"Orchestrating the Media Collage" by Jason Ohler, in Educational Leadership

"Orchestrating the Media Collage" by Jason Ohler, in Educational Leadership

Here's an article people may find thought-provoking as we think through new media literacies, and try to explain what that means to others.

"Being able to read and write multiple forms of media and integrate them into a meaningful whole is the new hallmark of literacy."

From the article:

"For centuries, this has meant being able to consume and produce words through reading and writing and, to a lesser extent, listening and speaking. But the world of digital expression has changed all of this in three respects:

* New media demand new literacies. Because of inexpensive, easy-to-use, widely distributed new media tools, being literate now means being able to read and write a number of new media forms, including sound, graphics, and moving images in addition to text.
* New media coalesce into a collage. Being literate also means being able to integrate emerging new media forms into a single narrative or "media collage," such as a Web page, blog, or digital story. That is, students need to be able to use new media collectively as well as individually.
* New media are largely participatory, social media. Digital literacy requires that students have command of the media collage within the context of a social Web, often referred to as Web 2.0. The social Web provides venues for individual and collaborative narrative construction and publication through blogs and such services as MySpace, Google Docs, and YouTube. As student participation goes public, the pressure to produce high-quality work increases."


Jason Ohler discusses how the definition of literacy is shifting now, and comes up with 8 Guidelines for Teachers:


1. Shift from text centrism to media collage.
2. Value writing and reading now more than ever.
3. Adopt art as the next R.
4. Blend traditional and emerging literacies.
5. Harness report and story.
6. Practice private and participatory social literacy.
7. Develop literacy with digital tools and about digital tools.
8. Pursue fluency.

His conclusion:

"Teachers as Guides

Although some teachers are genuinely excited about the emerging nature of literacy brought about by powerful digital tools, others feel overwhelmed—some to the point where they are prompted to leave the profession. It is my fervent hope that they don't leave. Their students need them.

Teachers don't have to be advanced technicians. Their students tend to be fearless adopters of new technology who have the luxury of time and well-developed informal learning communities to keep up on the latest and greatest happenings in the world of technology. What is important is that teachers become advanced managers of their students' talents, time, and productivity. Teachers need to be able to articulate standards of quality and provide feedback that students can use to meet those standards. They need to be the guide on the side rather than the technician magician.

Now more than ever, students living in the overwhelming and often distracting world of technical possibility need the clear voice of a teacher who can help them develop literacies that will be important to them for a lifetime. Now more than ever, students need teachers who can help them sort through choices, apply technology wisely, and tell their stories clearly and with humanity.

My advice to teachers concerned with digital literacy? Focus on expression first and technology second—and everything will fall into place."


I've found this article to be a good discussion starter among colleagues. Does it ring true to you, or seem to be valuable? Do you agree with the points made here? Anything you would add, subtract, or express differently?