UNIT I

st
Introduction to 21 Century Literacies
Reina Chiara G. Magcamit BEEd 3

 Learning Outcomes
At the end of this chapter, you must have
 defined the conventional literacy; and
 expanded views of literacy in the 21st century.

 Pretest
Directions: Read and answer the following questions by choosing the letter of the correct answer.
b. 1.This is the ability to understand the meaning of what is being read
a. Functional or Practical Literacy c. Basic Literacy
b. Comprehension Literacy d. Creative Lieracy
a. 2. He defines the concept of functional literacy as the state of being able to read, but not well enough to
manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level.
a. Schlechty c Roberts
b. Miller d. Chello
d. 3. These arose from the increasing availability of communication technologies that were once unavailable to
the average individual.
a. Technical literacies c. Critical Literacy
b. Media Literacy d. New Literacies
a. 4. The ability to read (i.e. decode and comprehend) written materials needed to perform everyday vocational
tasks
a. Functional or Practical Literacy c. Basic Literacy
b. Comprehension Literacy d. Creative Literacy
a. 5. It defined literacy as “the ability to identify, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and
written materials associated with varying contexts.
c. UNESCO c. Roberts
d. Miller d. (Richardson, 2014
Good day everyone and welcome to Unit I! For further information,
please pay attention to the contents of the discussion. Please read carefully for
valuable information which contains further elaboration on Traditional or
Conventional Literacy and Expanded Views of Literacy, Literacy in the 21st
Century.
Pssst... Don’t forget to accomplish the learning activities and the assessment
sections. Thank You and good luck!

 Learning Activities
Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.
1. Given the traditional/ conventional concept of literacy, how literate are you?
 Literacy is being able to read and write. It divides into two literacies-traditional and conventional
literacies. Basically, in traditional literacy, is able to read, write, speak, and listen as well as understand
its meaning. While, conventional literacy is improved, not just to read and write but to apply the knowledge
that have gained upon this. In this case, I am literate in terms of being able to apply all the learnings I
have gained from the content.

2. How deep is your level of comprehension?

I can say that my comprehension is in inferential level. At this level, I can understand and explain what
the texts mean by inferring the main idea, predicting the probable future outcomes, and identifying unstated
reasons for actions or beliefs based on explicitly stated information. Consequently, I have the skills of
assembling the possible outcomes, cause-effect relationships in a given text.

3. As a pre-service teacher, what kind of written materials should you be able to read and understand? Are you
reading these materials? How well can you understand them?
As a pre-service teacher, the written materials I can be able to read and understand are
those written in posters. Indeed, I am reading this material, since it has also bigger texts and designs
that emphasizes the content of the poster as well as catch up the interest of the readers. I can
understand them better than in books and any other documents printed in a bond paper. Aside from
the text and designs, the layout and pictures manifest the meaning of the content itself.

4. Which of the new literacies are you knowledgeable in? Which of the new literacies do you lack knowledge in?
The Comprehension literacy is the literacy I am knowledgeable most, while the Globalization
and Multicultural Literacy and Ecoliteracy and Artistic and Creative Literacy are the literacies that I
have lack of knowledge in.

5. Although reading education in the Philippines aims to develop Functional/ Practical literacy in learners, what
level of literacy is being developed when classroom practices focus more on memorization rather than an
understanding application?
When classroom practices focus more on memorization rather than an understanding
application, the level of literacy is basic literacy. For the reason of, this is the ability to recognize such
letters and words, without understanding the meaning of those, which memorization is one of it.

 Enrichment
One of the ways students can be trained in the new literacies is to engage them in digital storytelling,
wherein the students take part in the traditional process of storytelling, but with some digital
enhancements. They choose a topic, conduct research, write a script, develop a story and through
the use of multimedia, create something that can be played online or on a computer. Choose only
One.
Digital storytelling can be broken down into following six steps.
1. Writing – write about a particular story from your life. The story must have a central theme.
2. Developing a Script – develop a script that identifies the important points of your story.
3. Creating a Storyboard – create a storyboard that visually organizes the flow of the story. Assign a
particular image to portions of the script.
4. Locating Multimedia – use search engines to locate photos and videos. Photos and videos from
one’s personal collection may also be used.
5. Creating the Digital Story – record the voice over for your movie. Create the movie using the
software that is available to you.
6. Sharing and Uploading – share your story in class and upload your work online.

“A Dream Come True”

by Reina Chiara G. Magcamit
Eversince I was a toddler, I used to watch my brother’s game in badminton. My father was his coach
and my mother was the chaperon. In that case, I became interested in the game, since I’ve also already
familiar with the rules of that sport.
Brother: “Maybe, you should start playing badminton.”
Reina: “Soon, brother. I want to be like you.”
Brother: “Of course, you can be like me. I’ll support you. In badminton, there are several techniques you must
learn to win.”
Reina: “Indeed and I want to learn badminton when I grow up just like you. And, you’ll teach me, right?”
Brother: “Of course, little sis.”

In the house, when my brother and father were talking, I listen. They’ve been talking about the
strengths and weaknesses that my brother had in his game. This was the time I’ve realized that I truly want
to play badminton.
Reina (inner self): “I really want to be like you, bro.”

