"The time has arrived to broaden the canons of traditional education and the curriculum to include the expanding technologies of television, film, video, and computers."
Reaction:
As media and technology have taken a huge place in everyday life, traditional education must expand to include these new literacies. While technologies have expanded quickly, they have been slow to be embraced in traditional education. Today, more teachers are learning to embrace new literacies and incorporate them into curriculum. In order to properly incorporate these new literacies, teachers must be properly trained in not only the technology aspect, but additionally in being critical of the information presented.
1. What is meant by the term "new literacies" and give me a concrete example of how it should change teachers' understanding of what it means to literate in the digital age.
New literacies refers to those literacies that have emerged in the post-typographic era. The term encompasses computer, information, media, television, and visual literacies.
2.In your own words explain what this quote means:
"In the current historical juncture of democratic decline in the United States, ideals and images have become detached from their anchorage in stable and agreed-upon meaning and associations and are now beginning to assume a reality of their own. The self-referential world of the media is one that splinters, obliterates, peripheralizes, partitions and segments social space, time, knowledge, and subjectivity in order to unify, encompass, entrap, totalize and homogenize them through the meta-form of entertainment. What needs to be addressed is the way in which capitalism is able to secure this cultural and ideological totalization and homogenization through its ability to insinuate itself into social practices and private perceptions through various forms of media knowledges. (p. 196)"
The rise of technologies and social media have led to difficulty in coming up with a unified definition of commercialism and advertising. People often do not research beyond what is presented to them.
3. What does the lack of critical media literacy in schools create?
According to the article, lack of critical literacy in schools creates passive citizens.
4. Why is it preposterous to claim an absolute definition of " literacy"?
The definition of literacy changes depending on who is defining it.
5. Why does this author advocate for a more critical approach to visual literacy? Do you agree? Why or why not?
I agree with you that more teachers are embracing these new literacies. I remember when our school got our Smartboards. There were quite a few teachers who did not want that change. Once they used the board, they were hooked. I think that once people give technology a chance and becomes its "friend", they start to see things differently. Also, I like the video you posted. It gave me more insight on this topic.
ReplyDeleteGreat video! I like that it gave an historical context for the relationship between technology and language!
ReplyDelete