Literacy: It Is More Than The Traditional Three R's

Elementary school and high school for me focused on being able to read, write and do arithmetic. These three R's together made up the definition of literacy (Drake, Reid, Koholon, 2014). Literacy is a main goal of education and therefore every student in Ontario in grade 10 is required to successfully complete an Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test or Course (OSSLT) in order to be eligible to graduate. The OSSLT only focus' on the reading and writing aspects of literacy however, literacy in the 21st century has become much more. Literacy today according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) has expanded into including new interdisciplinary literacies. 

Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/mail.csuchico.edu/21st-century-literacy/

These new interdisciplinary literacies according to Drake, Reid and Koholon (2014) will allow students to gain the 21st century skills (such as critical thinking, communication, and computer and digital technologies) that are needed "for students to participate fully in a constantly changing world"(p.107). 

Retrieved from: http://www.besteducationresources.com/financial-
literacy-can-help-you-pay-off-your-student-loan-debt.html

In my opinion technology has become a major part of everyday life and therefore, it is important to teach students these new literacies such as critical literacy and media literacy along side the subject literacies in order to prepare them for this complex technological world we live in today. Most people in todays day in age use technology for online banking and this is why I believe financial literacy has become a major topic within education today. In 2011 the Ontario Ministry Of Education implemented financial literacy into the ontario curriculum for grades 4-12 in order to allow students to gain an "understanding  of personal finances, the local and global economy and the results of their choices as consumers" (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2015) . The implementation of financial literacy would ultimately teach students the skills needed to be active whole citizens in the 21st century.  

Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15K8F7PHoSo

As discussed in the video students need teachers to understand the world that they are living in and therefore, it is important for teachers to be able to understand and use technology in order to teach these new literacies within the 21st century classroom. The personal experiences that I have gained through my placement courses are both shocking and interesting. What intrigues me the most is the extent to which students are engaging with technology within the classroom. This comes as a surprise to me because I did not have any of these tools or resources when I was a student at that age.  

Retrieved from: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/remind/jppddpkfhdojffabldnpdacpeoefcljp

When I had shared with my sister my experiences with technology in the classroom she responded by sharing with me this free application that is used by several teachers today. This application is called Remind and functions to send reminders to both students and parents as a text message. The application does not allow the students to respond to the message and ultimately allows a teacher to use the technology that students are using throughout a daily basis. Recognizing that such softwares are available for teachers has made me realize that in order to prepare my students for the workplace and the real-world today I am going to have to teach myself and learn to effectively teach others about the technology that is integrated into these new literacies.

Consequently, when considering the integration of the new interdisciplinary literacies, the traditional three R's of reading, writing and arithmetic are no longer satisfactory to meeting the needs of students. Rather, it will be more beneficial for students to learn the four E's of expose, employ, express and ethics on the internet (Warlick, 2005). 

Cheers, 

Mr. Bracco 

References 

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving Curriculum and Classroom Assessment: Engaging the 21st Century Learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Financial Literacy Education In Ontario Schools . Retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/surveyLiteracy.html

      Warlick, D., (2005). The New Literacy. Scholastic,. Retrieved from http:// www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=263