"The distinctive contribution of the approach to
literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves careful and
sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make sense of them
and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning lives"
(Gillen and Barton, 2010, p. 9).
After reading this
statement a few times I was a little confused I decided to first take a look at
the term literacy. Literacy, the
term's meaning
has been expanded to include the ability to use language, numbers, images and
other means to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture.[
(UNESCO. "Education
for All: A Global Monitoring Report". UNESCO. UNESCO.
p. 150).
When thinking about what people do with texts
and how they make sense of them, I thought specifically about the environment I
teach in. Teaching college students, you
really get a different take on literacy as opposed to kindergartners or even baby
boomers. For example, there are two key
concepts in literary studies that exhibit this in my environment. 1) There can
be different literacies in different domains of life. I witness this often working with college
students. For example, at times my students
may use an abbreviation or “text message” language when writing a paper for
class. 2) Institutions are important in
shaping, sponsoring and supporting people’s practices. I find it beneficial to assign an array of
assignments to students where they can exhibit their many different types of
literacy practices. I create assignments
where the students create a blog, social media pages, and a term paper. With that we’re able to discuss and decide when
and where to use each practice. Taken
together, these concepts provide a powerful language of description for
investigating digital literacies, applicable to all participants whether
adopting the role of student or teacher in education or learner in one’s professional
and/or everyday life (Gillen and
Barton, 2010, p. 9).
Laticha,
ReplyDeleteI, too, had to read this statement a few times - and look up a few definitions in the readings - to make sure I was interpreting it correctly. I was also influenced by "texts" from digital literacies. I have heard of students using "text-speak" in their papers at my institution and have not had to deal with this yet.
Have you had to deal with any FERPA issues with regard to social media? I have read several posts recently (mostly because of an aggressive interpretation of FERPA by some) where schools are encouraged to offer an "opt-out" if the student does not wish to participate in a "public" venue. There is also talk of it being part of the academic record and protected under FERPA. It is some very interesting discussion.
Bill
Hi Bill-
DeleteDuring the Fall 2014 semester, my school did host a live webinar where expert speaker Timothy E. Gilsbach, ESQ discussed "Using Social Media without Violating FERPA". The two perspectives participants were to walk away with were what limits educational entities should and should not place on their employees in terms of what they say or don’t say on social media to ensure that it is FERPA compliant. Second, it will review the benefits and possible pitfalls of a growing trend in educational entities to use social media as a teaching tool and what should be done to use this tool while limiting potential violations of FERPA. The session shall also include a review of what policies educational entities should have to address both concerns.
You stated that you "create assignments where the students create a blog, social media pages, and a term paper. With that we’re able to discuss and decide when and where to use each practice". I think this summarizes so much of what was said. Texts will always have a place ... but so do other types of media and literacies. I think it is a balance of all - and like you stated, it is knowing when and where it makes the most sense to use each. I think students need to be able to read and understand texts while at the same time have strong digital literacies. It really is a package deal. I feel certain students will be better in certain areas and this is what makes each person's input and learning experience different and unique. Great point!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy. I guess it's all about balance and trying to give students a look at all options.
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