Over the past year I have come to realize that the notion of literacy that we have harbored for so long (the idea that reading, writing, and arithmetic are the key components) has some serious flaws. I used to read newspaper editorials on a semi-regular basis, but I found that all they did was repulse me to the point where I no longer wanted to subscribe to such and such newspaper. Many people who write them have some deep-rooted issues with writing to be sure; however, the biggest issue I've noticed has more to do with their reasoning and their knowledge of the subject they are editorializing.
Lately, as a class assignment, we have been researching McCarthyism, Stalinism, and the culture of fear that seems to be making a resurgence today. What I've noticed during this time is the sheer lack of understanding of subjects such as history and politics in this country. In fact, in my stint as a high school teacher, I witnessed much of the closed-minded approach to school, history, and politics that is becoming so prevalent with the recent infatuation (by some very irrational individuals) with a guy named Glenn Beck. Now, I can only stand to listen to this guy for maybe 10 minutes at the most before my heart rate increases to the boiling point, so I tend not to lower myself to the level of those who do. However, there are those who sit and listen to the guy, cheering him on, for hours on end. How can we consider ourselves a literate nation with people like this in government? It's amazing to me.
I am not writing this blog to bash on Glenn Beck, however. I'm using him only as one example of the lack of historical and political literacy displayed by the adults and young adults of today (I doubt too many young children would even stay in the same room as his broadcast for more than 30 seconds). Things as simple as understanding the meaning of the word "czar" and/or their role in U.S. government as opposed to the negative connotation applied to the word from a historical context. People don't seem to realize who McCarthy was or what it really means when you call someone a Fascist. This all points to a lack of knowledge (illiteracy) about history and politics that has run rampant in our ever-changing world.
I have also been hit square in the temple by the reality that our nation's teens are extremely illiterate when it comes to finding and using information (i.e. information literacy). They come to the universities so ill-prepared that they simply have no idea how to use a library, or even Web resources for research. I want to make it clear here that I'm not blaming the high school teachers for this because it's not totally their fault. The culture we live in says that information and/or being informed is NOT a priority; although the reality couldn't be further from this notion.
This blog is going to focus on the many different types of literacy that should be an integral part of our lives, to include how to go about developing such literacies in a way that isn't quite as painful as one might seem. I hope at least a few people read this, but if nothing else it will give me a chance to brainstorm for my own research. Happy Blogging!!!
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