If as reading specialists, we shall be mandated to help our students to develop "twenty-first century literacy" (Brown, Bryan & Brown, 2005), we need to be fully aware of what this concept entails, if our intent is to address the various literacies which fall under this banner. Namely, they are digital literacy, global literacy, technology literacy, visual literacy, and information literacy. We need to be able to identify and define these literacies in order to clearly articulate our objectives as we plan for instruction. Needless to say, we must also be proficient in these literacies ourselves, since some of our charges might already be ahead of us in this regard.
As I read about digital storytelling, I was struck by the distinction made between digital literacy and technological literacy. This is because in my "state" of only now coming to terms with twenty-first century literacy (which I understand to be synonymous with "new literacies"), I thought that both digital and technological literacies meant the same thing. However, according to Brown, Bryan & Brown (2005), digital literacy refers to one's ability to communicate with a growing (online) community in order to source help, collect information and discuss matters. On the other hand, technology literacy speaks to the capacity to use computers together with a range of other technologies to enhance productivity, learning and performance. Moreover, a novel concept to me as well was "global literacy", which refers to the ability to read, interpret, respond to and contextualise various text (screen and otherwise) from a global lens.
I have confessed my ignorance which one hopes will be gradually lessened. Did someone say that the more you learn is the more there is to learn?
Hello Beverly,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this distinction between digital literacy and technological literacy because I myself thought that they both meant the same. Literacy, the common term has one traditional meaning which is the ability to read and write but this term has been expanded over the years to include this literacy within various context. They all are under the umbrella term of ‘multiple literacies’ which include visual literacy, emergent literacy, digital literacy, technology literacy, content literacy, culturally responsive literacy and there are so many more to many to mention.
However for the purpose of this course our focus is on digital literacy and technology literacy. Indeed I am now aware that I have been engaging in digital literacy and never realized it. All the emailing, blogging and chatting are forms of online communication that foster collecting and discussing information. Therefore I can definitely say that I am a digitally literate individual.
As for technology literacy as you stated is the capacity to use computers together with a range of other technologies to enhance productivity, learning and performance. I also think that I am to some extent a technology literate individual since I can use the computer with web 2.0 tools to enhance my learning as well as my students’ learning. Digital literacy and technology literacy are two new concepts that add to the traditional concepts of literacy.