Entry #1 Literacy as I Know It

Literacy to me means the ability to read and understand what you/others are reading. It is the understanding and knowledge of books, poems, essays and other works of literature in regards to the world around us. This can be done through the typical sense of reading, but also through writing, listening and engaging in communication with others.

A literate person is able to take words either written down on paper, shared on a screen, or on other forms of media, and put them into their own words to make sense of them. A literate person is also able to communicate this new knowledge back to others effectively.

I gathered this definition of literacy just from my own experiences and my own educational journey. I was always taught the straight definition of literacy is the ability to read and write. Through furthering my own education outside of high school and into college and now graduate school, I now know literacy can be defined as much more than that and can include speech, writing and communication, as well as the comprehension of what you are reading/writing about. 

Some people who have been influential in helping me develop these definitions would be teachers, professors, as well as mentors and those who work in the educational field currently with me. These are the individuals who have shown me different versions of what literacy means and how it can be achieved in various ways depending on the student being taught and their individualized needs.

Based on my definition of literacy, I believe myself to be a literate person up to a certain degree. I think literacy works like a scale, and it can be difficult for people to understand certain types of literature and be able to interpret them. Sometimes I may read articles or scholarly essays that I find myself having a really tough time getting through because I’m not able to fully grasp some of the language used or because of the length of the piece. I don’t think literacy is exactly black and white, and there is likely room for improvement for most people, including myself.



Comments

  1. Dr. JonesJanuary 23, 2022 at 3:44 PM

    Meaghan, there are many statements you make in this entry that I was impressed by. One in particular was your description of literacy as a "scale." While Kucer does not provide a lengthy discussion in the article regarding the role of the developmental dimension, I think you will find that your description fits with what he details.

    PS. I like this template you selected for your blog. The color scheme is quite refreshing.

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