The Arts, New Literacies, and Multimodality

In today's society, things are constantly changing.  The world is much different today than it was when I was a child. Many young children in today's society have cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, and various other electronic devices.  We now live in a "high-tech world" (p. 17).  Teachers need to make sure that they stay up to date with all of the emerging technologies in order to fully promote the success of their students. By combining the use of the arts (visual, musical, and performance arts), multimodality (many modes involved in meaning making), and new literacies studies (literacy within a digital world), teachers can help "redefine literacy and what constitutes being literate" (p. 18). The definition of literacy is constantly changing because our world is constantly changing.  Teachers need to provide various ways for their students to practice being literate in today's society. By using the arts in classrooms, students are given the chance to express themselves in a fun and educational way.