BUILDING AND ENANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

EDUC.110

MODULE 1

TOPIC: Introduction to 21st Century Literacies, Traditional or Conventional Literacy and

Expanded Views of Literacy

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to develop a clear and practical
understanding of the following:
1. definitions of conventional literacy; and
2. expanded views of literacy in the 21st century.

INTRODUCTION
Literacy is defined by dictionaries as the state of being able to read and write (Literacy,
Literate, n.d.). Although it is the ultimate thesis of this chapter that such a traditional definition
no longer suffices in the information age, a thorough understanding of literacy and its past
nuances will give us a solid foundation in exploring and discussing the "new" literacies of the
21st century and why possessing them is now mandatory for both teachers and students in all
levels of education.
This chapter explores several, definitions of literacy and what being literate means in the
multiplicity of contexts in the 21st century, with the goal of raising awareness in readers who
might be. presently unaware of the evolving perspectives on literacy and giving teachers the
opportunity to pause and reflect on their own literacies even as they attempt to teach the new
literacies to their students.

The word "literacy”' stems from the word "literate," which first appeared in the 15th century
and is in turn derived from the Latin word litteratus, meaning "(a person) marked with letters “
that is, "distinguished or identified by letter and it carried with it the idea that such a person was
cultured and educated. Since the subjects of the time (e.g., grammar, logic, arithmetic geometry,
etc.) all had written texts (which were composed of letters) that to be studied, the ability to read
and write was therefore of prime importance leading to the strong association of being "literate"
with the ability to read and write.

Miller (1973) divides this conventional concept of literacy into three categories:

1. Basic Literacy — It is the ability to correspond visual shapes to spoken sounds in order to
decode written materials and translate them into oral language. Simply put, it is the ability to
recognize letters and words. This would be akin to recognizing that the sequence of letters "b-a-
s-a" forms the word basa in Filipino, even without understanding what it means.
2. Comprehension Literacy It is 'the ability to understand the meaning of what is being read. To
capitalize on the example above, this would be like knowing that basa can mean either "to read"
or "to be wet.'
3. Functional or Practical Literacy — It is the ability to read (i.e., decode and comprehend)
written materials needed to perform everyday vocational tasks. This is the equivalent of reading
the text "Ang bata ay nagbabasa." and being able to understand that basa here refers to reading
and not to being wet.
Based on this conventional view of literacy, we notice two things for reading (and
therefore literacy) to exist: (1) a text (consisting of symbols and grammar) to be read; and (2) a
meaning or message being communicated by the text for the reader to extract. Without a text,
there would be nothing to read; without meaning, the text is reduced to series of
incomprehensible doodles.
It should therefore be noted that even in Miller's definition of literacy, the act of reading
implies a level of understanding. Simply knowing how to say o word (or a series of words) is not
the same as being able to understand what it means. Without understanding of the meaning of
the words, reading has not taken place. Based on this, Schlechty (2001 ) defines the concept of
functional illiteracy as the state of being able to read, but not well enough to manage daily living
and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level,

As the rest of this chapter will argue, this synchronicity between decoding textual symbols and
being able to extract and understand their meaning is a necessary part of being literate, even as
the new contexts of the 21st century change the nature of what the "text" is, and what it means to
"read" and "write."

Expanded Views of Literacy

Despite the popularity of American films in the Philippines, many Filipinos cannot follow
the actors' dialogue, and thus resort to guessing the overall story based on the actions
onscreen.
Despite the ubiquity of the traditional view of literacy, Roberts (1995) notes that "in the
past fifty years, hundreds of definitions of 'literacy' have been advanced by scholars, adult
literacy workers, and programme planners," with even the United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2006) acknowledging that literacy as a
concept has proven to be complex and dynamic, it being continually defined and interpreted
in multiple ways.
In 2004, UNESCO formally defined literacy as "the ability to identify, understand,
interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated
with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to
achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their
community and wider society. "
Note that "reading" does not appear in UNESCO's definition of literacy. Instead, literacy
has taken on a definition more akin to "knowing about something and what to do with it."
In this vein, Mkandawire (2018) more succinctly posits that literacy is "a form of
knowledge, competence, and skills in a particular field or area," being supported by UNESCO
(2006), Barton (2007), and Mkandawire, SimooyaMudenda, & Cheelo (201 7), which
acknowledged that—as we have just pointed out—modern views appear to equate literacy with
knowledge.
This shift in the definition of literacy from "reading and writing" to "knowledge" is
especially important as we explore the "new" literacies of the 21st century that seem far-
removed from the contexts upon which conventional literacy is based.

