Query about literacies....

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Permalink Reply by Ed Jones on February 22, 2008 at 12:28pm

Durff, I can hear a few C20'ers groaning as they see my name attached to this post! But, here goes...
Literacy has to be about more than decoding syllables, strokes, and drop-down menus.

This week on Battle of the Jaywalk Allstars an education major and aspiring teacher (looked over 20),
- Could not identify a picture of John McCain. "Polenti?" Had never heard the name John McCain.
- Thought "the Italian City famous for its canals" is Paris. Given the clue "Venetian Blind" changed to "Venezuala"
- Could not guess any war that the Invasion of Normandy might have been in. (This for probably the single most significant military event in US experience).
- Thought that Normandy might have been a made up place. Couldn't remotely guess where it was.
- Thought a portrait of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice was of Amerosa, of The Apprentice Fame.
- Knew that a picture of Al Gore was somebody who "talked about the environment". Thought it was Bush.
- Couldn't guess who a picture of Nancy Pelosi was, even given a first name. (Came up with Nancy Drew, but dismissed it.)
- No clue, even given the hint "bell", who invented the telephone.
- Thought Newton discovered relativity.
- Thought Michelangelo's David was either Eve or Michelangelo's boyfriend.
- Who lives in Vatican City? "The Vaticans" No, he wears a big hat. "Abraham Lincoln?"
- Obviously, didn't know who lost at Waterloo.

The good news is, the education major won this battle of brains.

Unless she is much younger than she looks, this woman's experience with the US educational system is about complete. She will very soon be teaching a new generation literacy.

No doubt she can help them text a message, download songs, and use YouTube. But can she get them started on their way to becoming citizens? Will they grow properly into their roles in a nation where each of us is a prince or princess, responsible for preserving that right for the next generation?

The "digital environment" is far, far too complex to master without some solid starting places about what is intelligent, beautiful, workable, brilliant. "Adaptability" is great. Works for the Marines when the time is right. But they also adapt from a position of mastery of basic skills and knowledge. In the case of students and literacy, where is the starting place from which they are to adapt?

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