What does it mean to be literate? What does it mean to be illiterate? I think about the definition and the notion of literacy quite a bit.
I define literacy as the ability to read and write and being able to express and communicate our ideas to others.
Looking back at history, we know that the ability to read and write were in the hands of the clergy (male) and the aristocracy (male) . The common people (and women) were illiterate in the basic notion of being able to read, let alone to communicate in writing. They HAD to rely on the “elite” (and males) to choose (filter) what kind of information they would pass on. By the time they received this information, it had already been manipulated by the literate own agendas, by the literates own perspectives and beliefs, for their advantage and their future plans.
The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, changed everything. Suddenly print was able to be duplicated and disseminated like never before. Mass printing made books more affordable and more topics were being printed. Information now did not only come from the church or the noble class, it was accessible to many more directly with the ability to read.
I believe we are at a moment in time and history where there is a new gap forming between literate and illiterate. Ask yourself, on which side you consider yourself to be on? Can you read? Can you write? Can you express and communicate your ideas effectively?
Can you read a tweet (1) that mentions a hashtag? Can you follow and continue reading a conversation that is ongoing via that hashtag (2)? Can you continue the thread of the conversation (3) by following the link to a video (4) that mentions a book (5)? Can you research an unknown word from that book (mentioned in the video) that was introduced and is being frequently used in that book?
Can you read non-linear, transmedia and across multiple platforms? Do you have access to a network that will funnel and filter information in the age of information overload? Do you understand the mechanics of fake news campaigns in order to recognize characteristics? Are you trapped in a filter bubble, receiving only information that “can result from personalized searches when a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information about the user, such as location, past click-behavior and search history.”?
The gap between literate and illiterate in digital spaces started way back, when the Internet and World Wide Web were young. Do you remember AOL? Remember their initial screen when you first logged on? Remember that they tried to make it easy for these new Internet users to find their way and to get to their news. They chose to filter what type of information would be displayed, what topics users could choose from. Instead of learning to read and write, the “common folk” took the easy way to have someone create a portal for them and make these choices for them.
Fast forward 25 years and we can continue to observe how some (many?) can’t read from a digital source/platform. News channels are more and more sharing screenshots of tweets (for example) and are then proceeding to interprete, connect and manipulate them for their own agendas. They pre-chew selected information in order to then present that information in their own light.
When people solely rely on others to choose what to see and read, they relinquish their right to find, filter, interprete, analyze and make up their own mind. When people don’t have the skills and the ability to read, write, communicate and express their ideas, they have become illiterate!
The skills to READ on digital platforms (including social media networks) are just one of the skills that allow you to consider yourself literate in 2018. What about the ability to WRITE in digital spaces? How developed are you skills? Do you know how to write hyperlinked? How fluent are you in reading and writing in digital spaces?
As we shift and extend our notion of what it means to be literate, we have to acknowledge that merely reading and writing in text form and on analog platforms is simply not enough to call yourself literate. The skills and abilities MUST include reading and writing in various media forms and on multiple platforms INCLUDING digital spaces. We can’t continue to differentiate between our analog and digital world. We live in ONE world after all.
Silvia,
Your post is so relevant and important in today’s world–for students, educators and anyone who is active on any digital platform. I teach a graduate university course on technology integration and one of the first sessions is dedicated to digital literacy. I really appreciate how you highlight some of the specific skills that we all need to have to be functional in today’s media world. I am sharing your post with my graduate students, and I hope some of them join me here in commenting!
Beth
Beth,
Thank you so much for sharing Silvia’s post. I had never considered a 21st definition of what it means to be “literate”, but found myself nodding in agreement as I read the words above. I am now thinking about the ways in which I am not yet literate and was pushed to think about how I teach digital literacy skills to my students. Having taught first grade, it would be ridiculous to think of a classroom where I wasn’t teaching my students the alphabet, phonemic awareness, modeling fluency, and explicitly teaching vocabulary. Applying this same notion to my fourth grade students now, it would be such a disservice to not provide them with the “building blocks” that they need to become digitally literate in today’s world. Reading this has pushed me to think about how I am teaching my students to read and intake information from digital platforms. If I can empower my students to become digitally fluent, I will be contributing to their future success in school and in our 21st century, global society. I now feel charged to consider and explicitly teach these skills to my students. Thank you for pushing me to think about literacy in a whole new way.
Kate–so glad that you responded on this forum here! Very cool to bring our classroom-based conversation into the real world, especially on this topic!
Very interesting read here on what it means to “be literate” in the 21st century. As an English teacher who studies the oral tradition with students, I like to hear their ideas on the positive AND negative aspects of both oral and literate cultures. Students often identify that the elites who mastered literacy first were also able to manipulate and control what was being written and shared in writing. This can lead into an important discussion with them about the value on the internet: just because we have more access to more opinions and more writings, does it necessarily follow that 21st century readers are more informed and more educated? Typically, students have differing opinions on this and many argue that even with information overload and endless choices for informational sites, people are typically narrow in their approaches and perspectives.
I consider myself literate in many aspects of the word, though I am still relatively new to the tweet and hashtag universe. I do believe that I am savvy enough to navigate the waters of the internet, discerning between scholarly sources and less sophisticated writing. In the graduate course I am taking through Hopkins School of Education, I hope to improve my ability to write on digital platforms and become more literate in a cyber sense. As an educator, I do believe it is an essential skill to learn at any age.
While reading your article, I screamed “YES” with so much gusto that I woke up my dogs! I will be sharing your article with my friends and family.
Silvia, your article is extremely thought-provoking. I am one of Beth’s graduate students and currently teach kindergarten. I agree, being literate in the 21st century is more complex than ever before. It requires much more background knowledge to navigate the web and filter for reliable sources. My parents often came to mind when reading your article. I’m not sure they would be considered literate in the 21st century. This makes me wonder, what age is appropriate to begin teaching scholars how to navigate social media and use it responsibly?
Anna, I am also in Beth’s JHU course. I also immediately thought of my parents as I was reading this article! I still laugh at their inability to navigate social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.). However, I now realize that I would not consider them to be 21st century literate. Do you think it is necessary for older generations to change and be able to read and write on digital platforms? I feel that my parents would argue that it is not necessary for them to be able to do this because these platforms were not created “in their generation.” Interested in hearing your thoughts!
Silvia, your article is extremely thought-provoking. I am one of Beth’s graduate students and currently teach kindergarten. I agree, being literate in the 21st century is more complex than ever before. It requires much more background knowledge to navigate the web and filter for reliable sources. My parents often came to mind when reading your article. I’m not sure they would be considered literate in the 21st century. This makes me wonder, what age is appropriate to begin teaching scholars how to navigate social media?
Prior to reading this article, I did not think that the ability to navigate, post on, and follow digital platforms was apart of what it meant to be literate in the 21st century. However, your article challenged me to understand how necessary it is to be able to do this and why it is important for educators to incorporate digital literacy into their daily curriculum.
As I reflect on my ability to read and write on digital platforms, I would say that I am literate in this respect. I can navigate Twitter easily, posting and responding to topics and conversations that take place on chats. I can also write in hyperlink. However, I do think that I often get caught in “filter bubbles” and solely receive information and posts that are directly in line with recent searches or how I feel about certain topics. For example, I feel that I often see articles surface that are directly in line with my political stance and often not exposed to articles that go against it.
From an educators perspective, I am curious to see how I will be able to incorporate this definition of digital literacy into my PK4 classroom. My students, age 4, will be emergent readers, but will be capable of reviewing visuals. Do you have any advice on how I can do this in my classroom?
Silvia,
I have never thought of how being literate has evolved in the digital age. I was actually shocked by this article and because it made me realize how illiterate I might be when it comes to social media platforms. Yes, I can navigate the internet and social media quite easily, however, there is still so much I do not know how to do. Applications are constantly being upgraded which means we are constantly having to refine our technological skills. There have been many times when I see new features on applications but choose not to use them because I simply do not know how. I find myself asking friends how to navigate a certain tool or utilize a new upgrade. I am a teacher and find this article to be especially relevant since my students are always using technology devices. They love technology and can pick up on it so quickly. This article definitely made me reflect on my own practices. Thank you for bringing this topic up.
-Tammy
Silvia,
Thank you for this post. This is embodies many of the feelings that I have had over the past few years in the classroom. I am a 7th grade English teacher and my school district encourages teachers to use more online resources to enhance our curriculum. However, I have found this to be troublesome because many of my students don’t know how to properly access and filter through all of the online material. My school provides tons of resources, but they don’t even offer students a technology class. When introducing materials that require the use of technology, I have to plan for at least 2 days of instructions and guidance before students can be released. With the amount of material that students need to cover, this is often a hard to do. Instead of digging deep into online resources and showing students how to navigate, I am showing students how to create a google doc or how to save a document on the computer. I understand how important it is for students to be able to navigate online resources in the 21st- Century, but I am having a hard time doing that when time is limited.
-Breyanna
Silvia,
Your blog post really resonated with me. I am a 7th grade teacher, and my school district is considered the “District of Innovation”. With this title, we are able to gather more resources for students to engage in activities like virtual learning, makerspaces, and 1:1 in all core subjects. Teachers are encouraged to use these platforms to enhance student learning; however, students really aren’t being set up for success. Many of my students don’t know how to properly use, filter, and access online resources other than the social media and game sites the frequently visit. With the 21st-century being so tech heavy, it’s important to develop those skills within students. As a school, we are providing students with the resources, but we don’t even offer a basic technology class for students to learn how to use them. I often shy away from using online resources with students because it’s such a hassle. I know that isn’t benefiting them, but I have so many other things that I have to teach students it’s hard to make the time to teach them basic technological skills.
Silvia,
Thank you for this post. This is embodies many of the feelings that I have had over the past few years in the classroom. I am a 7th grade English teacher and my school district encourages teachers to use more online resources to enhance our curriculum. However, I have found this to be troublesome because many of my students don’t know how to properly access and filter through all of the online material. My school provides tons of resources, but they don’t even offer students a technology class. When introducing materials that require the use of technology, I have to plan for at least 2 days of instructions and guidance before students can be released. With the amount of material that students need to cover, this is often a hard to do. Instead of digging deep into online resources and showing students how to navigate, I am showing students how to create a google doc or how to save a document on the computer. I understand how important it is for students to be able to navigate online resources in the 21st- Century, but I am having a hard time doing that when time is limited.
-Breyanna
Silvia, I was really intrigued by your post. If someone asked me if I was literate, I’d immediately say yes. However, when I read your summary of what it means to be 21st century literate, I had to re-evaluate my answer. While I’m adept at using Facebook, I’m much less experienced with Twitter. I understand Instagram but am unfamiliar with Flickr, VSCO, and other visual social media tools. Historically, I’m pretty tech-savvy and know that I could figure any platform out if I had the time to explore and use it; however, what about individuals who struggle with technology? This is a critical question to ponder as it relates to education.
I teach 7th grade math in a small, public school in Como, Mississippi. Most of my students don’t have internet or computer access at home. My school does not have a 1:1 ratio of chromebooks to students although I do get a class set to use once or twice a week. I know how critical it is for me to incorporate technology into my classroom since my students aren’t getting enough exposure to it. I’ve actually played with the idea of creating a classroom Facebook and Twitter page that both students and parents could follow and participate in to share information quickly. Utilizing these tools for academic purposes would give me the opportunity to help my students become 21st century literate.
Silvia,
Thank you so much for your post. I had never considered a 21st definition of what it means to be “literate”, but found myself nodding in agreement as I read the words above. I am now thinking about the ways in which I am not yet literate and was pushed to think about how I teach digital literacy skills to my students. Having taught first grade, it would be ridiculous to think of a classroom where I wasn’t teaching my students the alphabet, phonemic awareness, modeling fluency, and explicitly teaching vocabulary. Applying this same notion to my fourth grade students now, it would be such a disservice to not provide them with the “building blocks” that they need to become digitally literate in today’s world. Reading this has pushed me to think about how I am teaching my students to read and intake information from digital platforms. If I can empower my students to become digitally fluent, I will be contributing to their future success in school and in our 21st century, global society. I now feel charged to consider and explicitly teach these skills to my students. Thank you for pushing me to think about literacy in a whole new way.
Silvia,
Thank you so much for sharing this post. I had never considered a 21st definition of what it means to be “literate”, but found myself nodding in agreement as I read your words above. I am now thinking about the ways in which I am not yet literate and was pushed to think about how I teach digital literacy skills to my students. Having taught first grade, it would be ridiculous to think of a classroom where I wasn’t teaching my students the alphabet, phonemic awareness, modeling fluency, and explicitly teaching vocabulary. Applying this same notion to my fourth grade students now, it would be such a disservice to not provide them with the “building blocks” that they need to become digitally literate in today’s world. Reading this has pushed me to think about how I am teaching my students to read and intake information from digital platforms. If I can empower my students to become digitally fluent, I will be contributing to their future success in school and in our 21st century, global society. I now feel charged to consider and explicitly teach these skills to my students. Thank you for pushing me to think about literacy in a whole new way.