ABSTRACT
I have been an educator and administrator for over thirty years. The disciplines I have taught range from English literature, film, cultural studies and linguistics through to new media, communications, photography, video and media studies. My research includes anthropology, video and television, science and computer science, as well as popular culture and computer-mediated communications and the role of technology in teaching and learning. I mention this interdisciplinary background because one of the purposes of this chapter is to open an interdisciplinary debate on the role of literacy, not only at a pedagogical level, but also as a broad-based cultural activity. Further goals are to explore the increasing pedagogical importance of media and visual literacy programmes, as well as the historical lineage of some of the major concepts that drive research on literacy and subsequent applications in the classroom.
