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What is Literacy in the 21st Century? Does technology mean kids don't need traditional skills?
American Thinker ^ | 08/13/2013 | Bruce Deitrick Price

Posted on 08/14/2013 7:29:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

A new development in education is deciding what "literacy" should be in the 21st century.

With a swirl of technological breakthroughs all around us, elite educators are gaga at the plethora of excuses for pooh-poohing subjects routinely taught in the dark age known as the 20th century.

The National Council of Teachers of English recently announced: "Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy."

These people give good sophistry. Presto, literacy can now be defined any way they want. When these Teachers of English get through, it's a safe bet they won't spend as much time teaching English.

The NCTE states: "[S]uccessful participants in this 21st century global society must: develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology; build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose [sic] and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought; design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes; manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information; create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts; attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments."

A bunch of school teachers presented the NCTE's thinking in a video titled "What Does It Mean to be Literate in the 21st Century?" They concluded: "[N]ew media in a technological world is shaping the lives of youth and that as a result, redefining the literacy skills that will be necessary for youth to be able to function successfully in the world they are growing up in. The latter implies, by necessity, that the how, what and why of teaching literacy must also change."

These teachers, not too literate themselves, expect that the "static, print-centric notion of literacy" will be discarded.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Education
KEYWORDS: education; infolit; informationliteracy; literacy

1 posted on 08/14/2013 7:29:15 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
What is Literacy in the 21st Century?

Whatever it means, the National Council of Teachers of English will expect it to involve moving money from the taxpayers' pockets to the government to the NCTE.

2 posted on 08/14/2013 7:34:10 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (This message has been recorded but not approved by Obama's StasiNet. Read it at your peril.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“...elite educators are gaga at the plethora of excuses for pooh-poohing subjects routinely taught in the dark age known as the 20th century.”

Elite, my smelly hairy septic Obamahole.

These jerks have never encountered an intellectually demanding course in their marshmallow environment of learning advanced nothingness.

A degree in education should be regarded as slightly worse than a degree on womyn’s studies.


3 posted on 08/14/2013 7:35:13 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: SeekAndFind

Cursive will become a “secret code” in the near future.


4 posted on 08/14/2013 7:35:14 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: SeekAndFind

Speaking for myself I read white papers and stuff all day on computer, but I still cannot read a book on a pad or computer. I have to hold it. I can look up verses on my Bible app but for reading I have to sit and hold it.

My millennial kids and wife all do the Kindle type thing.


5 posted on 08/14/2013 7:40:33 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: SeekAndFind

“... the how, what and why of teaching literacy must also change.”

Well, classics have been thrown out along with all and anything that would introduce young people to the concept of personal responsibility, accountability or would make it possible for children to recognize ‘character’ in others and cultivate character in themselves.

“Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.”
G. M. Trevelyan


6 posted on 08/14/2013 7:58:30 AM PDT by SMARTY ("The test of every religious, political, or educational system is the man that it forms." H. Amiel)
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To: SeekAndFind

Useful idiots. Just another reason why so many public school teachers send their own kids to private schools:

Washington - 28 percent
Philadelphia - 44 percent
Cincinnati - 41 percent
San Francisco/Oakland -
Baltimore - 35 percent
Chicago - 39 percent
NYC - 33 percent
Rochester, NY - 38 percent
Milwaukee - 29 percent
New Orleans - 29 percent


7 posted on 08/14/2013 7:59:07 AM PDT by Liberty Wins ( The average lefty is synapse challenged)
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To: SeekAndFind

Oops, left out SanFrancisco/Oakland, which is 34 percent.


8 posted on 08/14/2013 8:02:11 AM PDT by Liberty Wins ( The average lefty is synapse challenged)
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To: SMARTY

Not true.

http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/21/classical-schools-put-plato-over-ipad/

Parents are not happy.


9 posted on 08/14/2013 8:26:34 AM PDT by goldi
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To: SeekAndFind
What is Literacy in the 21st Century
10 posted on 08/14/2013 9:54:06 AM PDT by TexasCajun (Creepy-Ass Cracka -- Don't Call Me Cracker)
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To: Resolute Conservative

To each their own. I love books, own tons and tons of them, but also love hubby’s Kindle. Used to read on the pc as well but getting closer to being forced to admit I NEED glasses, as that’s not quite as easy or comfortable as it once was.


11 posted on 08/14/2013 3:38:23 PM PDT by Fire_on_High (RIP City of Heroes and Paragon Studios, victim of the Obamaconomy.)
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