Multiliteracies and Computer LiteracyThese days what does it mean to know about computers?

Hardware

A first level of computer literacy is to know the parts of a computer and how these parts function together. Most people are familiar with the main components of computers, though the following are useful to know:

The function of each part (input, output, storage, processing) How the parts work Why they fail and how to avoid and troubleshoot problems Possibly, the names of the parts in a target language

Software

A second level of computer literacy is knowing how to use them productively. This involves knowledge of:

Operating systems and what they do Open source, freeware, and proprietary or commercial software Selected useful applications

Networking

A third level of computer literacy involves connecting with other computers through networks. This suggests familiarity with:

LAN or local area networks Connecting, browsing, and searching through the Internet Network and personal online security

What is Literacy?

Recently technology has had significant impacts on changing notions of literacy.

Literacy is by definition the ability of a literate or educated person to:

communicate successfully through available media locate, access, and understand the communications of others

distinguish between appropriate/inappropriate, competent/incompetent material

In the not too distant past printed text was regarded as the one essential literacy for mass distribution, but in recent times creators and consumers of content are starting to conceive of literacy as encompassing imagery and sound as communicated through digital mass media. Also ways of finding and distributing content on the Internet are undergoing radical change, utilizing techniques much different than with traditional print media.

The term ‘multiliteracies’ has been used to refer to this expanded notion of literacy.

Multiliteracies

Multiliteracies encompasses yet another level of literacy involving the social aspects of using computers to interact and collaborate with one another. Tools and techniques for putting computer users in touch with one another, couched under terms such as social networking and utilizing social media, are being developed and evolved constantly. Sometimes users communicate with one another directly, but often this is done through tracking data that people leave in the course of using computers on networks. An understanding of what is involved in these systems and how they work are becoming of increasing importance in people’s social and professional lives (particularly where “21st century learning” is encouraged).

Social Media and Social Networking

Key concepts

1. Theorieso Vygotsky and social constructivismo Connectivism and personal learning networks

2. Web 2.0o By definition

Users are able to write to websites, create or upload content online

Often allow embedding and mashup with other sites Free and ‘permanent’ as long as business model remains viable

Google makes fortune on ads that respond to user data tracking

Some sites offer free introductory services, charge for extra features

Some, like Wikipedia, sustained on user energy

o Social implications 19th century read-only vs. read-write 20th century Shift in power from ‘publishers’ to individual content providers Allow voices previously denied forums (in the ‘long tail’)

o Example sites and applications These are extremely Numerous Students post favorites to Posterous or to a wiki or shared

Google Doc3. Aggregation

o RSS: Really simple syndication A feature on almost all blogs – allows users to see when new content is posted and access feeds

Sample uses (can be illustrated in activities below) Track searches Lots more besides suggested activities, will write them in

as they occur to me Activities

Find feeds, put them in a Pageflakes Students set up feeds in Google Reader

o Folksonomies vs. taxonomies Power of tagging illustrated in

Facebook Delicious Gmail

Activities: Tag searches (using RSS) Collaboration through tagged blog and web 2.0 content

o Illustrative project: Writingmatrixo Students can concoct similar project to aggregate

their content using unique tag

Blogging

1. By definitiono Have RSS feed; therefore, can be subscribed to and new content

followedo Only the blogger posts, but users can commento Uploaded / embedded content usually allowed

2. Noticing blogs – o Teachers show blogs they find interesting, o Teachers suggest blogs they think might be interesting to the studentso Have students find some that look interesting to them

o These can be posted to Posterous or written to a wiki or shared Google Doc

3. Create a blog: o Posterous

This is a perfect introduction to blogging for a class of students. The advantage to Posterous is that posts can be emailed and they will appear in the blog. If images etc. are attached they will appear in the post. Class email addresses can be added to the one blog where students post via email and the teacher manages it.

o Other blogging platforms: Blogger, Wordpress

4. Microbloggingo Twitter

Much more than what are you doing now? How to develop a network Post “people to follow” to Posterous or a wiki or shared Google

Doc

5. Podcastingo By definition

Like an audio blog Has RSS feed Users can subscribe, automatically download new content Podcasts can be labeled, searched, aggregated

o Activities Teachers suggest interesting podcasts Students locate some they are interested in These can be posted to Posterous or written to a wiki or shared

Google Doc

Wikis

o By definition Users with permission can write in the same space Upload of content usually allowed Embedded content usually allowed Preserve past versions, can revert at any time

o Examples Wikipedia Google Docs PBworks and Wikispaces

o Activities

As has been noted throughout, students might have been making notes in wikis as they go. Google Docs is particularly interesting because unlike other wikis it allows multiple writers to edit simultaneously and on the fly.