Re-emergence of Dr. G's Notes - On Multimedia Literacy

It has been quite awhile since I have added any comments or thoughts to Dr. G's Notes BLOG. I have decided to try to post with more frequency to both re-invigorate the BLOG and perhaps more important to start to discuss various issues that seem to be of importance in both the field of education generally and teacher education specifically.

I plan to start with a discussion of my recent work on the inclusion of multimedial literacy in teacher education. This topic seems to raise emotions and doubts among some of my colleagues, while others recognize the utility, potential and need for adding multimedia literacy to the acquisition of traditional literacies that are such an important piece of our educational endeavors for students.

Where to start the discussion? How about describing what multimedia literacy is. A century of mass communication and the advent of digital technology have changed the way ideas are expressed and understood across society. The written word now shares a crowded stage with image, sound, video, interactivity, and other forms of expression and knowledge. My current work is based on the premise that to be fully literate in the 21st century one must have fluency with a complex vernacular that incorporates sound, image, moving image, and interactivity, as well as the written word. This notion supports the preparation of educators and teacher candidates to not only possess multimedia literacy, but also to know how to integrate these abilities with their instructional visions, objectives, and strategies.


This is the foundation for future discussions here at Dr. G's Notes.

Please keep you eyes on this BLOG spot for ongoing dialog on this topic in the near future and others as issues occur.

Bye for now. . .

Dr. G