New Literacies

New Literacies is a term used to define the use of the internet and technology as a learning tool. This includes all the new skills, strategies, and social practices that go along with using new technology as a tool for communication. By its very definition, new literacies are something that will be constantly changing, and we must work to keep up with the changes and advances. Familiarity with the internet and technology in general helps to keep students current on what is happening around the globe, and the new set of skills required will be heavily desired in the changing job market we live in.

Sir Ken Robinson gave a talk regarding how to educate our children to take their places in the economies of the 21^st century, especially given the fact that we have no idea what the economy will look like a year from now, let alone a decade from now. His talk became the basis for an RSA Animate video, which is a perfect example of taking something we already do, give lectures, and making it better by integrating technology! http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U 

As Dr. Donald Leu stated in his video, Integration of New Literacies, (Leu, 2001) http://ctell.uconn.edu/canter/canter_video.cfm?movie=1b_integration.mov, “Let’s not think about these new literacies as an add-on, we need to think about integrating them into our traditional reading and writing experiences.”  I know that I personally used to pat myself on the back for finding a way to add some new technology into my classroom, whether it be slides on the interactive whiteboard or a computer game on a laptop. Now I realize that new literacies are not something extra you do, they are a new way of doing the things you already do.

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) are standards related to technology, designed to advance digital-age learning. The standards for students include: 1) creativity and innovation  2) communication and collaboration  3) research and information fluency  4) critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making  5) digital citizenship and 6)  technology operations and concepts http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx. This all basically means that students need to be able to understand and responsibly use many different forms of technology.  As for teachers, the standards are even more overwhelming. In essence, teachers should strive to inspire student learning and creativity, design and model digital-age learning experiences, and promote citizenship and responsibility. It is a monumental undertaking, but we have no chance at preparing our students for success if we do not even attempt this.

Developing new literacies might seem like a huge burden, but you can start in small ways. For example, I already have my students spend 20 minutes a day working on a shared reading text. This is usually something I write out on chart paper, but having it on the interactive whiteboard would allow me to highlight tricky words, substitute a boring word with a more lively one, even assign roles and change the font color to distinguish different speakers. By starting in a small way, I can feel successful and develop confidence before tackling larger projects.