Response to Readings—New Literacies

Chapter 1-From Reading to New Literacies and
Chapter 2-New Literacies and the Challenge of Mindsets

Lankshear & Knobel discuss the change that has occurred over time in the field that was once called reading, which we now refer to as literacy. They mention that several factors led up to this point, one factor being the work by Paulo Freire. Freire helped people to realize that literacy is what helped them to voice their emotions and thus giving them the power that they desperately needed. What I learned about the move from reading to calling it new literacies is that the term encompasses so much more. I have learned that literacy and the way we use it really depends upon our social settings. There are several discourses in which we use literacy. The discourse that we use in a formal setting varies greatly from the discourse we use with friends. This is important to keep in mind with students. Many students’ literacy practices are shaped by their social settings.

The inclusion of new literacies and understanding the state of literacy currently, means that my students will understand that I am of the “insider mindset” and that I am making the choice to allow new literacies to be incorporated into instruction. Being of an insider mindset, I will be understanding of the type of discourse that my students use and I will try to incorporate the new literacies that they have grown accustomed to using in everyday life outside the classroom walls. I will make every effort to include new literacies, without completely doing away with some of the more traditional measures.

Prior to reading I never really thought about how literacy really equals power, but thinking about this makes me realize just how much they work hand in hand. Yet, I also see how it is really difficult to be illiterate in these times where literacy is everywhere. Having the literacy skills needed to communicate your feelings is what gives you the power that you need to be a functioning citizen in society. As I read on, I was thinking that we are lucky to live in a time and society where literacy is so prevalent. Print is everywhere, all sorts of media is very accessible, and people use literacy without even realizing that it is literacy!