“What
counts as literacy, how literacy changes in response to the new media
landscape, and what value we should ascribe to the new forms of communication
that continue to emerge and evolve online?”
After my research and reading Mitoko Rich New York
Times article: Literacy Debate: Online, R
U Really Reading, I found that the definition of literacy had variations. But the common words in the three definitions
I reviewed were having the ability to read and write. I agree with this commonality to a certain
degree but I would add this to the definition: having the ability to function or operate
within your social environment. My definition
of the terms function and operate simply means to conduct
day-to-day activities.
Technology is definitely changing the way literacy
is being defined and viewed. Before the age
of the Internet and new media and during the process of becoming literate we
were taught from text. Text that had a “predetermined
beginning, middle, and end, where readers focus for a sustained period on one
author’s vision” (Rich, 2008). New media has made the availability of text
and information limitless where learners can search and find different point of
views which help shapes their development in literacy.
New media in education is a part of the evolution of
literacy. If we truly think about it –
it’s take a form of literacy to be able to operate technology. Children as early as the age of two can
operate technology and they are in the beginning state of learning language. This skill based literacy is already being
developed using a form of new media. But
in taking advantage of new media opportunities we must remember not to lose
site of the learner by relying too much on new media technology.
Reference:
Rich, M. (2008). Literacy Debate: Online, R U
Really Reading. Retrieved from New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
I appreciate your thoughts on young children and technology. I've seen children as young as 1-2 touch a screen expecting something to happen. If you think about this in terms of education, imagine these same children going to school and having nothing interactive to help them learn. New literacies doesn't mean abandoning the old school literacies; it means expanding the idea of what counts as literacy. And, through the theory of transmediation, there is powerful learning going on when we translate and compose across modes. I've seen it improve traditional literacy skills as well as validate these newer ways of reading and writing.
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ReplyDeleteWe cannot allow the classroom to lag behind what the students are learning from outside of the classroom. If we fail to bring new literacies into the class, we run the risk of losing the students. The traditional methods are still needed. We don't want to throw out the old; we want to enhance the old with the new. Donna Alvermann states in the Literacy Debate: Online, RU Really Reading(2008) article that books are only one way of learning in the world today. There are many ways to experience learning and we must bring those means into the classroom.
DeleteRich, M. (2008). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading. Retrieved from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
I like your definition of being able to function and operate in your social environment. I also like your concept of an evolution of literacy. That's why we're taking these classes, to be on the cutting edge!
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