Week 2: Blog over : Knobel, J 1, BABR 1, Reading Today Mandarin art.
As I read the material for the week, I thought about how it applied to my teaching and to education as a whole. One quote stood out to me. In Reading, Writing, and Literacy 2.0 Teaching with Online Texts, Tools, and Resources, K-8, Johnson said, “Literacy changes the way children see themselves-as readers-as members of a different group. Literacy opens the door to the world and has the power to change lives.” I try to be very cognizant of the fact that as educators we hold great power within students lives. We do this in a variety of ways, but the one that applies here, is how we affect how they see themselves as readers and literate individuals in the world. My hope is that all children see the importance of literacy and value it as lifelong learners and readers and as a part of the communities with which they are involved.
The definition of literacy is not static. It continues to change as our world changes. New literacies according to Knobel are ways in which meaning making processes are changing which include technology but not limited to it. Some examples of new literacies are fan fiction, blogging, microblogging (By the way- I didn’t know what this was. I found out it is like a smaller version of a blog. I think it is similar to a tweet.), editing wikis, social networking, etc. New literacies differ from traditional literacy through technology and a different ethos. Along with technology changes, so does the reason that we read and write. This new ethos is more about being a part of a community, having continual feedback, and is less about being a sole author rather than a collaborator. The information found/relayed online is judged not by “experts” but rather by groups who welcome varying opinions. What do you think is a good working definition of new literacies?
Given the nature of new literacies, we need to begin to teach children strategies to make meaning with this new genre. Just as students at the primary level have less experience with informative texts and have to be taught comprehension strategies specific to the genre, so we need to do with digital texts (Johnson, 2014). Multimodal texts require specific ways to analyze the information. It isn’t the traditional linear format of reading but simultaneous. We need to teach students the cuing systems specific to digital settings. Students also have to be taught how to think critically about what they are reading. How would you go about teaching students to think critically about the information they read online?
Also, students need to be taught how to write with a specific audience in mind. MAPS (mode, media, audience. purpose, and situation) used by Troy Hicks seems like a manageable way to go about teaching to write digitally. Johnson discussed the term “connective writing”. Writing in relationship to new literacies is reciprocal. How do you think this component of new literacies effects students who are struggling readers and writers? What would this look like for them?
Given all of the information covered in these reading, I find myself a bit overwhelmed, not is a hopeless way. I just see the magnitude of the task. As teachers, educators, reading specialists, we need to allow new literacies to reconstructs our curriculum and instruction. My hope is to come up with ways to utilize new literacies as a reading specialist and provide teachers with tools they can use in their classrooms to help struggling readers. Right now one of the biggest challenges to this occurring is TIME! I hope to come up with manageable steps to help me in this process. What do you think your biggest challenges are in this process?
