"The distinctive contribution of the
approach to literacy as social practice lies in the ways in which it involves
careful and sensitive attention to what people do with texts, how they make
sense of them and use them to further their own purposes in their own learning
lives"
(Gillen
and Barton, 2010, p. 9).
When is the last time you have truly examined your own
literacy practices? Reflecting on my daily routine, it seems that literacy
practices have become almost second nature. Throughout the course of the day, I
am immersed into a literacy rich environment. Emails are consistently filling
my inbox, text messages both work related and personal are making my phone ping
and buzz, social media accounts are filled with notifications, articles are
posted, books are read, and it all feels normal. However, when these literacy
activities are given “careful and sensitive attention” we can really tailor
them to our personal growth and “learning lives”. (Gillen and Barton, 2010, p.
9). Agreeing with the above quote, I can identify examples of this in my
own life. When reading articles or blogs and interacting with other users
virtually, I am able to entertain new viewpoints that I never would have
thought of. My fund of knowledge is also expanded when reading posts from
people all over the world and interpreting these ideas anyway I see fit. In my
professional setting, I was able to explore an online discussion forum about
the best software programs to use in classrooms. The ideas, thoughts and
opinions from others really helped me to narrow down the best software
solution. New perspectives are shared, analyzed, and critiqued, and the benefit
of this interaction in unlimited. Reviewing further, it seems that this type of
practice incorporates all three dimensions of GREEN’s dimensions of literacy
and technology. I realize that I am afforded the opportunity to utilize
literacy as a social practice because my literacy needs and goals have been
developed from a very young age and continue to develop further. Not all people
are provided with this same opportunity.
“Recent emphases in literacy studies and literacy education
include a recognition of sociocultural accounts and perspectives...”
(Durrant)
Sociocultural backgrounds play a large role in literacy
practices. If basic human needs are not being met, it would be very difficult to
focus on building literacy skills. What if school was not an option at all
because your family had to focus on survival? To parallel this idea, Lankshear
and Knobel describe one level of literacy as “functional literacy”. They state “The
essence of being functionally literate is that it compromises a minimal,
survival-oriented (and hence, negative) and passive state…Furthermore, it
compromises a passive state, since
being able to survive, being able to cope effectively in one’s social or
cultural setting, is a matter of understanding or following, not of commanding
and leading.” (Lankshear and Knobel, 2011, p.7) As referenced in the text, this
survival level of literacy can be a reality in Third World countries. While I
prefer to see this as a starting point for increased literacy development
instead of a “passive state”, it is clear that some of these countries may not
have the resources to be able to focus on literacy skills. If resources do not
allow for advanced literacy practices, perhaps cultural specific norms are
developed as a “cultural dimension.” (GREEN) If a certain set of parameters are
set between a cultural group, they may be most comfortable “using operational strategies to receive and transmit meaning”.
(GREEN) Even so, how is a person supposed to take command to develop more
advanced literacy skills if such a skill is not emphasized in their
sociocultural background? This is where “literacy as a social practice” could
also come into play. In many cultures, families, friends, and sometimes even
full communities rely on each other for support. Some Third World countries may
rely on this support solely through face to face interaction. If even one
person in each sociocultural group could gain access to a higher level of
literacy, they could utilize "literacy as a social practice" while building on any
existing "cultural dimensions" of literacy.
Citation:
Lankshear,
Colin, and Michele Knobel. Literacies: Social, Cultural and Historical
Perspectives. New York: Peter Lang, 2011. Print.
GREEN’s
Three Dimensions of Literacy Diagram
Hi Lindsay! I really enjoyed reading your response. It made me realize all the different types of literacy that we experience in every day life without even a thought. As most other people I am constantly responding to emails and text messages on a daily basis. It rarely ever occurs to me that these are types of literacies I am partaking in on a daily basis. As you stated above, it just comes as second nature to us. This brought me to a quote in one of our readings, "The current preoccupation among social theorists worldwide with discourses of "The Post" reflects a growing awareness that we have reached a historical conjuncture: a crossroads between "past" ways of doing things and opportunities to negotiate new discursive orders across a wide spectrum of human experiences." (Lankshear, Knobel. Pg. 81). I experience these "new" and "old" ways regularly while collaborating with my teammates. We all use different tools and programs to help us create fun and engaging lessons and activities for our students. We share activities and ideas that we find or have used with one another. We either share these over social media, our work computers or during face to face meetings with each other. Without these new technologies it would be much more time consuming to share all of our ideas with one another. Of course we still have the "old" way of sharing ideas, experiences and thoughts. We do this in grade level meetings. I feel that both of these strategies, new and old, are very helpful to our success as teachers and to the success of our students.
ReplyDeleteLankshear, C & Knobel, M. 2011. Literacies: Social, Cultural and Historical Perspectives. New York. Peter Lang Publishing.
DeleteHi Emily!
DeleteIt sounds like you use a great mix of technological platforms and in person discussions to figure out what's best for your students. I like utilizing both options as some things that are shared virtually aren't always interpreted correctly by the recipient and may need further in person explanation.