Expanding the Concept of Literacy

Ok, I'm finally getting around to blogging about this. I found it difficult to really get into this article but as I read, it became more interesting. I agree with the argument that colleges need to expand the concept of literacy to multimedia. Yet I also understand why the scholarly world has so long valued text, as it is the best tool for education and literacy. I think in this modern age, we forget that text is still a form of media. The invention of the printing press revolutionized the way information was distributed. I don't think multimedia literacy is in any danger of being lost; there is always going to be a need for that type of knowledge. As Royce said, if everyone becomes multimedia literate, we're going to be out of a job! But a teacher is only as good as their student, and if high school graduates have no knowledge of multimedia creation, the field is going to progress a lot slower. For this reason, there is a demand for media educators in preliminary education, even though not many people realize it yet.

Perhaps what those in the education profession need to realize is the symbiosis that artistic development has to do with literacy. Literacy at it's heart is the ability to analyze and think critically, and that is exactly the purpose of art. Art, however, is the literacy of life. The reason text is becoming so outdated is because students aren't finding it relevant to their personal lives. Why are movies like Star Wars and Harry Potter so popular these days, especially with younger people? The reason is because although they are based in fantasy, the experience feels real. Multimedia engages the senses and transports the viewer into an alternate world, but it also opens up the doors of the subconscious mind and helps the viewer to look inside them-self. For this reason, I believe the growth of media literacy can be used as a positive force in students lives, balancing the desire for drugs and alcohol. We are all searching for something, trying to fill the void within ourselves, and for me, that void is being filled by my growth as an artist and my education in the field of media production. I am also seeing a potential as a high school educator emerging within me, which I never in a million years would have imagined possible.