New Literacies

I mentioned in an earlier entry that Will Richardson’s book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms made me more aware of how changes in technology are creating a shift in how we think and learn. Richardson makes the point that the literate person of the 21st century must be able to do more than simply read and write. These two skills alone are not enough to ensure understanding and the ability to communicate in a web-based world.

A key shift is that individuals are no longer simply consumers of information but now have the opportunity to produce information for a wider audience. Anyone with access to the internet can publish. This means that information is no longer filtered through editors and publishers before getting to the public. Writers can communicate directly with readers. This requires that web readers serve as their own editors and be able to critique the veracity of what is written. And writers need to be versed in publishing on the web. But communication on the web is not limited to text. Internet communications also come in the form of audio, video, music, and digital photographs. The effective internet communicator needs to be familiar with how to convey a message visually and orally as well as in writing. All of these technological developments have created an explosion of information available to the individual. This requires the ability to manage information. Individuals must be educated in how to collect, store, and retrieve relevant information.

So how do we educate for these new literacies? One change I have made in my courses is to have students publish their papers on Blackboard for the entire class to read. Why should I be the only one who benefits from what each student has learned? Students also get to practice writing for an audience of more than one. I have students post their papers on the discussion board. This allows other students to comment online. I also have the students assess their classmates’ papers. This requires that they read critically.

The internet has become a multimedia medium. Today’s effective communicator needs to be able to think in multiple modes. I incorporate art and music in many of my courses to move students out of a sole reliance on analytical thinking. I want them thinking in sights and sounds. I want them to feel as well as think. I will have students draw and create music individually and collaboratively.

Reading Richardson’s book has made me more aware of the world our students inhabit. This awareness allows me to be intentional in providing my students with the literacies required to operate in that world. I have only scratched the surface in finding ways to better prepare students for the new world we are in. Of course, if I am to help my students, I first must learn how to inhabit this new world in which we find ourselves. That is an entire learning curve of its own.