When viewed from the perspective of conventional/traditional literacy, the concept of

"new" literacies is a bit of a misnomer, as even these new literacies of the 21st century make
generous use of being able to read and write, rather than supplant them as skills necessary for
survival. However, when viewed from the perspective of literacy as knowledge, the new
literacies begin to make sense as they are the "skills and bodies of knowledge" that are
necessary for survival and productivity in the information age.
In the same vein of reasoning, the new literacies are not "new" per se— as in the sense
that they never existed before. Rather, we consider them to be new because the contexts in
which old skills and knowledge are being employed are new, both in nature and in scope. The
ability to translate textual information into images is not a new skill, but it is the ability to do
so in a way that is concise, complete, and clear that is certainly new, given that it will be how
ninety percent of the population will be informed on the issue. Similarly' being able to verify
the truth-value and veracity of a document is not a new skill—but being able to do

Case in point: Throughout history, humans have communicated on levels apart from the
spoken and written word, for example, visually, using the long-
distance communication system of smoke signals used by the ancient Chinese, the ancient
Greeks, and the indigenous peoples of North America.
In the Victorian era, there was such a thing as the "Language Qf Flowers," where the
kind, color, and arrangement of a bouquet of flowers were used to communicate messages
that could not otherwise be spoken aloud in Victorian society (Greenaway, 1884). For
example, a bouquet of oak leaves (representing strength), purple roses (sorrow), white lilies
(resurrection), and pale yellow tulips and rosemary (memory or remembrance) would
altogether communicate a message of sympathy, usually over the death of a loved one.

Successfully interpreting these "visual languages" required a kind of "visual literacy" to

understand the message being presented and to manage the information encoded therein—skills
which, as following chapters will further reveal, are coming into use again in the 21st century
literacies. The difference is that now we are not analyzing smoke signals or bouquets, but rather
sounds, texts, and images from a hundred different sources at a nearly non-stop rate to the point
where accuracy, validity, and reliability of the messages we interpret form the basis for some
very important personal and collective decision-making.
Another difference involves the question of necessity: One did not need to be literate
in the language of flowers to live a fruitful and fulfilled life in Victorian era England, but to
be not media or digitally literate in the 21st century makes one vulnerable to manipulation by
those who are, and such manipulation can easily cost an individual time, money, property,
and even life.
These so-called "new" literacies arose from the increasing availability of communication
technologies that were once unavailable to the average individual. Technologies dike blogging
and vlogging, social networking, and even text-messaging change and expand both the extent
and the form of communication—blending text, sound, and images in ways unforeseen and
unprecedented (Richardson, 2014). Never before have the opinions of a twelve year-old child
in an unheard-of town in an unheard-of country been available for everyone on earth to read
and hear, and while adults might scoff at a child's opinions, that child might have more than a
thousand online subscribers who certainly think his or her opinions are important, maybe even
more so than the opinions of adults.

Simply put, three things have been critical in the rise of the new literacies:

1. Increased Reach - We are communicating with more people, from more diverse cultures,
across vaster distances than ever before.
2. Increased Means of Communication — We are communicating in more ways and at faster
speeds than ever before.
3. Increased Breadth of Content — We are communicating about more things than ever before.

