Literacy in the 21st Century

The basic textbook definition of literacy is the ability to read and write proficiently. This definition may have been up to standards decades ago, however, with our fast changing society the out-of-date definition needs to be revamped. To be literate in the 21st century, one must be able to comprehend non-traditional text and interpret its meaning. Traditionally, we view printed books and other printed materials as the only texts we have. However, in today’s society a text can be so much more. Even though there may not always be written words, a YouTube video, a drawing, or photograph can be considered a text. Today, a text can be viewed as almost anything that communicates a message to its audience. To be literate, learners must be able understand and interpret these texts.

As Barack Obama explained, “Literacy is the most basic currency of the knowledge economy we’re living in today. Only a few generations ago, it was okay to enter the workforce as a high school dropout who could only read at a third-grade level. Whether it was on a farm or in a factory, you could still hope to find a job that would allow you to pay the bills and raise your family” (Alber). As society and technology changes, so does literacy. In today’s world, being a literate member of society means more than the traditional literacy of a decade ago. According to the National Council of Teachers of English, “twenty-first century readers and writers need to:

• Gain proficiency with tools of technology
• Develop relationships with others and confront and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
• Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments” (Alber)

Because of the amazing advances we have seen in technology over the years, the complexity of being literate has also drastically changed. As Obama explained in his speech several years ago, a high school dropout with a third grade reading level could get into the workforce and support his family. Today, that rarely happens. The twenty-first century demands that a member of society have a wide range of abilities, and as educators, it is our responsibility to make sure our learners have the skills to be successful participants in society. This means using a wide variety of technology and other medias within the classroom. Jen Scott Curwood, author of “The Hunger Games: Literature, Literacy, and Online Affinity Spaces”, explains that “technology can facilitate young people’s active participation in online spaces and promote their development of 21st century literacy skills.” Using technology in the classroom enhances and supports learners’ literacy development by allowing students to be introduced to other forms of learning that may work better for them. According to the Office of Educational Technology, technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and significantly improve outcomes. When used appropriately, technology can be an excellent tool for learning and should be used to increase access to a plethora of learning opportunities for all students. With the use of Chromebooks or other computers/iPads, students have easy access to cultures and places outside of their community. And even though learners “may have access to print resources from libraries, technology can increase the amount of reference information immediately available to them on a given topic and give them the ability to ask questions of people outside of their classroom” (Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners).

Worldwide Microsoft Student Ambassador, Jason Brown, promotes and advocates the use of technology such as smartphones and tablets in the classroom. In his Ted Talk, Jason explains that “16% of 8–11 year olds own five or more media devices and 72% of 12–15 year olds own three or more media devices? 51% of households with a child aged between 3 and 15 have a tablet compared to 7% in 2011” (Brown). It seems like no matter where you look, children and students are using technology more and more because it has become more accessible. In her article The Fluid Nature of Literacy, author Diane Barone mentions that students now spend more time reading on the screen than they do in print material. We now understand the impact that the internet has on literacy, and ff we are going to be using technology in schools, we should inspire students to make the most out of it. With our fast changing society based heavily on technology, children are growing up with technology in their hands, unlike previous generations. Educators should be not only willing, but able to use current technologies to enhance the educational experience in American schools in the 21st century.

References:

Alber, R. (n.d.). Deeper Learning: Defining Twenty-First Century Literacy. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/twenty-first-century-literacy-deeper-learning-rebecca-alber

Barone, D. (2015, July/August). The Fluid Nature of Literacy[PDF]. Literacy Today.

Curwood, J. S. (2013). The Hunger Games: Literature, Literacy, and Online Affinity Spaces. Language Arts, 90(6) 417–27.

Guiding Principles for Use of Technology with Early Learners. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://tech.ed.gov/earlylearning/principles/

T. (2016, March 28). Redefining Learning & Teaching using Technology. | Jason Brown | TEDxNorwichED. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOTEQVYDPpg