Growing up I heard the words literate and illiterate. I knew that people who were literate could read and write, and people who were illiterate could not. I remember trying to imagine what it would be like to navigate the world as an illiterate person. How would you get from place to place if you couldn’t read street signs? How could you cook if you couldn’t read a recipe? How would you know if it was safe to take a particular medication if you couldn’t read the label? These were some of the myriad questions that occupied my mind as a child.
Now, as an educator and parent, I find myself revisiting this question of what it means to be literate. The definition of literacy is changing. Literacy means something different today than it did 10, 20, or 30 years ago.
I equate literacy with access to information and opportunities. In the past, people who could read and write could pick up a paper and read the news, pursue a career in almost any field, or attend college.
Technology is changing what it means to be literate. Literacy is quickly evolving to encompass skills that extend beyond reading and writing with pen and paper. Students today must be able to navigate the online space to successfully access information and opportunities.
