The New Deal: Multiliteracy

Multiliteracy opens up the discourse about traditional teaching practices.  It discusses the shortcomings of traditional teaching in addressing the population of students whose learning styles have shifted.  Albeit that most people presently utilizes technology to a greater extent than before.  That there will be varied levels in peoples ability. In addition to the fact that not only is the English language dynamic and ever changing but also that it’s culturally diverse.

The New London group hypothesize that a tangent from the traditional teaching practice towards multiliteracy is a better educational philosophy. In essence, multiliteracy has in mind the populous’ best interest. It understands the role computer literacy play in shaping the way people communicate.

There is also a working understanding that even though English might be the global language that there are many variants of the English language.  Therefore, multiliteracy would benefit those individuals who aren't necessary native English speakers. Hence, they would have an equal opportunity to participate to the best of their abilities in their classrooms, and eventually in their work place and beyond. Hence, traditional education is bias as it fails to cater to everyone. Does this mean that the pedagogical philosophy behind multiliteracy may be the great equalizer providing a utopian society that has long eluded us? May be not. 

Multiliteracy however recognizes that there is a disparity in societies.  For instance affluent societies have a wealth of t resources. So those who come from such backgrounds have an advantage over those from lower class communities. When people of different class meet up in the workspace those from more affluent communities have the computer skills to do well. The workspace is structured differently and the skills that they call for may require qualifications beyond what traditional pedagogy of literacy may have to offer.  In other words, social work space may need multiple languages to communicate globally. They may have to be computer literate to maneuver the World Wide Web, in operating and designing computer programs.  Multiliteracy is trying to prepare individuals who can function and communicate in a world that has immensely changed is still changing.  The new London group pin point the areas of social change in local diversity and global connectedness, linguistic and cultural differences--that they have pertinent to the function of the various aspects of individuals lives, be it private or public.

The New London Group highlights that there is the need for diversity—be it the educational system or the workspace.  The educational systems in fact prepare the work force of the future.

 In fact “postFordism” or  “fast capitalism” as we knew it then is still around something that postmodernist cannot completely deconstruct.  The vertical chain of hierarchy that still exists even among those who are literate and have embraced the technological age and are literate in the tokenistic pluralist society. The tokenistic ideal is that if you work real hard and get and education that you will be reward with the career of your choice. The pedagogical philosophy behind mulitilietrary may in fact be creating a docile workforce. They are in fact limited by the similar ideals and realities of capitalism.  Thus, “Fast Capitalism” has only taken on a different persona. 

Educators do have to reconsider if what students are being taught is to fit into another system where technology is being used make it’s workers submissive. Nonetheless, its outcome is similar to that of Henry Ford’s remarkable assembly line.  The truth is that educators may be preparing students to fulfill positions in the work place that still have a chain of hierarchy that just won’t dissolve with revamping the traditional pedagogical philosophy. However, its does help with mobilizing the general public to question what use to exist, that now exists, and what to come in the future.To believe and to trust that multiliteracy will consider all the differences and place everyone on a leveled playing field is pyrite or fools gold.  The New London group, acknowledges that there are many imperfections with corporations.  They may make accommodations to deal with its diverse workforce or utilize the technologies that are available to communicate internationally and locally within its  company regular memos but its difficult to avoid where people are coming from and what they have perceives to be as their truth about those who are their bosses.

Figure 1 changing realities and designing social futures

The what of multiliteracy designs speaks of the” meaning” that people   make from what they hear, see, and feel. People design their own meaning with aren’t in isolations of their believes and cultural background.  The technological age has also opened another medium with influence what individual derive from social medias.  The way person perceives things is an act of redesigning and creating meaning.

Figure 2 Is multiliteracy: the new deal?

The New England Group discusses how the human mind works with relation to the theory of pedagogy. Its premise is that, the human mind learns not in isolation of an individual’s culture.   It also states that through critical framing a student can make meaning of what they learn and that knowledge has a means of being transferred from one situation to another. Nonetheless, an individual has to have interest in what being taught.  The idea of various designs being multilayered is in fact interesting.  It does need to address in detail how the effects of current social and political views on shaping the education to suit a pluralistic economy whose ideals flourish on tokenistic ideals. Hence, is multiliterary the new deal to literacy pedagogy. Will charter schools per se, be the answer to public school? Will common core be the answer to the national dilemma of making students ready for a college education by raising the standards? Or is the literacy pedagogy waiting for a superman.