Literacy

• More than the ability to read and write
• Ability to comprehend secondary discourse (Gee)
• Ability to interpret text
• Ability to understand complex ideas
• Multimodality
  • technology in the digital age
  • Graffiti
  • Critical thinking
  • Reading the world (Freire) using life experience
• NLS (new literacy studies) (Street) new conceptualization power on the screen rather than the book
  • Connected to social context

Illiteracy

• Inability to comprehend secondary discourse (Gee)
  • distance from dominant discourse
• New social environment – communicative competence
• Lack of power, voice, rights
• Inability to communicate with verbal (written) resources
• Marginalizing people

Characteristics

• Power (cow video)
• Knowledgeable in/about specific contexts/areas
• Educated on secondary discourses (Gee)
• Able to negotiate and compromise ideas (Freire)