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Module One Written Reflection

Megan Harmon

Arizona State University

Definition of Literacy in the 21st Century

Literacy is “a collection of communicative and socio-cultural practices shared among

communities that are interconnected, dynamic, and malleable.” (Witte, 2019) Literacy in the 21st

century still includes this but has changed from basic reading and writing to encompass more

skills such as digital literacy. Other skills include creativity, design, collaboration, exploration,

and analytical skills (Morris 2018). This is crucial in our day and age because almost all we do

has some digital aspects. 21st-century literacy involves “having knowledge and understanding of

the various texts and tools available.” (NCTE, 2019). A literate person must possess and apply a

range of skills, competencies, and dispositions. Literacy is taught to students to enable them to be

“able to read complex text independently and proficiently” (Fisher and Frey, 2012).

Disciplinary Literacy and its Importance

Basic literacy is used within all school subjects but there is no specific strategy that is

used within each discipline. This is in part due to each discipline focusing on different

comprehension of text. This includes questions students are thinking about as they read. Because

of this, it is important to use disciplinary literacy. Disciplinary literacy is “an emphasis on the

knowledge and abilities possessed by those who create, communicate, and use knowledge within

the disciplines” (Shanahan and Shanahan, 2012). Educators within each discipline have the

knowledge to comprehend the text within their classroom and they are expected to teach this

skill to the students. This is important because “the ability to comprehend written texts is not a

static or fixed ability, but rather one involves a dynamic relationship between the demands of

texts and the prior knowledge and goals of readers” (Lee & Spratley, n.d).

When using disciplinary literacy students learn to use literacy to engage in goals and

practices that are unique to each separate discipline. Brozo stated the importance of this
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knowledge saying, “Ii is further believed that these strategies will increase engagement in

reading and learning, improve literacy skills and abilities, and lead to greater knowledge

acquisition” (Brozo, Moorman, Meyer, & Stewart, 2013), This is done by teaching the unique

tools that are used by the experts within the discipline.

Diverse Learners and Equity in Education

Within each school, there is a diverse group of students. Each student is different,

including how they learn and what they need to be successful. Schools’ curriculum is mainly

focused on basic literacy but that does not help students in every subject. There are many

teachers that encourage new teachers to focus on workplace literacy because they believe the

students will not go to college. (Collins, 2016). This assumption deprives students of the right to

an equal education. There are students that may not turn in work or do poor work. Instead of

believing this outcome was due to the students teachers should shift their thinking to what may

have been wrong with the assignment or the way it was approached. There are learners that may

need a different type of assignment to show their knowledge.

Also included within schools are students that may have a disability. This is often seen as

a deficit to the student automatically putting them at a disadvantage. Teachers need to shift their

thinking from disability being a deficit to the student. Many students with disabilities are taken

out of a normal classroom and are put in a special education class in which the teacher does not

always have the knowledge of a specific subject. To be prepared to help these students succeed

teachers need to provide differentiated lessons to provide all students with an equal education.
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References

Brozo, W. G., Moorman, G., Meyer, C., & Stewart, T. (2013). Content Area Reading and

Disciplinary Literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(5), 353-357.

doi:10.1002/JAAL.153

Collins, K., & Ferri, B. (2016). Literacy Education and Disability Studies: Reenvisioning

Struggling Students. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(1), 7-12. Retrieved

September 28, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/44011343

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2012). Engaging the adolescent learner: Setting the stage for

21stcentury learning. International Literacy Association.

Fisher_and_frey_january_2012.pdf

Lee, C. D., & Spratley, A. (n.d.). The Challenges of Adolescent Literacy. Reading in the

Disciplines, 2-18. Retrieved September 5, 2020, from https://production-

carnegie.s3.amazonaws.com/filer_public/88/05/880559fd-afb1-49ad-af0e-

e10c8a94d366/ccny_report_2010_tta_lee.pdf

Morris, W. (2018, September 22). Why it is Important to be Digitally Literate in the 21st

Century. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from https://medium.com/literate-schools/why-

it-is-important-to-be-digitally-literate-in-the-21st-century-583000ac8fc0

Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2012). What Is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does It Matter?

Topics In Language Disorders, 32(1), 7-18. doi:10.1097/TLD.0b013e318244557a

Witte, S., Bass, B., O’Bryne, I.W., Price-Denis, D., & Sibberson, F. (2019). Definition of

Literacy in a Digital Age. Retrieved September 27, 2020, from

https://ncte.org/statement/nctes-definition-literacy-digital-age/