A student skilled in multiliteracies will be able to create, interpret and utilize multiple sources/units of information including, but not limited to, electronic, spacial, visual, audio, (multi)linguistic and gestural literacies. They will be able to do so within their own unique, transitioning, socio-political and cultural environs.
What interests me in this shift in how we are experiencing literacy is this: no matter how far we’ve come, how advanced we are technologically, regardless of how many apps we have on our iPhone, there are huge segments of our student population who will have greater access to acquiring these multiliteracy skills than will their peers. This divide in accessibility has long-lasting impact on how much power (economical/consumer/political) these students will yield throughout their adult lives.
Of course, gaps in access to knowledge is not a new form of societal injustice. Harold Innis (a colleague and contemporary of Marshall McLuhan) described how historically various forms of media and information have long been used by institutions/governments/monarchies to monopolize knowledge; dating back to ancient civilizations, using clay tablets, and Papyrus. (Bias of Communication, 1951).
So while this issue of equitable access to knowledge is certainly not new, it is dangerous. The current tagline is that new literacies/Social Media and their accompayning technologies, are somehow “levelling the playing field” and that “everyone” has access to global information and knowledge, and this is far from the truth. So, yes: we have increasing modes in which we can host/transmit/acquire and share information, but the systemic barriers that limit who has access to these modes of information sharing, and to what end, are firmly established and therefore we face a greater disparity than ever in terms of who can experinece and access information. Simply; being “poked” on Facebook does not mean you have punctured the manufactured obstructions limiting access to elite knowledge.
The challenge is then, for us as future educators of multiliteracies, is how will we best address these issues in our pedagogical approach?
I look forward to examining this (and other difficult questions) with you.
All the best to you all for a successful year of shared inquiry.
Maya
2 responses so far ↓
kairosman // Sep 18th 2012 at 4:08 pm
Agreed, except for one potential irony: perhaps this inequity is precisely what is needed to mobilize youth around this issue? I spent a fair bit of time last Fall at Occupy and 90% of the folk who organized and ran the camp were under 30; indeed, many under 20!
maya // Sep 19th 2012 at 3:04 pm
i agree! and i love how various social media platforms were used (by youth!) to organize and bring attention to recent protests, as well. also interesting that these multinational techno companies (Apple, Microsoft, etc.) both represent “the man” and “big brother” but are also tools used to fight their position of dominance in our society.
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