I had fun reading Rich’s article and
writing this essay. I start my essay by
evaluating the traditional definition of literacy—“the ability to read and
write,” and updating it to, “the ability to read and write in both digital and
non-digital environments.” I arrive at
this definition by concluding that the major function of literacy is to provide
individuals with the tools they need to be autonomous and fulfilled members of
society. Considering this, I propose the
argument that one cannot survive in the modern Western world without digital
skills, thus a digital component must be added to the standard definition of
literacy.
I also argue in my essay that that
new media (and all technology in general) should not be debated in good / bad
format, but rather analyzed in terms of its advantages and disadvantages for
society. Using Rich’s article I look at
the positive and negative attributes of new media and how it affects
learners. As Rich indicates, there are
certainly both good and bad qualities of new media. One favorite benefit of new media that I
discuss is the discourse it allows for on a global scale (students interacting
with students from other parts of the world).
One negative consequence of new media that I address is the vast amounts
of false historical, scientific, and logical information available to students,
and how they have difficulty determining content validity.
I conclude the essay by arguing that
new media is neither a curse, nor a cure, and should be considered as a tool
that we must teach our students how to use, rather than be used by. I write that we should apply as much weight
to digital media as we do (or should) to reading, physical exercise, the arts,
nature, social interaction, and sustained introspection. I also argue that we should include our
students in the very debate that Rich engages us in, because their opinions on
this topic matter, and if we include them in this conversation, they be more
likely to develop the critical awareness they need to navigate new media.
Shawn,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post because you bring up the concept of finding a balance between traditional literature and digital literacy, especially since I came to a similar conclusion in my own essay. I definitely leaned more towards traditional texts because I enjoyed it as a teenager and as a personal goal, I want students to enjoy it as much as I did. However, like you mention, the key here is what students want. How better to teach our students then to find out their interests and how they would like to learn. In Rich's article, all of the students interviewed were very dedicated to either fan fiction or online research of their topic. Whatever their interest may be, they kept choosing technology over other methods. So I believe it is up to us as educators to bring in those new strategies involving technology that will motivate students during class and also prepare them to be "fluent" in new media. I just hope we can find that balance that you discuss so that they can still value traditional literature.
-Joysi