Week 3 Assignment 1 - Theory in Practice

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In today’s 21st century literacy instruction - referring to reading, writing and communication, has gotten a whole new meaning. The Internet and other forms of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are greatly impacting and changing the literacy curriculum. There are innovative text formats, updated reader expectations and new web activities that significantly surpass the traditional literacy experiences. It is therefore crucial for educators to develop a rich understanding of these changes. They must learn to integrate new technologies, in order to appropriately prepare students for their literacy future.
Incorporating new literacies in the classroom requires work and preparation. It is prudent for educators to frequently attend professional development workshops to learn about new instructional strategies and resources that effectively use technology in the classroom. Simply using software programs will not cause greater learning achievements. Technology must be used in a way that allows for deeper knowledge construction and more learning opportunities. Students should get to research, collaborate and present information in a meaningful manner. It is essential that educators see to provide equal opportunities and access to information technologies for all their students in order to ensure that their students are each equipped with the right skills to succeed in the future.
Newer technological tools continue to emerge resulting in new literacies to continuously change and be replaced with even newer literacies. It’s an educator’s responsibility to be informed about those changes and to always look for the best practices in using new literacies in the classroom.

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