M2 Assignment: Blog Post 2- How New Literacies are Relevant to Us
As I reflected back after each reading one thing kept coming to my mind, and how has literacy evolved into multiliteracies over such a short period of time?
Thinking back to my undergrad which was between 2019 and 2023, when learning about literacy, I was really only taught about reading and writing, paper and pencil. Now with new ideas and theories literacy is constantly changing and being redefined. As stated in the “Expanded Territories of “Literacy”; New Literacies and Multiliteracies” by Yuan Sang “Thus, as the world has changed, the definition of literacy should be broadened accordingly.” (Yuan, 2017), literacy is more than just written and printed text and as technology and human interaction continues to change so should the meaning of literacy. I found it useful to better understand the major difference between multiliteracies and the conventional view and to be able to instruct using the multiliteracy view vs. what I thought literacy meant.
When I think about literacy in the classroom, I think back to the article “Digit Literacy” by Jenifer Vanek, how she talked about teaching skills that matter like basic computer skills and network literacy (Vanek, 2019). I never thought of just having the students log into the computer and get online to be literate but in today's world we have to be able to have basic computer skills in order to complete work and personal tasks.
One key idea I took away from the International Literacy Association was that technology can’t replace the core of the experience of schooling which is relationships between students and teachers. (This is big in my school, if you don’t have a relationship with the child, the child won't trust you and therefore won't engage in positive interactions and academic work). Technology is not the fix for the social inequalities faced across the world (International, 2018). I just keep asking myself how do I balance the use of technology with literacy to provide my students with the most of their education?
How do we continue to change and adapt the definition of literacy as the world continues to change and adapt so rapidly?
References
Beecher, C. (2023, July 19). Chapter 1. What is Literacy? Multiple Perspectives on Literacy. Methods of Teaching Early Literacy. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/teachingearlyliteracy/ chapter/what-is-literacy-multiple-perspectives-on-literacy/
International Literacy Association. (2018). Improving digital practices for literacy, learning, and Justice.https://www.literacyworldwide.org/docs/default-source/where-we-stand/ila-improving-digital-practices-literacy-learning-justice.pdf
National Council of Teachers of English. (2019, November 7). Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age. 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. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1139059
Vanek. (2019). Digital Literacy. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrie f-508.pdf
Hi Delaney! I really resonated with your reflection on how quickly our understanding of literacy has changed. As a young child, I only really remember being taught the traditional view of literacy, so having to learn about and teach multiliteracies has definitely had a learning curve. I thought your point about balancing technology and relationships was something that educators really need to think about, especially with younger students. I'm a strong believer in the fact that students learn much better when there is a strong teacher-student relationship that is fostered from the very beginning, and I completely agree that technology can not replace that relationship. The notion of changing and adapting the definition of literacy along with an ever-changing world is daunting, and also an exciting opportunity to continuously grow as educators and humans.
ReplyDeleteHi Delaney!
ReplyDeleteRelationships with students plays a huge role into trust and work ethic. Our students will not show us their hard work if they do not feel heard and comfortable in your classroom setting. I go through this daily with my special education students. Although I have a great relationship with most of them, often the work can be too hard for them and they do not even try it. I have to find a way that the work relates to them in order for them to engage with the concepts in a meaningful and engaging way. Although technology can be an engaging way for students to interact with the material there still needs to be explicit instruction so the students are getting the most out of each lesson. We often use technology as a way to reinforce what was already taught. In either a game form or a review platform. This often keeps students engaged because they know that after they get to go on their chrome books and play a game, but the game still teaches and works with the students to ensure full understanding.
Delaney, thank you for your thoughtful reflection on the evolving nature of literacy. You did a great job highlighting how literacy has expanded beyond traditional reading and writing to include multiliteracies shaped by technology and social interaction. I especially appreciated your reference to Yuan Sang’s point that literacy must adapt as the world changes. Your connection to Jenifer Vanek’s work was also powerful, showing how even basic computer tasks now count as essential literacy skills. I also really valued your insight from the International Literacy Association about the importance of human relationships in education. You made a strong case that while technology is important, it cannot replace the trust and connection between teachers and students. Your post raises an important question about balance, and it is clear you are deeply committed to providing your students with meaningful, well-rounded learning experiences.
ReplyDeleteHi Delaney!
ReplyDeleteI similarly found it useful to learn about the difference between multiliteracies and the conventional view as having a more current and well informed view and perspective will help me best prepare my students for the modern, ever-changing world! In my undergraduate, I was also taught narrowly about literacy focusing a great deal on pencil and paper, and reading and writing. Up until this course and conducting the reading as well as blog post, I previously possessed a very conventional view of literacy. Although, I do incorporate many forms of technology as well as digital formats of materials to expose students the the various elements of the modern world. I asked myself a very similar question and I am still working every day to find and maintain a balance with the incorporation of digital resources and technology in my classroom. As one of the articles mentioned, the goal the educator is trying to help the students achieve is foremost and if technology or digital resources is incorporated to support student learning then that is wonderful. It may not only make its way into the lesson or classroom and that's ok. As long as we are incorporating technology when it is most beneficial to the lesson, instruction, and the students.
I appreciate your careful contemplation. Your observation that the majority of your undergraduate education was devoted to conventional literacy—reading and writing with paper and pencil—really resonated with me. It's been eye-opening to observe how quickly literacy has changed in such a short period of time, as I had a similar background. The Yuan Sang comment resonated with me: our environment is changing quickly, and so must our conception of reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing up Vanek's paper on "Digital Literacy." Like you, I didn't think of basic computer skills like signing in as literacy at first, but I've come to realize how important they are for both academic success and day-to-day living. Your question regarding how to strike a balance between relationship-based learning and technology strikes me as being really significant. It's simple to feel compelled to utilize technology just because it's accessible, but as you pointed out, effective education still relies heavily on connections.
I was particularly struck by your last question how can we keep changing the concept of literacy? Perhaps the solution is to remain open-minded, continue to hear what our students have to say, and frequently consider the environment they are growing up in rather than the one we experienced. In this manner, we can ensure that we're getting kids ready for genuine, significant engagement in the modern world.