The Meaning of Literacy in the XXI Century

Traditionally and simply defined, literacy is the ability to read and write. Over the years, however, that definition has gained more sophistication. As the world and technologies evolve just knowing how to read and write is not enough. How a person uses these skills has more meaning in contemporary society. The historical print media modes of literacy have become obsolete in the face of 21st –century literacies. With the inauguration of the Internet, the teacher-centered, strictly print modes of instructing became not only anachronistic, but also insufficient in accommodating learners in today’s classroom. In the 21st –century, students are taught through new literacies and student-centered instruction on computers, iPads, and other technology devices. They are visual and kinesthetic learners who learn through seeing and doing. Today’s learners are not motivated by traditional instructions of literacy, where one masters the art of memorization. Therefore, teachers must modify traditions and align the use of various non-print or non-linguistic modes of 21st-century literacies to curriculum in order to teach students new ways of reading and writing with purpose. These historical and contemporary perspectives on reading and literacy inform leaders of the trends in education. The current trend is to focus on the learner as an individual and the idea that all children can learn. Knobel and Lankshear (2011) report that,

“Legislation like the Literacy for All national literacy plan in Australia and the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2001 in the USA enshrined literacy as the new ‘bottom line’ and new ‘centre of gravity’ for school education…this dramatic emergence of literacy as an educational focus can be viewed from sever...

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...t workshops, conducts research on reading instructional strategies, and assist teachers through class push-ins and pullouts. She also works to ensure every teacher is implementing the school-wide literacy plan. Each month, student-writing samples are collected from teachers in all content areas. Teacher use a school-wide rubric and provide feedback on student samples. Gomez-Downs judges her success as a literacy leader on the overall success of the school, her ability to lead in a way that motivates individuals to follow, and the achievement of set literacy goals.

Literacy has evolved from just reading and writing over the years, and will continue to be redefined for years to come to meet the needs of society at that time. Educators are eagerly embracing the changes and using new literacies to make learning and teaching engaging and relevant to the real world.