How do we work together with people of different cultures who have vastly different
perspectives on communication, work ethics, van religious beliefs, and worldviews? What do we
do when some of these might mutually exclusive to our own? In an age where information is
power—where knowing more and knowing first can spell the difference between success and
failure—how do we leverage both current and emergent technologies so our endeavors are both
productive and profitable? Moreover, how do navigate and manage the veritable minefield of
information that was once considered taboo and private and is now online, for all the world to
see an judge, whether we like it or not?
Answering such complex questions requires new sets of skills knowledge—ones that our
school system have never had to teach before. With these changes in with whom, how, and why
we communicate, new literacies are required not only to make sense of the changes, but also to
use these new technologies and paradigms in meaningful and productive ways—something
required not only of students, but of teachers as well.
To better address the need for teachers to be literate in these new literacies, this book
discusses and explores them in the ensuing chapters, namely:
Globalization and Multicultural Literacy discusses how our increasing ability to
communicate with almost anyone, anywhere, in real time requires new skills and attitudes in
interacting with people with cultures, perspectives, worldviews, and priorities different from
our own, particularly with the end-view of not only peace and understanding, but also mutual
benefit and productivity.
The chapter on Social and Financial Literacies meanwhile explores the need for the
ability to navigate our own social networks—of both the online and off-line variety—to not
only 'communicate clearly, but also to leverage resources which we ourselves might not
possess. At the same time, the chapter addresses the notorious problem of short-sightedness
in Filipino culture regarding personal finances and how this must be addressed at an
increasingly earlier age to help mitigate the ever-widening gap between the rich and the
poor.
Media and Cyber/Digital Literacies explore the emerging need to locate, verify, and
ultimately manage online information, especially in an age where information is power
and where having the right (and wrong) information and the ability to communicate it
with others and use it to address real-world problems easily spell the difference between
both personal and career success and failure,
Eco literacy and Artistic and Creative Literacy explore the emerging demands for knowing
how to effectively and sustainably manage the natural resources that our increased
industrialization and demands for productivity are so rapidly eating up. The chapter also explores
how this increase in productivity also brings with it an increased demand for arts and aesthetics
and the need to develop ways of effectively communicating through the creative arts in
industries dominated by objective data.
Finally, Critical Literacy addresses the increasing need to discern the underlying (and
often tacit) messages behind the new "texts" of the 21st century, particularly in an ever-
increasingly multicultural society where ideas, cultures, and ideologies vie with one another
for power and dominance in the minds of the masses.

One of the ways students can be trained in the new literacies is to engage them in digital
storytelling, wherein the students take part in the traditional process of storytelling, but with
some digital enhancements. They choose a topic, conduct research, write a script, develop a
story, and through the use of multimedia, create something that can be played online or on a
computer.

Digital Storytelling can be broken down into following six steps:

1. Writing — Write about a particular story from your life. The story must have a central theme.
2. Developing a Script — Develop a script that identifies the important points of your story.
3.Creating a Storyboard — Create a storyboard that visually organizes the flow of the story,
Assign a particular image to portions of the script.
4. Locating Multimedia — Use search engines to locate photos and videos. Photos and videos
from one's personal collection may also be used.
5. Creating the Digital Story - Record the voice over for your movie. Create the movie using the
software that is available to you.
6. Sharing and Uploading — Share your story in class and upload your work online.
 MODULE 2

TOPIC: NEW LITERACIES, FUNCTIONAL LITERACY AND MULTILITERACY

OBJECTIVES:

1. Discuss new literacies and their impact on the teaching-learning process

2. Describe a multiliterate teacher
3. Define functional literacy
4. Cite how functional literacy and new literacies can be integrated in the curriculum and
practiced in the classroom
5. Draw relevant life lessons and significant values from personal application of functional
literacy
6. Analyze a research abstract on new literacies and their implications on teaching and learning
7. Make a project plan or action plan that presents functional literacy in action

INTRODUCTION

CONCEPT EXPLORATION
Students are taught to read and write print with fluency, speed and comprehension of the message of
the writer and the interpretation of the content of the material. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) asserts that a person, who is literate, can comprehend
and write simple and short sentences related to his/her daily life.

New Literacies
Between 1950 and 1970, the development of literacy both operational and functional, was established.
During this period, literacy was defined as reading and writing skills necessitated for activities in
modern society (Güne$, 2000). Beyond the 1990s, literacy had staned to diversify in the light of
technological developments, change of living conditions in cities, and the new necessities. Hereafter,
literacy then became multi-faceted.

At first, literacy was used in various types, such as computer literacy, technology literacy, Internet
literacy, and media literacy, respectively (Altun, 2005). Later on, it became a lifestyle along with a
person's entire life in a society that encompasses information literacy, cultural literacy and universal
literacy.

Truly, literacy has changed and developed through a multitude pf phases within a specific period
based on societal needs.

However, along this line, literacy is not confined only to knowing how to read and write rather, it is a
matter of applying knowledge for specific purposes in particular contexts. It includes a socially-driven
and evolved a pattern of activities, such as writing correspondence, records keeping and inventories,
posting announcements, reporting, etc. As such, Lankshear & Knobel (2006) averred that literacies
intend to generate and communicate meanings through the medium of encoded texts within contexts
in various discourses.

Kress (2003) posited that literacy can only happen when having a kind of potential content through
interaction with the text. Likewise, a particular text may be understood for being connected or related.
Although in a way, such meaning can be more relational than literal or expressing solidarity or affinity
with particular people, like understanding the Internet, online practices and online content. Hence,
anything available online can become a resource for making diverse meaning.

Literacies can bear a coding system that can capture the meaning, such as "letteracy" (i.e., within
language and recognition of alphabetic symbols).

Moreover, the Primary English Teaching Association Australia (2015) asserts that 21st Century
literacy has expanded to include social change, increasing field expertise and digital technologies. TO
be literate requires comprehension, selection and use of multimodal codes and conventions to interpret
and express ideas, feelings and information. Subject-specific literacies are recognized to require the
application of specialized knowledge and skills, information skills, an d the creative and imaginative
language. Literacy in the 21st century, therefore, demands the ability to perform and act confidently,
efficiently and ethically with a wide range of written and visual, print, live, digital or electronic text
types according to purpose (www.petaa.edu.au).

The increasing complexity of modern communication gives rise to a number of distinct capabilities
and possibilities. Hence, 2 15t Century literacy combines cross-curricular capabilities also called
multiliteracies' and now commonly referred to as 'new literacies'. These broad skills include visual
literacy, information literacy, cultural literacy and digital literacy dynamics. These new literacies are
fused with traditional print literacy to create opportunities and enable students to understand and use
new text types, while exploring knowledge and information with a wide array of technological tools,
such as blogging, fanfic writing, manga producing, meme-ing, photoshopping, animé music video
(AMV), podcasting, vodcasting, and gaming, running a paper-based zine, reading literary novels and
wordless picture books, reading graphic novels and comics, and reading bus timetables. (Primary
English Teaching Association Australia, 2015).

Leander (2003) noted that new literacies are often flexible, continuous and open, where online and
offline lives and "literacyscapes" merge. Thus, when a literacy practice becomes a mindset with the
concept of Web 2.0, it can be regarded as a new literacy. New technologies enable and enhance these
practices in a way that is highly complex and exciting for students.

Exploring the New Literacies

There are seven new literacies that are stressed in the 21st century curriculum.
1. Multicultural Literacy is about understanding ethnic groups that comprise the population and
focuses on complex issues of identity, diversity and citizenship.
2. Social literacy is the development of social skills, knowledge and positive values in human
beings to act positiv.ely and responsibly in sophisticated complex social settings.
3. Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media.
4. Financial literacy is the ability to make informed judgments and make effective decisions
regarding the use and management of money.
 5. Digital literacy is the ability to effectively use digital devices for purposes of communication,
expression, collaboration and advocacy in a knowledge-based society.
6. Ecological literacy is understanding the principles of ecosystems toward sustainability.
7. Creative literacy is the ability to make original ideas that have value, and the ability to see the
world in new ways.

The Truth on 21st Century Literacies According to Research

Since success with technology depends largely on critical thinking and reflection, teachers with
relatively little technological skills can provide less useful instruction. Therefore, schools must
support the teachers by providing them professional training and up-to-date technology for utilization
in classrooms.

Global economies, new technologies, and exponential growth in information are transforming our
society. Since today's people engage with a technology-driven, diverse, and quickly changing wodd,
teachers need to prepare students for this world with problem. solving, collaboration, and analysis, as
well as skills with word processing, hypertext, LCDs, Webcams, podcasts, smartboards, and social
networking software that are central to individual and community
success.
The National Council of Teachers of English (20B) came up with a research that reveals the
following:
1. As new technologies shape literacies, they bring opportunities for teachers to foster reading
and writing in more diverse and participatory contexts.
2. Sites, like literature's Voice of the Shuttle, online fanfiction, and the Internet Public
Library, expand both the range of available texts and the social dimension of literacy.
3. Research on electronic reading workshops shows that they contribute to the emergence of
new literacies.
4. Research also shows that digital technology enhances writing and interaction jn several
ways.
5. K-12 students, who write with computers, produce compositions of greater length and
higher quality are more engaged with and motivated toward writing than those who do. not
write with computers.
6. College students, who keep e-portfolios, have a higher rate Of academic achievement and
overall retention rate than those who do not keep e-portfolios. They also demonstrate a
greater capacity for metacognition, reflection and audience awareness.
7. Both typical and atypical students, who receive an online response to writing, revise their
works better than those participating in traditional method.

Functional Literacy
The term functional literacy was initially defined by UNESCO through William S. Gray in his
Teaching of Reading and Writing (1956) as, adult training to meet independently the reading and
writing demands placed on them. It stresses the acquisition Of appropriate verbal, cognitive and
computational skills to accomplish practical results in specific cultural settings dubbed as survival
literacy and reductionist literacy.
Over the decades, as societies have evolved into technical innovations, the definition of functional
literacy has been modified to meet the changing demands (Concise Oxford Companion to the English
Language, 1998).

Referring to functional literacy, UNESCO states the following:

1. Literacy programs should be integrated to and correlated with economic and social
development plans.

2. The eradication of illiteracy should begin with population sectors, which are highly
motivated and need literacy for their own and their country's benefit.
3. Literacy programs should be linked with economic priorities and carried out in areas
undergoing rapid economic expansion.
4. Literacy programs must impart not only reading and writing but also professional and
technical knowledge leading to greater participation of adults in economic and civic life.
5. Literacy must be an integral part of the over-all educational system and plan of each
country.
6. The financial need for functional literacy should be met with various resources, as well as
be provided for economic investments.
7. The literacy programs should aid in achieving main economic objectives (i.e. increase •in
labor productivity, food production, industrialization, social and professional mobility,
creation of new manpower and diversification of the economy).

Thus, literacy materials present reading, writing and numeracy concepts using words and ideas needed
in using information for learners to enhance sufficient literacy skills and continue learning on their
own.

A number of functional literacy programs have been carried out that focus on different job skills and
development aspects. To name a few, in the Philippine context, are agricultural, health, industry,
family planning, home making, arts and culture and technical-vocational programs.

A new functional literacy • aspect, called specific literacy, is becoming a trend, in which the job of the
student is analyzed to see exactly the literacy skills needed and those that are only taught. This is to
prevent job-skill mismatch. In specific literacy, the student may learn very little but will be of
immediate value that would result in increased learner motivation.

Therefore, the specific literacy strategy is a planning tool that allows the literacy worker to focus on
skills that are of value to the learners.

Significance of this approach includes literacy that: (1) starts in the workplace; (2) uses a diagnostic
approach; (3) identifies turning points in economic life that may act as an incentive to learning; (4)
assesses the limits of a short-term intervention; and (5) looks for generic skills.
(https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-andmaps/functional-
literacy)

Gunes (2000) posited that functional literacy constitutes the second level of literacy next to basic
literacy, in which literary and mathematical information and skills can be utilized in one's personal,
social, economic and cultural endeavors. Therefore, the essence in functional literacy is to learn basic
related information and skills and use them in daily life. Functional literacy level comprises both
technical and functional skills while encompassing social, citizenship, and economic roles.

