Of the four, I feel that only three of them are appropriate to integrate into the classroom, fanfic, manga, and blogging. I am confident that most of my fifth graders already visit online chat rooms and/or IM at home. Therefore, I don't want to overexpose them to that particular form of literacy. Also, this form of communication lacks face-to-face interaction and uses language, abbreviations and symbols that I think should be avoided in traditional classrooms.
Blogging could be used in the classroom, though I think it has a stronger impact when used with older students. Similar to what I am doing for my grad class, as a fifth grade teacher, I could assign students to post a blog reflecting on a novel we read in class or in response to a discussion topic I have proposed. Actually, this type of literacy would be perfect for my current fifth graders. They are crossing the line between spitting back factual information based on what they read (like what they did in 3rd and 4th grade) and just starting to learn how to form opinions and reflections on what they read. This type of literacy would help them practice reflecting.
Fanfic would be a great tool to use in my classroom for aspiring creative writers, if not all of my students. I think the appeal to using fanfic is that students interest levels are high. They can pick the character, book, TV show, movie, etc. that they want to continue writing about, so it is interesting and relevant to them. This new literacy goes beyond assignments that I have used in the past like 'write a new ending to the book' or 'continue writing a last chapter to the book'. This would be a great alternative to your traditional, and sometimes boring book reports.
Lastly, manga would be a form of literacy used to inspire the artists in my classroom. I could have students create and illustrate their own manga comics based on a book we read in class or a topic we are discussing. Or we could read existing manga comics and discuss them, reflect on them and determine the message or theme of that particular comic. I think there has been a popular trend of Japanese culture influencing American children recently. There is Yu Gi Oh, Hello Kitty, and these little Japanese erasers that my fifth grade girls are obsessed with. So to bring it into the classroom would excite the students.
The four new literacies mentioned in the article can all be incorporated into the classroom to enhance the curriculum and teaching approaches. With an open mind, teachers can present the same curriculum but in different, more creative ways. As I was reading the article I was connecting the four new literacies to multiple intelligences. By using these new literacies in a classroom, you are just using another tool to teach to your diverse learners.
You've come up with some great ways to include the use of new literacies in your classroom. I think that fan fiction is an excellent way to extend the instruction of a novel or story. In order to complete the assignment the students truly need to comprehend what they have already read. In addition, the students get excited about the various directions in which they may take a character.
ReplyDeleteI had never actually looked at manga until last semester, but when I asked my students how many of them read manga, so many of them said that they did so regularly. As a project for my high school history students I could have them create a manga to go along with a chapter that we have studied. They will have the opportunity to tell a story and illustrate it, therefore demonstrating their mastery of the content material.
I would love to have the opportunity to set up a blog for my students. I think that it would be a great tool to have, especially when reviewing for a test or an exam.
As teachers we need to keep up with the technology and literacies that the students are participating in. Like you said, the more we do, the more we will be meeting the needs of our learners.