Week 12: The Trials and Tribulations of a Grad Student Trying to Write a 'Literacy Guide'

This week, we were required to write a 'literacy guide' for whatever population of student learner's we wanted to target.  To me, this was the most confusing and difficult concept to master in this class so far because I had no idea what a 'literacy guide' was, or how to write it, or even Why I was supposed to write it.  Frustrated, angry, upset, I researched the topic for hours - to no avail.  It was only when our professor offered some extra resources and gave me some encouragement that I calmed down, went back to the research, and then, after about two more hours of grueling research, I formulated a plan. 

In the end, I wrote a literacy guide...and I loved it.  I loved not just writing of it, but what I had to say, and the amazing resources I found (a great written piece and a video I starred in the resources section).  

For those still unaware, a 'Literacy Guide' is just an outline for the ideas you value (and want to teach), and how you can help your students (or whomever) go about gaining that knowledge.  We are in a New Media and New Literacies class, so obviously I had to include Research.  Now, I've never been a real stickler about students research skills, but by creating this guide I realized, "Wait! I really need to be clearer with my students about research, and give them more structure for these assignments, and talk about things like plagiarism and how to cite and perform Effective online research."  

Once I realized that a literacy guide is just a tool to help myself plan and structure the ideas that I personally value and want to present (to help my students become 'literate') it all came together.  Now, as we all know, the idea of 'literacy' has changed drastically throughout the years.  To me, 'literacy' is more about resourcefulness, or being able to move through different areas of schooling and life with ease.  I guess it's part information literacy, where "we need to know how to think critically..how to maintain that critical stance, how to employ it, and then how to stay open to new ideas," (1) as well as part transliteracy, or "the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms tools, and media from signing to orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks,"(2)  and then maybe a tad of metacognition, or, reflecting on how we think in order to make adjustments and grow. 

For my Literacy Guide, the three topics I chose to focus on were all aspects I felt my 6th grade humanities students could benefit from not just in my class, but throughout their entire lives: collaboration, self-assessment and research.   Collaboration is essential in my class, as students are constantly working on team assignments and collaborative written projects.  In fact, when I identified this as a major aspect of my class, it reminded me a lot of Henry Jenkins and his 'Participatory Culture' exercise where he made all of his students work on a Wikipedia posting, and it helped the students feel empowered and united as a team.   Self-assessment - both for teachers and students - is yet another way we learn and grow.  In fact, it's only when we can be honest with ourselves about our performance as both as individuals and within a group that we can adjust and adapt.  Lastly, I chose research.  At first I felt like I put it in here just to appease my new media and new literacies class, but on reflection I realized just how important it is to research, cite and avoid plagiarism, and that I need to be even more vigilant about teaching my students these essential skills. 

My literacy guide, once created, really stood out to me as something I not only want to give my students at the start of every year, but something I want to constantly add to and reinforce.  It was a great way to collect my thoughts and figure out what I value most about literacy, and despite my initial grumblings, it was truly a beneficial assignment      

Resources:

"Information Transliteracy in the 21st Century." National Louis University.  YouTube video.  Uploaded on 26, January, 2012.  Retrieved at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1JjcmGJb2A&feature=youtu.be

Thomas, Sue, Chris Joseph, Jess Laccetti, Bruce Mason, Simon Mills, Simon Perril and Kate Pulinger. "Transliteracy: Crossing Divides."  What is Transliteracy? First Monday.  3, December.  Retrieved at: http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2060/1908/

*"Understanding the Importance of Information Literacy." Education News. 25, March, 2013.  Retrieved at: http://www.educationnews.org/uncategorized/understanding-the-importance-of-information-literacy/

*"Information Literacy." Suffolk County Community College.  Web Video. nd.  Retrieved at: http://libguides.sunysuffolk.edu/content.php?pid=215710&sid=1794616