Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality

By Jennifer Sanders

Book Overview

The chapters of this collection present a broad range of research and practice that demonstrates effective integration of study in the arts, multimodality, and new literacies into K-12 English language arts classrooms.

Literacy today is more than reading and writing. Being literate in the 21st century takes the ability to critically access, interpret, and create meaning through multiple forms of expression. Alternate forms of communication--such as art, music, drama, dance, multimedia, digital media, technologies, and film--play a crucial role in helping students cultivate these skills. Literacies, the Arts, and Multimodality introduces K-college educators to current research and instructional practices for including a wider range of experiences that help teachers explore how a curriculum rich in these experiences can benefit students personally and academically. Editors Peggy Albers and Jennifer Sanders argue that we all learn best when engaged in complex, socially constructed, and personally relevant creative composition and interpretation of texts. This philosophy plays out in every chapter of this collection as contributors provide research and classroom-based ideas for integrating opera into literature study; enhancing understanding through drama; composing through both art and writing; constructing meaning through picture books; bringing filmmaking into the ELA classroom; and exploring the pros, cons, and experiences of digital video production. Contributors include classroom teachers, teacher educators, and researchers in the field who have worked in and against traditional literacy settings to integrate these practices and bring positive change to education. They offer guidance for others who wish to help their students become more literate in the 21st century.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814132146
• ISBN13: 9780814132142
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: National Council of Teachers of English (Ncte
• Length: 349 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.9" x 5.9"