First of all, I'd like to answer the questions:
- What counts as literacy?
- I believe that any information that can be read should be considered literacy.
- I also believe that literacy could be defined as being competent and confident in a particular discipline (i.e. computer literate).
- How does literacy change in response to the new media landscape?
- I think that literacy is and should be constantly changing. As an educator, I believe that anyone or anything that stays stagnant or unmoving becomes obsolete. The article by Rich proves that point. Literacy today is not what it was twenty years ago, 6 months ago, or yesterday. It's ever-changing, and because of that fact, the level of our students' literacy is also changing.
- What value should we ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online?
- I think that we should ascribe high value to the new forms of communication that are emerging online; these are the resources that our students are reading. As Rich says in his article, "it is unrealistic to expect all children to read 'To Kill a Mockingbird'...for fun." Instead, kids today are reading the material that they see on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and fanfiction,net. I'm not saying that the material that is found on these sites is as credible or as well-written as some of the timeless classics that great novelists have created, but if this is what our kids are reading, we need to find an effective way to use it.
I really like this quote from the article: "Reading opens doors to places you'll never get to visit in your lifetime" (Rich 2008).
Hi Casey,
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the quote "Reading opens doors to places you'll never get to visit in your lifetime" (Rich 2008) also. I believe it is especially applicable to of the new literacies. Internet users have access to material they would not have access to otherwise. The Connecticut teenager, Zachary Sims, mentioned in the article, is an example. Rich reported that Zachary reads articles on technology and politics on up to 100 websites. Imagine trying to access that volume of information in hard copy.
Your statement regarding the value that we should place on the emerging forms of communication online is on point. The value we place on them as educators will determine our ability to remain relevant. “New literacies emerge quickly and diverse users adopt them accordingly.” (Wilbur 2010: p.5)
You mentioned that literacy is and should be constantly changing. The reality is that our teachers now have been taught via the traditional methods of instruction. When they were learning to read, a computer was most likely not in the picture. That is why there is an extra effort required of teachers, not just to be good at what they are doing, but to be relevant and answer the present needs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I can appreciate your viewpoint, and those of the authors you mentioned. I do worry about how much time our kids, and now adults spend sitting in front of a computer. We are becoming a sedentary group as a whole. If it is not visually stimulating, few want to participate and prefer to be entertained. My 12 year old asked for a friend to help him in the yard, and he said he preferred the ipad or a nap. I do worry that too much emphasis is being placed in front of a device instead of taking care of what needs to be looked after. Have you ever seen the movie Walle? As a pilot, I love technology, but too much emphasis on it degrades natural ability and instinct for what feels right.
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