Building and Enhancing New

Literacies Across the New

Curriculum
PED 2
Lesson 1:

Introduction to New
Literacies
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• Ability to read and write.
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• Ability to read and write.
• a process by which one expands one’s
knowledge of reading and writing in order to
develop one’s thinking and learning for the
purpose of understanding oneself and the
world.
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• the capacity to communicate using
inscribed, printed, or electronic signs or
symbols for representing language
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• the ability to identify, understand, interpret,
create, communicate and compute, using
printed and written materials associated with
varying contexts.
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• involves a continuum of learning in enabling
individuals to achieve their goals, to develop
their knowledge and potential, and to
participate fully in their community and wider
society.
What is Literacy?
Literacy is …..
• the ability to read, view, write, design, speak and
listen in a way that allows you to communicate
effectively. The power of literacy lies not just in the
ability to read and write, but rather in a person’s
capacity to apply these skills to effectively
connect, interpret and discern the intricacies of the
world in which they live.
Traditional Literacies
versus
New Literacies
Traditional Literacies
• The quality of being literate; knowledge of
letters; condition in respect to education,
esp. ability to read and write.
Traditional Literacies
• The quality of being literate; knowledge of
letters; condition in respect to education,
esp. ability to read and write.
• It is the building block for all other literacies;
without it, they would be impossible to
master.
Traditional Literacies
• About print on a page, or decoding and
making sense of words, images and other
content that a reader can string together and
then begin to comprehend.
Traditional Literacies
• They are the words and pictures students
read and pore over that are contained in
textbooks, in novels, on standardized tests,
and even in comic books.
New Literacies
• Their utility lies in online reading
comprehension and learning skills, or the
21st century skills required by the Internet
and other ICTs.
New Literacies
• They require the ability not just to “read” but
also to locate information, evaluate it
critically, synthesize it and communicate it.
New Literacies
• They require the ability not just to “read” but
also to locate information, evaluate it
critically, synthesize it and communicate it.

• Includes things like text messaging,

blogging, social networking, podcasting and
videomaking.
Importance of Acquiring
New Literacies
• Requires the “effective use” of language and
“large amounts of specific information”.
• Requires the “effective use” of language and
“large amounts of specific information”.

• 21st Century Literacy is more than just

reading and writing. It is knowing how to
learn and know.
• Many children being classed as “digital
natives”.
• Many children being classed as “digital
natives”.

• We need to provide multiliterate digital-

based classroom.
 Types
of
New Literacies
According to Ryan, N.

• Traditional Literacy
• Information Literacy
• Visual Literacy
• Critical Literacy
• Media Literacy
• Tool Literacy
• Digital Literacy
Rosaen & Terpstra (2010)
• Cultural Literacy
• Digital/Information Literacy
• Emotional Literacy
• Environmental Literacy
• Numeracy
• Print Literacy
• Social Literacy
• Visual Literacy
 University of Pittsburgh Library
System
• Visual Literacy
• Media Literacy
• Technology Literacy
• Network Literacy
• Cultural Literacy