From my EDC blog, a though about transliteracy (Thomas et al)

“the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and films to social networks…” (Thomas et al.)

Thomas et al. remind us that long before humankind became concerned with the literacies of reading and writing, we were communicating through expression (a precursor of sign?) and how, after a day of scavenging, we would come home, sit down by the campfire, then share stories. The authors suggest that in blogging, we witness a modern equivalent of the way folklore used to be shared around the campfire. Similarly, a parallel might be seen between the online haggling of e-bay and that which must have been played out in the Iron Age market place.

Within Tyron’s film, we see what Thomas et al. might describe as the convergence of oral literacy (the original song) with visual literacy (Tyron’s signing). The new text is then mediated through a digital medium. It is the impact of this convergence upon my own interpretation of the song that is most significant. 

And a comment from Sian in response to the full post:

"Why don’t we ever talk about the aesthetic dimension of teaching? Why doesn’t *every* course have a soundtrack? Is online teaching a way of thinking anew about how education looks, sounds and moves?"

More at:
http://edc.education.ed.ac.uk/jamesl/2010/10/07/reading-new-meaning-from-the-existence-of-singing/