Are you literate?

We are reading Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel's book New Literacies. Research into new literacies in the Digital Age. An informative and eye-opening read; here are my reflections on the first chapter.

What are your main insights and ideas from the given L&K Chapter?

I had never really thought about the evolution of reading and writing competence to “literacy” until reading this chapter (Knobel, 2011). The concept struck me as similar to knowledge is not power; the application of knowledge is power. One of the joys of continuous learning for me is discovering the research behind perspectives I hold through experience and observation.

The sociological concept of literacy described in this first chapter coincides with challenges I've observed and hopefully tried to improve most of my life. Our inability as a nation to provide quality public education to poor, marginalized, growing diverse populations in our country. The ramifications of which contribute to the pain and misery of the functionally illiterate, their families, the communities within which they live, the wellbeing and progress of our nation, and the economic factors that contribute to our present oligarchy.

Literacy cannot be mandated via failed policies like No Child Left Behind. Requiring accountability standards without adequate funding, professional development, and resources is not the path to increased literacy; it is a path of fear and threat that results in travesties like the Atlanta school cheating scandal.

This chapter makes me ponder several questions; what literacy outcomes move us forward as a society in the 21st century? How will educators surmount the challenges inherent in our American system that does not place the education of all of its citizens first and foremost? Several studies including a 2004 study by Serge Coulombe, Jean-Francois Tremblay and Sylvie Marchand; Literacy scores, human capital and growth across fourteen OECD concluded that literacy or human capital accumulation matters for the wellbeing of nations. Moreover, the study concluded the average literacy score of a nation is a better indicator of growth than the percentage of the population with a very high literacy score. If we are not growing are we not dying?

How does this reading challenge/expand/contradict your definition of (digital) storytelling?

I had only a vague peripheral understanding of the term digital storytelling. This chapter helped contextualize the concept. I’ve been challenged to consider how literacy was historically framed from an operational and cultural dimension that excluded technology as a factor; to our present demand for technological and critical application mastery extending far beyond operational (digital tools) proficiency. We are at a similar point in literacy history. 1970’s challenge; literacy as definied as the ability to read and write and the subsequent epiphany an individual could read and write and be functionally illiterate.

Now; core computing skills coupled with our ability to read and write still equal illiteracy unless we are able to apply, create, collaborate, and progress using digitial tools and our ability to read and write.

I’ve learned in my journey through the ILT program that harnessing digital possibilities extends well beyond simply knowing how to operate the new language system; which is what I thought coming into this program. This text articulates the necessity and empowerment of integrating the operational and cultural new literacies into a future that is filled with even greater possibilities. Literacy that helps us understand, collaborate, and create with each other for the greater good of mankind. The text cited Paul Gilster’s theory of digital literacy as ‘mastering ideas’ versus ‘mastering keystrokes’.

This chapter helped me define digital storytelling as a way of participating. Digital storytelling I now see as the offspring of new technologies and new meanings of literacy. More importantly it expands my understanding of the acumen of participation that also benefit others. This reminds me of the tenets of Servant Leadership. Digital literacy seems to be the competence of fostering cooperation and leveraging social capital to get things done for the greater good with and through others. This starts with giving; being a servant. What are you contributing? Particularly powerful is the fact that this cooperation and the outcomes are not contingent upon official channels.

It’s a great time to be here!