Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures, Ed. by Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis
Passions, Pedagogies, and 21st Century Technology, Ed. Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe
These two books have similarities when it comes to technology and technology pedagogy. However, Multiliteracies deals more with the change and development of pedagogies. The first couple of chapters were a bit disconcerting in that they seemed to say that change is good and what was done in the past is now inadequate. For example, The New London Group records this statement: “key terms and interests of various postmodern and critical discourses focusing on liberation, the destruction of hierarchies, and the honouring of diversity…” (11). It translates into “the new way is freedom and inclusion; the old way of structure must be destroyed”. This stance has some positive twists of logic, but it doesn’t consider that too much freedom and no standards create chaos.
Writing for understanding and communicating effectively have a basis in commonality. This commonality is founded in grammar, syntax, and other rules. Rules are intended to be liberating, not constricting. For example, punctuating so the reader can understand what has been written is considerate and thoughtful. The reader doesn’t have to translate what has been said or search for abstract meaning or intention of the writer.
Through the Designs of Meaning, the reader can use knowledge to build more knowledge. Granted, people from different cultures have different Available Designs, but in order to communicate effectively, the Designing stage should provide methods of inclusion. The Redesigned should be something that can be shared and understood in a community.
Gunther Kress, in both Passions (ch. 4) and Multiliteracies(chs. 7 & 9), that senses can “from the beginning, guarantees the multimodality of our semiotic world” (184). In other words, an individual’s senses, and further, his or her background(socially and psychologically) contributes to the interpretations of input. It is through representation and communication that external interprecations are effected. Nevertheless, the closer people can come to common definitions, common rules and expectations, and collaborative meaning, the greater chance of success with understanding. Kress says, “So the various modes brought together in the multimodal system of language are generally speaking highly elaborated, in syntax, in lexis, and phonology…that is, the system of objects integrally involved with social practices…” (191).
Both books attempt to identify new methods and technologies, deconstruct them so as to reconstruct them into observing the changes and how these changes affect communication, and put these complex changes into context.
