Welcome to EDRG 5753 Literacy and Technology. The purpose of this blog is to introduce you each week to the topics that comprise the three modules of the class, and to activate your background knowledge about those topics and give you a purpose for reading. I'll also use this blog to communicate information about assignments, model what I'd like you to do in your group blogs, provide a place for you to ask me questions.You should be reading this blog and responding to it before you read the readings for any particular week. As you read this first blog, you may have already read the assignments, and I hope you have completed the Google forms with information about who you are, your goals and questions, and your technology expertise. If you have not, here is the link to the personal information form: http://goo.gl/forms/3ULioMIqj4 . The link to the Goal sheet and technology expertise form is this: http://goo.gl/forms/hS6wUUkkCK .
Since this class is about literacy and technology, I'd like for each of you to think about your own definitions of literacy. We each have one or more that may or may not be dependent on your role and background. I won't share mine as I want you to develop your own, and not think that my definition is the only one or the right one. I also want you to think about who you are as a literate person in the different roles that you have in your life. For example, one role I have is that of teacher in higher education. As a literate person in that role, I read textbooks, develop syllabi, create blogs and rubrics and forms. Another role I have is that of researcher so in that role I read scholarly material, communicate with collaborators in different countries, review and discuss data in all of its forms, write scholarly articles with others. In my role as a friend, I read quilt patterns to determine which one best exemplifies my understanding of the recipient's personality, write emails to set up social occasions, share books I've read or listened to.
So, you response to this blog is to first write a 5-7 word definition of literacy. Then respond to the rest of these questions. What is it in your own social and cultural background? What is it in your the educational settings of which you are or have been a part? What do you think it should be? And who are you as a literate person as you traverse your role as a student, a teacher, and in other social roles you take on?
Finally, you may want to bookmark the links that follow. They are the ones set up by the authors of your texts with new information and links to apps and websites.
The Johnson book: http://literacytwopointzero.blogspot.com/
The Beach, Anson, Breuch, and Reynolds book: http://digitalwriting.pbworks.com/w/page/17812520/FrontPage
See you Aug. 28!
