This document discusses transliteracy and participatory culture in education. It begins with questions about how educators can help students engage in conversations about multiple literacies and ways of reading and writing in today's world. It then provides definitions and perspectives on transliteracy from various scholars, which frame it as the ability to read, write and interact across different platforms, tools and media, requiring the ability to adapt between mediums. The document suggests that transliteracy in education values inquiry-driven learning, participatory experiences, and connecting students' informal learning experiences with formal classroom learning. It presents graphics illustrating principles of participatory culture and literate learning communities as a model for transliterate learning.

1. Framing Transliterate Learning
Through Inquiry and
Participatory Culture
Buffy J. Hamilton | AASL 2011
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4304581412/sizes/l/in/photostream/

2. how are we helping students create conversations
about multiple ways of reading and writing today’s
world?

3. Transliteracy is the ability to read,
write and interact across a range of
platforms, tools and media from
signing and orality through
handwriting, print, TV, radio and film,
to digital social networks.
Source: http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/

4. but what does that
really mean?

5. CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drh/2578799446/sizes/l/in/photostream/

6. Transliteracy is an umbrella term encompassing
different literacies and multiple communication
channels that require active participation
with and across a range of platforms, and
embracing both linear and non-linear messages
Dr. Susie Andretta
London Metropolitan University
Source: http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/Andretta_Transliteracy.pdf

7. Transliteracy is a “a convergence of literacies”
(Lippincott, 2007: 17) as the boundaries
between medial literacy, digital literacy,
technology literacy and information literacy
become blurred when individuals evolve from
consumers of information to producers of
content.
Dr. Susie Andretta
London Metropolitan University
Source: http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/Andretta_Transliteracy.pdf and
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM07610.pdf

8. “The most fundamental notion of
transliteracy is the ability to adapt.
It’s creating a literacy and fluidity
between mediums that’s not tied
to space or modality.”
Ryan Nadel
founder of 8 Leaf Digital Productions and an instructor at the Vancouver Film School
Source: http://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/what-is-this-buzz-word-transliteracy-a-qa-with-ryan-nadel/

9. Transliteracy is concerned with mapping
meaning across different media and not with
developing particular literacies about various
media. It is not about learning text literacy and
visual literacy and digital literacy in isolation
from one another but about the interaction
among all these literacies.
Tom Ipri
Liaison Librarian to the College of Media Arts and Design at W. W. Hagerty Library at Drexel
University
Source: http://crln.acrl.org/content/71/10/532.full

10. “…transliteracy is a shape-shifting eco-system
of behaviours and it is probably neither possible nor
desirable for anyone to understand enough to know
the whole elephant. The vital thing is to remember it
is always there and in constant motion. This means
recognising the limits of your own knowledge and
accepting a degree of messiness and uncertainty.”
Professor Sue Thomas
De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
Source: http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/2010/12/argue.html

11. …thinking linearly about literacy is seldom
a good idea. Literacy should be thought of
as a holistic ecology, not a linear series
of events and changes…
Professor Sue Thomas
De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
Source: http://bit.ly/p4g9YJ

12. “the process of being
transliterate does not have
an end point. Instead, I like
to think of the transliteracy
process as being like a
nautilus that is constantly
growing and adding
chambers to its shell.”
Jamie Hollier
Project Coordinator for Public Computing Centers at
ce: http://www.jamiehollier.com/2011/07/supporting-transliteracy-part-1/
Colorado State Library
mage via http://www.flickr.com/photos/donlonphoto/2721385316/

13. “embrace the potentials and
challenges of this [participatory]
emerging culture not as a
replacement for existing print
practices but as an expansion of
them”
~henry jenkins~

14. http://teachweb2.blogspot.com/2010/01/personal-learning-
environments-student.html

15. CC image via http://bit.ly/r8oa8n

16. a vision of
today’s learners
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missfortune/4595054105/in/faves-
10557450@N04/

17. growing
up digital
Image used under a CC license from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/courosa/3605504536/sizes/o/

18. mobile
Image used under a CC license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/_lovenothing/3772984885/sizes/l/

19. multi-taskers

20. continuously
connected
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/martosc/5163826399/sizes/l/in/photostream/

21. socially
networked
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phefrade/3129356346/sizes
/o/in/photostream/

22. information is plentiful; effective filtering
is a challenge
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/28481088@N00/3430131473/sizes/o/in/photostream/

23. they’re leaving digital footprints
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy_5322/
104324029/sizes/z/

24. the myth of
the digital
native
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/limonada/34072350
5/sizes/o/in/photostream/

25. a participation gap exists

26. many lack new
forms of
“literacy, the
energy supply
of the
information
age”
deborah brandt

27. many lack access or resources to connect
and create

28. “this means that our democratic institutions
(schools and libraries particularly) have to
work hard and thoughtfully to
mitigate these forces.”
Deborah Brandt

29. “the more that the school organizes
literacy teaching and learning to serve the
needs of the economic system, the more it
betrays its democratic possibilities”
deborah brandt

30. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jphilipson/582274247/sizes/l/in/photostream/

31. how can educators harness the power of social
media and new media literacies to close the gap and
grow each student’s cultural capital?

