Traditional Literacy vs. Digital Literacy

In this digital age, it seems like it's becoming increasingly difficult to motivate students to take an interest in writing, especially if it involves pen-to-paper. After viewing "The Power of One" and reading "Orchestrating the Media Collage" by Jason Ohler, the appropriate question doesn't seem to be, "How do we get students to understand the importance of writing," but rather, "How do we integrate technology into our classroom to make writing applicable and important to students?"

Technology/media literacy is quickly playing a significant role in society for students and teachers alike. Since so much of our lives are online now, it is important that students learn how to use social media, videos, blogging, etc. to express themselves effectively. In some cases, videos like "The Power of One" are very effective in expressing a certain idea to viewers of the video. But, as future teachers, we must be sure to not place more emphasis on media usage than we do essay writing, reading comprehension, etc. Multimedia photo collages, videos, etc. should not replace writing assignments for students; both skillsets are important to have, so we should be practicing both with students, not replacing one with the other.

As Ohler points out in his article, engaging students in activities that promote digital literacy shouldn't disengage them from activities that promote traditional literacy. One of his eight guidelines for teachers, in fact, is "value reading and writing now more than ever." My favorite statement in Ohler's article was in the section titled "Teachers as Guides." He said, "Teachers don't have to be advanced technicians...now more than ever, students...need the clear voice of a teacher who can help them develop literacies that will be important to them for a lifetime." This makes me feel more comfortable entering the media game as an educator, because I don't have to completely understand every type of media, networking, or other type of site out there; I just have to be able to guide students in their development of digital literacy.
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The NETS-T standards that go along with blog posting include:
3c: Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
4b: Teachers address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.