In context, Qapar (1998) cites that a functionally literate person is someone who is one step ahead of
literacy and maintains literacy activity throughout his/her life in order to keep living and effectively
accommodate himlherself to his/her surroundings. It is, therefore, an ongoing process.

UNESCO defines functional literacy as the ability of an individual part in significant activities in
professional, social, political and.
cultural aspects in a society, where he/she lives using his/her literacy
Castel, 1971; Goksen, Gulgoz and Kagitcibasi, 2000; a? in Savas, 2006).

Hatch (2010) defines it based on the American Heritage College Dictionary (AHCD). Accordingly,
the word "functional" means "building capacity" and "literacy" as "reading and writing skills."
Therefore, it is the capability to proficiently read and write that can be used in daily life routines.
Likewise, Knoblåuch and Brannon (1993), as cited in Jabusch (2002) distinguished basic literacy and
functional literacy as having the expression "functional" to indicate performance with texts, including
mathematics.

The Education for All Global Monitoring Report (UNESCO, 2006) states that functional literacy
means the ability to make significant use of activities involving reading and writing skills that include
using information, communicating with others, and following a path of lifelong learning necessary for
the ability to express him/ herself in daily life. UNESCO's definition also adds that functional literacy
includes those skills essential for both official and unofficial participation, as well as those which are
necessary for national change and development that can be used to aid an individual in contributing to
his/her own development and that of his/her family and the society. The National Statistics Authority
defines functional literacy as the level of literacy that includes reading, writing and numeracy skills
that help people cope with the daily demands of life

Based on these definitions, functional literacy can be concluded as an activity that contributes to the
development of an individual and the society, including the ability to use information and skills
related to listening, speaking, reading, writing, and arithmetic necessary for daily life in social,
cultural and economic aspects effectively (https•J/PdfS• semanticscholar.org).

Improving Functional Literacy in the Philippines

Over the years, the Philippines has continuously aspired to attain an increased functional literacy rate.
Manuyo (2019) reported that based on the 2013 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media
Survey (FLEMMS), the country registered a 90.3% rate, which means that nine out of every 10
Filipinos aged 10-64 were functionally literate. In 2003, there were still gaps at the community level.
In the study conducted by World Vision, results showed that the proportion of girls and boys aged 11-
13, who were functionally literate, placed at a critical rate of 44%, or below of the students were able
to read with comprehension by the end of their basic education.

It was also evident that school dropouts contributed to low functional literacy. Obviously, one in every
100 or about 4 million Filipino children and youth were out-of-school in 2013. Of the total number,
22.9% got married, 19.2% lacked a family income to be sent to school and 19.1% lacked interest in
attending schools. In order to address illiteracy issues, creating formal and non-formal learning
environments, active participation of local stakeholders, capacity building of teachers, development of
contextualized or indigenized learning materials, and tracking of improvement of reading, basic math
and essential life skills outcomes were desired. Interventions also included improvement of
classrooms and several reading facilities, establishing a culture of reading program, parental training
and learning, and skill integration in the curriculum.
(https://www.worldvision.org.ph/stories/improving-functional-literacy-inthe-philippines/)

In a follow-up study by World Vision in 2016, the functional literacy rate went up at 76.53%. In the
community level, the rate inclined to. 62.64%, or around 50%-70% of the students were able to read
with comprehension by the end of their basic education. The increase was significant within the 3-year
interval but it also indicated more improvement is expected considering that rate remained 17.36%
short of the 80% threshold (https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org).

An analysis shows that low functional literacy could mean low resilience to 'respond to abnormal
conditions and increase a child's vulnerability to exploitation. This could also result in unpreparedness
for gainful employment and eventually increased dependency on welfare programs.
One of the government initiatives to address this is the Alternative Learning System (ALS) that
provides an opportunity for learning
among out-of-school youth for them to land in better jobs.
(https://pdfs.semanticscho/ar.org/3941/28e7d8e26f67db4951eb52713964a98546ec.pdf)

Integration of New Literacies in the Curriculum

To address the call for literacy in today's world, students must become proficient in the new literacies
of 21st century technologies. The International Reading Association (IRA) believes that literacy
educators have the responsibility to integrate information and communication technologies into the
curriculum to prepare students for the future they deserve.

