BUILDING AND ENHANCING NEW LITERACIES ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

B. DEFINITIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY LITERACIES

B.1 GLOBALIZATION

Globalization Definition

 is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments
worldwide.
 is the integration of national economies through trade, investment, capital flow, labor
migration, and technology.
 is the free movement of goods, services and people across the world in a seamless and
integrated manner. [Globalization can be thought of to be the result of the opening up of the
global economy and the concomitant increase in trade between nations.]

What is Global Literacy?

Global Literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity and social justice (Guo,
2014). It requires awareness and action, consistent with a broad understanding of humanity, the
planet, and the impact of human decision on both. Global Literacy also aims to empower students
with knowledge and take action to make a positive impact in the world and their local community
(Guo, 2014).

According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015) A global citizen should display most or all of
the following characteristics:

 Respect for humans no matter their race, gender, religion or political perspectives.
 Respect for diversity and various perspectives.
 Promoting sustainable patterns of living, consumption, and production.
 Appreciate the natural world and demonstrate respectful towards the rights of all living
things.
Importance of Globalization

1. Global village- incredibly aware of what is happening anywhere around the world
2. Social awareness- spreading news and facilitating globalization; keeping us up to date and
knowledgeable about current events; facilitated raising awareness of issues, which can lead to
great social change.
3. Personal communication- connected to our friends and families in various parts of the world,
(e.g. telephone and social media); reach out to loved ones immediately and for a minimal cost
any time we need, constantly updated about what is going on in their lives through social media.

Globalization in Relation to Education

 Globalization and education then come to affect one another through mutual goals of preparing
young people for successful futures during which their nations will grow increasingly connected.
 With globalization some of the challenges for knowledge, education and learning will provide
today’s learners the ability to be more familiar and comfortable with abstract concepts and
uncertain situations.
 Globalization enhances the student’s ability to acquire and utilize knowledge. Globalization
enhances the ability of learners to access, assess, adopt, and apply knowledge, to think
independently to exercise appropriate judgment and to collaborate with others to make sense
of new situations.

B.1.1 MULTI-CULTURAL LITERACY

It consists of the skills and ability to identify the creators of knowledge and their interests (Banks,
1996), to uncover the assumptions of knowledge, to view knowledge from diverse ethnic and cultural
perspective, and to use knowledge to guided action that will create a humane and just world (Boutte,
2008).

Multicultural Literacy then, brings attention to diversity, equity and social justice to foster cultural
awareness by addressing difficult issues like discrimination and oppression towards other ethnicities
(Boutte, 2008).

According to Boutte (2008) education for multicultural literacy should help students to develop the
21st century skills and attitudes that are needed to become active citizens who will work towards
achieving social justice within our communities. Because of the growing racial, language and ethnic
diversity in our country, Multicultural Literacy needs to be transformed in substantial ways to prepare
students to function effectively in the 21st Century (Boutte, 2008).

According to the Ministry of Education (2013), “culture goes much deeper than typical
understandings of ethnicity, race and/or faith. It encompasses broad notions of similarity and
difference”. Hence, one of the key practices in the classroom for multicultural literacy is for teachers to
not be colorblind, label students, or use negative connotations in relation to diverse backgrounds
(Hawkins, 2014).

Multicultural + Global Literacy

How are Multicultural and Global Literacy Interconnected?

  Every classroom contains students of different race, religion, and cultural groups. Students
embrace diverse behaviors, cultural values, patterns of practice, and communication. Yet they
all share one commonality: their educational opportunity (Guo, 2014)
 Teachers should teach their students that other cultures exist and that these deserve to be
acknowledged and respected. Integrating a variety of cultural context into lessons and activities,
teaches students to view the world from many angles, creates a respect for diversity and
enables students to learn exciting information. As classrooms become increasingly more diverse,
it is important for educators to acknowledge an address diversity issues and to integrate
multiculturalism information into the classroom curriculum (Guo, 2014)
 Globalization and Multicultural Literacy .... ....
is knowledge of cultures and languages.
We live in multicultural societies, teach in multicultural settings, and our students
interact with those who come from a different place. Awareness of and sensitivity to culturally
determined norms promote understanding. In fact, when students embrace the principle that
difference does not equal deficiency, they gain an appreciation for the wealth of diversity that
surrounds us.

B.2 SOCIAL LITERACY

Social Literacy Definition

 Social literacy, from the perspective of the social-cultural theory, is more than the ability to read
and write, and more than mastering literacy skills. Children can learn literacy through social
interaction between themselves and children and/or adults in or outside school. Adults can use
books, games, toys, conversations, field trips, and stories to develop the literacy practices
through fun.

 An individual’s activity to successfully and deliberately mediate their word as family members,
workers, citizens and lifelong learners.

 This refers to the development of social skills to interact positively in a defined environment.
Importance of Social Literacy

 Social literacy is important because students must learn the necessary skills to communicate and
widen their social circles.

 It is more important to make sure students interact in groups. By working in groups the students
are practicing social skills that can be applied within and outside of the classroom.

Causes of Being a Social Illiterate

 Lack of confidence
 Learning disabilities
 Depression

Social Literacy Skills

1. Maintaining Eye contact

2. Understanding angry feelings

3. Collaborating ideas

4. Discussion

5. Ability to meet new people

In the Age of the Smartphone, Students Need Help with Social Literacy

Today’s students have grown up with the internet, with cellphones becoming something of an
extra appendage. Many can’t make it through lunch (much less a whole day) without checking their
phones or otherwise interacting with technology. Always-on culture has been a challenge for recent
graduates who entered the workforce without the social intelligence that came naturally to their older
co-workers. This situation underscores the importance of educating students in what could be called
social literacy to ensure their academic and career success.

How is it changing?

In today’s changing society we have moved from encouraging a strict definition of social skills as
conversation skills to a more broad understanding of social literacy. Today it is important to tie in
technology when teaching social literacy because this is an important feature of how individuals
communicate.
Technology Can Be Used To Teach Social Literacy

1. YouTube

This website support Social Literacy because students can watch videos displaying how
other people communicate. They can get in touch with all different kinds of people from all over
the world. They can also practice their own communication skills by creating their own videos
and sharing it with the YouTube world.

2. Facebook

This site allows students to keep in touch with people from where ever they may be.
Students can keep in touch with family and peers through this website on personal level through
pictures and statuses and even a chat feature. One way a teacher could use Facebook is by
creating a class group to keep each other up to date about upcoming assignment or events
going on at school.
 3. Google Docs

This allows a team of people to collaborate on the same page at the same time. This can
be used as an instructional strategy to encourage students to investigate, write, and work
together in discussion. This is a great technology to use to incorporate Social Literacy in the
classroom because the students are able to learn together.

References:

https://21stcenturyliteracy214.wordpress.com/test-2/

https://www.coursehero.com/file/54905218/SOCIAL-LITERACY-2pptx/#question

https://www.coursehero.com/file/48148889/Lesson-3-Globalization-and-multicultural-literacypdf/