Change in Literacy 1

Change in Literacy

Shiyan Guo

Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

EDUC 606 Literary Theory, Research, and Practice

Dr. Alesha Gayle

April 17, 2022

Change in Literacy 2

The world is everchanging, and so is literacy. Over the years, the definitions,

elements, and pedagogies of literacy have always been changing and evolving. But what do

these changes mean to literacy teachers? How can we deal with such changes?

Firstly, we start with the definitions of literacy. Some people refer to literacy as

reading and writing that is taught in school, while others believe that literacy points to a

striking range of possibilities, such as “cultural literacy”, “computer literacy” and “moral

literacy” (Collins & Blot, 2003, p.1). Throughout history, the study of literacy has undergone

two shifts: the social turn and the linguistic turn. According to Bloome & Green (2015), the

social turn of literacy study views language as “essentially social and situated in the

interactions among people” (p.20), while the linguistic turn recognizes that “the

representation and organization of the social world is accomplished through language” (p.22).

Nowadays, the globalization and development of technology also extend the meanings of

literacy to a larger extent, such as “digital literacy”, “media literacy”, and “cultural literacy”.

Compared to using pens and paper in the past, people now use computers and cellphones to

engage in multimodal literacy activities. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic,

“computer literacy” and “digital literacy” have become an essential skill in people’s lives.

Literacy has also moved from a relatively marginalized position to a more

fundamental role in general education. As Lankshear & Knobel (2011) suggest, prior to the

1970s, “literacy” was not associated with formal education; rather, it referred to the programs

that helped illiterate adults with their basic reading and writing abilities (p.4). Moreover, the

adult literate rate associated with economic development takes only males into account (p.7).

Later, Freire’s “reading the word and the world” (1970), and Street’s New Literacy Studies

(1984) brought literacy to the foreground of mass education. And people begin to recognize

the importance of literacy education regardless of race, gender, age, and background. Thus,

literacy becomes more diverse and inclusive.

Change in Literacy 3

Literacy teaching and learning are also for change and transformation. Alim & Paris

(2017) assert that in the context of the United States, state-sanctioned schooling has always

been practicing white supremacy, “with students and families being asked to lose or deny

their languages, literacies, cultures, and histories in order to achieve in schools (p.1).

Therefore, Alim & Paris (2017) develop culturally sustaining pedagogy that seeks to

“perpetuate and foster—to sustain—linguistic, literate, and cultural pluralism as part of

schooling for positive social transformation (p.1). This is to say that the ways people engage

with race, identity, language, and culture are always shifting, so starting from what students

already know to what they want to learn can form a virtuous circle that sustains learning.

Changes in literacy in the past have provided educators with new perspectives on

reforming and transforming literacy teaching. For me, transformative literacy teaching should

firstly aim to cultivate students’ love for learning, and encourage them to become lifelong

learners instead of “‘filling’ the students by making deposits of information which he or she

considers to constitute true knowledge” (Freire, 1970, p.76). If we teach students how to

learn rather than the knowledge itself, they will be able to navigate themselves in all sorts of

situations. Ladson-Billings (2017) also advocates for a non-standardized literacy revolution

that focuses on students’ interests, so she engaged students with their favorite Hip Hop songs

to understand the inventiveness, strength, and worldviews of today’s youth. Indeed, each

individual is different and has a unique way of understanding the world through literacy

practice, so we need to “honor and leverage different strengths and perspectives that students

bring to and take away from their learning” (Aukerman, 2021, p.585).

In addition, teachers should also recognize and respect students’ backgrounds, be

aware of the challenges and barriers faced by marginalized students, and encourage them to

discuss critical issues such as race, culture, and identities in classrooms. Blackburn (2015)

states that “social change cannot underestimate the incredible endurance of inequitable power
Change in Literacy 4

dynamics” (p.412). And Lankshear & Knobel (2011) also argue that teachers should discard

the deficit attitudes, Eurocentric curricula, and high-stakes testing, etc., and give students “the

tools to navigate and challenge existing material inequalities” (p.192). Therefore, it is

important for teachers to understand students’ backgrounds and connect their experiences

with their culture.

To sum up, changes are embedded in every aspect of literacy, and “literacy practices

are as fluid, dynamic and changing as the lives and societies of which they are a part” (Brandt

& Clinton, 2002, p.13). Therefore, we should also seek changes continuously, which means

always learning from our students and adjusting our pedagogies. Even though sometimes

teachers are facing administrative restrictions from the schools, and find it challenging to

truly understand the diverse experiences of all students, at least we should try. Sometimes a

small change can also make a huge difference.

Change in Literacy 5

References

Alim, H. S., & Paris, D. (2017). What is culturally sustaining pedagogy and why does it

matter. In D. Paris & S. Alim (Eds.), Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and

learning for justice in a changing world (pp.1-24). New York: Teachers College Press.

Aukerman, M., & Chambers Schuldt, L. (2021). What Matters Most? Toward a Robust and

Socially Just Science of Reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1).

Brandt, D., & Clinton, K. (2002). Limits of the local: Expanding perspectives on literacy as a

social practice. Journal of Literacy Research, 34(3), 337–356.

Blackburn, M. V. (2005). Disrupting dichotomies for social change: A review of, critique of,

and complement to current educational literacy scholarship on gender. Research in

the Teaching of English, 39(4), 398–416.

Bloome, D. & Green, J. (2015). The social and linguistic turns in studying language and literacy.

In J. Rowsell & K. Pahl (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Literacy Studies (pp. 19-

34). New York: Routledge.

Collins, J., & Blot, R. K. (2003). Introduction: Texts, power, and identity. Literacy and

Literacies. Text, Power and Identity. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press.

Freire, P. (1970). Chapter 2. Pedagogy of the oppressed, (pp. 71-86). New York: Continuum

Publishers.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2017). The (r)evolution will not be standardized: Teacher education, hip

hop pedagogy, and culturally relevant pedagogy 2.0. In D. Paris & S. Alim (Eds.),

Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing

world (pp. 141-156). New York: Teachers College Press.

Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2011). New literacies: Everyday practices and social learning.

New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Change in Literacy 6

Lee, S.J. & Walsh, D. (2017). Socially just, culturally sustaining pedagogy for diverse

immigrant youth: Possibility, challenges, and directions. In D. Paris & S. Alim (Eds.),

Culturally sustaining pedagogies: Teaching and learning for justice in a changing

world (pp. 191). New York: Teachers College Press.