New Literacies

 

    Literacy is a term that many people identify as simply the ability to read and write. In reality, the concept of literacy is far more complex and fluid than this (Johnson, 2014). Considering the purpose of reading and writing is to share ideas and information amongst others, the methods in which they are shared is equally important.  While teaching our students the foundational reading and critical thinking skills is necessary, it is not sufficient in preparing them to be successful readers in society.  Students need to be able to comprehend text as well as navigate the platforms in which it is presented (Serafini, 2012). Furthermore, they need to be able to effectively and productively contribute their own ideas.  Students need to be experienced with the modalities in which they will interact with information in the real world, and in today’s world that is predominately online. 

    Literacy is changing due largely to the fact that the skills needed to be successfully literate in society are changing (Johnson, 2014). Because technology and the internet are such a large part of our world and have become our primary platform of communicating, it is imperative to be literate in the technological world as well.  

    Much of the text students have interacted with has been in the form of text books written for the purpose of either teaching a reading skill or providing information on a topic; or age appropriate books with a clear structure (Dobler & Eagleton, 2015). While this type of text is important in its specific purpose of teaching specific skills, it is not sufficient in supporting the development of the skills needed to interact with language and information in society. 

    

    Digital text is an entirely different entity than traditional text. First of all, it is generally not selected for you. Before even reading the text, you as the reader have to determine how to find the information you are seeking, then decide which sources are valid for your purpose. Building meaning from digital text is also far more challenging.  Due to the endless variety of platforms and sources, the structure is quite unpredictable. It is also extremely non-linear in that it doesn’t follow a clear path that traditional text does (Dobler & Eagleton, 2015). Hyperlinks, graphics, and multimedia cause the text to branch out in multiple directions. This requires the reader to utilize many complex thinking skills such as forward inferencing to decide where to continue reading and which options could provide them adequate information (Johnson,2014).  

    The quality and reliability of online text is also a complicating factor. The vetting process that traditional texts go through before reaching a reader are not common with many digital texts. With printed texts, the reader is the last person to encounter a text after being filtered through a series of editors, publishers, and curriculum designers (Dobler & Eagleton, 2015). With online text, the reader is the first person to encounter the text. This requires the reader to apply continuous evaluation strategies throughout the entire process of web inquiry and reading (Dobler & Eagleton, 2015).

    The fabric of the internet today is centered around the immediate and constant flow of information. Though this has its benefits, it causes many difficulties as well. Readers need to have a critical approach to anything they are reading online (Dobler & Eagleton, 2015).  Nothing encountered in any text, but online text especially, should be taken as absolute truth. Students need to learn to analyze information looking for authority, accuracy, bias, and relevance. They also need to take into account the purpose behind the production of the text itself (Burnett & Merchant, 2019). The same critical thought needs to be applied with any text or media students publish themselves online. They need to analyze the platform they use as well as how their message should and could be perceived. 

    To prepare our students to interact meaningfully in society,  we as teachers need adjust our practices and methods in the classroom. We need to not only teach the new literacy skills, but engage our students in authentic practice. Personal digital inquiry (PDI) is one of the most authentic ways to achieve this. Students become engaged in learning when they can see the value and relevance in what they are doing (Coiro et al., 20). PDI places students in a position to learn, utilize, and apply the digital literacy skills needed in becoming literate in today’s society. I will explore PDI more thoroughly in my next post. 

References

Burnett, C. & Merchant, G. (2019). Revisiting critical literacy in the digital age. The Reading Teacher, 73(3), 263-266.

Corio, J., Dobler, E., & Pelekis, K. (2019). From curiosity to deep learning: Personal digital inquiry in grades K-5. Stenhouse Publishers.

Dobler, E. & Eagleton, M.B. (2015). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry, Second Edition. Guilford Press.

Johnson, D. (2014). Reading, writing, and literacy 2.0: Teaching with online texts, tools, and resources, K-8. Teachers College Press.

Serafini, F. (2012). Expanding the four resources model: reading visual and multi-modal texts. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 7(2), 150-164.