Source 1: E-literature for children

Source 1: E-Literature for children: Enhancing digital Literacy learning

Unsworth L, (2006). E-literature for children: Enhancing digital Literacy learning. London: Routledge

Thomas, A, (2006). Book Revew: E-learning for children: Enhancing digital Literacy learning, University of Sydney, Retrieved April 10th 2011, http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/validate.asp?j=elea&vol=3&issue=2&year=2006&article=11_Book_review_ELEA_3_2_web

Dan, Hyperlinks don’t split Narratives, they streamline it: Dan Blog, Retrieved April 10th 2011, http://article_dan.posterous.com/hyperlinks-dont-split-narrative-they-streamline-it

Poore M, March 2011, (Personal Communication)

I selected Source One for one particular reason. This book is a resource ahead of its time, referring to the role of the teacher and the activities of a multimodal classroom beyond this transition into the ‘digital era’. (Poore, 2011) The books synopsis indicates the effectiveness of “exciting new forms of digital narrative” (pp xi) in teaching early childhood literacy. Unsowrth’s focus? To inform and encourage teachers about the dialogue between traditional story books and their media counterparts, such as “CD-ROM versions of stories, computer games....fan-fiction communities.” (Thomas, 2006) Addressed specifically to a teaching audience, Unsworth also educates the reader on the changing nature of literature in a media classroom, and the “integral part played by the web in children’s experience.” (pp xi) The majority of this book references, “emerging digital narratives,” (pp 87) and is divided into examples of the different formats in which e-narratives are formulated, such as “reader alignment with the point of view of The Littlest Knight,” (pp 97) or “Animation scenes...of the The Little Prince,” (pp 64). Unsworth concludes with practical examples on how one might introduce media into units of work, not only to construct a more engaging and relevant classroom environment, but also to make use of the computer facilities that are currently so widely available. 

Chapter five of this book, “Hyperfiction for children and adolescents” (pp 87) was particularly confronting for me. As a twenty-something, well educated and relatively tech-savvy post-graduate, I was stumped by the term “hypertextual literature.” (pp 119) Unsworth acknowledges his understanding of these “multimedia electronic narratives” (pp 119) through the work of (Gee, 2003), stating that these new forms of literary narratives are not educationally praised because of their literary qualities, but rather the, “different narrative technique used to influence the ‘identification’ of readers with story book characters.” (pp 119)

“Links are a problem for stories. They may be used to reference, annotate, explicate and disambiguate, but they also divert attention, and sometimes they excise and replace information altogether.” (Dan Blog 2010)

Prior to reading Unsworth’s book, this quote would have represented my opinion on “multimedia electronic narratives”. (pp 119) If i were to apply the same theory to my reading of blogs, I am also quite easily distracted by various points of attention and the variety of media available in one spot. So wouldn’t it be fair to assume that this scenario would be exponentially more challenging for a five year old? Au-contraire. The compositional features, “analysis of story, literary devices, multimodality...interactivity” (Thomas, 2006) in hypertext environments, “subvert reader’s expectations.” (Thomas, 2006) Ultimately, they create new opportunities to enrich a students literature skills in more modern and engaging formats.

Whilst this source targeted an age group below what I would expect to be teaching, and is not entirely relevant to my subject area (targeting the, “digital divide in the English classroom” (pp xi)) it managed to, once again, open my education into broader realms in a digital environment. Beyond this reading I am assured to investigate further online literary option that I could explore and instill in my classroom.