Journal Post 2 - What Counts As Literacy?

 “What counts as literacy, how literacy changes in response to the new media landscape, and what value we should ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online (Jenkins, 2009)."

What counts as literacy?  That is a question that seems to be at the forefront of the hot topic button of literacy and what is acceptable in our world today.  Literacy was often thought of thus from reading written words from within a book, magazine, newspaper and other like sources.  Today however, literacy has evolved into much more. The reach of literacy has expanded to the digital world, which is vast in and of itself.

Gone are the days where checking out library books to read was exciting. Now, books are a swift click away online as are magazines, newspapers and articles.  These stories can now be narrowed down to an interest point or page. It trims out the excess and focuses in on the topic you’re seeking. 

Youth today have ample access to the digital universe. Their phones, iPad, computers and even TV’s all grant them access to the infinite world of knowledge contained within it.  While the screen time is not ideal nor often recommended, it is a solid tool that can be used to an advantage if used properly.

Children are exploring many avenues digitally in their literacy. Their school books and library books can all be accessed through the online catalogs.  Magazine and news articles, blogs and papers are also readily available.  What takes it a step further is the amateur writings and books published, in large part by their peers.  As the article points out:

But others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write (Rich, 2008)

As the world changes into a digitized literacy, it will cause us all to reevaluate our literacy skills and require us to adapt to maintain a steady pace.  While this literacy is unconventional, it is a positive step. Reading a book provides a point of view, a sole point of view. Reading the same book online changes the game. The additional pieces connected to a book, which is often written by other authors and people, can vastly expand critical thinking. The points of view are multiplied and new concepts can be introduced; “The Web is more about a conversation,” he said. “Books are more one-way.” (Rich, 2008) Suddenly thoughts and opinions are abundant allowing for open dialogue that they could not get directly from a book itself. 

In closure, online literacy should count. It should matter. It’s a part of our world whether we like it or not and it’s only going to continue to grow in popularity. This style of literacy is a tool that can be beneficial in also reinforcing literacy of written words. It enhances what is read and allows it to grow and take on a life of its own.  It opens topics up for discussions and expands thinking beyond measure.   Using it to their and our advantage, in a positive way is what will make the difference in how the literacy is attained and retained. 

  

Reference

Rich, M. (2008, July 26). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? Retrieved January 27, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0