Saturday, March 1, 2008
New Literacies: Research and Social Practice
The authors defined “new literacies” as those identifiable forms of textual practice that have a degree of social significance and are chronologically recent. Included among them are email, online chat spaces, instant messaging, Fan Fiction, Manga, and Weblogs. These new literacies are reading and writing communication tools that should be used both in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning. While many of todays students are already competent with the newest technologies, the teachers responsible for expanding their knowledge are not. There are still many teachers (at least in my building) that will tell you they have heard of blogs but are not really sure what they are or how to develop one. I personally have never visited an online chat room and I'm not a fan of instant messaging. Lankshear and Knobel suggest that educators experience these new technologies from the inside as participants in order to fully understand what students are experiencing. I agree that this is important. There was a time when I was totally computer illiterate and my students had to take my hand and walk me through each and every computer function. I then became determined to learn as much about technology as my 7th graders. No, I'm not there yet, but this baby boomer has come a long way. As educators it is indeed our responsibility to stay abreast of current technologies and incorporate them into our curriculums so that we maximize our students potential.
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Lance
Before his first haircut.
3 comments:
I think the idea of trying to see new practices from the inside -- by using them -- is one of the things that is most spot on about their work. We can't really get a sense of the roles, practices, discourses, vocab or anything unless we try it -- maybe it's just because the technologies move so quickly?
It's funny that you mention that as a baby boomer all this technology is overwhelming for you. Funny in that my mother-in-law (fellow baby boomer) is more computer literate and blog adept than me! Well, maybe not funny, more like humbling.
Futhermore, Gee mentioned "I think "old" baby boomers, like me, need to run out and start playing video games." All I could think of what your mad dash for the first available Wii system last month and your apparent addiction to Dinner Dash.
I feel that there is something very important for us to know being familiar with new literacies and technology. This course is getting me to think about things in new ways. It is very challenging understanding the way researchers in computer technology are discovering what educators can use in the classroom. Knowing about technology is enabling us to teach to our student's true potential. These students, many of them, have yet to discover how far they can go in life. And we're beginning to glimpse the language of their adulthood.
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