This document outlines an activity for teachers to define and discuss new literacies. It instructs participants to first define literacy and new literacies on their own, then collaborate in small groups to develop a shared 25-word definition of new literacies. Participants are asked to visually represent their definition on a poster. The group definitions will then be presented in a gallery walk where common themes can be identified. The goal is to generate initial ideas about new literacies that can be built upon in further discussion.

1. Our Initial Ideas About New Literacies: What are they? Where do we start? Carl Young NLI Teacher Leader Institute Raleigh, NC 25 July 2011

2. Get ready…

3. 1 Objective, 1 Rule To get ideas out of your head and onto paper… quickly!  Your ideas!

4. Literacy? Step 1: Define literacy in your own words. Take 2-3 minutes to freewrite or freetype what literacy is. What is literacy? What does it mean to be literate?

5. New Literacies? Step 2:What is/are new literacies? Define new literacies in your own words. Take 2-3 minutes to freewrite or freetype what new literacies is/are. This definition may be an extension of your first one or an elaboration to some degree.

6. Share & Collaborate Step 3: Now, in small groups at your table, share your ideas about new literacies, and... 2 groups at each table (4 minutes) Step 4: Collaborate on a common working definition that is no longer than 25 words. (5 minutes) Step 5: Create a visual representation of your working definition that includes your words and any visual design elements that help convey your ideas. Post-It poster paper and markers provided!(5 minutes)

7. Initial Ideas About New Literacies Gallery Walk Next, post them around room! Walk and take a look at each other’s work! Note any common themes or images, as well as anything else that strikes you as you take a look.

8. Common Themes / Observations? Share: If time, … What are some of the common themes you noticed? What other observations did you make? Use these as a reference point to build upon over the week! Post your initial definitions to the Ning or Tweet them and include #NLI11 Archive: 1 volunteer from each group or tech support person at table, use Flip cam to capture group and poster. We’ll post these as well.

9. Connections… New Literacies have connections to technology, but also to art, narrative, gaming, multimodality… creating!

10. …help us to represent ideas in new and dynamic ways… Preamble, 1987; Mike Wilkins

11. NLI Team’s New LiteraciesWordlehttp://www.wordle.net

12. NLI Team’s New LiteraciesTagxedohttp://www.tagxedo.com/artful/785741dcd5704053

13. NLI Team’s New LiteraciesGlog http://slingtunes.glogster.com/New-Literacies/

14. Video: Thoughts in Progress on New Literacies

15. Thanks! Carl Young NC State University carl_young@ncsu.edu Raleigh, NC 2011