To me, new literacies is a problem-based approach of reading and writing on the internet. It is difficult to define new literacies since everyone’s ideas are constructed in different ways. According to Leu, O'Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry, Everett-Cacopardo (2009) “new literacies means many different things to many people.” Several other researchers agree that new literacies are important strategies for online reading and help people learn as well as communicate. I feel that after reading about what new literacies are, the most important piece that stuck out in my mind were the five processes that practice new literacies:
(a) Reading to identify important questions, (b) reading to locate information, (c) reading to evaluate information critically (d) reading to synthesize information, and (e) reading and writing to communicate information.
I think that being able to practice the five processes above, people are showing how they can use a problem-based approach to read and write on the Internet. These are all of the strategies I would want my students to learn if we had access to the internet in school!
I would define NETS as the way we use the Internet and all of its resources in a set of standards. The way NETS is set up is very similar to the objectives and common core standards that we use in the classroom. I like the way it is organized to show how many ways we use the Internet to read, write, and process information. This is a very helpful outline of all the strategies that should be incorporated in lessons and activities on the internet.
In my classroom, the first thing that I would have to do with my fourth graders would be to understand the Internet and its purpose. I think the students would have to feel more comfortable and confident with websites, search engines, and reading valid information before having them complete a project or research.
If my students already were addressed on the use of the Internet, I would want to develop new literacies by blogging. This is following NETS (2) Communication and collaboration. I would write a blog about something we learned in class, and my students could respond to the blog. This would be a great activity if I knew that my students had access to the Internet and their own computers at home. Another way that I could integrate new literacies in my classroom is by webquest activities. In my undergrad I was able to create a webquest on a social studies topic. Webquests are a great tool for reasearching information (NETS #3- Research and information fluency). Although it takes a while for the teacher to set up, it is a worthwhile tool. Here is an example of a webquest: http://web.viu.ca/webquests3/2001/china/webquest%20good/homepagesetup.htm
I like how you pointed out the five processes related to new literacies. Those are very important and relevant to this concept! Here is a question for anyone in the class to consider...Do you think students are taught how to master those skills in school? By what age should students master all of those skills?
ReplyDeleteI think that schools that have access to computers are taught the skills, but may not be taught to Master the skills. When I was in elementary school I started learning about the keyboard, which then transferred into learning how to type on Mavis Beacon. In computers class we were expected to be able to use the computer/type and were graded on our ability. From there I learned about the internet and started exploring on my own (at home) and in high school. I can't say that students do the same now because in my school students in fourth grade can't even type because they have not had computer classes or access to computers. I hope that other schools are learning to master the skills.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that students can master the skills by high school age. This would include knowing the proper ways to search the internet, and type. This would also be the age where students would be using computers at home more to communicate.
Thank you for sharing!
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