The multiliterate learner. Today, the Internet and other forms of Information and communication
technologies (ICTs) are redefining the nature of reading, writing, and communication. New literacy
skills and practices are required by each new ICT as it emerges and evolves. Thus, these new literacies
need to be integrated into the curriculum to prepare students for successful civic participation in a
global environment.

Students would desire for: (1) teachers who use ICTs skillfully for teaching and learning; (2) peers
who use ICTs responsibly and who share their knowledge; (3) a literacy curriculum that offers
opportunities for collaboration with peers around the world; instruction that embeds critical and
culturally sensitive thinking into practice, standards and assessments that include new literacies; (5)
beaders and policymakers who are committed advocates of ICTs for teaching and learning; and (8)
equal access to ICTs for all classrooms and students.

Coiro, et. al (2008) noted four cömmon elements as broader dimensions of new literacies, to wit: (1)
the Internet and other ICTs require new social practices, skills, strategies, and dispositions for their
erective use; (2) new literacies are central to full civic, economic, and personal participation in a
global community; (3) new literacies rapidly change as defining technologies change; and (4) new
literacies are muttiple, multimodal and multifaceted, thus, they benefit from multiple Lenses seeking
to understand how to better support the students in a digital age.

Impact of new literacies on instruction. Additional changes are taking place in literacy instruction
(Grisham and Wolsey, 2009). Henry (2008) restated that engagement in literacy activities is being
transformed today like at no other time in history. As students turn to the Internet and other
information communication technologies (ICTS) at increasing rates to read, write and interact with
texts, they must develop new skills and strategies, or new literacies, to be successfUl in these
multimodal, intertextual and interactive environments. Thé Internet has become the defining
technology for today's youth and may be the most important ICT for students to learn how to
manipulate successfully.

Although, there are multiple ways to view the changes in literacy and communication emerging from
new technologies (Labbo and Reinking, 1999), it cannot be ignored that literacy changes experiences
at school and in everyday lives. As such, rapid profound changes in technology impact students'
literacy journey. Hence' Leu, et. al (2004) posited that changes in literacy are confronted bY
innovation, that the new literacies of today will be replaced by even newer ones tomorrow as new
ICTs continuously emerge in a more globalized community of learners. And such changes bear
important implications to iostruction, assessment, professional development and research.

Multiliteracies in the Educational Reform

In a broader essence, the concept of 21st century skills is motivated by the belief that teaching
students the most relevant, useful, in-demand, and universally applicable skills should be prioritized in
today's schools.

As such, students need to be taught different skills that should reflect the specific demands of a
complex, competitive, knowledge based, information-age, technology-driven economy and society.

21st Century skills may be taught in a wide variety of school settings. Teachers may advocate
teaching cross-disciplinary skills, while schools may require 21st century skills in both instruction and
assessment processes. Schools and teachers may use educational approaches that inherently expedite
or facilitate the acquisition of cross-disciplinary skills.

Educational strategies,that include authentic, outcome-based learning, project-based learning and

performance-based learning tend to be cross-disciplinary in nature. Students complete a research
project, create multiple technologies, analyze and process information, think creatively, plan out the
process, and work collaboratively in teams with other students.

Likewise, schools may allow students to pursue alternative learning pathways, in which students earn
academic credit and satisfy graduation requirements by completing an internship, apprenticeship or
immersion experience. In this case, students can acquire a variety of practical, job-related skills and
work habits, while also completing academic coursework and meeting the same learning standards
required of students.

Assessment of multiliteracies. Assessment moves from usual memorization of facts and

disconnected processes to demonstration of Understanding through application in a variety of
contexts. Real-world audiences are important part of the assessment process, including self-
assessment.

Media literacy skills are honed as students address real world issues from the environment. Students
use the technological and multimedia tools now available to them to design and Produce websites,
television shows, radio shows, public service announcements, mini-documentaries, electronic
portfolios, DVDs, oral histories and even films.

