“What do you mean New Literacies? I just figured out the

old literacies!”Incorporating Contemporary

Literacies into a 21st Century School Library Program

Presented by Joanne de GrootMarch, 2013

Direct link: http://youtu.be/RO0-7YAxxDY

Brainstorm:How do you see technology

and the digital world impacting literacy in your own schools and

school libraries?

Share your ideas on the Elluminate whiteboard

Observations from one of my students...Lanskhear notes that literacy is a

cultural phenomenon, which means that literacy changes

over time and space. Literacy of yesterday is not the same as literacy of today, which is an

important reason why teachers and TLs have to stay on the

cutting edge of technologies and research.

The same student continues...Today’s literacy is all about interaction

and problem solving skills it is not a solitary activity as it used to be.

Bobbi Newman notes that literacy is cultural, cognitive, constructive, communicative, confident, creative, cultural and civic. Gone are the days of the quiet individual workspace of the library. Today’s libraries and classrooms need to be a place of communication, inquiry, interactive and problem solving.

Direct link: http://youtu.be/sk4Cw8vrDuM

Transliteracy is...the ability to read, write and interact across a

range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.

The modern meaning of the term combines literacy with the prefix trans-, which means "across; through", so a transliterate person is one who is literate across multiple media.

Definition from Wikipedia entry

Transliteracy is not just about computer-based materials, but about all communication types across time and culture. It does not privilege one above the other but treats all as of equal value and moves between and across them.

from: Thomas, S., et al. (2007). Transliteracy: crossing divides. First Monday, 12(12). Online.

Transliteracy happens in the places where different things

meet, mix, and rub together.

~Thomas, et al

School libraries used to be about books and reading...traditional literacies.

Claymation video created by teens at the Youmedia Chicago site

Think about some of the key roles of the school library program and the teacher-

librarian

Collections: Management &

Promotion

CollaborationInquiry

Technology Leadership & Technology Integration

Literacy Leadership Instructional

Partner

Curriculum leader/Coordinator

Outreach

So, if transliteracy is about having the ability to

read, write, and interact across a

variety of platforms, what can and should teacher-

librarians in K-12 schools do to support our students and teachers in

developing these skills?

Put another way, how do we nurture, support, and privilege transliterate

practices in our school library programs?

Let's talk about books

Encouraging kids to talk about books in different formats and different ways, including via text, Facebook, face-to-face. Other Web 2.0 tools are also effective to promote book talk.

Kids as content creators and authors...and a way to build your collection??

As kids create new content for fun and/or to

demonstrate new knowledge, how can we

display this, share it, put it out there in the world for

others to see? Should we do this?

Call on your own PLN and encourage students to

build their own local and global/virtual and face-to-face PLN to share their work and support their

learning.

Kids helping to:

build collectionsplan programs and services

participate in their library experiences

Making all types of media and resources more accessible through our catalogues.

Allowing and encouraging students to share information and new knowledge in a variety of ways...including non-traditional formats and in unique and individual ways.

Ultimately, we are supporting our students to become active and

engaged citizens who are literate across all platforms. We want them to be able to fully participate in the

world around them. Supporting and promoting the notion of transliteracy

can only strengthen our library programs, can only serve to support

our students and teachers, and in the end benefit the future....because

someday, one of those kids may be singing to us from the International Space Station!

Direct link: http://youtu.be/AvAnfi8WpVE

Thank you! Feel free to be in touch if you have any questions or comments.

Dr. Joanne de GrootUniversity of Alberta

email: degroot@ualberta.ca