Literacy: It's more than reading and writing
As a new teacher in Alberta’s schools, what are my values and beliefs about literacy in my classroom? How do I understand the term “literacy”? How do I see my role as a teacher of literacy across curriculum?
Quick! Check your phone. How many unread emails do you have in your inbox? There are 56 on my phone at this moment. When I was an editor, it was common to receive 100-plus emails in a day. If I went on vacation for a week, I’d return to 2,000 or more unread emails. I considered it a small victory if I could, on my first day back, get it down to a manageable 1,000 before I went home that night. Do you read every email you receive? No? I sure didn’t back then and I confess that I don’t today, either. I scan the senders’ names and the subject lines, and pick and choose the ones that demand the most attention to read. That involves a skill and it’s a skill that today’s world demands our 21st century learners know and know how to do well. Our world expects our students to walk out of school knowing how to comprehend, manage and respond critically to vast amounts of ideas and information. Like us, they have to know how to pick and choose the information they absorb and discard.
The definition of “literacy” has evolved into something far greater today than the one that existed when I was in school some 20-plus years ago. Back then, if a student could read and write, he was considered “literate.” We didn’t consider “numerical literacy,” “scientific literacy,” “digital literacy,” and “media literacy.” For my students to be considered truly literate by today’s standards, I have to teach my students far more than knowing how to read and write. I don’t simply teach content. I help my students comprehend, manage and respond to the information that I present in my lessons so they grow to be discerning consumers of information. And, when they are making a presentation to their peers or uploading a video to YouTube, I expect them to be creative and collaborative producers of information.
Whether I am hired to work in your school division at the elementary, middle or high school level, you will find all of the subjects I teach contain literacy lessons, including science (knowing how to read clouds and other elements in the environment to predict weather changes), and social studies (being critical about historical accounts and asking: Whose point of view are we considering and is one or more group’s voice missing?). Whether we are five or 50, we continually improve our abilities to understand and express ideas and information — and navigate our email inbox in the most efficient way. All skills improve with use. Literacy in all of its forms is no exception.
Quick! Check your phone. How many unread emails do you have in your inbox? There are 56 on my phone at this moment. When I was an editor, it was common to receive 100-plus emails in a day. If I went on vacation for a week, I’d return to 2,000 or more unread emails. I considered it a small victory if I could, on my first day back, get it down to a manageable 1,000 before I went home that night. Do you read every email you receive? No? I sure didn’t back then and I confess that I don’t today, either. I scan the senders’ names and the subject lines, and pick and choose the ones that demand the most attention to read. That involves a skill and it’s a skill that today’s world demands our 21st century learners know and know how to do well. Our world expects our students to walk out of school knowing how to comprehend, manage and respond critically to vast amounts of ideas and information. Like us, they have to know how to pick and choose the information they absorb and discard.
The definition of “literacy” has evolved into something far greater today than the one that existed when I was in school some 20-plus years ago. Back then, if a student could read and write, he was considered “literate.” We didn’t consider “numerical literacy,” “scientific literacy,” “digital literacy,” and “media literacy.” For my students to be considered truly literate by today’s standards, I have to teach my students far more than knowing how to read and write. I don’t simply teach content. I help my students comprehend, manage and respond to the information that I present in my lessons so they grow to be discerning consumers of information. And, when they are making a presentation to their peers or uploading a video to YouTube, I expect them to be creative and collaborative producers of information.
Whether I am hired to work in your school division at the elementary, middle or high school level, you will find all of the subjects I teach contain literacy lessons, including science (knowing how to read clouds and other elements in the environment to predict weather changes), and social studies (being critical about historical accounts and asking: Whose point of view are we considering and is one or more group’s voice missing?). Whether we are five or 50, we continually improve our abilities to understand and express ideas and information — and navigate our email inbox in the most efficient way. All skills improve with use. Literacy in all of its forms is no exception.