Via the indefatigable New Zealander Richard Elliott I found the Google hosted Literacy Project, "a resource for teachers, literacy organizations and anyone interested in reading and education, created in collaboration with LitCam, Google, and UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning". Is it any use? I'm not the best person to judge, but some aspects of the site, for example its Literacy Map, were superficial. Try searching on Sheffield (where I live, and which I know well). What do you get? Sheffield University's Department of Education. Not Ufi; not Sheffield City Council; and not The Sheffield College, all of which are far more active on literacy issues than this university education department. If you've got views, post a comment below.
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No doubt there will be others - who you don't mention - who would feel disappointed not to be highlighted on the map. I am pleased to see The University of Sheffield's Education Department who not only work locally with teachers and FE lecturers (at The Sheffield College and at UfI) but on national literacy projects, but internationally too.
Posted by: Julia Davies | 26/05/2009 at 11:45
I am rather surprised by your comment regarding the Department of Education's activity regarding literacy issues and would refer you to the following pages:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/education/research/literacy.html
The Centre for the Study of New Literacies, based at the School of Education, is to be launched in July 2009 and if any of the readers of this page would like more information about this centre and its work,
focused on digital literacy and multimodal research, policy and practice, please contact Julia Davies or Kate Pahl (details on the web pages).
Posted by: Jackie Marsh | 26/05/2009 at 20:51
Jackie - thanks for your comment, which rather echoes that already submitted by Julia Davies. I'm not having a go at either your department or Sheffield University. But I stand by the observation that the results of the map-search on the Literacy Project web site are very superficial. The rubric to the page says "Zoom to specific continents by clicking on red markers or the tabs underneath the map to find literacy organizations around the world. The Literacy Map isn't just a map of literacy organizations. It's also a project database that can help you find ideas and get in touch with other educators." I am sure you will agree that there is much more going on in Sheffield on the literacy front than the map reveals.
Seb
Posted by: Seb Schmoller | 26/05/2009 at 21:03
Yes, I do agree Seb that the map is a superficial tool. There is a great deal of exciting literacy activity across the city, undertaken by a variety of organisations, which needs dissemination.
Posted by: Jackie Marsh | 26/05/2009 at 21:39