Most educators, but few administrators and board members, are aware of
implications of the information available on the Internet. In our
class so far this year, we have speculated on the future of education.
All of our precognition, in some way, has shown how important technology
may be. In many instances, it will modify the classroom, as we know
it today. The course we are taking is another example of how important
technological literacy can be.
Most authors now use a computer, or at least, a word processor, to write,
rewrite, edit, and send their books to a publisher. Soon, we will
see many books on the web, never attaining the traditional print.
Paperback size computers are available today. They are small enough
to read in bed, at a park, on an airplane, and even during water skiing.
The one device may contain upwards of ten books at a time. School
texts have already linked to the web. Although, written texts may
never be obsolete, a student will read assigned Internet sites to fulfill
the requirements for their classes.
“The greater its integration into daily practices, the less it is seen
as a technology at all.” (Bruce, The Disappearance of technology:
Toward an ecological model of literacy). Within the next 10 years, there
will be a tendency to eliminate the paper/pencil tasks that students are
required to perform. (Maybe this will be part of the answer to saving
the planet. We will not have to cut down the forests to make paper;
therefore, trees may cleanse the atmosphere of carbon dioxide…)
Reading learned from a screen. Skimming skills will be more important.
Spelling and grammar improves with grammar and spelling checks built into
word-processing programs. The world shrinks even smaller. Anyone,
anywhere in the world will have access. The design and graphic techniques
will become the skill of artists. With so much information, we must
have a “clincher” to assure that web site will get hits.
I had not started thinking about major changes in literacy until I began
“reading” this assignment. While doing the searches for additional
web sources, I was not surprised to find several references to Chip!
One source I found was "Developing New Literacies: Using the Internet
in Content Area instruction." This article by Donald J. Leu, Jr.
of Syracuse University discussed using the new literacy in the content
area or instruction, how this area is changing, time restrictions, protection
of children, keeping up with new developments, and preparing children for
their literacy and learning futures.
http://web.syr.edu/~djleu/content.html
Another search turned up the Children's Media. org that had several articles
and research on how the new media will affect children. I found these
mainly to be concerns and studies of media (computer) and children.
http://www.childrens-media.org
An additional source I found was also from the UIUC Department of English
entitled From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technology by Dennis
Baron. How dependent we all are on the new technology of writing
(or, is that, the latest technology: writing.)
http://www.english.uiuc.edu/baron/aitg/Pencils.htm