“While this piece of work would create some skills, it would not actually reflect the philosophical change I have undergone as a result of this class. That philosophical epiphany is that the very nature of literacy has changed, and as teachers we must change our tactics and practices as a result: Modern literacy is not primarily going to be about novels, essays, short stories, or even magazine articles. Rather, literacy is an interactive process that will take place primarily online.”
I wrote the above paragraph during a description of my final project in Rick Beach’s Digital Writing class last semester. After reading the opening chapter of our textbook this semester, my conclusion remains unchanged. The definition of literacy in an age of twenty-four-hour-a-day media and Web 2.0 has fundamentally shifted. And while, as an English teacher, I think it is still necessary and good to discuss grammar, spelling, and punctuation – heck, I will still teach The Great Gatsby - it is every bit as important to teach communication, analysis, and creation through multimodal media.
Dr. Strangelove. American Idol. CNN.com. Startribune.com. Online gaming, political websites, blogs, Facebook, MySpace. Each of these offers a different learning tool for the modern student. Each could be used to explore a different type of literacy from the standard which is typically taught in public schools. And frankly, each would probably provide more real-world benefits to students more than another discussion of Ethan Frome. (Of course, I detest Ethan Frome, so I might be prejudiced in this manner).
What is every bit as important as teaching using multimodal media is analyzing multimodal media. We English teachers harp on audience and purpose in regards to our essay writing, but how often do we address the issue with television commercials? Our lessons on Voice and Purpose and Audience and Narrative Structure and Point of View can all be applied to political ads and modern film and pop music and reality television. And since most adolescents are passive recipients of media messages, development of critical thinking skills in regard to analysis of mass media are all the more important.
One other issue I’d like to address is the idea that novels, plays, poetry, and other literature is “high-brow” and worthy of study, while blogs and television and film are “low-brow” and do not merit further study or analysis. Firstly, I’d like to point out the number of current canonized works which were originally considered inappropriate for students: Huckleberry Finn. The Catcher in the Rye. “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Leaves of Grass. Each of these “classics” was once considered inappropriate, overly violent, coarse, profane, or otherwise unacceptable. Plays were once entertainment for the lowest members of society. Novels were written for meretricious enjoyment. Free verse poetry was crass and shallow. Every time a new media for the communication of human ideas is advanced, proponents of the previous media will denigrate the emergent art-form.
I say that, with all due respect to Marshall McLuhan, the message is the message. And the skills needed to analyze and respond transcend the particular media which that message takes. It is our duty as educators to teach students to address a variety of media, since they will be expected to be literate on the page, on-line, and on the screen, both big and little.
