Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

(I apologize if some of you have seen my post on E-Literature before, but I cannot find it on our blog. I am re-posting it below….)

In retrospect when looking back at my educational experiences, I find that electronic literature may not only be a literary genre that is underrepresented, but it may also be underestimated in our 21^st century learning environments. English Language Arts (ELA) education has and continues to revolve around canonical texts, texts that have many available resources and recognition in our schools. Educators in ELA should be exposed to the electronic literature genre by means of workshops during professional development days or speakers who speak to the skilful elements within these stories during teacher education programs. I strongly believe e-literature is a unique literary genre as it allows the reader to engage with the text at a different level due to the represented multimodalities of electronic writing. When reading in this genre, the reader will encounter multimedia content, animation, links and many other fascinating aspects. Educators should familiarize themselves with this genre, because incorporating such non-traditional, interactive fiction may actually make the study of literature more appealing to our students. Implementing electronic literature may simply bring us closer to our students in that we make an effort to relate our content knowledge to their world in this digital era.

The Electronic Literature Organization has published two volumes of E-Literature and it is crucial to remember that some of the stories found within these collections, may be underdeveloped as they come from the early stages of this genre. Prior to this presentation in this multimedia class, I was not aware of electronic literature or the notion that it is informed by computer games, animations and graphic design.  I believe that all educators, regardless of their speciality and core/elective courses, should see as many examples as possible of this genre to merit further investigation and implementation. Once some examples are found, educators may also be hesitant to incorporate these into the curriculum due to the fact that these books are read on a computer. Fortunately as part of my inquiry into this genre, I encountered an essay by Chris Mott that teases out some of the questions educators may pose. Here is a list of the questions that he addresses in the course of his work:

1. Why should I teach electronic literature?
2. How can I hep my students whoa re frustrated or confused by electronic literature?
3. How do I help my students profit from the similarities and difference between print and electronic literature?
4. How do we discuss a text that is not the same fro everyone?
5. How do I assign reading?
6. What sorts of assignments and exercises (intellectual tasks) are most relevant and effective?
7. How do I teach in a medium/material I have not mastered?
8. Which pieces should I teach?
9. What resources are available to help me teach electronic literature?

I will be addressing many of the practical suggestions Mr. Mott offers in respect to these questions during the E-Literature presentation. Here is a link to the essay  http://newhorizons.eliterature.org/essay.php@id=3.html

Also, it is worthwhile to mention that there are many other essays on the Electronic Literature: New Horizons For the Literary website that may help inform your understanding of electronic literature.

http://newhorizons.eliterature.org/essay.php.html

A showcase of electronic literature can be found at http://eliterature.org/news/showcase/

Hayles, N. K. (n.d.).       Electronic Literature: What is it?    . Electronic Literature Organization. Retrieved July 2, 2013, from http://eliterature.org/pad/elp.html

Mott, C. (n.d.). Electronic Literature: New Horizons For The Literary :: Essays. Electronic Literature: New Horizons For The Literary . Retrieved July 4, 2013, from http://newhorizons.eliterature.org/essay.php@id=3.html