kitchen table math, the sequel: Teaching the "New Literacy"

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Teaching the "New Literacy"

Along with all parents and guardians of K-12 children in my district, I've been invited to listen to a keynote speaker from The New Literacies Research Team explain how I can effectively prepare my children for their literacy and learning future. The title of this presentation is Beyond the Textbook: Developing The Skill and the Art of Reading (Yes, they capitzalized "The" and underlined the title. )

Apparently this "new literacy" thing is soooo 21st century it even involves learning on the Internet. It seems we parents haven't quite figured out the technology aspect on our own yet.

According to the lovely, lilac handout in my child's backpack today, my district's personnel is going to "translate what teachers do at school that parents can do at home to develop [ ] a critical reader and reinforce good reading strategies and skills." We will learn "how our schools are addressing, responding and teaching the "new literacy."* I think the bottom line is that they get to check off the box for "Information and Technology Literacy" still pending on the to-do list.

According to TechLearning this is the "new literacy" in a nutshell as it applies to reading:


Finding information: Locating relevant information not only from a local library or newsstand, but also from the Internet. Literacy includes the ability to identify needed information, use Web searching tools to find it, and employ research strategies that expose the best information.

Decoding information
: Beyond decoding text, literacy requires reading deeply for meaning in multimedia content.

Evaluating information: It is critical that students learn
to evaluate the information they encounter, and also identify its value in terms
of their goals.

Organizing information into personal digital libraries: A key strategy for handling the overwhelming amount of information available to us is the construction and cultivation of personal digital libraries. When we create and organize information that is relevant to our ongoing interests and goals, then we can handily find answers to our questions.

I imagine that about covers it. Nevertheless, I still plan on attending even though I could think of many other topics I'd rather discuss insuch a forum. Like Everyday Math, CMP2, project based learning, discovery learning, mixed ability classrooms, the elimination of the gifted program, standardized tests that are far from rigorous, etc. Instead, we get to hear about the "new literacy".


How very 21st century.


*Interestingly enough, I found another version of this announcement online that states that we will learn how our district is "addressing, responding and teaching the "new literacy" while maintaining a traditional approach to teaching and learning." I wonder why they edited out the "traditional approach to teaching and learning"? Sounds like a good question to ask.

UDPATE (10-11-2007)

The first half was pretty much what I expected (see above). We never got to "organizing information into personal digital libraries" and that actually might have been quite helpful. I did learn that by 2009, the PISA will test Internet literacy.

Let's see, we had material included in our nice three ring binder from Reading First and Lucy Calkins was listed as a resource too. I learned that I should always use a search engine and not enter a random "subject + dot com".

Memorable quotes:


"We should teach our weakest reader the technology first. We should privilege them."

"Emailing grandparents is just like a bedtime story."

Oh yes, and apparently we're losing jobs to other countries because our student's lack Internet literacy.

On the upside, there was praise for phonemes and syllabication and the reading specialist said that despite the guest speaker pushing the "new literacy", it was her opinion that there is nothing like a BOOK when it comes to literacy in the lower grades (at which point I finally was able to nod and smile).


Your vicarious visit to the New Literacy would not be complete if you did not watch Medieval Help Desk (which is actually quite funny) and learn about the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus (which is actually not).

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lol! You are too funny. Well, I guess you have to laugh, what else can you do.

I always love how the word "deep" is used with these things.

It is critical that students learn to evaluate the information they encounter, and also identify its value in terms of their goals.

This simple strategy should create many reading fans. You can't just read and evaluate it, you must identify its value in terms of their goals

Matthew K. Tabor said...

You can ask, but they won't be able to give a straight answer. They simply don't know.

I've had several blog exchanges with David Warlick on this topic and I keep up with about 75 edtech blogs, listen to plenty of podcasts, read publications, etc.

Lately I've stopped writing about technology issues because:

a) The vast majority of edtech 'visionaries' don't have any idea what education has been, is or should be;

b) If you aren't an unhinged edtech rah-rah cheerleader, it's clearly because you "don't get it."

It's one of the least self-critical, least sensible sectors in education - and that's a terribly difficult feat.

Having said that, enjoy your meeting! May the glory of web 2.0 rain its sweet, glorious droplets of ed-panacea down on your district!

concernedCTparent said...

This simple strategy should create many reading fans. You can't just read and evaluate it, you must identify its value in terms of their goals.

I'm sure my kindergartener, in particular, will be quite fond of this "simple strategy". I'm just not so sure how well it will mesh with Engelmann's Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Somehow, I'm almost certain that already disqualifies me as an "unhinged edtech rah-rah cheerleader". Maybe I'll bring Engelmann along as that's a sure sign that I just "don't get it".

Catherine Johnson said...

This is hilarious!

Now that a lot of folks are writing posts (YAY!) I have a completely different experience logging on.

I have to BRACE MYSELF.

When I'm writing the posts, I already know all the bad stuff I'm going to find here.

Now, I type in the URL, AND CRINGE.

Catherine Johnson said...

But it's good cringing.

Catherine Johnson said...

Locating relevant information not only from a local library or newsstand, but also from the Internet.

I'm so stunned by the whole edu-tech-rah-rah thing I can't even collect my thoughts well enough to write about it yet.

Our high school curriculum, to some degree, is being taken over by Google.

Meanwhile parents in the 4-5 school have to hold a bake sale to raise money to buy books.

Remember Bill Gates' school, High Tech High?

The one in San Diego?

That school has no books in the building.

Not.....one......book

Including Fahrenheit 451, I guess

concernedCTparent said...

We are entering the Twilight Zone..

The Obsolete Man (1961)

"Your occupation, Mr. Wordsworth?"

"A Librarian."

[Laughter]

"A what?"

"A Librarian, sir."

...

"I am a Librarian. That is my profession. That is my occupation. If you people choose to call that obsolete..."

...

"A Librarian. Having to do... with books... There are no more books, Mr. Wordsworth. There are no more libraries. And of course it follows that there is very little call for the services of a librarian."

SteveH said...

New! Improved! Menthoatum Deep Reading! Pick up a copy in the New Literacy section of your local school.

PaulaV said...

One BOE member in my county (not in my district) is in favor of "moving away from textbooks in favor of digital and selectively-printed lesson formats."

He said, "Our children live and thrive in a digital world, a world that we can help to preserve (saving money in the process) by cutting down on our use of paper."

I might add that this BOE member's district is one that had the highest number of schools that did not meet AYP in my county.

concernedCTparent said...

Pick up a copy in the New Literacy section of your local school.

But don't forget your flash drive, everything being digitized and all.

Catherine Johnson said...

Naturally I take all this personally, seeing as how I write books for a living.

concernedCTparent said...

I heard at least a few times at last night's New Literacy seminar, how very lucky I am. It seems my children attend the very best school district in CT. Who knew? I also heard that

new literacy:books
::
books:scrolls

I am now, officially, sooooo 21st century.

LynnG said...

Oh you must have heard wrong, ConcernedCTParent! Don't you know that MY children are attending the very best school district in CT!!

I've been told this for years, so it must be true. It's even part of our school motto -- NO!! They changed the motto -- I just checked the website.

We used to be "a great New England school district"

Now we are "a professional learning community"

Does that mean we aren't great anymore? Who made this change and didn't tell us parents? I want to complain!

concernedCTparent said...

You should have seen how happy all the parents were to hear the presenter say that. They were besides themselves with joy. Why? I have no idea.

You won't catch them complaining about anything now. That would be ungrateful.