In a way, students can freely express their points of view as they create projects using multimedia and
deliver these products to real world audiences, realizing that they can make a difference and change
the world. They learn what it is to be a contributing citizen, and carry these citizenship skills
throughout their lives.

As a result, standardized test scores are higher because students have acquired the skills and content in
a meaningful connected way with profound understanding. They actually master the content on a
much higher level and develop their basic skills by constant application throughout their schooling.
Preparing teachers for multiliteracies. New London Group (1996) underscored multi-literacies as
multimodal ways of communication that include communications between and among other languages
using diverse channels within cultures and an ability to understand technology and multimedia. As
such, applying multiliteracies to teaching offers a new classroom pedagogy that extends and helps
manage classrooms.

Biswas (2014) asserted that one challenge for educators is to help students create a sustainable literacy
development throughout schooling, so that students can develop strong literacy skills (Borsheim, et.
al, 2008). Certainly, multiple and new literacies require students to integrate technology-enhanced
educational tools into their work. Ajayi (2011) recommended that teacher education must prepare
teachers to teach multiliteracies in their schools where there is a critical gap between multiliteracies
and classroom pedagogy (Pennington, 2013). Given globalization and technological changes, teaching
multiliteracies is indispensable to literacy teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Therefore, Newman (2002) in Biswas (2014) suggests that teachers integrate four components of
multiliteracies in teaching:
1. Situated practice leads students 'towards meaningful learning by integrating primary
knowledge.
2. Overt instruction guides students to the systematic practice Of learning process with tools
and techniques.
3. Critical framing teaches students how to question diverse perceptions for better learning
experiences.
4. Transformed action teaches students to apply the lessons they learn to solve real-life
problems.

Thus, teaching multiliteracies can inform, engage, and encourage students to embrace the multiplicity
of learning practices (New London Group, 1996). Moreover, teaching multiliteracies can help teachers
blend and apply the following four instructional processes of multiliteracies in classroom to ensure
successful teaching and advancing students' learning processes.
Research shows that effective instruction in 21 Century literacies takes an integrated approach,
helping students understand how to access, evaluate, synthesize, and contribute to information (New
London Group, 1996).

Teachers insist to: (I) encourage students to reflect regularly on the role of technology in their
learning; (2) create a website and invite students to use it to continue class discussions and bring in
outside voices; (3) give students strategies for evaluating the quality of information they find on the
Internet; (4) be open about one's own strengths and limitations with technology and invite students to
help; (5) explore technologies students are using outside the classroom and find ways to incorporate
them into one's teaching; (6) use wiki to develop a multimodal reader's guide to a class text; (7)
include a broad variety of media and genres in class texts; (8) ask students to create a podcast to share
with an authentic audience; (9) give students explicit instruction about how to avoid plagiarism in a
digital environment; and (10) refer to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website.

For schools and policymakers: (1) Teachers need both intellectual and material support for effective
21st century literacy instruction; (2) Schools need to provide continuing opportunities for professional
development, as well as up-to-date technologies for use in literacy classrooms; (3) Address the digital
divide by lowering the number of students per computer and by providing high quality access
(broadband speed and multiple locations) to technology and multiple software packages; (4) Ensure
that students in literacy classes have regular access to technology; (5) Provide regular literacy specific
professional development in technology for teachers and administrators at all levels, including higher
education; (6) Require teacher preparation programs to include training in • integrating technology
into instruction; (7) Protect online learners and ensure their privacy; (8) Affirm the importance of
literacy teachers in helping students develop technological proficiency; and (9) Adopt and regularly
review standards for instruction in technology.

The integration of new literacies and the teaching of multiliteracies open new pedagogical practices
that create opportunities for future literacy teaching and learning. Multiliteracies can also help
teachers provide equal access to learning for all students. In effect, students learn to collaborate by
sharing their thoughts with others in online spaces where they can engage in differentforms or modes
of learning Process. Consequently, students can be expected to become more %nfident and
knowledgeable in their learning through participatory and COIIaborative practices as a result of this
new literacy integration in the curriculum for teacher education (New London Group, 1996).