New Learning and New Literacies Masters Program

The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana has a new MA program for educators with the title above. This gives credence to the idea of teaching more visual literacy, more "new literacy". (or it's just a flash-in-the-pan that won't last). Read the description below copied from the website for rhetoric about how we need to train kids for the new world.

'New learning' is an approach to education that engages students as active designers and co-designers of their own knowledge. 'New literacies' aims to expand learners' meaning-making modes and capacities, and uses digital media to enhance student learning.

Designed for Teachers

This exciting, new online masters program anticipates a near future where education is even more central to society, the economy and personal opportunity than it is today. Education will be ubiquitous, available at any time and in any place, taking place not just at school, but at home, at work and in community settings. The emerging new digital media will occupy a central position in New Learning.

Participants in this program will be teachers of literacy and teachers in other discipline areas who wish to investigate language across the curriculum. Participants selected to join the program will have training and professional experience ranging from the early years of schooling to adult learning. The program supplements traditional, alphabetical notions of literacy (including the literacies required for learning across a wide range of discipline areas), with a broader conception of literacy in the context of new media, global communications and cultural and linguistic diversity.