After five years, in my fifth grade, I decided to join the intramurals to play badminton. Luckily, I won.
After that, I’ve also became the representative to compete in tournament in South District, and unexpectedly,
got a place.
Reina: “Yes!! I got it! Thank you, Lord!”

In my sixth grade, I’ve competed again and reached Unit Meet, but suddenly I’ve lost. I feel
disappointed in myself, to the point that I also lost interest in playing sport.
Reina: “I did my best to win, but still I lost. I will not be able to make it, if I compete again, even I train hard, I
will just end up losing again. I’ll just waste my time though.”

As the time went by, my brother gave me advice and motivated me to bring back myself in playing.
Brother: “Sis, losing is part of the game. If you never lose, you are never learned, and never forced to grow.
Just take lost lost as normal. I also been lost in my past games, but still I look at me today, motivated to
compete again and again. You can do it just like what I did. As long as you gave your best and enjoy the
game, that’s enough. Win or lose is not a big deal anymore.”
Reina: (I smiled and felt the positivity) “Thank you, bro. You’re the best!”

Unexpectedly, I’ve been given a chance to represent Oriental Mindoro in MiMaRoPa Regional
Athletic Association held in Romblon, Romblon, for the reason of the player who should be in my place has
been injured during their training.
Reina: This is it! My dream is happening... (inhaled and exhaled deeply) “Thank you, G!”
My supporters became so fund of me, even my opponents be friended with me. I felt so overwhelmed
seeing others so happy and proud of me.
 A year later, I continue striving hard in training, as preparation for the upcoming sports competition
in school as well as tournaments in other places. As a result, I’ve got a gold medal again in Provincial Meet
and represent in MiMaRoPa RAA in Broke’s Point, Palawan, and other won places in other tournaments
(Linggo ng Kabataan).
Up until today, I keep on believing myself that “either I win or lose, I still want to enjoy playing.”
Thanks to my brother, father as well as my mother who keep on supporting and believing on me that I can do
it. Now, I became more inspired which led me to strive harder than before.
“As long as we live, always choose to continue what you are doing, and instead of giving up no
matter how hard it takes, always strive and give your best shot!”

(Note: The Digital Storytelling of this story is attached in another attachment.)

 Assessment
Directions: Read the questions carefully. Write your answer in a separate sheet of paper.
1. Compare and contrast the traditional concept of literacy to the modern view of literacy.
Literacy is being defined as the ability to identify, interpret, create, communicate, and
compute using printed and written materials, as formally defined by UNESCO in 2004. In UNESCO’s
definition of literacy, reading does not appear, instead literacy has taken on a definition more likely
to knowing about something and what to do with it.

According to Mkandawire (2018), literacy is a form of knowledge, competence and skills in

particular field or area, which is being supported by UNESCO (2006), Barton (2007), and
Mkandawire, Simooya-Mudenda, and Cheelo (2017), which recognized modern views appear that
literacy is equivalent with knowledge. Modern literacy in 21st century is defined as the skills and
bodies of knowledge which are said to be necessary for the survival and productivity in the
information age.

In general, there is a transition of the traditional literacy, from being able to read and write
into modern concept to skills and bodies of knowledge.

Comparably, traditional and modern literacies are both utilized in history. Since, in modern
literacies, the ability to translate textual information in images is not a new skill, similar in being able
to verify the truth-value and veracity of a document, but still are considered in the modern literacy. In
addition, traditional and modern literacies both utilize reading and writing to understand a certain
thing or text in order to gain knowledge and develop the skills through application of it. Therefore,
both of them have great importance in building and enhancing literacies to the future educators.

2. Describe the changes in the 21st century that have led to the rise of new literacies.
Literacy is defined as being able to read and write. However, in the 21st century, the concept
of new literacies has something wrong in usage and being change as the new literacies.

In the 21st century, the new literacies are the ability to read and write, but somehow in the
perspective of literacy knowledge, to focus on “skills and bodies of knowledge” which are said to be
useful for the survival and productivity. Similarly, these are considered as not new which they have
never existed before. Since, at that time, being able to translate information or texts into imaged are
 existed which are not a new skill; together with the ability to verify the truth-value and veracity of a
document. But, in doing so of several similar documents available is a new one. Meanwhile, visual
literacy, through visual languages, helps to understand or interpret what are the messages behind,
which is utilize again in the 21st century, but modified, from analyzing to interpreting the sounds, texts
and images from important personal and collective decision making.

The so-called new literacies started from arising availability of communication technologies
that were once unavailable to every individual. That the increase of means of communication,
increase of researches, and extent of communication become available to each, even the children
can do and understand.

Therefore, several changes in literacies have been risen or will soon exist as the time goes
by, but by being literate in a way of adaptation of the changes in the society or even the country must
be applied.

Thank you for answering the test and all other activities provided in this
module.
I hope that you have acquired necessary information and desired learning
competencies in preparation for your future career as teacher. Good luck!
Now, you are ready to do the next lesson, Thank You!

References
Alata et.al. Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum, Rex Book Store 2007
Barton,D. (2007) . Literacy: An Introduction to the ecology of written language Oxford, UK:
Blackwell.

Prepared by:
EVA V. BRINOSA , Ed.D
Associate Professor IV