Widga’ Say? December 8, 2009

In recent creation of a netvibes account, I have discovered the versatility and all encompassing types of widgets and feeds.  This form of literacy is an interesting way to keep track of your most favorite places to visit or partake in via the web or computer.  Widgets come in a variety of selections and languages so that the happy hunter can ultimately express their choices and identity.  The widgets that an individual adds to their account can provide little hints about what that person is like.  For example, do they have a ton of music feeds, are they about various types of artists and music styles or are they more skewed to a particular type and/or interest?  Or maybe, there are several news feeds, such as New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, or other local newsstands that provide daily updates about what is going on in a wide range of topics.  The widgets that people choose to include in their writing spaces help define identities, unite common interests, and also help individuals collaborate across town, cities, oceans, or even continents.  This form of communication is certainly a new, novel way of venturing further into the complex inner workings of ourselves and other individuals we happen to meet.  These widget literacy outlets and feeds help us learn about other people, they also help us learn about ourselves in a way that requires users to further develop and invent new ways of speaking, relating, and sharing.  So, let’s hear it, widga’ say?

Who’s literate? Who’s not? November 12, 2009

Throughout human history, our definition of literacy has never remained stagnant. In the past, literacy instruction has consisted strictly of learning to read and write efficiently. Now, “Literacy instruction is now inextricably linked with technology.” With the recent increase in computer accessibility, students are expected to be literate in computer functions to learn and create in a technology-dominated world but can students be literate even if their reading and writing skills are poor?

According to James Paul Gee, a person can be literate if he or she can understand and produce meaning within a certain field. It’s important for teachers to teach in other areas so students can be literate in other ways. For example, Gee believes that children can be literate if they understand video games. With being literate in video games, children can work on both critical and active thinking . Gamers get to apply the knowledge they have learned about games to come up with new ideas of how to be successful in games. They ultimately learn from trial and error and can apply the skills they learn to real life situations. If a person can be literate by having a deep understanding for almost any subject we truly know, aren’t we all literate in some way?