The meaning of the term literacy has changed recently, but also the way you improve your literacy or learn about literacy has been greatly altered. No longer do you have to just read novels and write term papers to improve you literacy. You can Skype, instant message, blog, research online, create an RSS feed, or be involved with an online game to advance your own literacy.
http://sites.google.com/site/teamgeckofullsail/
In our last course, my group created a website (listed above) discussing how MMORPGs or Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games help develop literacy. The site discusses the uses of MMORPGs in the classroom and their pros and cons. It was decided that we would focus on Quest Atlantis and its uses in the classroom. There are numerous tutorials on how to navigate through QA and to register for an account.
The purpose of our website was to inform educators about MMORPGs. When I first started reading, I was unaware what MMORPGs were and how to use them educationally. The textbook for that class, Multimedia for Learning, states that: “There are a variety of negative perceptions of games among educators. Some believe that learning of a content area should be motivating by itself and should not require games. Others believe that learning is serious work and should not be demeaned with games. Some worry about the effect of games on classroom environment and the opinions of parent who hear that their children are playing games in school. Most important, adult and professional educators believe that games are only for children and simply are not appropriate for adults.” My group and I feel that the reason MMORPGs are not used or valued is that most educators do not know what they are, including myself. After complete the research and the website, I have come to a new understanding with this technology. I have not found a place for it in my curriculum, but know that it’s a great resource for others.
There are many ways to help students increase their literacy in the classroom. My course is not called literacy, but in many ways every teacher teaches about literacy. I teach general music and my students use literacy to learn and share their knowledge. It is important to teach our students to talk intelligently about an array of topics. This is the idea I have based my entire middle school curriculum around. I expect my students to be able to listen to a piece of music and evaluate it. They should be able to decipher the characteristics of the piece of music and make connections with other experiences they have had. They should also be able to share that information with the world.
In my statement above I said that my students should be able to talk intelligently, I did not mean specifically about to talk verbally. Students should be able to share information in a variety of avenues. Below I found a slide show that discusses the many different types of literacy in the 21st century and how to use them in the classroom.
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Information Literacy: the 21st Century Skills
View more presentations from PLAI STRLC.
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