Defining New Literacies and Why They Matter
According to Beecher literacy is “The ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society.” Beecher, 2023.
New Literacies give reference to the skills and abilities of a person which is required to navigate and communicate in the rising digital environment. It surrounds skills such as information literacy, media literacy, digital and technological literacy. In today's society as technology evolves, the demand of new literacies does too, which will reflect the changing ways of information retention and critical thinking. We experienced this with Covid shut down and having to completely depend on technology to guide through the school year. Digital literacy involves understanding how to use digital tools and technologies, such as computers, smartphones, and the internet, effectively and responsibly. Media literacy entails the ability to analyze, evaluate, and create media messages across various platforms, such as social media, websites, and video-sharing platforms. Information literacy involves finding, evaluating, and using information from a number of sources critically and ethically.
Sang asserts that “The most important feature that distinguishes New Literacies from other literacy perspectives is that New Literacies emphasizes on “the epochal change in everyday technologies and its associated cultural practices” (Coiro et al., 2008). It extends beyond the conventional view of literacy as printed and written texts, and includes meaning-making practices using digital technologies (e.g., video games, weblogs, mobile texts, etc.), and explores the changes of beliefs towards literacy in the process of practices”
New literacies are particularly relevant to the professional life of teachers because as educators we play a pivotal role in preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities of the new digital age/era. The relevance of new literacies allows us to enhance teaching methods, facilitate communication and collaboration with other teachers, adapt to our changing educational environment and foster lifelong learning in our students. We have to find ways to incorporate new literacies into our teaching practices which will enhance student engagement and the overall learning outcome. It also allows us educators to effectively communicate and collaborate with students , their families and colleagues. Teachers should essentially stay up to date with digital changes and platforms and adapt teaching strategies, new literacies will enable us to maneuver through the year by including these new tools and technology into our teachings.
Digital literacy skill goes beyond the basic computer knowledge skills. Vanek states in the article Digital Literacy that “these foundational skills are critical, however, the crux of what is meant by digital literacy is the recognition of these skills’ relevance in specific contexts and one’s ability to creatively apply them.” Having the ability to administer digital skills in this time is crucial as this will only benefit our student advancement in the educational world.
Digital Literacy. (n.d.). https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf
New literacies and multiliteracies - eric. (n.d.-b). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1139059.pdf
Beecher, C. (2023, July 19). Chapter 1. what is literacy? Multiple Perspectives on Literacy. Methods of Teaching Early Literacy. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/teachingearlyliteracy/chapter/what-is-literacy-multiple-perspectives-on-literacy/
Hi Tricia! I really enjoyed reading your post. More specifically, you made a great point that teachers should always stay up to date with digital changes and platforms, and how this can influence current teaching practices. I believe the best way to do this is through continuous professional development in all schools, in order to keep everyone in the loop and up to date on best practices. I also like how you mentioned that digital literacy skills goes beyond "basic computer knowledge skills", such as typing. Digital literacy enhances a student's ability to interact with digital components of media, as well as conducting research. As you stated, it is crucial to possess these skills as a teacher, and to pass these skills along to our students. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tricia for sharing this insight. I find it wild how in just a few weeks during the Covid Pandemic, millions of us had to switch solely to new online literacies rather than the traditional literacies. I am thankful that I grew up surrounded by technology such as video games, cell phones, and computers (though not so much that I became inept at other things). Even since elementary school, I remember taking computer classes that taught Microsoft Office products as well as digital etiquette. It was not until the Pandemic that I realized how crucial it was to learn these new literacies. You don't notice how much you've learned until you have to help a struggling adult with a computer. Then you see, "Oh, this isn't just second nature. I had to learn this!" As an educator, I would like to incorporate new literacies into my classroom, but over time once I get older (I am currently 25), how will I stay current with the future technologies? How do I keep myself educated so I can pass that on to my students?
ReplyDeleteGreat post, this sums it up beautifully 😍 What an exciting time to be an educator and a learner!
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is how important critical thinking skills will be going forward. It is very easy for our students and families to fall prey to misinformation, disinformation and propaganda. I'm curious how political policies will take this risk into consideration when considering legislation.