What is literacy? This is something I have been questioning all semester and also something I never really thought of before. When I first entered the class, I did not even know what literacy was, well I did, but I definitely could not have stated a true definition if called on. I quickly searched the correct definition, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, and was told literacy is “the ability to read and write.” Yes, that is true in itself, but throughout the semester I have built up a definition that goes beyond just reading and writing, but questions the ability to learn as a whole, not necessarily by only reading and writing. What I have learned is literacy can be mended within actions; one can enhance their own literacy through viewing an object, like watching a movie such as a fairy tale, or even just by listening to a rap song related to whatever they are supposed to be learning at that time. I believe the true definition of literacy would solely consist of a person’s ability to process the information around them.

I think one of the most eye opening assignments was the second blog we had to write. This blog involved us finding an example of literacy that had to come in an unconventional form (or in relations to this?). I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EVEN SEARCH FOR. This brought me through a roller coaster of emotions because I first started panicking in my head, thinking I did not know what literacy really was, and ended up searching the definition again. And, by surprise, the same definition, “the ability to read and write,” did not help me at all. I started searching writings, which was the least unconventional and most expected example of literacy and I still was not one hundred percent sure if I had done the assignment correctly. Then I decided to spend the time to read the article, which stated, “lots of writing is not done on paper” (20). Now the panicking turned into truly thinking. I searched through my pictures on my phone again and found one that involved a cake and there it was: a message that was not done on paper! My emotions quickly turned to joy and I suddenly became excited about literacy because I finally thought I understood it (just a tad). This assignment was the thing I needed to open my mind to the idea that literacy can be everywhere, which only fascinated me into researching and expanding my knowledge a bit more.

I really did not have a full grasp on what literacy was, just the false confidence I worked up with actually comprehending an article. It was not until the group work where I got a sense of how skewed the definition of literacy really is based on each different situation. This is where I discovered the differences between a child’s literacy and an adult’s. In addition to this, being a part of team princess for the final group project, which revolved around how fairy tales effect one’s literacy, I discovered how important positive literacy is for a child because I learned that children will take every lesson taught to them in younger years and adapt them to better fit their future. I learned that adapting the way one perceives a lesson can affect their drive to learn based on how captivating the lesson is taught. I really could not picture how I would teach my future students, because I see myself teaching adults. Now I understand that no matter what age, it is important to mend lesson plans around the short attention spans all adults have, because, let’s face it, we all get bored. Adapting a lesson plan around the aspect of fun and trying to get your students enthusiastic about learning is how to become successful in the students processing the information being taught, therefore enhancing their own literacies.

Now, I know that this is just the false confidence returning, not for processing an article, but for surviving a semester and not quitting in April. I also know that there will always be something else to learn about literacy because it is always adapting itself, especially with the strong influence technology has over students today. But, for now at least, I am content knowing that literacy is everywhere and can take on the form of anything. Asking us to define an undefinable word will only help me as much as searching for the definition and being told that literacy is “the ability to read and write.” One must go through the same roller coaster of emotions to come even close to adapting their own version of their definition of what literacy truly is. Each and every one of us in the class had our own way of processing all the information throughout the semester and each and every one of us came to different conclusions because we all still have so much to learn.

Due to my head deciding to kill me this past week, I did not get to see much of the presentations. But, from what I did happen to see, I learned that literacy can take form into basically everything. Literacy can be found in rap music, fairy tales, technology, and in many other places. It can be sparked from watching something on the television to wanting to investigate further information regarding whatever was seen. For example, I just decided to search homicide investigation information, or fun facts, because I am currently watching the show Castle (it is a great show if you have never heard of it).

What I am getting at is that I am mending my own literacy around what I am currently interested in. Just like the presentations, children and adults adapt their literacy around these hobbies including rap music, fairy tales, super heroes, and an unlimited amount of other options. They change what they are interested due to what they are seeing and reading and what is socially accepted from other people sharing their gender, age, ethnicity, etc. The cool thing about literacy is that there really is not one that is the same, which is an exciting thing because everyone has their own way of building their own literary past.

Upon reading the options to choose from, our group decided to go against the choices and create our own, which, or course, had to involve how the girliest of things could effect one’s literacy. So naturally our group, that happened to be all girls, chose fairy tales. Not just modern recreations of these fairy tales, such as the Disney interpretations, but the original fairy tales including darker plots and more obscure themes. We chose to look at how the changes and population of these fairy tales being introduced to young girls and boys affects their literacy and way of thinking growing up.

