Literacy should not be limited in reading or writing. Barton (2001) indicates that "everyday activity in the contemporary world is mediated by literacy and people act within a textually mediated social world" (as cited in Diaz, 2007, p. 32). We are experiencing literacy in our daily life activities and children should be included in those activities. For example, when reading newspapers, parents tend to read alone because they do not find that children are interested in what they are doing. However, I believe that if parents spend more time reading with their child, it will encourage children share their own thinking with others. It may also motivate children to take the initiative to communicate with others at home or school environment.
In addition, Graff explains that "literacy [does] not function as an independent causal factor in the achievement of social benefits, rather it [functions] as an integrated and highly socially constructed component within a very complex process of schooling" (p.35). Can children ever learn literacy independently? If children are learning with books, computers, DVDs, are they being alone or are they still being with "others"? Do they communicate with books, computers or DVDs? What dose it mean to learn independently?
When talking about different forms of literacies, technoliteracies is also discussed in this chapter. Children today are exposed to different types of technologies, such as computers, internets, DVDs, video games, and so on. Since children are getting more familiar with using technologies in their daily lives, Comber and Reid (2007) comment that teachers should also be aware that "young children can develop a snse of their identity as competent, creative and accomplished users of text, technology and ideas through the ways of when children are using digital technologies" (p.50).
The following video discusses how children benefit in the development of their literacy ability when technologies in literacy learning are integrated within school curriculum.
Your post provoked me to think more about the practice of critical thinking and the idea of critical literacy. In my own experience of reading (varying genres, topics, and so on) I think about my own interpretation of the meanings expressed in the text and sometimes I'm simply satisfied in knowing how it has affected (mentally, emotionally, etc.) me alone and hearing other's take on it is not too important for me to acquire and understand. However, perhaps it was provoked with the nature of our courses, engaging in conversations (with different views an opinions) and engaging with literacy in a social context, I'm learning the value of hearing such different points of views and how it can allow me to either go back on the reading or see it under different perspectives. To me, this process of critical thinking has encouraged me to be more aware of possible taken-for-granted and normalized ideas and ways of thinking. I believe that seeing and practicing literacy as a social construct (or within a social context) has provoked my increased awareness. In working with children, in order to foster the skills of critical thinking, it is important to engage children in conversations about what they are seeing, reading, listening, feeling, and so on. The reality is that children engage in varying literacy practices more interactively and this does benefit retention of such varying skills. Conditions need to be set in place (and valued and honoured) which allow children to be able to have some personal time with stories/book/ art/songs/etc. but also be able to talk about it and question it with their peers, families, and educators.
回复删除