Web literacy or computer literacy?
October 13, 2008 by songmirae
Reading the literatures on call had me thinking for awhile that it is very similar to all that we have been talking about. The essential point of asking for assistance and guidance comes from the fact that my web literacy is low and needed to be upgraded. As Levy, Reinhardt, et.al., have indicated, there is a need to establish and implement a web literacy into the curriculum of second language learners. Basically, it boils down to acquiring computer and web literacy and how to use the info that is available on the web. Murray refers to the historical developments, philosophically, about literacy in general and currently to the new technologies that have infiltrated into our lives.
After reading these articles from Reading Matrix, I felt that I had a right to feel the way I had up to now. If I had been gradually exposed and supported to the new technological tools that I would use for teaching, then my stress level may have been less. G. Stanley writes in a very positive manner with the form of helping and making everything simple and easy. I became convinced that it was easy the first time I had read his papers, but now know that it is not that simple. There are links and links built into everything on the web other than the academic papers and literatures. Reinhardt and Isbell pointed out that there are steps to acquiring the basic web literacy.
As a complaint about the tasks to be done, I was very distressed when I had reflected on my blog for an hour and then have it disappear because of connections. Since then, my memory has not functioned to bring the reflections back. The blog site is also going thru some upgrading so it does not come up. The wiki does not appear. This clearly indicates that computer assisted learning must be built with many contingency plans and options if it is to be implemented. The technology that is available is good, if accessible but it is not absolutely necessary. The trick, I think, is in learning and recognizing the uses that the technology may have for various needs.
19 Mehr
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I could certainly relate to your frustration with having lost work in a web-based interface. I’m also intrigued by the notion of web literacy and agree that while obviously computer-based, it has it’s own “way of doing things.” I’d also suggest that you have learned much more by “getting out of your comfort zone” with the technology itself. Granted it can be stressful, but I think such situations are the key to “real” learning. Your points about contingencies and matching tools to needs are bang on. Got luck with all things web, and above all, have fun!
Thanks Doug,
Good to know I’m not alone in these frustrations. Yes, it seems that as time goes on, the intensity of ‘fear’ and ‘inhibitions’ slowly dissolve. Whether the ‘literacy’ is acquired still needs to be researched.