The definition of literacy has changed over time. In the past, students were considered literate if they could read and write and most of that reading and writing took place within specific constructs of text books, trade books, and perhaps newspaper articles. When I was in third grade, my class made a video project (VHS) about the jungle and it was considered cutting edge. A message about learning we could share with other teachers, students, and parents within our small community interested in our grade three class. And at the time, an audience that reached outside of the classroom boundaries when it was our turn to bring the video home.
However, with the introduction and increased public access to the Internet, students have to do more than just read and write within traditional constructs in order to be literate. Students need to search and navigate the Web in order to find specific information and then determine the validity and reliability of the information accessed in order to share that information within a Web construct. Along that journey, students will see and respond to advertisements, blog posts and research, or become distracted by, YouTube videos, as well as create their own videos that they share with friends, family, and strangers. Therefore, students need to be critically literate, learn to interact with the text, actively engage in readings all while determining reliability and validity of information provided on the World Wide Web.
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