Pages: 290 Price: $61.95(hardcover); $42.95(paper) ISBN: 0-398-07642-1(hardcover); 0-398-07643-X(paper)
Adams and Hamm pose the question; "what will it mean to be literate in the twenty-first century?" Chapters dedicated to "new literacies" including digital literacy, numeracy, scientific literacy, aesthetic literacy, network literacy and others attempt to answer this question. The book is intended to be a practical guide for teachers and others by giving classroom applications of the new literacies.
Recent developments in technology and their increased accessibility create new modes of communication and new curricular demands. Literacy education no longer refers to traditional text based print only, it now includes the ability to decode information and create messages using many types of media. Adams and Hamm are careful to point out that while new technology offers many exciting new possibilities for educators and certainly should not be ignored in today's technology intensive world, it is not an end in itself. The authors argue for a constructivist approach to teaching including face-to-face collaborative learning, hands on experiences, and purposeful activities that tie to real-world applications and promote critical thinking. Technology has its place but is not a substitute for concrete experiences and conversation with peers and more knowledgeable others. The authors state, "By using a variety of technologies for real-world inquiry, problem-solving, and communicating, students can come to recognize that learning is more than preparing for life, it is life in the twenty-first century" (p. 224). Technology in its various forms, and the literacies it demands of users, are increasingly important tools in today's society.
The book focuses on new literacies within the larger umbrella of media literacy. Media-related ideas and suggestions for teachers are included in each chapter. The ideas, based in constructivist theory, are designed to be hands-on, open-ended, and collaborative. In addition, the authors emphasize the importance of critical thinking when "reading" the new technologies. Perhaps this is why the lesson ideas included in each chapter resist the traditional recipe format found in many books dedicated to teachers. An example found in the chapter dedicated to scientific literacy suggests museums as a way to link science and community resources. The authors suggest giving children objects, "such as a bone," and having them work in pairs to investigate "all they can about the objects" using the resources at a museum. There is nothing inherently wrong with this activity, in fact it could potentially be a very interesting experience for students and teachers, however there is not enough here for a teacher to even begin to realize the lesson's potential. I am not implying that teachers need scripted lesson plans, but the lessons found in this book would be more useful if they were explained in greater detail, or were accompanied by examples of student work.
For a book about literacy the number of typos is inexcusable. As an example, the table of contents lists "Scientific Library" as a chapter; it is actually "Scientific Literacy." It seems reasonable to expect careful editing in a book that focuses on literacy education.
The topic of media literacy is timely and unquestionably an important one. The authors cover a wide variety of new literacies that certainly merit careful analysis in today's schools. I do not believe the subject matter is treated in a way that achieves the authors' goal of providing practical media-related activities for teachers to use in classrooms. At best the book may pique interest in areas that are often overlooked in traditional classrooms.
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