The old definition of literacy was limited to paper-based language. New literacies include paper literacy and introduce the new and ever-growing world of technology. (Sang, 2017)
The new age of literacy in the digital age allows the world to be more interconnected and provides us with access to information that would never have been available without the internet. The internet also allows equitable access to literature to all who have available the internet, which brings us a long way to equality, where paper books can be hard for people to get their hands on. (Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age, 2019) The definition of literacy now includes being able to use technology effectively. Effectively using technology includes being able to research, find reliable scholarly sources, and analyze the information on the internet. (Nandita Gurjar, 2023)
New literacy practices have been very involved in my classroom. All our curriculum for ELA, Math, and Knowledge has a hard copy book and online components. The math online component allows the students to take an online test, and it adapts the curriculum to the students' needs. My students are only Kindergartners and first graders. Modeling how to correctly and effectively use the internet is essential to set the foundations for the students to be able to use the internet for themselves when they get older.
Expanding the definition of literacy will help with issues of traditional literacy inequality. Not all people have access to hard copies of books, and I know living in ore rural places, libraries are not always open, close, or carrying a good variety of books. One thing that I was introduced to that has changed things for me is the Libby app. Libby allows you to link your library card to the app, and you then can borrow kindle books from your library so you can read the books onine for free with out having to drive anywhere to get or return the book.
The new digital age of literacy is very exciting, and if our students learn to use it properly, we will have an extremely educated society.
Bibliography
Definition of Literacy in a Digital Age. (2019, November 7). Retrieved from National Council of Teachers of English: https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/
Nandita Gurjar, S. M. (2023). Methods of Teaching Early Literacy. Creative Commons Atrribution.
Sang, Y. (2017). Journal of Education and Practice. The Ohio State University.
Hi Jaclyn!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and the points you made about the new digital age of literacy, which I agree with, most specifically when you mentioned if our students learn to use it properly. Much of the assigned readings for this module expressed the importance of information and media literacy. It is extremely important for students to be able to learn to evaluate the vast amount of information presented in the countless media sources and/platforms. You see firsthand how online components in the classroom can be an effective tool, as long as we model proper use of it. Implementing digital literacy in our everyday teaching practices is setting up out students for being successful global citizens in today's digital era.
Thank you for sharing some great insight!
I really appreciate how you framed the shift from traditional, paper-based literacy to the broader, evolving concept of new literacies. Your example of the Libby app stood out to me. It highlights how technology not only provides access but also removes barriers that historically kept people from engaging with literature. What used to require transportation, physical access, and sometimes even financial resources can now be handled with just a library card and a device. That’s a powerful equity move.
ReplyDeleteI also connected with your point about modeling these skills early on with young learners. As someone who works with students in the early grades, I see how foundational it is to not just teach them what to read or solve but how to navigate the digital world responsibly. Teaching them to discern reliable sources and use tools effectively can set the stage for them to grow into informed, critical thinkers in a media-saturated world.
What your post makes me think about is the double-edged nature of access: while the internet and apps like Libby democratize information, they also require a different layer of critical literacy. It’s not enough to find information; we have to help students learn to evaluate it, too. The abundance of information can be empowering, but without the skills to analyze bias, credibility, and purpose, it can also be overwhelming or misleading.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI feel you summarized the transition from old to new literacy education extremely well. As educators we must teach students' the new tools and expectations for research, and collecting accurate information. I used to work with veteran teachers who would tease me for using things like Google Classroom or QR codes, and say how they had to find things, "from an actual book!". When in reality they were doing their students a disservice by forcing them to lug around outdated textbooks, and sticking to the way that "they learned things". I think you made a great point by mentioning how technology makes differentiation possible, where as, for example, those outdated textbooks do not foster equity. As teachers we are dedicated to learning and adapting always, for the sake of our students' especially!
Hi Jaclyn,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post and especially how you connected new literacies to your own classroom practices. I think it’s awesome that even your Kindergartners and first graders are being introduced to both hard copy and online components, it really does set them up with strong foundational skills for the future. I also liked your point about access as not everyone can easily get to a library, and tools like the Libby app really help bridge that gap. As a teacher, I’ve seen how technology can open doors for students who might otherwise struggle to access resources, and I think your examples show that perfectly!