Multimodal Literacy and Theater Education

Abstract

In this article, the author explores the possibilities of teaching and learning through multiple-literacies in an arts environment. Acknowledging that technologies have a profound effect on our society, and often outpace our ability to properly assess or understand their implications, the author asserts that young people can become critical and active agents in their interactions with new media. Arts education, specifically theater education, is uniquely positioned to substantially contribute to these interactions between teachers and students that acknowledge and explore the new forms of literacy that are essential to navigating our contemporary culture. To this end, the author calls on arts educators to effectively engage with their students' multimodal concerns through interactions that value new multimodal literacies.