Literacy with a capital "L"

From the first day of LLED 3530 class, I began to think of literacy as more than just reading and writing.  As we worked together to create our group’s interpretation of literacy, I noticed that everyone had something different to contribute.  Each person’s individual background knowledge and experiences helped to establish our view of what literacy is and what forms literacy takes.    

Gough (1995) explains, "There is literacy, the ability which enables many people to read and write, and there is Literacy, our account of their reading and writing" (p. 80).  There are millions in our society who are literate, but they are often literate in different ways.  Yes, those who are literate have the ability to read and write, but they also have the ability to express themselves by communicating in differing forms.  Take for example an artist; the artist creates a masterpiece without the use of words, but that masterpiece sends out a message that communicates with nearly everyone who views the artist’s work.    

Gough (1995) states, “…this yields the view that literacy means different things to different people.  This is almost certainly true; people have different Literacies” (p. 83).  It is important to remember this as a future teacher of middle school students.  I understand that all of my students will be coming from different backgrounds, experiences, families, and cultures.  It will be important for me to learn how my students best communicate.  Perhaps it will be through reading and writing, artistic creation, or technology.  No matter the means, it will be up to me to find out so I can become an effective teacher. 

In the world of middle schoolers, pop culture plays a huge role in their lives.  Pop culture includes TV, movies, video games, music, fiction and nonfiction books.  As Hall (2011) points out, “Understanding how youths integrate pop culture texts into decisions about academic ones can help teachers more effectively use them to deepen students’ reading comprehension and curriculum knowledge” (p. 296). 

Hall states, “In school, students are usually expected to engage with reading, writing, and discussing texts in a formalized manner, but they rarely understand why they must do so.  In response, students have stated that the curriculum is disconnected from their own lives, that teachers do not find ways to get them involved in their own learning and they have little say in what they do” (p. 297).  Wonderful, meaningful learning opportunities can occur when pop culture is used in the classroom to help students make connections.  What better way to help students make connections in their academics than incorporating the pop culture of their lives into the classroom? 

Gough, P. B. (1995). The new literacy: caveat emptor.  Journal of Research in   
          Reading, 18(2), 79-86.

Hall, L. A. (2011). How popular culture texts inform and shape students'  
          discussions of social studies texts.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult 
          Literacy, 55(4), 296-305.