32. how do we disrupt what paulo freire terms the
“banking” system of education that devalues
inquiry?
Image used under a CC license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/4034124468/sizes/l/

33. we can’t cultivate networked learners without
putting pedagogy before tools
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/116732195/sizes/l/in/photostream/

34. the inquiry
driven
classroom…
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/atbaker/53743882/sizes/l/in/faves-
10557450@N04/

35. Graphic used with permission from Dr. Barbara Stripling

36. values dis-ease--there are many
questions raised without answers
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire Image used under a CC license from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eleaf/2536358399/sizes/l/

37. establishes
more than
the teacher
as validator
of knowledge/
work
CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sudhamshu/4208690449/sizes/o/in/photostr
eam/
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire

38. nurtures a feeling of responsibility to
oneself and to the class
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/alltoomuch/3389937799/sizes/l/in/faves-
10557450@N04/
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire

39. recognizes classroom as a complicated, non-
laboratory place filled with complex, caring
human beings
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire

40. fights culture of school that wants THE
right answer
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire

41. exercises patience- doesn't give up too quickly and
realizes community/learning/inquiry doesn't happen
overnight
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire

42. values transparency and make the class part
of determining what is occurring
Source: http://www.slideshare.net/buffyjhamilton/buffy-hamilton-response-to-paulo-freire
Image used under a CC license from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/somegeekintn/3368983089/sizes/l/

44. relatively low barriers to artistic
expression and civic engagement

45. strong support for creating and sharing one’s
creations with others

46. what is known by the most experienced is
passed along to novices

47. members believe that their contributions
matter

48. members feel some degree of social
connection with one another
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/buildingunity/303497031/sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/

49. literate
learning
communities
form around
shared
interests,
questions, and
passions in a
participatory
site of practice
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/auro/230377281/sizes/o/in/faves-
10557450@N04/

50. a participatory climate amplifies the possibilities for
creating conversations for learning via multiple
mediums

51. CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/khalidalbaih/5653817859/
sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/

52. how can an inquiry stance on
learning encourage
participatory learning and
transliterate learning
practices/experiences?

53. Graphic used with permission from Dr. Barbara Stripling

54. 1
connect

55. “awakening prior knowledge”
Kristin Fontichiaro
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/guccibear2005/141861924/sizes/l/in/photostream/

56. Connecting
providing context
and background
providing focus to deal
knowledge/building
with information
schema
overload (big idea
thinking)

57. Connecting
Collaborative Scale/share
Provide
knowledge constructed
choices
building knowledge

58. Connecting: Transliterate Strategies
KWL (traditional paper and virtual
means) and pre-searching
Face to face discussions (scaled and
shared through social media/cloud
computing
Mindmapping

61. Screenshot from http://www.jogtheweb.com/run/N0WGMbFA3fPQ/Streamlining-and-Glamorizing-KWLs-and-Mind-Maps#11

63. fishbowl discussions

65. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/shareski/5669939986/sizes/l/in/photostream/

66. 2
wonder
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/mymollypop/2646559132/sizes/l/

67. Wonder
Scale/share
Small/whole constructed
Developing
group knowledge
questions
brainstorming with larger
“classroom”

78. 3
investigate

79. Investigate
Organizing Evaluating
Search Skills
Information Information
Reflection/ Information Ethical use of
Metacognition dashboards information

83. inquiry, engagement, and collective
intelligence face to face

84. inquiry, engagement, and collective
intelligence via virtual mediums

86. netvibes

89. symbaloo

91. curation

98. citation management and collaborative source
evaluation

99. 4
construct

100. Constructing New Understandings
Synthesis
Finding patterns/
relationships
Developing conclusions

101. CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizadaly/2944376209/sizes/l/in/photostream/

102. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/ableman/283139915/sizes/l/in/photostream/

103. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/3129100592/sizes/l/in/faves-
10557450@N04/

104. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/4989283309/sizes/l/in/photostream/

105. Source: http://www.fontichiaro.com/uploads/2011/VT-rigor-web.pdf

108. 5
express
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/clappstar/3588547020/sizes/l/in/faves-10557450@N04/

109. Express
Shared Learning
Authenticity/
Digital Rigor
Creativity

110. “Looking at this across the
disciplines you start to see
how important the
knowledge-creation
activity plays into the
sense of identity. The
overriding theme is that
one does not become a
“scholar” until they have
created something new. In
their eyes, it is the act of
creation that
distinguishing the student
from the scholar.”
Brian Mathews, Assistant University Librarian
at UC Santa Barbara

112. netvibes

114. digital research “texts”

125. 6
reflect
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcassaa/662891484/sizes/o/

126. Reflect
process product

127. Reflect: Assessment and Evaluation
Formative
Self Summative

128. formative
assessment:
the
measurement
of knowledge
and skills during
the process of
learning
Source: Stripling, 2007/2009, pp. 167-68

129. Formative Assessment
• Formative assessments engage the school
library media specialist, classroom teacher,
and student in thinking about the learning
process while it is happening so that
adjustments can be made if needed
• Ongoing and reflective in nature
• Frames teachers and students as partners in
learning
Source: Stripling, 2009

130. Examples of Student Led Formative
Assessments
• Reflecting (learning • Questions
logs or blogs, • Sharing, Reciprocal
notetaking) Teaching
• Video recorded • Peer Review
reflections/narratives
• Graphic organizers
(KWL charts, concept
maps/mind mapping,
idea webs)
Source: Stripling, 2009

131. summative
assessment is the
measurement of knowledge
and skills at the end of a
process of learning in
order to
determine
the amount and
quality of learning
Source: Stripling, 2007/2009, pp. 167-68

132. Summative Assessments
• Presentations • Multimedia creations
(Voice Thread, Video,
• Portfolios
Glogster)
• Text based papers • Tests/Exams
• Reflective narratives • Performance based
tasks
Source: Stripling, 2009

133. student self-assessment:
who is in charge of
your
learning?

134. Standards for the 21st Century Learner
in Action
Original photography by Buffy J. Hamilton

135. Benefits of Student Self-Assessment
• Encourages participatory learning
• Increases intrinsic motivation
• Helps students construct new meanings
• Helps cultivate a sense of ownership of
learning and agency over learning
environment
Source: Harada, 2010

136. Rubric Source: http://ourlostchildren.wikispaces.com/file/view/VoiceThread+Rubric.pdf

138. Source:
http://teachingsagittarian.com/2009/03/voice
thread-as-a-digital-portfolio/

143. application
CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcassaa/662891484/sizes/o/

144. CC image via http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcwathieu/2979581445/sizes/l/

145. CC image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xjrlokix/5097846224/si
zes/l/in/photostream/

146. contact information
buffy.hamilton@gmail.com
http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com
http://buffyjhamilton.wordpress.com
@buffyjhamilton

147. Works Cited
Berger, Pam. “Student Inquiry and Web 2.0.” School Library Monthly
26.5 (2010): n. pag. School Library Monthly. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Berger2010-
v26n5p14.html>.
Fontichiaro, Kristin. “Nudging Toward Inquiry (AASL 2009).” American
Association of School Librarians
National Conference. Charlotte, NC. Nov. 2009. Vimeo. Web. 23 Oct.
2011. http://vimeo.com/7715376>.
- - -. “Rigorous Learning with 21st-Century Technology.” Vermont
Dynamic Landscapes Conference.
Burlington, VT. May 2011. Kristin Fontichiaro. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.fontichiaro.com/uploads/2011/VT-rigor-web.pdf>.

148. Works Cited
Harada, Violet. “Self-assessment: Challenging students to take charge of learning.”
School Library Monthly 26.10 (2010): 13-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23
Oct. 2011. < http://proxygsu-
sche.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=51003266&site=ehost-live >.
Mathews, Brian. “What It Takes To Become A Scholar: Helping Students Scale the
Taxonomy.” The Ubiquitous Librarian. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 26 Sept.
2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.
<http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/09/26/what-it-
takes-to-become-a-scholar-helping-students-scale-the-taxonomy/>.
Stripling, Barbara. “Assessing Information Fluency: Gathering Evidence of Student
Learning.” 21st Century Learning in School Libraries. Ed. Kristin Fontichiaro. Santa
Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2009. 166-170. Print.
- - -. “Teaching Students to Think in the Digital Environment: Digital Literacy and
Digital Inquiry.” School Library Monthly 26.8 (2010): n. pag. School Library Monthly.
Web. 23 Oct. 2011. <http://www.schoollibrarymonthly.com/articles/Stripling2010-
v26n8p16.html>.