How can we apply Szwed’s and Perry’s definitions of literacy as we study new literacies?
What are some of your favorite new literacies?
How do the new literacies affect literacy development in general?
What can you learn from completing the oral history project?
Activity 1: Oral history project check in. Here is more information about this exciting assignment. Have you completed steps 1-2 already? If yes, great. If not, hurry up, it won’t take long! And now it’s time to move to steps 3 and 4. For step 3, post a question or two in our Oral History Project: questions and resources discussion board, located under our course profile. For step 4, make a list of 5-10 interview questions. And yes, you can and should copy the questions posted by your classmates. Steps 5 (the interview) and 6 (the transcript and the reflection) can be completed this or next week, you decide.
If you’d like, read a sample oral history project here. Does this clarify the assignment? If not, reach out to Prof. Barnes at ebarnes@bmcc.cuny.edu with questions.
New Literacies
Activity 2: What does the term “new literacies” mean? Feel free to google it.
Activity 3: Here is one result from my search:
“New literacies generally refers to new forms of literacy made possible by digital technology developments, although new literacies do not necessarily have to involve use of digital technologies to be recognized as such. The term “new literacies” itself is relatively new within the field of literacy studies (the first documented mention of it in an academic article title dates to 1993 in a text by David Buckingham).[1] Its definition remains open, with new literacies being conceptualized in different ways by different groups of scholars.”
Activity 4: Since the definition of new literacies is open, let’s define it together: Contribute to our class glossary. If one or more definitions of new literacies are posted there already, you can still add your own, or comment/ elaborate on someone else’s. Go to course profile-docs-ACR 150 glossary. This is an ongoing project and you are all welcome to contribute throughout the semester.
Activity 5: Watch The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick:
Activity 6: Read Dawn of New Literacies below, also available here.
Dawn-of-the-New-Literacies_AllenConversation 3
For this week’s conversation, answer the questions below:
- 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”?
- Consult our class glossary under course profile-docs. Find one example of new literacies that surprised you and/ or that you disagree with.
- How can we apply Szwed’s and Perry’s definitions of literacy as we study new literacies?
- What are some “new literacies” that have helped you with your schooling? Explain.
- Have you ever had to help someone with technology (new literacies) who was not tech savvy? What was that experience like?
- What is ONE “new literacies” that you cannot live without?
- Explain your personality using ONLY three emojis – what would they be?
