New Literacies

Literacy... Sometimes this is used as a narrow term to describe simply being able to read and write. If there is one thing that I have learned, it is that literacy is a broad term that can mean many different things. I have also learned that literacy is constantly changing and evolving with the times. Once upon a time, if I wanted to buy a book, I would go to the bookstore. Now, I can simply purchase a book on my e-reader from the comfort of my own home, and begin reading immediately. If this isn’t an example of technology evolving, I don’t know what is.

           

21^st-century skills are something that I am hearing more and more about. Brooks-Young (2010) defines these skills as, “The content knowledge and applied skills that today’s students need to master to thrive in a continually evolving workplace and society.” So how do we prepare our students to face this evolving workplace and society? I think that moving our curriculum towards incorporating today’s technology is the answer. Today’s technology allows people to work together and share more easily. One of the biggest challenges that I face regarding using technology in my classroom is finding the time to teach students how to use new programs and tools, as well as how to monitor students as they use these tools. I am looking forward to learning more about how to work through these challenges in my classroom. 

References:

Brooks-Young, S. (2010). Teaching with the tools kids really use: learning with web

            and mobile technologies.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.