M2 Blog Post 1: Defining New Literacies and Why They Matter
Now more than ever, new literacy practices are relevant to both my professional and personal life. In terms of my professional life, one of my goals is to be the best teacher that I can possibly be. In order to be the best version of myself in the classroom, it is extremely important to keep up with the times and with modern technology. The article, Expanded Territories of “Literacy”: New Literacies and Multiliteracies states, “First, while the “old technologies” mostly consist of simple forms of production, the new “technical stuff” is a “hybridization of multimodal media” that includes texts, images, music, videos, etc., which altogether create interactive and interconnected forms of production that can be retrieved conveniently (Lankshear and Knobel, 2007)” (Sang, 2017). In today’s world students are growing up with technology far more advanced than when I was their age. In order to effectively teach, we need to understand the technology that they are adapted to. In terms of my personal life, as new technology advances, new languages are being produced. Sang states, “The utilization of new technologies and the emergence of new forms of social relationships produce new languages.” (2017). When technologies advance and new languages are created, this can lead to different ways to effectively communicate your feelings, thoughts, and experiences. Effective communication can also lead to social connections on different media platforms which can help someone network amongst peers and colleagues. In my day to day operations, new literacy practices have been relevant to both my personal and professional life.
On the other hand, in an educational setting, the term “literacy” has been narrowly defined. Literacy is much more than reading and writing in one language. Having a diverse class has been proven to be beneficial to all of the students in the educational space. When students have the opportunity to hear experiences and inputs from students of a different background, they are more inclined to learn about the world around them. Having one form of literacy creates an environment that limits representation. The article, Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age states, “It is important for learners to have multiple opportunities to engage in multimodal literacy practices as a means to communicate information that supports participating in a diverse and democratic society.” (NCTE Position Statement, 2019). Students need the opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through different kinds of literacy. According to the article, What is Literacy? Multiple Perspectives on Literacy, “You may have noticed that communities are a big part of critical literacy – we understand that our environment and culture impact what we read and how we understand the world.” (Beecher, 2023). When students of diverse backgrounds have different forms of literacies or ways to express themselves, this brings cultural relevance and representation from all of the different backgrounds in the class. When a teacher introduces an inclusive form of literacy to a class, it allows the classroom to become more welcoming and relevant to all students.
I am teaching at the high school level currently. Does anyone else find that students are developing new skills and strategies in order to meet the challenge of new texts and tools in the classroom?
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/
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, 16–19.
https://doi.org/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139059.pdf
Hello John!
ReplyDeleteI also strive to be the best teacher I can be. Us teachers are shaping the minds of tomorrow, it can be scary but it can also be rewarding. Especially, like you said, changes keep happening and it is our responsibility to keep up. Yes, technology is everywhere so it's imperative to bring that into our lessons. Like the article you cited, there are many ways to bring technology in whether its images, music, videos, etc. It not only enhances the lesson but it's a way to bring in outside factors, students cultures, and experiences.
I love your take on literacy, it's not just about the written text, it's much more than that. We need to make sure they are engaged and they are learning what they can later use in the outside world, not just for a test.
I teach 4yr old's in a Special Ed setting so it's completely different from what you teach. I basically try to teach them skills I know they will need in the future, like being independent by unpacking and grabbing their snack, etc. I do all that on top of the actual curriculum.