Being Literate Now Including Technological Literacy

"Back in the day", as colloquial as that can sound, there was simply the idea of being literate, being able to read and write. Pen and paper was all that was needed. Today, reading and writing are still a huge part of literacy but it encompasses so many different medias. Not only do we have to learn how to read and write with books, paper, and pencils within a classroom but students today are also expected to know all the details of typing and researching properly. This allows for so many discrepancies in students learning. In my fieldwork classroom I have already witnessed three accounts of plagiarism for a book report assignment. The internet access that they students are capable of using allows for temptations of "copy and paste".  The world that kids are growing up in now is giving them the tools to not have to know much. Students can look up definitions on the internet rather than learning how to use a dictionary and they are able to research summaries of novels rather than actually reading them.

The problem here lies in whether the students understands the material or not. Comprehension is a lacking ability in today's students. The technology that helps students with comprehension is their eyes and a piece of paper and a pencil. Their brains must be worked and push to understand material rather than being pushed to read something off of a screen. As an English teacher, in order for students to understand material, we have to bring it back to the old school way of technology, pen and paper. Students must have the ability to read and comprehend before they have the ability to use a computer and the technology of the day. New technology allows for advancement in teaching and creativity but it is important for teachers to rely on what has worked from the beginning on occasion.