Zelia Attaway New Media New Literacies

  The concept of new literacies is defined as “socially recognized ways of generating, communicating, and negotiating meaningful content through the medium of encoded texts within contexts of participation in Discourses” (Knobel & Lankshear, 2007, p. 24). While this definition may initially appear complex, it reflects an expanded understanding of literacy that moves beyond traditional, print-based conceptions. Historically, literacy has been narrowly defined as mastery of “page-bound, official, and standard forms of the national language” (The New London Group, 1996, as cited in Sang, 2017). Similarly, UNESCO defines literacy as the ability to “identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute using printed and written materials.” These definitions emphasize written and printed texts, positioning literacy primarily as a paper-based skill. My daily professional experiences illustrate how new literacies function in practice. From using mobile applications such as...

Hello, my name is Zelia Attaway, and I am currently a Dean of Students. In my role, I work closely with students who present behavioral needs as well as those receiving special education services. While my days can be challenging, I truly love the people I work with and the students I serve. I feel grateful to know that I make a difference every day. Two years ago, I moved upstate and also started a small farm with goats, chickens, and horses. Prior to this role, I lived on Long Island, where I served as an Instructional Coach for grades 3–5. In that position, I mapped and created curriculum, conducted classroom observations, and modeled instructional lessons for teachers. I am excited to be taking this course because it helps me stay current on how to use media effectively and responsibly in a school setting. My goal is to complete this master’s program and then move forward with obtaining my SB/SDL certification.