From print to critical multimedia literacy : one teacher's foray into new literacies practices

Within the field of literacy research, there is an increasing recognition that the advent of information and communication technology (ICT) necessitates a broader conception of literacy. A new definition of literacy is required to encompass not just the traditional literacy, such as the ability to read and write, but also multiple literacies related to multimedia technology. Citing Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, and Cammack (2004), the new literacies for the 21st century can be succinctly defined as follows: The new literacies of the Internet and other ICTs include the skills, strategies, and dispositions necessary to successfully use and adapt to the rapidly changing information and communication technologies and contexts that continuously emerge in our world and influence all areas of our personal and professional lives. These new literacies allow us to use the Internet and other ICTs to identify important questions, locate information, critically evaluate the usefulness of that information, synthesize information to answer those questions, and then communicate the answers to others.