The use of technology today and what it means

The more I think about literacy, the more confused I become. Before, I just thought of it as the simple concepts of reading and writing, heck, I really didn’t think about it at all. This week in class we learned about the practices in and behind literacy. The part of Hamilton’s article I that got me thinking was found on page 18 and said, “…visible literacy events are just the tip of an iceberg: literacy practices can only be inferred from observable evidence because they include invisible resources, such as knowledge and feelings; they embody social purposes and values; and they are part of a constantly changing context, both spatial and temporal.”

At first I didn’t really understand what this paragraph meant. What could there possibly be behind the idea of literacy? What is there besides the obvious things we see and can directly label, such as the participants, the setting, the materials needed, and the actions performed? Literacy truly does go much deeper than this. I think what Hamilton is explaining is that the activity is much deeper than what is just being read. An example I thought about while trying to understand this was the Bible. Technically, you are reading a book full of stories and messages. But the literacy and practice of reading the bible includes spiritual practice. This could be for one’s self, or this could be in order to look or seem a certain way pleasing to God or others.

An image I found to be interesting was a bunch of young children using iPads. I found this image to be interesting because of the age of the children. The obvious practice here is that the kids are able to read and write information projected on the iPad screen. They can look up and share things with one another. The deeper literacy to this is what I found to be most interesting. I think that my generation was born right in-between the ages of not using or relying on technology, and depending on technology beginning at a young age. I am certain that if someone time traveled to when I was the age of these children with an iPad for me to use, I would have absolutely no idea what to do with it, let alone how to use it. The kids in the picture are able to operate what I would consider to be a somewhat complex machine without thinking twice about it.

This image is culturally significant because it shows the direction that our society is headed and where we are already at. A few years ago the idea of young children becoming so dependent on electronics was frowned upon. Now it is encouraged for children to be as literate and skilled when it comes to using technology as possible. Success and understanding how to use computers are going hand in hand now more than ever.