LITERACY FOR THE 21st CENTURY by Graciana Boettner

LITERACY FOR THE 21st CENTURY

HOW TO ATTAIN GOALS

Incorporate more games into curriculum

Research shows that students spend many more hours playing games and watching TV than any other activity.  Prensky, in his article about Digital Natives, suggests teachers incorporate more of these games into education.  It is a wonderful opportunity of taking advantage of the fact that students are so skillful with new technological gadgets.

Keep students engaged, avoiding "down" time as Dr. Welsh suggests

Make learning meaningful

Teach students to teach themselves (David Warlick, Defining Literacy 2.0)

In allowing students to teach themselves, learning becomes more impregnated in the brain.  It is amazing how much one learns when one has to play around to find the best way to do something!  This assignment is a wonderful example of the fact.

Promote connections between students and the teacher (Dr. Welsh)

CHALLENGES

For STUDENTS

Students will be faced with a greater need for: 1) searching information on their own 2) exploring resources and their uses 3) incorporating new methods of presenting data  

For TEACHERS

Teachers must: 1) Engage students in meaningful activities 2) Incentivate questioning and critical thinking strategies 3) Encourage awareness of the world and the people of the world 4) Promote life-long learning 5) Take on the role of facilitator not the one providing knowledge 6) Prepare lessons carefully, enriching them with exposure to different methodologies 7) Correct the simplified spelling and synthesized writing techniques of students

For LIBRARIES

Libraries face the following dilemmas: 1) Libraries as we know them might disappear 2) Contents may be completely digitalized (books, periodicals, documents, etc.) 3) Encyclopedias and periodicals will be found online 4) Nonfiction books will no longer be useful since up-to-date information can be obtained online (History and researches would still be useful though) 5) I believe Children's books will probably exist

Old Literacy

At this time when information is created, updated and transmitted at such a great pace, just knowing how to read, write and perform calculations is not enough.  This is no longer enough to be in "synch" with the world around us.

Reading

Writing

Arithmetic

GOALS

Extract meaning and truth from information

Efficient decision-making

Incorporate and apply knowledge of latest forms of information adquisition

Communicate and present effectively

New dynamics of Information

Fast pace

Information reaches us very quickly and in great quantities via cellphones, computers, internet.  It becomes necessary to learn to filter it and keep up with its pace.

Instant feedback

With the speed of information transfer, there is a need for almost instant gratification and communication.

Constant output and retrieval of information

More efficient methods of communicating

Further challenges

Not being able to have access to technology and optimal methods of teaching and learning

Greater competition among people in order to succeed

Greater and more noticeable differences between those that are literate and those that are not

Not all technology is tried and true. Some may stay for a while, others may go away just as fast as they came.

BENEFITS

Up to date information

Easier and faster communications

More interaction between people and cultures

More awareness of the world around us creating the sensation of a "shrinking planet"