“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 (Jenkins, 2009)
I think that it is difficult to define and quantify "What is literacy?." I am a math person; my brain analyzes based on evidence and logic. I really appreciated the approach that the book (Lankshear and Knobel) took on defining it in multiple contexts; as functional and active citizenship. It pulls together the ability and the skills that are considered literate and the value or benefits of a literate life. (p. 6 and 76) The article brings in this new concept of digital literacy, and the ability to use the internet. It is great, because within the definitions of literacy in the book; you can accurately define it as an actual literacy that is important to everyday life. It is so important for all students to learn these skills that digital literacy will begin to be assessed globally (Rich, 2008, paragraph 11). This article was written in 2008, so I assume it has already taken place. I would be interested to see the scores of the countries that participated since the article stated that the United States was not going to be one of them.
To compare, the article to the readings in the book, I think that as new "literacies" develop naturally in our ever changing world we can assess them and determine whether or not that can be constituted as literacies. They can be assessed based on their functionality and requirement to be active citizens of society. In twenty years it might be that we all have those google glasses.Google Glasses literacy might be a real thing. It could be something that is necessary to function within our society. Maybe all the road signs and maps will be displayed on the glasses so that the DOT doesn't have to keep changing the big interstate signs every time they build a new road. And citizens won't have to purchase atlases every year, or update their GPS. They will always be up to date. if you don't have the glasses you will be lost! Or at least at a disadvantage compared to everyone else.
I know this is kind of a silly example, but I truly think that as technologies develop new literacy requirements will as well. I mean, what if we develop teleportation eventually? It might become a requirement for a person to learn more than one language. Whenever the person whats to go, at any given time, around the planet they will need to be literate in those places to function in society there. More people may live abroad, in different parts of the world for different times of the year. I can't even imagine all of the possibilities but I can definitely see a challenge for those who are only literate in one language.
What do you think?? I would be pretty excited for some instant transmission :)
---Nicole
Knobel, M. & Lankshear, C. (2011). Literacies: Social, cultural, and historical
perspectives. New York: Peter Lang Publishing
Rich, M. (2008, July 27). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2&
I think your teleporting example is not ridiculous. The funny thing about new literacies is they are "new" so briefly - as soon as one thing is created, another is fast upon its heels. The power of reading and writing in new literacies is it gives the skills students need to maneuver all modes - even those that aren't invented yet. This is important as many of the jobs our students will do are not even created yet so how can we prepare them for the unknown? We can give them the critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills they'll need throughout their lives.
ReplyDeleteI love how you say you are a "math" person!!.. My daughter's tutor will say to me all of the time, "here Lori, Ana has 2 essays to do and I am not an essay person, I am a math person...I have to have logic to reason with!"
ReplyDeleteI am so opposite. I am truly about taking in all of the information and synthesizing it after I have analyzed it. I do however like simple math and can rattle answers off in a store, sort of like "Rain Man"., but I am not a 'math' person who needs concrete information to reason with. I am one who likes to change words to give it more or less meaning, I like the challenge of trying to send emotion thru a text message and I believe that there are different ways to communicate. I enjoy the advancements we have because I can be myself as an individual and as a professional. There is a lot to gain by having so much digital literacy at our fingers, we just need to learn the appropriateness of it all....