What is literacy?
What does it mean for education?
Do we need to redefine literacy? or modify it?
Do our education systems and curricula need to be re-evaluated?

What is literacy?

Individual teachers came up with the list below:

* the basics – working with words and numbers

* critical and visual literacies

* reading the world

* information literacy

* visual media literacy

* social literacy

* outdoor literacy

=> “multiple literacies”

What does this mean for education?

The role of the teacher is changing.

The role of partnership in learning.

Technological literacy needs be included as it is part of students’ lifestyles, often invading private lives, and therefore teachers need to have training in the use of technology. The influx of technology into our daily lives means that a new generation of teachers is being created with their own expectations of basic resources.

There is a worry that student (and teachers) can be overwhelmed by information.

We need to be concerned of student’s welfare – their emotional health.

There are any ways in which to receive information, therefore students need to be taught how to evaluate and use the information that they receive.

There needs to be greater understanding of the skills that students are going to need for the future workforce.

Do we need to redefine literacy? or modify it?

Do our education systems and curricula need to be re-evaluated?