I believe that learning literacy is specific to culture. It does not occur in a vacuum, but rather involves social and cognitive processes. Learning literacy can be connected to social justice.
I believe that teaching literacy requires knowing the learners and that it occurs through collaboration. Teaching literacy reaches far beyond reading and writing skills.
I believe that the facilitator of learning must question the learner to ascertain his or her level of literacy before initiating instruction. We must find out what skills and knowledge the learner already possesses and build upon that. Technology should then be integrated rather than imposed. For instance, a student who may be musically literate can be guided in the use of technology to write and record a song using digital media.
I believe that literacy pedagogy should respond to today’s technological world and digital learners through interaction. Online discussion boards, wikis and blogs can enhance and support out-of-class learning by developing skills that learners already have. Mauriello and Pagnucci (2003) introduced “the Internet into traditional pedagogy in response to the emerging national agenda to make technology a part of education” by using it as a “collaborative writing tool” (p. 79).
