Re-imagining Schooling: Weaving the Picture of School as an Affinity Space for Twenty-First Century Through a Multiliteracies Lens

Abstract

Currently, evolving ways of communication, interpretation and creation of meaning are challenging the ways people view themselves and the world, altering their learning demands and needs. Closely related to this process of change is the need to re-conceptualize schooling. Working within these realizations, the theories of affi nity spaces and multiliteracies pedagogy are brought into the foreground of the discussion to consider: What are the requirements of school for the twenty-fi rst century? What are the potentials of affi nity spaces and multiliteracies pedagogy to empower meaningful school-based learning? The core of this chapter reports on the development, implementation and evaluation of a theory based framework named Affi nity Multiliteracies Practice (AMP) with the intention to provide an example of a teaching and learning approach to schooling that acknowledges students' multiple and diverse identities, experiences and capabilities while also equiping them to become the fl exible and dynamic learners required in the twenty-fi rst century.