The not-so-new "New Literacies"

A REFLECTION
of Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

"It's obvious that technology is reshaping students' reading and writing practices, with or without educators' intervention. Our challenge is to teach students to be truly literate in two languages - those of the pre- and post-digital worlds" (Rooney, 2009, p. 1). The concept of “new literacies,” introduced by Hartman (2009), adds questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating to the traditional notion of reading from and writing about textbooks. Literacy skills today are not much different from those described by the great Jon Dewey or Paulo Freire years ago. These great educational philosophers focused on communication and collaboration, despite the differences in technological resources. Neither one agreed with the stagnant teacher-centered classrooms that have bored students and teachers for years. Hartman (2009) explains that the nature of literacy has evolved as populations have matured (Laureate Education, Inc.). Yet even Dewey (1938) argued that teachers must blend real and classroom worlds in order to prepare students for their futures, as opposed to the pasts of their teachers and parents.

As a child, I was a “how-come? kid.” I wanted to know the whos, whats, wheres, whens, whys, and hows of the world around me. What likely came off as an irritating childhood tendency has helped me collect information throughout my life with which to construct new knowledge. I am delighted to see that educational researchers have reprioritized questioning as a crucial stepping stone in the greater scheme of learning. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) validate the importance of asking questions “as the first step in the inquiry process, in addition to its ongoing role as a method of activating prior knowledge, monitoring, and decision making during online reading” (p. 80). For years, pedagogy has been focused on the answers. With technology advancing and evolving toward a more predominant role in education, students’ abilities to formulate questions are central to their ability to discover and create new answers in more meaningful, relevant ways than ever before.

Professional development is crucial to successful pedagogy. A goal of mine is to integrate technology into every unit, despite our lack of resources. Eagleton and Dobler (2007) provide a wealth of resources that help me determine where students are in terms of prior knowledge and experience with technological resources, along with the specifics of how to meet them there and teach them the new literacies that will guide them toward success in the 21st century workplace of their choice. While my goal is to start by meeting my students where they are, I intend to see growth through the introduction of the quest model of internet inquiry, as described by Eagleton and Dobler (2007). Questioning, Understanding resources, Evaluating, Synthesizing, and Transforming of information (QUEST), “engages and supports students as they tackle the complexities of reading on the Web” (Eagleton & Dobler, 2007, p. 51). This model allows student choice and flexibility, while providing the purpose students need in traditionally dull literacy projects.

As an eighth grade reading and writing teacher in a brand new charter school for inner city youth, I feel like a first year teacher all over again. I still ask questions as often as possible, regardless of any potential scrutiny I may receive from my colleagues or the administration. Radical ideas come from administrators, the charter company, the public school district, parents, and students in terms of discipline plans, teaching styles, curriculum, and extra-curricular activities, on a daily basis. The integration of technology and education into this quickly advancing society of ours is no longer such an outlandish idea. On the contrary, the time is now to provide a forum for all students to begin thinking, questioning, evaluating and synthesizing information in ways that will prepare them for the “who knows what?” that is their future.



References
Dewey, J. (1897) My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, LIV (3),77-80.

Eagleton, M., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the web: Strategies for internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Freire, P. & Macedo, D. (1987) Literacy:Reading the word and the world. South Hadley, MA: Bergin and Garvey.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). New literacies from Supporting information literacy and online inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore: Author.

Rooney, J. (2009) Teaching two literacies from Educational leadership. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Retrieved 22 October 2009 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Teaching_Two_Literacies.aspx