Response #2

“What counts as literacy, how literacy changes in response to the new media landscape, and what value we should ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online (Jenkins, 2009)."

In today’s world, new media charges forward at an amazingly fast pace and shows no signs of slowing down. One area that definitely sees this change is education. Countless online educational programs are constantly emerging for teachers to choose from, providing students with a new literacy in the classroom. This emergence could be viewed as a help or a hinderance by educators. I personally see this new literacy as a tool to use in my own instruction, but not to replace it.

In the Article "Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?", Motoko Rich presents the pros and cons of embracing the internet as a component of literacy by sharing the expressions of experts. While some call the web "the "intellectual equivalent of empty calories (Rich, 2008, pg. 3)," or even "the enemy of reading"(Rich, 2008, pg, 2), others argue that "the Internet has created a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount" (Rich, 2008, pg 2). I feel that the internet can be useful in the reinforcement of the lessons, thoughts and ideas I am trying to teach my students. As long as the content is reviewed and filtered of any unwanted content, it can help to benefit the kids and complement main curriculum.

Sadly, I have seen too many teachers set their children down in front of a computer to do the teaching for them. This reliance on a sometimes unreliable solution is unacceptable and does little to enrich students academically. Educators need to first establish their own curriculum, and then use the internet to compliment it. By accomplishing that, you can provide a classroom that incorporates new media while enriching children with personal, engaging instruction.

References:
Rich, M. (2008, July 7). Literacy debate: Online, r u really reading? The New York Times.
            https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html 



Comments

  1. GSalernoJanuary 30, 2023 at 12:35 PM

    Hi Joe!
    Thank you for this thoughtful, and very reasonable post! I agree with you that the Internet can be a very helpful tool for learners, but it should not be used as a replacement for in person teaching. You have also noted one of the many differences between the internet and face to face instruction, which is the personal, human element.
    Cheers!
    Genevieve

    ReplyDelete

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