We are mainly basing our findings around the book Cinderella Ate My Daughter. It is written in a mother’s perspective who is trying to avoid introducing her own daughter to the concepts provided in the newly adapted fairy tales, such as one’s goal being to find prince charming or to be solely obsessed with one’s beauty.

I also found this link below that happened to relate pretty well to the book because it shows how reading these stories makes children grow up aware of how they might relate or differ from what Disney has depicted to be beautiful. Okay, just kidding about the link, the thing is super long, but if you search for this title (if you really care) then a free version should pop up.

---

---

“Once upon a time there was X-Men.

And they was friends.

And the bad guys was mean.

And the X-Men went to Pizza Hut”

---

---

(I just discovered the fancy button to make the horizontal lines, so expect it in every blog)

Back in my days spent on the elementary school playgrounds, I knew that whatever I watched on television affected what play time revolved around, but I was too young to realize any differences between assigning characters based on race or gender. In fact, I do not believe that kids, at least in my friend group, did not really care about those factors, considering I claimed the role of Ash one too many times with the hopes of having my own Pokémon. Upon reading this book, it was quite evident that the boys and girls of the classroom were very aware of each person’s gender in their Author’s Theatre presentations. Sammy was an advocate of sticking to the correct genders and Tina was a mini feminist, demanding to change how much girls get to participate in the more fun, “boy” roles.

What my group talked about was how much of children’s literacy was affected by popular television shows and advertisements. We also touched on how those shows were creating unintentional gender and racial stereotypes, giving the boys the action packed parts while the girls were always the damsels in distress. Their presentations revolved around what was popular, showing how easily children can conform to what their peers deem acceptable.

I did not know how much television and gaming could enhance a child’s literacy, but after reading this book, I realized it within my own brothers, Scott and Travis. I often get phone calls telling me about new books they are reading and writing with the majority of them revolving around the topics of Minecraft, Pokémon, and Angry Birds. Travis, who is a little behind in his reading and writing development, has enhanced his own literacy by learning how to read and write the names of different Angry Bird characters. Similar to the children in Writing Superheroes, Travis has mended his learning process around what is popular within his age group. My stepmother has also recognized that he would rather spend time learning about these characters and has somewhat mended his learning time around what he watches and reads for fun.

It is weird to me to think that learning about Ninja Turtles liking pizza might enhance a child’s literacy, but it is shown with the progression of the classroom going from second to third grade. Both Sammy and Tina’s stories got longer and a little more grammatically correct. All in all, Writing Superheroes enhanced my own knowledge regarding literacy because I learned that literacy can come from whatever sparks one’s interest.

The question of how much individuality is involved in a literary pursuit is mind boggling. To my belief, there is no such thing as a social view of literacy. Although the authors we have read so far to believe otherwise, I think the decision to enhance or expand one’s literacy is ultimately an individual pursuit. Yes, there are these sponsorships that influence one’s literacy journey, but whether or not to take them as something that is influential is up to the individual. Brandt’s article states “how everybody’s literacy practices are operating in different economies, which supply different access routes, different degrees of sponsoring power, and different scales of monetary worth to the practices in use” (Brandt 172). One can be provided with all the necessary means to formulate an above average literacy level, such as money, educational benefits, access to literacy enhancers, etc., but the willingness to do so is up to the person. If given all these opportunities to advance but unable to follow through with establishing personal literate goals, these opportunities are wasted.

On the other hand, if a person is not given these opportunities and does everything in their willpower to gain some kind of an advantage, they might end up with a higher literate gain. All in all, developing literacy depends on the individual because, in the example from Brandt’s article, Dora Lopez did not have much to sponsor her literacy journey, but she became her own sponsor by finding her own resources. In doing so, she was able to establish a literacy level beyond the generalized means of her social standing and social environment.

In addition to this, with the introduction of literacy being available electronically, I wonder how literacy will be different amongst each class and environment. The discussion revolving around the Twitter article and TED Talk made me realize how technologically dependent our current society is becoming. Although others feel as if the current advances in technology are holding back the younger generations, these generations are developing the ability to switch between literacies easily, something that would have been difficult in the past. I think this appreciation of technology will allow for something more on the lines of a universal sponsorship, with access to internet in very random places giving people around the world the ability to connect and to learn. But, I feel like this is going to be the main tool in separating the people that are serious about improving their literacy and the people that are comfortable with there they currently stand.