Article #1, Literacy Types

I read an article by Ann Holum & Jan Gahala called "Critical Issue: Using Technology to Enhance Literacy Instruction. This article was published in 2001, so I would probably call it "out-of-date" because technologies change so often, that it is hard to keep up research on specific technologies. (This article also states that recent research is hard because technologies are constantly being updated, revised, and even become extinct in a matter of years.) Nevertheless, I think this article does a great job of describing literacy and how the definition of literacy has and is changing.

The article begins by giving a traditional definition of literacy: reading, writing, speaking & listening. It goes on to say that technology has contributed to an expanded version of literacy. The article gives several examples of new types of literacy and their definitions. These types are: digital literacy, information literacy, new literacy, computer literacy, computer-technology literacy, critical literacy and media literacy. Clearly, all of these go above and beyond our traditional view of literacy. And, in the 21st century, we have to push the limits. Education is always so slow to catch up with the "real world". We need to teach in ways that are relevant to students, by using tools that are relevant in everyday life.

This article also talks about the 3 essential questions that we have to ask ourselves when we decide to integrate technology into our classroom:
1. Research--does research back up what we're doing? Can we prove that the methods using technology are better strategies than a more traditional route?
2. Practice--which technologies are being used currently that are successful? Which show promise? Which do we think will emerge into the future, despite it's quickness to change.
3. Professional Development--What skills do teachers need in order to effectively integrate technology into the literacy program?

The article goes on to talk about many technologies that have been proven to be successful in literacy, but again, some of them are outdated. For instance, audiobooks were on the list, but it offered up the idea of using 4-tracks or cassette players for audiobooks. Amazing what 8 years can change!

Overall, I thought this article had awesome ideas and powerful statements about what technology can do in the literacy program, even if the tools they noted are a little out dated.

Holum, Ann & Gahala, Jan. (2001). Critical Issue: Using Technology To Enhance Literacy Instruction. Available: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li300.htm