Blog Task #1

Using your readings and interaction with the subject to date, develop a statement about your current knowledge and understanding of concepts and practices in digital literature environments, tools and uses, within the context of your work or professional circumstances.

Defining Digital Literacies –

When enrolling in INF533, I considered what it was that I thought Digital Literacies were, for what I assumed would be a really easy answer to a simple question, I found myself questioning the very definition of digital literacies.

Making my way through the Module 1 course readings, I concluded that my previous definition of digital literacies has moved and changed over time as we have now entered a ‘Transmedia Universe’ (Lamb, A. 2001). For what was once a clear-cut answer, the development of new technologies along with its ever-changing technological capabilities, the definition of digital literacies has moved rapidly and fluidly. An interesting notion is the youth of such literacies, “e-literature as a field did not exist until the founding of the Electronic Literature Organization in 1999” (Coover 1992) this demonstrated just how new digital and electronic media is to the modern world.

As a Digital Technologies Leading Teacher in a government primary school setting, I worked through the course readings with the lens of a teacher educator responsible for the staff and curriculum development across the school. Lamb posed some interesting questions around the definition of reading ‘First, let’s tackle the definition of reading. What’s involved with the activity? Must it involve only text, or can it include graphics, sounds, motion, and other kinds of symbols in addition to or instead of the text? Does a book need to have a traditional start and finish? Or could the content emerge or even be created as the reader moves through the experience?’ (Lamb, A. 2001)

With these questions, one can challenge what literacy is, what reading is and even the value and purpose of a physical hard copy text. As an avid traveller and reader, I have reluctantly transitioned over the years to a kindle and to audiobooks as when ‘packing for a vacation, a single device the width of a novella that contains hundreds of books is incredibly convenient and offers a previously unimagined variety of instantaneous choice.’ (Sadokierski, Z. 2013). It just made sense to do away with the novels that I would travel with, in order to save precious carry on space and allow for choice at my fingertips.

Emerging Literary Experiences

With Amazon reporting eBook sales outstripping print for the first time in 2011 (Rapaport, 2011), authors and publishers are seeking to move beyond the traditional print-style format of eBooks. It is timely that schools and educators review what is already in use, what is outdated, what still retains value and what our responsibilities are for provision and exposure for our young learners.

Moving forwards through this course I hope to develop some firmer research-based opinions around digital literacies and exposure that our young learners require in order to prepare them with the tools for lifelong learning in a digital environment. Irrespective of my own beliefs and experiences for literacies, times continue to move and change and I strongly feel that it is my responsibility as a digital technologies educator to prepare the next generation for success in a changing and developing future. Furthermore, the possibilities and opportunities are endless so I hope to take away new ideas and learning around the digital literacy space that can be directly implement back into my school environment.

Word Count – 543

References
Coover, Robert. “The End of Books.” The New York Times Book Review 21 June 1992.

Lamb, A. (2011). Reading redefined for a transmedia universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3), 12-17. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=67371172&site=ehost-live

Rettberg, Scott. “Bokstaver i bevegelse.” Vagant 1/2011.12-3. “Letters in Space, at Play. “Reading the Web: retts.net. 1 June (2011). 20 Feb. 2012 http://www.retts.net/index.php/2011/02/letters-in-space-at-play

Sadokierski, Z. (2013, November 12). What is a book in the digital age? [Web log post]. Retrived from http://theconversation.com/what-is-a-book-in-the-digital-age-19071