All the sessions will be in the CE catalog, so register if you can. I will not, however, turn you away if you find you are able to just drop in at the time of the class! If you’re a little uncertain about attending something online, or getting your computer set up to use the room, just let me know and we’ll do a practice run together. (And don’t stress about it—it’s not that difficult to set up, and even easier to use!)
Links from today's podcast:
I’m reading again—or, still. While my plumber was doing some work at my house I sat down to read “Teens, technology, and literacy; or, why bad grammar isn’t always bad, ” by Linda W. Braun. The title seemed to me to indicate that the book would support what I’ve long felt to be true: teens aren’t less literate than earlier generations just because they use acronyms, lower case letters and what we consider bad grammar in some of their communications. The author says it more eloquently and completely than I –she suggests that we need to re-think and update what we define as literacy: not only the ability to read and write within the traditional constructs of the mechanical skills of reading and writing and the school context, but also within the context of the world and their lives.
I have often heard librarians—public, school and academic—lament that teens and students just aren’t reading and writing as they should be, and instant messaging and texting encourage them to use bad grammar. I see it as reading and writing, still—and they use skills that some of us older adults just don’t have. (Maybe we’re jealous!) When they blog, or text, or IM or send e-mail they are reading and writing. AND, as author Linda Braun points out, in order for reading and writing to be meaningful they have to be connected to the reader’s/writer’s real world.” That falls into the definition of literacy as a social and school construct (which became popular in the late 20th century. “This definition of literacy focuses on recognizing that literacy practices and skills vary based on economic, social, political and cultural associations.” They are actually reading and writing a lot outside of school—they are more comfortable writing for having e-mail and texting: they are doing it all the time.
All right, but really, are they reading and writing CORRECTLY when they use the IM shorthand and acronyms? …..Well, let’s give teens some credit---they do know the difference between the style they use in instant messaging or texting and that of more formal communication. (They are more formal in e-mail than in texting—e-mail, to them, is for communicating with old people—that would be….me.) They know that they should use a different style when writing a paper than when IMing a friend. I love a quote from one teen interviewed for a study of that issue: IM shorthand, this high junior says, “is just to shorten stuff up It’s not like we’re doing it in real life.” And if you’ve ever texted, you know that sometimes you have to be pretty creative in trying to keep a text message 160 characters or fewer. I am trying to break myself of having to use full sentences, type out every word and use proper upper and lower case. Just a few text messages and you learn quickly that the teens have it right—and that’s a skill some of us are still trying to develop
The author also provides examples of how teens are communicating with new technologies, how it advances their literacy skills within the context of their world and lives, and how libraries and schools can assist them with that—and join in with them.
She describes, in addition to defining, technologies such as blogging, podcasting, instant messaging, and provides ideas for us to use in connecting with teens and providing service. For example, libraries have been doing virtual reference for years now, and some have been using instant messaging to do it for some time. What about new book notices to teens using text messaging? An IM reader’s advisory service?
She also has hints for how we can help them with such skills as decision-making, organizing and presenting content, and critical thinking regarding information they put on the web.
Links from today's podcast:
Book Reviewed by Marcia: