In my opinion the term "New Literacies" really isn't that new! Regardless of how text is presented, reading is still reading. To be a reader one must still have decoding skills, be able to recognize words, which leads to comprehension of text. As things in our lives change, we must learn to adapt if we are to keep up. "Learners who have grown up on the inside of a cyberspatial mindset often see
things very differently and approach them very differently. The presumption that one will be working on one task at a time or in one “place” at a time when engaged in learning (or, for that matter, in entertainment or recreation) is foreign to many." These days adults and children alike are multi-taskers!
What I have learned about teaching students to read from this chapter and from my experience thus far is to go with the flow. If I want to teach my students to read, I need to get to know them. I need to incorporate their interests in to my lessons and that will likely need to include some sort of technology.
I really like how you said, "reading is still reading." I completely agree and I feel that video games, websites, and other new literacies are disregarded because they are not traditional literature. In order to play these games or interact with a website, though students must be able to read what is being said. Times are changing and I agree with you about going with the flow. I am sure that we will only continue to see more changes in educational trends.
ReplyDeleteI agree Tina, adults and children alike are multi-taskers. We are juggling so many different things at once. In the virtual world, we don't always work on the same task at the same time because all of our lives are different. And like you said, we must adapt in this world that is ever-changing with technology as the center. The aspects of Web 1.0 were unreal when they were first introduced just like Web 2.0 is now. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteYes, we are definitely multi-taskers! It is difficult for me to not multi-task when there are so many things I can be accomplishing at once. I think children using technology is often viewed at an entirely recreational activity. But in reality, technology incorporates so many different literacies, including written text, graphics, and spoken language.
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