New literacies: A pedagogical framework for reading virtual worlds - a journey into barbiegirls.com

As the tectonic plates of technology shift across human networks, dedicated and determined educators understand that the integration of digital mediated texts and the new literacies competencies they engender, amount to little without pedagogical ingenuity, innovative adaptation, and creative application. This article is a response to the rapidly expanding digital engagement of youth and the young. New literacies proponents are looking at literacy practices and literacy events of the young and through their scholarship they call on schools and educational institutions to embrace the new media landscape and its participatory cultures for the learning potential they offer. Research out of the UK based London Knowledge Lab, tells us that whilst the young and youth are increasingly engaged in digital environments there are only 'a few embryonic signs of criticality, self-management or metacognitive reflection' (Luckin, Clark, Graber, Logan, Mee & Oliver, 2009).