Literacy counts as reading online text, this may consist of
articles, online journals, online newspapers, novels, etc. There are many forms of new media and it is
not uncommon to find video, still images and audio information that are
attached to literacy. I believe this
gives the viewer a better understanding and connection to the literacy at hand. Electronic media is definitely the most
popular form of literacy and used widely for social media. There is debate
whether electronic media has destroyed “old- fashioned reading” or if it can be
considered as literacy. When reading on
paper the reader has a sequence of events, beginning, middle and end, however,
when reading online the reader does not have these same boundaries. Is one type of literacy more beneficial than
the other?
Literacy is changing in response to the new media landscape,
in this digital age, facebook, twitter, Instagram and various chat rooms are
the new wave of communication. To some this is considered
as literacy, however, many believe that there is no value in this kind of
literacy. Many also argue that online literacy does not commit to developing
and building skill sets that will assist students to succeed in both the
digital age and beyond. This is an important topic because as educators, it is
our job to build skills that will help our students be successful in all areas
of school, work and life.
I see your point about the changing landscape of literacy and that students need the skill sets to thrive in the digital age, as this is their world of learning and living. I do, however, distinguish a difference between communication and literacy. While social media may facilitate a wide and frequent level of communication, I see it as a different type of literacy than that of reading journals, news articles, and books online. We also wouldn't want to have our students growing up and being proficient at social media communication but not being able to have proficiency in literacy. I believe we need to teach students to be able to discern literacies both online and offline.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ezobia - Reading is reading, whether it is done online or from a paperback book, one way is not better than the other (in my opinion). I go between the two very frequently, there are times when I prefer to read a paperback book & then there are times that I may read journals/articles online, both are considered reading because that is what I am doing. I am able to get just as much or more from an online read, so it is silly for some to say that new literacy isn't legitimate or that students today aren't learning all that they could be learning because they are using technology instead of the traditional ways. Change in life is good & I feel like we are headed in a really good direction in education!
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