EDU 681—New Media and New Literacies                                                                                                                         

Professor Diane Gal

Nicholas Moyer

The Importance of New Media as a Literacy Practice

It is just recently that the way literature is taught in the classroom has started to transform. It has manifested itself from a study of how to read, write, and speak eloquently, to analyzing and understanding concepts from a technology-based perspective. Media has arrived and is here to stay. The omnipresent nature of digital media has demonstrated how accessible and popular various media sources have become. It can be said that there are many different forms of “cultural discourse” in America. We need to recognize that and honor them. But when we text, respond to online messages, or write blogs via social media programs, we are really not taking the time to recognize and practice “Discourse” as a whole.

We need to accept the fact that the Internet has become a multifaceted entity; one that has led many people to replace reading books and learning about the world via newspaper articles. Motoko Rich, a New York Times author who wrote the article: “Literacy Debate: Online, RU Really Reading?”, spoke about the different viewpoints that people hold in regard to the benefits and deterrents that social media has brought us. Rich stated that, “since the invention of television, critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading.” (Rich, M. (n.d.). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?) That itself is a viable point. Can we really accept the idea that writing texts and reading information online are just as beneficial as reading books for pleasure?

Initially in Rich’s article, he describes a teenager, Nadia, who is addicted to the Internet. He describes in detail her dependence on the Internet for leisure and information, and how she spends over six hours online daily. Critics have argued that spending such a lengthy amount of time online can lead consumers to a weakened literacy, lowered attention span, and an inability to really understand cultural perspectives. Further into his article, he speaks about another Internet enthusiast, Zachary Simm, who enjoys reading regularly but feels the Internet is a better way to gain information quickly and from many different viewpoints. Zachary had been diagnosed as having dyslexia, and describes himself as being “much more comfortable” when he reads information online.

The National Endowment for Arts reported “flat or declining national reading test scores among teenagers with the slump in the proportion of adolescents who said they read for fun”. (Rich, M. (n.d.). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?) This deterioration in reading enjoyment transcends to other statistical measurements as well. A study conducted by the Department of Education showed that between 1984 and 2004, the percentage of teenagers who claimed they rarely or never read increased from 9 percent to 19 percent. This is in concert with another study they led that showed the proportion of 17-year-olds who enjoy reading had declined from one-third to one-fifth. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, David McCullough, stood on a similar plateau in regards to the fallacies orchestrated by media dependency. He described learning as being incapacitated without books being considered the primary source of information.

Web readers are also shown to be much more susceptible to being given and believing false information. Despite the fact that multiple sources of information become available via the Internet, is it realistic to say all those avenues contain valid, usable information? Donald J. Leu, a Professor at the University of Connecticut, conducted a study in which 48 students were asked to look at a Web image that showed a fabled animal known as a Northwest tree octopus. 90 percent of viewers thought it was real. To truly accept the oncoming outbreak of digital media and accept the multiple capacities the Internet provides us, we have to first develop the skills necessary to distinguish valid and invalid sources.

Proponents of the Internet being a new provider of learning experiences, can easily argue that living in such a technological world makes understanding Web sources a critical part of being able to coincide with the world. Teachers need to accept that in the near future, lessons will become much more technology-driven. The point can be made that participating in lessons on a computer device can allow children to extend their learning beyond the classroom. We need to recognize that “active citizenship is about believing in the concept of a democratic society and being willing and able to translate that belief into action” (Literacies: social, cultural and historical perspectives Colin Lanske-Michele Knobel-PeterLang-2011).

A study focusing on the standardized reading test scores of lower-income students was conducted by Linda Jackson, professor of psychology at Michigan State. It revealed that as the students were given access to the Internet, they actually showed a gross improvement in test scores and became more prepared as readers. This readiness shows once again that people may have different responses to information that they receive online. Your brain is very flexible, and can adjust to different venues rather quickly. Some neurologists may contend that one’s ability to focus is significantly lowered when someone is continuously exposed to Web devices, but does that guarantee learning will not continue. Even Zachary Sims, the teenager mentioned previously who is dyslexic and “craves” the Internet, still finds time to enjoy venerated books without losing interest halfway through. He made two very good point when discussing why he is so engulfed in Internet use. It is the availability of interaction that appeals to him the most. Seeing the opinions of many different people can help you gain a new perspective. Reading can only result in understanding your own perspective.

Integrating technology into the classroom, in a meaningful way, will take time. In my opinion, the first step schools need to take is to rethink curriculum goals. Despite the fact that I am not a very avid Internet user, it is irrational to believe that the Web and school are always going to remain as separate entities. It can be argued that it is not the inability of schools to find ways to implement media literacy, but rather their choice not to. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which carried out a set of core subject tests (reading, math, science) to a broad array of 15-year-old boys, seeks to add an electronic reading assessment to its lists of tests administered. Despite the fact that 50 countries were involved in this testing procedure, the United States chose to exclude themselves. That itself can be a subtle hint that the United States may be trying to continue their academic focuses and refrain from a new generational transformation.

As an educator, I make it my mission to provide my students with the most opportunities possible to extend and continue their learning. Though it is foolish to think I am their sole source of information. Children need to gain a sense of self-sufficiency if they are going to be successful later in life. It is irrational to believe all online tools and sites contain only factual information. Though the Internet does give children the opportunity to distinguish the difference themselves. It is the role of the teacher to help guide students in understanding the difference between right and wrong.