For me, literate (without any adjectives to modify the word, such as computer literate) has always meant "being able to read and write", with the further proviso that this also implies having a fairly large and varied vocabulary to draw on.
I do think that in terms of functioning in 21st century America, computer literacy is almost a requirement. (I have to say almost, because I do know several people who either don't own a computer or have no interest in learning to use one beyond the basic point and click in a web browser. They function quite well, mostly because they can call on friends, or children, to help them when they need to do something that requires a computer or more advanced knowledge of computers.)
i usually distinguish being literate from being able to read. Because i can read Portuguese doesn't mean i can comprehend it. So i tend to equate literacy more with being well read.
If i said someone were illiterate, i wouldn't necessarily mean that they couldn't read at all, just that they can't or don't read often. (And that what they choose to read is not substantive. Reading the funny pages or blogs is not the same as reading a novel, for example.) By my own standards, my personal literacy has gone down quite a bit the past couple years.
By my standards, "literacy" would include functional reading, writing, and speaking in your language of choice (being able to get information out of a library book, interact with an automated phone system, and speak to a public official in a way that gets your message across and does not get you arrested). Also a functional knowledge of computers and the internet, such as the ability to use an internet search engine and interpret the results or to explain the difference between .com, .edu, and .org.
In my perfect world, "literacy" would imply the ability not just to receive or transmit ideas but also to evaluate them. For instance, a teacher I was working with today gave me a whole rant based on an episode of "Law and Order." I really wanted to find some diplomatic way to say, "You know that's fiction, right?" but I couldn't get my point across before the bell rang. Sigh.
my frustration with the masses' understanding of this is one of the smaller reasons i left teaching.
i think true literacy, as much as ever, is a multi-faceted ability (or group of abilities?) to "read" AND comprehend complex information which is presented in a several ways (handwritten, printed, electronic, etc.). this includes: *the written word (books, news, prose, poetry, street addresses, etc) *other written symbols (e.g., traffic signs, text msgs, logos) *images (particularly advertising, but also art, etc) *combinations of the above (e.g., comix, advertising, websites) ultimately, literacy should include the ability to understand both overt and convert meanings and evaluate their validity and usefulness.
functional literacypiperjoyApril 22 2008, 01:32:44 UTC
I also meant to say that there is functional literacy in which a person can identify words and get around, but in which there is a deficit in understanding or the extent of what can be read.
Comments 6
I do think that in terms of functioning in 21st century America, computer literacy is almost a requirement. (I have to say almost, because I do know several people who either don't own a computer or have no interest in learning to use one beyond the basic point and click in a web browser. They function quite well, mostly because they can call on friends, or children, to help them when they need to do something that requires a computer or more advanced knowledge of computers.)
Reply
If i said someone were illiterate, i wouldn't necessarily mean that they couldn't read at all, just that they can't or don't read often. (And that what they choose to read is not substantive. Reading the funny pages or blogs is not the same as reading a novel, for example.) By my own standards, my personal literacy has gone down quite a bit the past couple years.
Reply
I would think literacy would be century and technology independent.
Reply
In my perfect world, "literacy" would imply the ability not just to receive or transmit ideas but also to evaluate them. For instance, a teacher I was working with today gave me a whole rant based on an episode of "Law and Order." I really wanted to find some diplomatic way to say, "You know that's fiction, right?" but I couldn't get my point across before the bell rang. Sigh.
Reply
i think true literacy, as much as ever, is a multi-faceted ability (or group of abilities?) to "read" AND comprehend complex information which is presented in a several ways (handwritten, printed, electronic, etc.). this includes:
*the written word (books, news, prose, poetry, street addresses, etc)
*other written symbols (e.g., traffic signs, text msgs, logos)
*images (particularly advertising, but also art, etc)
*combinations of the above (e.g., comix, advertising, websites)
ultimately, literacy should include the ability to understand both overt and convert meanings and evaluate their validity and usefulness.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment