What Does Literacy Mean to Me - Essay Example

What does literacy mean to me? While I have limited academic experience with literacy prior to this I have developed a general concept of literacy. I believe that literacy is first and foremost the ability of students and individuals to read and grasp a text for its meaning. From this understanding, I recognize that the actual ‘understanding’ of a text requires more than simply being about to grasp the meaning of the sentences, but oftentimes requires individuals to grasp the deeper philosophical and cultural implications of the text. In these regards, literacy extends beyond simply reading ability, and also incorporates a complex level of understandings. Furthermore, I recognize that while text represents one form of literacy, literacy may also represent visual elements; in these regards, being literate in terms of the media or film is also possible. How has literacy changed since I was at school? With the advent of the internet and the recent explosion of social networking platforms, it’s clear that literacy represents far more than mere literature or textual storytelling. Today it’s necessary for students to grasp literacy in terms of the complex array of contemporary modes of expression. What do I think Multiliteracies will be about? I believe that multiliteracies will be about exploring the different forms of literacy that predominant the contemporary world. In these regards, I believe it will go beyond simply exploring textual literacy, but also consider the nature of media literacy. In these regards, literacy will come to encompass a much broader or – multiple – understanding. Key points from readings weeks 1-4 (can be in dot points): In the contemporary world literacy encapsulates a much broader spectrum of understanding than in the past. For instance, computer games and card games have come to be examined for their educational value. While individuals generally consider literacy in terms of a text or visual based item, one must also consider that within deciphering these text/visual elements is the necessity of deeper cultural understanding. The week two readings, while most importantly considering the necessity of school and home partnership, also demonstrated the necessity of deeper cultural understanding to achieve higher literacy. Keeping with this relation of culture and literacy, week 3’s readings considered the nature of multiple-literacies not in terms of multiple mediums (textual, visual) but also in terms of multiple forms of cultural expression. After having completed the first weeks of Multiliteracies this is how I would explain literacy to a student not studying this unit: The primary argument is that in the 21st century there has been a notable shift in the means of cultural expression away from predominantly text-based forms of expression. Furthermore, research has indicated that, “…children are not less frequently presented with linear modes of representation. Instead, print is juxtaposed with images and hyperlinks” (Marsh 128). In addition to recognizing that there are different types of literacy, it’s increasingly clear that culture is a major factor within deepening understanding of literacy. Vazquez also argues for the need of school curriculums to consider multiple forms of cultural expression (for instance minority expression). Key points from readings weeks 6-10 (can be in dot points) Rather than viewing literacy in terms of cognitive abilities, new forms of understanding have viewed literacy as a sociocultural practice. In these regards, literacy and second language acquisition function as powerful analogies, as they both rely on developing communicate competence to deepen one’s subject matter comprehension. In terms of reading cultural, individuals must consider both objectivism and subjectivism as prevailing modes of interpretive discourse. My new learnings about literacy are: While the previous readings considered the cultural rootedness of literacy, these readings further articulated this concept to the practice of sociocultural approaches to literacy. In week 6’s readings, Xu in large part considered the different cultural approaches to literacy; in large part I came to recognize that multiple-literacies just as much refers to the multiple approaches to the text as it refers to the multiple forms of literate expression. I also learned new interpretive methods, namely the nature of culture as a negotiated object, and not simply a set trajectory. Eades further demonstrates that the articulation of culture in terms of the text is a significant factor in terms of literacy. Her work elucidated for me the notion that what appears as base forms of grammatical construction, may in reality constitute a differing form of cultural expression. Finally, Diaz demonstrated that oftentimes in learning new languages, the old culture or language will assuredly have a combinatory or influencing effect. The implications for my work with children and families are: The major implication my furthered understanding of literacy has for my work with children and families are manifold. One of the primary implications is that understanding textual and visual material requires a multi-dimensional approach, as these elements are culturally based. In these regards, I have learned to incorporate communicative competence into my approach. In addition, I’ve learned to recognize and appreciate the learner’s prior cultural influence as significant. After having completed the unit Multiliteracies, my understandings of literacy have been challenged and extended in the following ways: In large part my understanding of multiliteracies has been extended. In these regards, I have learned to understand the truly important notion of culture in terms of understanding. My notion of multiliteracies has also been extended in regards to forms of grammatical construction in new or second languages. While previously I thought of grammar in terms of right and wrong, I now recognize it is a more nebulous construct, oftentimes influenced and created by cultural influence rather than ignorance. Now that I have completed the unit Multiliteracies, this is how I would explain literacy to another student not doing this unit: Multiliteracies is a broad based approach to communication that incorporates text and visual means of expression. Within this spectrum of understanding, there is also ‘multi’ in the sense of multiple interpretive approaches to these forms of communication. The pervading understanding is a postmodern notion that in understanding communication, one cannot simply understand the structural format of the material, but also must understand the deeper cultural implications beneath these forms of expression. References Eades, Diana. ‘Aboriginal English’. Primary English Teaching Association. Marsh, Jackie. Popular Culture, Computer Games, and the Primary Literacy Curriculum. Vasquez, Vivian. Constructing a Critical Curriculum with Young Children. Xu, Shelley Hong. The Learner, the Teacher, the Text, and the Context. Read More