Zelia Attaway M2.1 Blog
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 Waze for real-time navigation and information analysis to communicating through email, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams, literacy is embedded in digital and networked environments. In my school setting, referrals, suspension letters, and parent communication are automated and digitally distributed, requiring both technical competence and interpretive skill. Our younger students use an online library program where they have millions of books on their fingertips. They can review the books and write book reviews and share with classmates. Our older students in High school are on their chrome books researching what is needed for a Nobel Peace prize? Gathering information that would then lead to a debate on if our President should be part of the discussion of nomination. All this is part of literacy, it might not be all written on paper but all is part of coding, understanding and communicating with one another.
With great benefits of technology, also comes some downsides and access is definitely one of them. Coming from the city where technology was used everyday for classroom and homework. The students all went home with school Ipads. The school had received a large grant for technology a few years back and decided that they wanted to get on the new wave of technology in education and knew that their students could not afford it due to the socioeconomic environment they lived in. Internet service is also needed in the home for the technology to work as this is the problem in my new job where some students live in rural areas where there is no access to the internet. Another problem I would also state is that educators need to be trained and tech savvy as well in order for students to get the full benefit of New Literacies. As empowered learners engage in literacy practices, they need opportunities to move from consumers to producers of content. More specifically, learners need to move from content consumers to content curators to content creators. (National Council of Teachers of English, 2022). Our students need to know what digital literacy they are consuming and what sources are they coming from (consuming) ? Are our students being ethical online and evaluating results or findings before spreading them(curating)? Are our students creating content to promote positivity and share their thoughts to enlighten people(creating)? To solve a global issue?
Ultimately, new literacies redefine literacy as active participation in social, digital, and cultural practices. It is the responsibility of educators to model these practices and to guide students in using technology thoughtfully and ethically. By doing so, educators can help students harness the full potential of new literacies to communicate effectively, think critically, and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the broader world.
References
Beecher, C., (2023). Methods of teaching early literacy. Iowa State University Digital Press. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/teachingearlyliteracy/chapter/what-is-literacy-multiple-perspectives-on-literacy/
Definition of literacy in a Digital age. National Council of Teachers of English. (2022, April 19). https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/
Sang, Y., (2017). Expanded Territories of “Literacy:” New Literacies and Multiliteracies. Journal of Education and Practice. Vol. 8, No.8
I agree. I like that you commented on the advantages and disadvantages of technology. The access is the biggest downside. As someone who only has Windows computers in her classroom, it is painstakingly difficult to inform students that they need to remain on task. My district only uses filters on Chrome and that only applies if the student actually signs into their account. Being digitally literate is a big process. My students lack the skills to properly research, take notes, complete citations, and I teach high school. However, they know their ways around a Chromebook or desktop more so than some of the other veteran teachers. You have the right idea that in order for students to build that fluency and literacy, we as educators need to model those practices to ensure they are learning to best of their abilities.
ReplyDeleteI love the memes you have added, Zelia! They help pull different sections of your post together, and they gave me a good laugh while reading them.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your example of how your school setting uses new literacies. I have never heard of Waze, but I have used Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Both are great for classes while counting attendance and participating in class activities. I like that your school has an online library for students and that older students can use Chromebooks to conduct their own research.
As for the problems with technology, I can see how it also affects those in rural communities, as not everyone has access to the internet or cell coverage in those areas. There are probably many older educators who still struggle to understand new technologies and may not be able to keep up as technology advances each year. It can be difficult for new learners to keep up as well.
I agree with your statement about new literacies needing active participation. It is also the responsibility of educators- or at least those who are primarily teachers who engage with technology- to also be able to teach it.
Overall, a great read!