Tag: Literacy

What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century?

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New Literacies Word Cloud
New Literacies Word Cloud.

Being literate in the 21st century involves a wide range of skills in a wide range of contexts. Literacy encompasses the ability to participate fully in a range of situations including social and digital realms. It has transformed from the basic skills and understanding of reading and writing, to a tool, which is a means to participate in the technological society of the 21st century (Tompkins, Campbell, Green & Smith, 2015, p. 3). New literacies must respond to changes in the information landscape; therefore, literacy and technology can be seen to be interlinked in many ways. Tompkins, Campbell, Green and Smith (2015) posit technology has, and will continue to, transform literacy instruction. New literacies provide “sophisticated technological ways to read and write multimodal texts incorporating words, images and sounds – that provide opportunities for students to create innovative spaces for making meaning, exploring their worlds and voicing their lives” (Tompkins, Campbell, Green & Smith, 2015, p. 3). To be literate in the 21st century, Tompkins, Campbell, Green and Smith (2015) suggest students must become “proficient in new ways of accessing, comprehending and communicating information” (p. 8). Students must have a litany of skills to draw upon when necessary. These skills align with the traditional information literacy skills; however, students are required to use these in more dynamic and adaptable ways. Leu, Kinzer, Coiro and Cammack (2004) suggest that these “new literacies change regularly as technology opens new possibilities for communication and information” (p. 1). Therefore, with changes in social communication and new forms of media, literacy skills must also adapt. Sweeny (2010) supports this as she states “the current information and communication technologies (ICTs) are fundamentally changing the ways in which youth today read, write and communicate” (p. 121). The key to navigating the new world of literacies are the skills of searching for and locating useful information. Students also need new reading comprehension skills to support the retrieval of valid and meaningful information (Henry, 2006). Henry (2006) states “as new technologies increasingly become a part of classroom lessons, teachers are discovering that many students do not possess the new literacy skills required to successfully read and write with the many new technologies that regularly appear in today’s world” (p. 615). Henry (2006) also suggests a significant barrier to locating relevant information is the inability to successfully navigate search results on the Internet because a particular set of reading comprehension skills are required when using the Internet (p. 615). Students require skills in identifying important questions, locating information, critically evaluating information, synthesising information and communicating answers (Henry, 2006, p. 616). Being literate in the 21st century involves a multitude of skills concerning social, environmental, digital, and traditional literacies and will continue to evolve in response to our information needs.

 

References

Henry, L. A. (2006). Searching for an answer: The critical role of new literacies while reading on the internet. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 614-627. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au

Leu, Jr., D. J., Kinzer, C. K., Coiro, J. L., & Cammack, D. W. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the Internet and other information and communication technologies. In N. J. Unrau & R. B. Ruddell (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (5th ed.) (pp. 1570-1613). Retrieved from http://s3.amazonaws.com/

Sweeny, S. M. (2010). Writing for the instant messaging and text messaging generation: Using new literacies to support writing instruction. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(2), 121-130. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au

Tompkins, G., Campbell, R., Green, D., & Smith, C. (2015). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au

 

[Reflection]

The Complex Nature of Defining a Complex Concept

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Defining Literacy and Changing Literacy Needs.

Put simply, literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and understand in a variety of contexts and with a variety of modes. Literacy encompasses more than the basics of comprehension. It has evolved to include a complex array of skills needed to better understand the information world we live in. When Gee (1991) defines literacy, he first explores the concepts of discourse and the patterns of learning and acquisition. He posits that acquisition is a more powerful tool to understanding than learning, which can become a separate, compartmentalised process in a classroom (Gee, 1991, p. 5-6). This explanation resonates strongly with me, as I find distinct connections between this and the importance of information literacy models in schools. Rather than learning a model out of context, it is crucial that a model is demonstrated by the teaching team and that the model is a distinct part of the information seeking and use journey. Gee (1991) suggests that literacy is the “control of secondary uses of language” (p. 8). This implies that literacy occurs in the realms outside of basic oral skills, as it involves both written and oral language in a range of environments. Gee (2010) goes on to explain, “literacy is mastered through acquisition, not learning, that is, it requires exposure to models in natural, meaningful, and functional settings, and teaching is not liable to be very successful – it may even initially get in the way” (p. 8). This supports my earlier assertion that these concepts greatly relate to the importance of embedding information literacy models in schools. Warlick (2005) supports this perspective, as he proposes the redefining and integrating of literacy into schools assists teachers in planning effective curriculum and better equips students for their futures. Furthermore, Warlick (2005) posits if “information is changing, then our sense of what it means to be literate must also change” (para. 6). Cope and Kalantzis (2009), speak of a need for educators and learners to expand their repertoire to respond to the changing landscape of literacy. It seems that users may require a combination of new literacy skills and also an extension of the traditional literacy skills to respond to and work with new formats and modes of delivery. Kalantzis and Cope (2015) also suggest a need to respond to new hybrid literacies and multimodalities (p. 17). Accordingly, Armstrong and Warlick (2004) identify the challenge and importance of emphasising literacy skills that reflect the current information environment. Students still require fundamental literacy skills; however, they are much more involved than they once were due to the changing information landscape. Being literate has developed from the three R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic) to the 4 E’s (expose, employ, express, and ethics on the Internet). For example, students can no longer take validity and credibility for granted. Students must be critical information users and employ effective strategies to navigate and use information. Warlick (2005) is critical of current education trends such as a key focus on integrating technology into schools. Instead, Warlick stresses the importance of integrating contemporary literacies into education, so as to equip students with the skills needed to navigate all aspects of their information world. It can be seen that literacy is an ever-important concept to grapple and should be a focus for schools in developing their students’ capacities as 21st Century learners.

 

References

Armstrong, S., & Warlick, D. (2004). The new literacy: The 3Rs evolve into the 4Es. Technology & Learning, 25(2), 20-20,22,24,26,28. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au

Cope, B. & Kalantzis, M. (2009). Multiliteracies: New literacies, new learning. Pedagogies: An international journal 4(3), 164-195. doi: 10.1080/15544800903076044

Gee, J. P. (1991). What is literacy? In C. Mitchell & K. Weiler (Eds.), Rewriting literacy: Culture and the discourse of the other (pp. 3-11). New York: Bergin & Garvey.

Kalantzis, M. & Cope, B. (2015). Regimes of literacy. In M. Hamilton, R. Heydon, K. Hibbert & R. Stooke (Eds.), Negotiating spaces for literacy learning: Multimodality and governmentality (pp. 15-24). London, United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Academic.

Warlick, D. (2005, March/April). The new literacy. Administrator Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=263&print=1

 

[Forum Reflection: Module 5.1]