What is technology?

This is a hard one!!! We spent much time in class trying to settle on a working definition. In my first computer class (computers in educational settings) our professors mentioned that to our culture (especially this young generation) that old stuff is not technology. For example, CD's, DVD players, computers and the such are not really technology because the newer generation grew up with these things. I've never thought of a clock or a digital watch as technology because they've always been around for me. Technology for me does not always make my life simpler or make tasks easier, in some ways it just creates new tasks for me to accomplish. For example, I can't imagine life without e-mail, but I sure do spend much more time than ever before chatting with people, reading forwarded e-mails, etc... Has e-mail made my life easier, I don't think so. It has just created another facet for me to communicate with others. Has it saved me time? NO, it has definitely not saved me time. I spend a tremendous amount of time on my e-mail and other computer related tasks.

What is Literacy

Literacy is reading, reading is literacy. Reading to me is being able to read words, sentences, paragraphs, articles, signs, menus, directions (and the list is endless) and deriving meaning from the text. Text is made up of letters and words, not pictures. Just because a person can think, doesn't mean he is literate. There are many new definitions for literacy, however no matter how technology changes, one still needs to know the basics of reading. Think about the definition of the word illiterate. Doesn't that mean "not being able to read or write". After looking up some defintions online Mirriam-Webster's dictionary does have an added definition of having a lack of knowledge in a certain field. Well that sure opens the door to a numerous amount of considerations concerning the definition of literacy. I guess that would make us all illiterate in some area. I still don't buy it. All of these new defintions are too much, media literacy, visual literacy. I see where these writers are coming from, however I still view literacy as having the ability to read and write.

1st Blogster

Let's try this again. This is my second blog and we will be getting a grade on this, so here we go. I'm excited about creating a blog and possibly using this with my ESL students. Most of them love to type and I can imagine how this would help to motivate them to write.