Technology as a New Literacy

Harumy Higuera Kevin Reger

Photo Source: http://www.simandan.com/?p=706

What is literacy?

* A "text" refers to all the forms of learning available.

* An Academic Literacy refers to the skills one learns in an academic society through thinking critically, reading, writing, speaking and listening.

* "Literacy refers to the ability to understand all forms of communication, specifically the ability of reading and writing coherently and thinking critically about a text."

(Higuera, 2012)

Source: Higuera, Harumy. A Critical Definition of “Academic Literacy” in my Discipline. LRC 335. May, 2012.

New Literacies

* New literacies refer to sources now present with the increase in technology.

* Understanding these sources has become increasingly important

as technology has become more available and easier to use.

Photo Source: http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2011/01/blooms-taxonomy-and-technology-great.html

Technology as a progressive Literacy

* It is important to embrace these new literacies.

* 65 percent of today’s grade-school kids may end up doing work that hasn't been invented yet (Heffernan, 2011).

* The internet has become a necessary for aspect in college. No doubt it has also become important

in the primary school setting.

Heffernan, V. Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade. The New York Times. 8/07/2011.

Pros & Cons

Due to advancement in technology, we are now able to use the internet to

learn through a new type of literacy.Pros:

* More resources available to students and teachers.* More technological advancements.* Faster and easier for students to do homework and research projects.* Programs available to make education more fun and easier for everyone to access.

Cons:* Cost* Teacher preparation to learn to use and implement technology in classroom.* Students being distracted with technology in classrooms.* Plagiarism.* Not everyone is able to access the internet.* Not all the information in the internet can be reliable.

Teacher + Technology= New Literacy

*Technology and the internet have increased productivity, but some literacies can be difficult to learn.

*Communication is important and there are many ways to collaborate ideas.

http://pwoessner.com/2008/12/15/21st-century-literacy-network-literacy/

Sources

* Don't be afraid to explore technological resources available.

* Utilize your local library. There are many books available with step-by-step instructions on new software, programming, or just surfing the web.

* Search forums and utilize search engines if you are stuck. Many people have the same questions you do and solutions may be a few clicks away.

* Remember, it would take time, dedication and planning. Try not to get frustrated over it.

* There are always classes you can take to catch up with all the new advancements in technology and how to use them effectively.

* Overall, try to have fun.

Tips on learning new Technology:

gimp

irubric

prezi

voicethreadprotagonize

carrotsticks

mywebspiration

google

wolframalpha

pipesyoutube

wikispaces

createagraph

wordnik

ninjawords