I woke up in the middle of the night and began pondering my first blog post.  I realized that I really only skimmed the surface of what I may discuss as the weeks move on. With that said, here are a few of the questions I asked myself in the wee hours of the morning. I should have gotten up and written them down, as I know there were more then!  As I think of them, I will add! 

So, what does this idea of Multiple Literacies mean for students today?

What does it mean for education and those whose lives are intriquely intwined with the system?

What does this concept look like in classrooms?

This is the beginning of a new journey for me - blogging.  The saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" fell on deaf ears.  As I work toward a graduate degree in reading, I have been asked to ponder the definition of literacy and the multimodal ways to create and communicate with our world. So, here goes!

Literacy?
It’s not just about being able to read and write anymore folks!

Literacy in the 21st Century means having/gaining the skills and knowledge to read and thus interpret the “text” of the world around us.

Multiple Literacies?
Multiple Literacies are not a new idea, however, it is not something you often hear spoken of during your day.

What are multiple literacies? With the advent of technology came a whole new way to communicate with others. Below is the beginning of a multimodal list, ways that meaning can be created and communicated, that changes quickly with new technologies.
• Blog
• Wiki
• Twitter
• Gaming
• E-mail
• Instant Messaging
• Skype
• Bluetooth
• Social Media
• I-phone, I-pad, I-pod
• YouTube
• TeacherTube
• Search Engines
• Social Network
• AudioBooks
• World Wide Web
• Elmo/Document Camera
• SmartBoard

I am sure you can think of more, add to my list if you wish.