Paper and final project

Section 1: Research paper

You will identify a “new” literacy and explore it in depth by reviewing relevant literature – especially though not necessarily only academic and research literature. Based on a close and analytic reading of the literature, the paper will provide an in-depth investigation of the nature and educational potential of one 'new' literacy. As such, this paper will deal with practical as well as conceptual and theoretical aspects with respect to the new literacy practice under scrutiny. In other words, you will take a topic in which you are interested -- perhaps podcasting, blogging, or the use of comics and other visual texts in teaching struggling readers, and find out what the research says about it. How is this technology being used in terms of education? How might it be used? What does that mean for classrooms? Are there Digital Divide issues? (Might some classes and schools have access to something that others don't?)

Your paper should be 5-10 pages, typed and double-spaced in Times New Roman 12 pt font, with the usual margins. It should include proper citations and a bibliography.

Paper Due April 21

Section 2: Final project

You will develop a project plan for using new literacies to address a particular area of interest and need in your classroom. This could include using new literacies with students in order to:

• Interpret canonical texts (e.g., Shakespearean plays, Frosts’ poems)
• Transpose a text from one period or location to others, and which involves researching contextual details (e.g., setting S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders in present times or vampire young adult best-seller Thirsty in a previous historical period)
• Create original manga storylines in order to teach literary terms and structures
• Use blogs and blogging to research and write persuasive genre pieces

In accordance with the grant work being done in West Orange Schools, teachers from that area will be encouraged to focus on manga or comics, narrative elements, and new literacy tools as these projects will be supported in the schools when implemented.

You do *not* have to implement your project during this semester, only plan it. It should be longer than a class period, but does not need to take several weeks necessarily. It should definitely incorporate technology use by the students as well as the teacher, and build on what we are learning about literacies and how technologies impact them (Questions to think about: why might you choose a visual text like comics over a more traditional text like a short story? What does using one give you as opposed to using the other?)

FORMAT OPEN -- Because everyone's projects will be so different, there is not one single format to follow. You need to be sure you tell me what you would do in your project, how, and how that builds on the idea of new literacies -- but whether you do that in a formal paper, website, handwritten project plan, or some other format is up to you.

Project Due: Last day of class, when you will give just a five-minute (not formal) overview of what you designed