- What did you learn about new literacies from this week’s video “The essential elements of digital literacies” and from the reading “Dawn of new literacies”?
I think the largest thing I realize is that how not-new “new” literacies are. A lot of the ideas presented are more so just the mainstream realizing the truth about literacy. These ideas are nothing new, and with the digital literacies, it’s just a simple expansion of existed before. “remixing” as described has been done since the origin of writing as we know it (often zines for photojournalism, parody for multimedia, and parody and satire for literature, as well one can argue writing is simply remixing known words).
- Consult our class glossary under course profile-docs. Find one example of new literacies that surprised you and/ or that you disagree with.
“New literacies refer to new forms of literacy made possible by digital technology developments.”
This idea of literacy disputes my idea that it is anything but new, but it does make me wonder why does technology’s inclusion make people doubt that our idea of new literacy could have been true since the beginning? It makes me wonder if all conventional literacies (music, literature, visual) ultimately end up sharing some ultimate algorithm of what creates their literacy.
- How can we apply Szwed’s and Perry’s definitions of literacy as we study new literacies?
The largest way I can immediately think of applying it is considering how the method of delivery can obfuscate things and where literacy becomes a game of which literacy would be situationally appropriate or advantageous.
- What are some “new literacies” that have helped you with your schooling? Explain.
Homework answers sites. Usually, the answers are written in ways that are absolutely unhelpful when test time comes. I’ve learned how to decipher sometimes complete nonsense (abbreviations that could be understood only by medical professionals and pharmacists, lack of structure, non-linear writing structures that are needless). Most free resources (paying is usually never worth it) follow the same literacy among users, and certain styles of writing out work arises, so being able to understand the fundamental aspects to how they write things allow me to learn how a problem is done, apply the methods taught by the solution to problems I struggle to answer, rather than copy down the work and fail my tests.
- Have you ever had to help someone with technology (new literacies) who was not tech savvy? What was that experience like?
Yes. It made me extremely aware that the main reason people struggle is either a) the fear of messing up, b) not wanting to try to experiment/learn because others could do it easier, and c) that it’s a fear of thinking that if they learn it, they’re admitting they were wrong priorly. It’s common in my experience for people of all ages except children to feel this way, even then some children feel that way. I definitely feel these things a lot about things I’m not good at.
- What is ONE “new literacies” that you cannot live without?
Video games. They all follow the same principles, ultimately. Of course, different rules and controls and consoles and graphics and so much, but that’s the same thing with writing. Socially as well, there’s an allowance of expression and social interaction that is impossible elsewhere, specifically under the veil of not necessarily anonymity (the avatar is still you, after all), but in the expression of the version of you you’d wish you could be.
- Explain your personality using ONLY three emojis – what would they be?
🥰😮💨🥴
