In a nutshell (a very small nutshell), having literacy means a person is capable of effectively communicating with another person. Back when I was in junior high, one of our assignments for writing proficiency was to write an essay on what it means to be literate. I was only about 12, or 13 so the topic of my paper was “People that know how to read are literate. People that can’t read will not be successful in life.”
Fast forward 10+ years, and literacy has taken all different kinds of meanings. It is no longer specifically applied to reading, but there can also be mathematical, computer, cultural, technological, as well as many other types of literacy. You’re computer literate if you know how to use the machine. Culturally literate means you know a little something about your and other’s cultures. Being mathematically literate is probably one of the most complex forms of literacy known to me. I’d say I’m a pretty “literate” individual. I haven’t encountered a person that I couldn’t communicate with. Nor have I been unable to accomplish a task because I didn’t have the proper literacy for whatever it was that I was doing. Mathematical literacy is another thing though.I thought I was smart until I had to take the same math class like 10 times.
With that being said, am I really literate? Am I really a whole literate person or am I just partially literate? I never thought about it until now and I must say that it is very disappointing. Before being posed the question of literacy, I thought I was at the top of the pyramid since I was on my way to be a college graduate as an English major. I may be literate in a few aspects of the word, but I am not nearly as literate as I could be. There are so many different areas to be literate or illiterate in and I bet most people in this class are on the same side of literacy as I am: the losing side.
Just because we know how to read and write and all of that, big deal? Don’t you want to know more than just that taught skill? I know I do. Literacy isn’t just limited to inside the classroom and reading words. Therefore I will publicly declare myself as an illiterate person in regard to the real and outside world. Will I ever become fully literate? I don’t know. I am going to try though.
P.S. Thank you, Dr. B for helping me realize just how much I don’t know. =)
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I liked how you discussed the different forms of literacy. I never thought about being literate in other forms instead of reading and comprehension. So thank you for bringing those ideas up, they gave me a little more insight on thinking outside of the box when it comes to being literate and the definition of literacy.
ReplyDeleteAWw I think no one individual is capable of being literate in all ares. That wouldmean and individual would have to know all languages I mean just know everything. So I have always belived that those of us who are literate in literature are english majors and those who are math literate are math majors I must say I have never meet a person who majored in both( show me one)! So with literacy we have used what we have learned and had to smarts to apply it to a career! Sounds pretty smart to me!
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