Multimodal Literacies Across Contexts
Program Overview
The focus of the four-course topic is to provide inservice teachers with knowledge and skills around multimodal literacy across several contexts. The courses cover theory of home, family and school literacies; the connections between media and literacy; how to teach the productive strands of English Language Arts; and theory and practice in contexts of global and transcultural mobility.
Program Details
Through the four courses of this MEd Interdisciplinary topic:
- Students will develop understandings of
- research, practices, and trends of multimodal literacy across several contexts
- theoretical, practical, and ethical implications of home, family and school literacies
- the connections between media and literacy
- theory and practice in contexts of global and transcultural mobility
- Students will also develop practices speaking, writing, and producing (the productive strands of English Language Arts)
- in-service teachers who teach literacy (elementary-or secondary-aged students)
- educators with an interest in literacy
- school leaders in schools with diverse populations
- consultants or other professionals involved with literacy
A registration package will be sent to new students after they have been admitted. Registration for the summer term will be available in late winter. Fall and Winter registration opens in the spring. Your Graduate Program Administrator will send more information about registration to you.
Fee details are available through the University Calendar. An explanation of fees is available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies' website.
The University of Calgary offers multiple ways to meet the cost of your education. Please refer to the Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries page to learn more about options available to students. For additional information, please contact Student Financial Support.
Please refer to Admission Requirements for Master's Programs.
Program Schedule & Course Descriptions
- Program begins each Summer term (refer to the Academic Schedule for specific dates)
- Outlines are normally available 1-2 weeks prior to the start of term in D2L
- 3 units per course
Term 1 - Summer
Literacy Across Generations
This course will critically examine media and literacy as it pertains to the lives of young people and the practices of schooling. We will consider how young people's current uses of media shape their literacy practices, identities, communities, and world views, and inquire into the role of media in formal and informal learning.
Key ideas and topics: Literacy practices as culturally, socially and materially constructed; examining home, community and family literacy practices; permeable boundaries in classroom literacy learning.
Term 2 - Fall
Media and Literacy
This course will critically examine media and literacy as it pertains to the lives of young people and the practices of schooling. We will consider how young people's current uses of media shape their literacy practices, identities, communities, and world views, and inquire into the role of media in formal and informal learning.
Key ideas and topics: situating media literacy within literacy studies; media and popular culture, social networking, gaming, digital production, media in K-12 classrooms.
Term 3 - Winter
Teaching Writing, Speaking & Representing
This course will explore strategies for teaching English language arts in K-12 contexts, with a focus on writing, speaking & representing across the curricular areas. It will explore literacy from a developmental perspective to address ways to scaffold literacy learning to address the needs of all learners
Key ideas and topics: Writing, speaking, and representing as communicational modes; typical developmental trajectories; alternate pathways to success in writing, speaking & representing.
Term 4 - Spring
Transcultural Literacies
This course will explore shifting practices of literacy, language and education in the context of global and transcultural mobilities. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding how global processes are lived and enacted within local educational contexts and how these may or do impact literacy acquisition.
Key ideas and topics: globalization and mobility; diversity and transculturalism; literacy practices around the world.