Facebook, blogs, texts, computer games, instant messages... The ways in which we make meanings and engage with each other are changing. Are you a student teacher trying to get to grips with these new digital technologies? Would you like to find ways to make use of them in your classroom?

Digital technologies are an everyday part of life for students and Understanding Digital Literacies explores the ways in which they can be used in schools. Carrington and Robinson provide an insight into the research on digital technologies, stressing its relevance for schools, and suggest ways to develop new, more relevant pedagogies, particularly for social learning, literacy and literate practices. With a practical focus, the examples and issues explored in this book will help you to analyse your own practice and to carry out your own small-scale research projects.

Explaining the theoretical issues and demonstrating their practical implementation, this topical book will be an essential resource to new student teachers on undergraduate and PGCE courses, and those returning to postgraduate study.

Introduction: Contentious Technologies - Victoria Carrington and Muriel Robinson
PART A - DIGITAL TEXTS IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL
Young people¿s video productions as new sites of learning - Rebekah Willet
A space for play: crossing boundaries and learning online - Julia Davies
Masters and critics: children as producers of online digital texts - Clare Dowdall
PART B - CHANGING LITERACIES
From Wikipedia to the humble classroom Wiki: why we should pay attention to Wikis - Victoria Carrington
Negotiating the blogosphere: educational possibilities - Julia Davies and Guy Merchant
Virtual worlds in real life classrooms - Guy Merchant
PART C - CHANGING LITERACIES, CHANGING PEDAGOGIES
Personal digital literacies versus classroom literacies: investigating pre-service teachers¿ digital lives in and beyond the classroom - Cathy Burnett
Digital portraits: teacher education and multiliteracies pedagogy - Rosie Kerin
Composing with Old and New Media: Toward a Parallel Pedagogy - Kevin Leander
PART D - INTERCONNECTIVITY
Conclusion: leaving Hong Kong - Muriel Robinson and Victoria Carrington