What I learned in Intro to Literacy Studies is……

 

Being that finals week is quickly approaching I find that my brain is indeed mush at this point, but I will try my best! Sometimes it may be difficult to recall that that has been learned over a few months time. Especially with a topic as broad as literacy. To be honest, I had heard the word various times and sure I thought I knew the definition, but really that was not the case. Conventional literacy has to do with reading and writing I thought, but I never really put to mind exactly what that meant or included. When my classmates and I started off this semester in this class we were asked what the word literacy meant, and of course we all agreed it had to do with reading and writing, but we were all kind of stumped when it came to expanding on the definition or its application. Frankly, defining it now would be tough too! Theory is difficult it makes you bend your mind in different directions and once you think you have grasped a particular concept there is something there that makes you ask more questions.

What I have learned is that there is no clear definition of literacy, because it works in so many more ways than just one. I have found John F. Szwed’s interpretation of literacy to be most helpful in my initial understanding of it. I learned that there are different types of literacy, and that background influences plays an important role in literacy as well. Literacy is idiosyncratic. Each person has different means of access, different interests, different backgrounds, different sponsors, etc. I would not have originally thought that all these different things come into play in literacy before having taken this course. Considering that my future goal is to be a teacher, I think it is most important to keep this in mind. It seems so easy to get lost in state standards, testing, grading, etc. but what really should be of most importance is tailoring to the needs of your students. Now I know that is most definitely easier said than done, but knowing that each student is an individual and should be treated as such is a good place to start.

This truth was visible in how this course was organized and I greatly appreciate that. There were so many topics to be explored in this class I would find it difficult addressing them all in this post. I definitely learned a lot about digital literacies and how the internet and its multiple facets require a level of literacy all its own. I also learned about fun ways to get student involved in a classroom setting including, make-hack-play strategies, aspects of pop culture, and digital platforms to keep up with the changing tech times.

Overall I would definitely say that this was one of the most enjoyable classes of this semester for me. I have learned so much that I feel will actually help me to be a better teacher. Literacy is not clear cut, and it shouldn’t be. Having this broad understanding of how students read and write today has opened my eyes in many ways and will most definitely allow for some fun and creative ways to hopefully reach all my future students.