ePortfolio

Alicia M. Manuel Kessler

Theory Discussion 4

Literacy and Learning

Literacy is defined as; the condition or quality of being literate, especially the ability to read and write.

Learning is defined as; the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skill.

Do we want our children to be digitally literate, or be capable of digital learning? Are the two interdependent? Or are they separate? We all know people who cannot read, but are fully capable of learning. Do we have students who can learn digitally ( think video games) but aren't digitally literate (think successfully creating a collaborative web based project). Am I really interested in instilling skill sets for software or technology that will be antiquated in 3 months? Do I assume that once a student has learned how to navigate the Internet, that he/she will then be able to transfer those skills to the next new technology that comes along? Based on my work with adults and technology, I would have to say no, many of them won't. For me that is the bigger question. How do can we help students transfer the skill sets needed for working with technology and through technology to the next step, so that they aren't left with outdated skills? 

Above and beyond providing students with the necessary hardware and software to ensure digital literacy, we must model successful use of technology. We don't use pencils merely for the sake of using a pencil. Reading and writing is streamlined seamlessly into our modern day curriculum. It is assumed that as students progress from grade to grade and grow older, their literacy skills will move beyond "see Jane run," to Shakespeare and Hemingway. When teaching students to read and write we teach them skills to cope with new words and and phrases to help them assimilate those new ideas into their current schema.  When we begin the same process with technology, perhaps we will move closer to digital literacy.