Research Directions: Literacies in a Participatory, Multimodal World: The Arts and Aesthetics of Web 2.0

Communicative and expressive modalities, such as smart phones and video cameras, have become increasingly multifunctional and reflect an evolving digital landscape often referred to as Web 2.0.  The “ethos” and “technical” affordances of Web 2.0 have the potential to catalyze the aesthetic creativity of youth.  Following a discussion of aesthetics in literacies, I explore the implications of participation in socially mediated communicative landscapes for how we might rethink the nature of participation in classrooms.  New forms and spaces of participation are opening up opportunities for young people to assume new roles and perform new selves.  I conclude by calling for a renewed appreciation for progress and process in how we approach curriculum and pedagogy in language arts education by broadening and reimagining understandings of literacies, participation and the performance of self in a digital communicative landscape.