Transliteracy is the ability to read, write, communicate and interact with print to digital as well as across multiple forms of media. At first, I was a little confused by the term, thinking it was the ability to access and read the information in various formats, but it is more than that. Transliteracy is the ability to move between distinct forms of literacy with ease. For example, a student who reads a book and then looks online for further information related to the book is using transliteracy skills.

Transliteracy is a vital skill for students in today’s classrooms. It sets the foundation to become confident and accomplished citizens of the future. Anstey & Bull (2006, p.55) state that we do not know how information in the future will be presented, but we can teach students the necessary skills for interpreting new formats successfully through the ability to interact with different literacies.

According to Brueck (2014) in the Developing Transliteracy video, how students learn, and access information has changed significantly. Traditionally, students learnt linearly, reading from printed materials such as books, journals and newspapers. However, today’s student expects to access information instantly and have it available at their fingertips, such as using a smartphone and accessing data using hyperlinks, moving from one source to another very quickly. With this in mind, there is an emphasis on teaching transliteracy skills to students so they can be successful learners in the classroom and into their adult lives.

References

Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies. International Reading Association.