Reading: Digital Literacy
Defining digital literacy is more complicated than I expected, as proven with an earlier class discussion and personal thinking. First, I had to push apart the immediate definition that comes up in my head when hearing the words “digital” and “literacy”. Without deep thinking, society has majorly accepting that “digital” relates to anything technological. While “literacy” in it’s most basic form means the ability to read and write. But after reading the different parts Eyman has to offer in his writing, the words digital and literacy are not so narrow as it seems.
Digital and Literacy
With digital, it does not have to limit to only technology or electronic based. In my words from my understanding, anything that can be manipulated with the hands (including the hands themselves) to share information or store information is digital. This includes computers, writing with pencil and paper, and others.
With literacy, it goes beyond knowing how to read and write, since not all information is put into words. The first example I can come up with is signs, road signs specifically. Certain road signs do not contain any words, but a use of symbols that parts of the world agree means a certain thing. When thinking, I understand literacy to be the ability to understand a particular topic or area. Since there many groups a person could be well informed on, or have a basic understanding, it’s hard to list one specific definition for literacy without limiting it to traditional reading and writing.
But combining the two, two different concepts being put together is difficult. However, Eyman seems to acknowledge this and makes it work. He keeps in mind that when technology and society changes, literacy does to since it will be forever evolving. His solution? Mulitliteracies. From what I can understand, this term is made to not be too broad or too specific. I understand it as a term for general knowledge of different literacies, since there is more than just one. I find this interesting, creating another term to describe digital literacy, something so rich in knowledge and various subjects.
Leave a Reply