Today more than ever, internet and technological proficiency is a required skillset for success in the 21st century, both within and outside the classroom. Individuals are expected to have knowledge and varying degrees of proficiency in technological navigation, typing, and accessing resources via the internet. Children being born today are being raised in a digital era; and often times are far more proficient in digital technologies than their professors, who are not. While some educators may be resistant to the importance and use of technology within academia, it should not be an excuse to dissolve digital literacy as a legitimate alternative and/or supplement to archetypal forms of literacy instruction.
According to Dana J. Wilbur [2010], new literacies are “…more
collaborative in allowing for the open sharing and creation of information on
sites like wikis and blogs.” In fact, blogs are finding their way into modern
day classrooms more than ever before “…because their format is similar to a personal diary, where
recounting tales and autobiographical events is prevalent…blogs provide an
arena where self-expression and creativity is encouraged. Its linkages to other
bloggers establish the same peer-group relationships found in nonvirtual worlds”
[Huffaker, 2005, p.94]. I have known students who struggle to sit and read
through a traditional text, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, but have an
easy time engaging in digital literacy.
One student in particular that I worked with, a twelfth grade
student who was reading at a sixth grade level, struggled to find the enjoyment
in reading books but would spend hours reading and writing fan fiction on http://archiveofourown.org/, a fan-created and fan-run site that
hosts fan fiction, fan art, and fan made videos. While her mother found little
value in her spending so much time on this site, I found it to be extremely
valuable in the sense that she was actually reading and enjoying it. Her use of this site also encouraged her to start
writing fan fiction of her own, which was wonderful as you could see the
proficiency in her writing increase the more she wrote, and the more feedback
she received from readers of her works. For me, I found her progress in digital
fluency to be extremely valuable; she was growing as a writer, growing as a
reader, and she was engaged in something that was increasing a necessary skill
set.
In essence, in a technology driven society, it is
important for us as educators, to consider the new and emerging forms of
literacy and the ways in which they can be utilized to promote achievement within
our learners. No longer can the internet, blogging, and online forums be
discredited as a form of literacy, and in an age when digital fluency is just
as important as traditional literacy, the value of online communication should
not be discredited as a beneficial method of learning.
sources:
sources:
1. Wilber,
D.J. (2010). Special themed issue: Beyond ʻnewʼ literacies. Digital Culture
& Education, 2:1, 1-6.
1. Huffaker,
D. (2005). The educated blogger: Using weblogs to promote literacy in the
classroom. AACE Journal, 13(2), 91-98.
I find that the type of experience you discuss on the development of digital proficiency in a student struggling and therefore NOT ENJOYING reading is so appropriate to share. It also provides a social construct for affirmation in other ways and encourages the participatory nature and collaborative potential in the creative process and its role in literacy. Excellent
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that stood out to me Rich's article was that books are one-way and the Internet is a conversation. You bring up the use of blogging, and I find this a great example of the conversations that happen. For example, you have not only given your view on the topic and cited your source to reference trustworthiness, you also include an example of a learning situation that you relate it to.
ReplyDeleteThe spectrum of what literacy encompasses is far greater than was once considered. There will be debates as to the pros and cons - and it is up to the individual reading the information to form their own opinion. Recently I read a blog regarding the Myers-Briggs and how it should "go away" based on the author's view. He offered a perspective I hadn't considered before, but I still continue to have my view of the MBTI, maybe now just looking at it with an additional altering view. The article was a blog via LinkedIn.
The story about the struggling student brings up interesting thoughts. You say that the 12th grader was reading at a 6th grade level. I'm curious what assessment tool was used to determine that. I do not say that in a negative tone, it's just a question as I do not know much about how that is measured these days. However, what I would be curious about is if the student's increase in writing proficiency that you noticed resulted in better scores on the assessment, and if not, what does that say about the value of the assessment, what does it say about the value of digital literacy?
ReplyDeleteI have some thoughts as well on Anita's comment about it being up to the individual to form opinions and her example of a new perspective presented to her but still being able to have her own ideas. This is where I start getting a little nervous and reserved about the reliance of Internet based sources for knowledge. The part I get nervous about is that there is no filter. One could certainly argue that by not having filters, we are practicing democracy, allowing everyone to have a voice. I don't disagree with that. However, I think as a source of primary knowledge it could be dangerous, especially for people that are not as well "educated" on a subject. By "educated' I do not necessarily mean in a formal setting, I simply mean they do not have much background in the specific topic addressed to form their own opinion and weigh the evidence, such as Anita was able to do with MBTI as she probably has more knowledge of the subject than most.
I offer the following example, and I apologize up front if I offend anyone as I know it is a sensitive issue for some. My daughter knows nothing about 9/11. I suppose it is my job, and maybe the job of history education in school, to teach her about it. What if her first exposure to the topic came by accident while on the Internet and it came from a place like youtube and was a conspiracy theory video. With no previous knowledge, and no filter, it would be so easy for her to embed it in her mind that our own government carried out that horrific tragedy. Are filters necessary? How can we structure them or apply them without diminishing the "conversation" aspect that makes Internet literacy so great?
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