Horizons prior to working with me so am interested in the similarities. Does this mean that Digital Horizons is still current and valid for 2009 .. I think so.
Most of the goals and actions expressed in this document are still current goals and actions for the schools in my cluster and I was surprised at the level of criticism this document had received in other readings.
Selwyn, D. (2008). Business as usual? Exploring the continuing (in)significance of e-learning policy drive. Computers in New Zealand Schools, 20(3), 22-34.
This reading seems to be particularly fixated on economic pressures and drivers that surround elearning policy in nz. (page5) This reading becomes interesting when discussion surrounds issues in the context of "reading with" Digital Horizons. Selwyn, D. (2008), highlights the disconnect between lofty intangible goals and the financial implications of providing the tools to utilise elearning. Working with 6 different schools in the area of elearning the common thread is consistent inability to provide the laptops / desktops / site licences / data projectors etc that are all needed to teach and learn in a digitally enhanced manner.
The article is quite right to suggest that any improvement is dependent on teacher and school emphasis rather than any thing produced by the ministry. The willingness to change and try new things has been a feature from the staff I have had the privilege to work with and I thank them for their generosity of spirit. Without this I doubt that there would be any tangible change to classroom practice. Thus I think that the title of the reading is extremely important as it suggests quite rightly that things have the potential not to impact teaching and learning without those at the heart of the matter being committed and involved.

Reaching the tipping point !!

I have just been forwarded this blog and find the comments made to be right on track!!" it seemed impossible to reach the “tipping point” when the vast majority of teachers used computers in constructive ways. " http://stager.tv/blog/?p=547. The struggle of have to constantly prove elearning worthiness to some educators can be wearing. To my delight however persistence pays of, and these reluctants' can give the biggest rewards when they come to you to share the elearning success that they have had in their class. I will also be trying to contact the author of a reading I have read recently about movie stories and small children as I have found the most powerful persuasion for teachers is seeing things happen in real life. Thus I may try and arrange observation visits.