Technology & Literacy

Today’s economy is a global one. Companies from one country to another need to communicate with one another. Traditional ways to communicate include talking face to face, talking via a telephone or more recently e-mailing one another. However, more recently there are additional means of communication such as text messages, Blackberry units and instant messages for example. According to the article, “literacy and literacy instruction are being defined by change in even more profound ways as new technologies require new literacies to effectively exploit their potential. These include technologies such as gaming software, video technologies and the Internet.” One of the points here is that technology is becoming part of the mainstream methods to communicate in a classroom or in a boardroom. While, not too long ago, these expanded uses of technology were not considered part of typical literacy instruction, it is more of an accepted way to communicate. If the world is going to continue communicating in a variety of ways, then children should be taught at an early age that literacy means more than reading, writing, comprehending and communicating. In today’s world there are so many ways to communicate to one person or more than one person at a time. The important point from a school and learning perspective is to teach the students is that it is acceptable to communicate in a particular way in certain venues, but not in other venues. Communication with friends tends to be more relaxed and informal. In a business setting, the communication is expected to be more formal. The new literacies that are referred to above, may indicate that informal communication with friends may be acceptable in certain instances where previously it was unacceptable.

Technologies are changing literacy in a number of ways. First, as stated above, there are many more acceptable ways to communicate than there formerly were. However, it is very important to make sure that students understand different venues will accept different types of communication and literacy. I find there are times when students do not understand this difference. Even in the high school classroom where students use slang, personally, I would prefer that they not use slang. However, I understand that it is part of there culture and as long as they are not using a term or terms that I understand to be derogatory, I may let it go. However, as a Business teacher (and as someone having worked in the business/corporate world for 14 years) I always try to help them understand what is acceptable in one venue and not in another.

Also, literacy is being changed in schools today. Students are being introduced to many more technologies than just ten years ago. The fact that many classes thrust the students into the library for research on the Internet indicates that students need to understand how to sift through information and determine what is valuable or not. They need to understand how to conduct an effective search. This is then a learned skill that will be quite useful in college, the working world and beyond.

The article also states “that we lack a precise definition of what new literacies are.” Basically there are numerous literary tools that are popping up and what to teach in school is unclear because the technology is evolving in the workplace and at home. Therefore, a definitive of what actually to teach is evolving. It also depends upon how much a teacher wants to incorporate technology into the classroom and into literacy. Personally, I like to utilize the Internet and occasionally U-tube in a given lesson. I also want the kids to understand that just because it says so on the Internet doesn’t necessarily mean it is true. Many of them have a hard time discerning that.

One final point is expanding on the last point above, it is very important to understand what is useful information on the Internet, and what is not useful. There is more information on the Internet than we could possibly ever use in a lifetime. The Internet and Intranet is such a vital component to the working world, it is extremely important that students being to gain an understanding of how to discern useful information from non-useful or questionable information. This is not necessarily easy.

Overall, I do agree that literacy now encompasses technology and there is certainly value to that. It is important that school try to keep up with what is out there and being used and teach components of this to children so they have familiarity with the tools once they leave school. It is not, however, a school’s job to teach students about every aspect of technology, but rather introduce them to different facets of the tools and give them some experience on how to use the tools.