Burnell asks us to consider various literate identities: citizen, consumer, lifelong learner, and global citizen. What do you think of these categories as they apply to you and your students? Are there other identities that should be added? Why?

Semingson asks us to think about the following questions: What is literacy? Why do we teach literacy? How do we teach it? How would you begin to answer these questions?

What literacy skills are required of the discipline you teach? What skills are important for your students to know in order to master the discorse of your discipline?

Considering what you may know or presume about your students’ reading habits, hobbies and technology use, what literacy skills might they already present? How could you leverage their prior knowledge & skills in the classroom?

 

1. Burnell asks us to consider various literate identities: citizen, consumer, lifelong learner, and global citizen. What do you think of these categories as they apply to you and your students? Are there other identities that should be added? Why?

These categories are essential because they will help the teacher and students focus on individual-centric learning. Skills to navigate these categories help to define how literate we are (Burnell, 2012). Another identity that should be added is a leaner as a member of the global digital community. The world is evolving, and technological advancements have been integrated into almost every aspect of life. As a citizen or consumer, one should have the skills to navigate those aspects of life and deal with other people in that space. Mastering digital literacy helps to navigate the rest of the categories that exist.

2. Semingson asks us to think about the following questions: What is literacy? Why do we teach literacy? How do we teach it? How would you begin to answer these questions?

For a while, literacy has been defined as the ability to read and write. However, literacy is truly defined by competency and experience in various areas and environments (Oxford, 2018). Literacy needs to be taught because the world is evolving, and many employers these days require a wide range of skills and experience besides a college degree or merely the ability to read and write. If students are taught about literacy, they will learn to be strategic in their approach to life. The students will be encouraged to be independent, try out new things, and find where they are most comfortable in their journey to succeed (Semingson, 2012). It will also help the students to love reading.  Teaching literacy is relatively challenging but can be done. The first key secret to successfully teach literacy is to ensure the content you deliver is meaningful to the students and not generalized. Equally ensuring the students are motivated is a brilliant way to teach literacy. Skills are best acquired when a student is passionate about what they are learning. Keeping the students motivated will keep them interested and help them gain more skills.

3. What literacy skills are required of the discipline you teach? What skills are essential for your students to know to master the discourse of your discipline?

Digital literacy is an essential skill in my discipline. The students must be able to utilize available digital devices and various information and communication technologies to create, search and assess content. According to Burnell, literacy is never an independent practice (Burnell, 2012). The mastering of digital skills will allow the students to use language to communicate effectively with the global environment, thus share a wide range of knowledge with various people all around the globe.

. Considering what you may know or presume about your students' reading habits, hobbies, and technology use, what literacy skills might they already present? How could you leverage their prior knowledge & skills in the classroom?

Most of the students prefer listening to content such as video tutorials as compared to reading actual books. Also, they like reading E-books as opposed to digital books. This is a habit I would associate with the amount of influence technology has in the world today, especially on learners. I would need to educate the learners on how to utilize the internet without being distracted from their goal because that is a challenge they tend to face a lot. Internet safety is also crucial. Navigating through the vast digital space can be challenging for some students ranging from the numerous social media platforms to the many sources of content. (Peterson, 2020) The students must learn to sift through multiple sources and assess the credibility of their content. I would teach them to use their hobbies and use them as tools to harness maximum competency in their interest areas.