How do I develop the knowledge and skills to address current and future literacy and digital fluency needs?
In the first instance, I need to have a sound understanding of what those terms mean and as the information specialist within my school, ensure that everyone else understands as well. Secondly, I need to upskill myself to make sure that I am those things myself – model by example. To do this I will need to accept that to be an effective TL I need to be willing to evolve, just as the information and digital world is constantly evolving. Otherwise, I am going to be as useful to students as the 1976 book about Space that I found in Non-Fiction last year. Lastly, I need to develop PLNs that allow me to tap into and share the vast wealth of knowledge that other TLs and teachers have for both my own growth but to become a conduit for my colleagues as well.
There is a newish term gaining focus and traction within this sphere as well – transliteracy. I think that transliteracy is really the ability to comprehend, understand and critically evaluate information in all it forms (print, oral, TV, radio, social networks, etc.). But it is more than that, it is also the ability to create information for others in these forms and recognise which form will be the best medium for the message you want to send while recognising that the form of literacy you choose will have an impact on the ‘reader’.
How does this tie into digital citizenship? I think that being transliterate will become essential – if it hasn’t already – in being able to exercise digital citizenship effectively. The implications for 21st Century teaching and learning are that teachers need to create opportunities for students to engage across all literacy types in a meaningful and interactive way. This will help students develop the skills they need to understand, evaluate and interact with the information around them.