We’ve covered a lot of ground on literacy in ten weeks. While it sounds like a lot of time, it really hasn’t seemed like much. As I reviewed the articles we’ve read and discussed, I realized that there was a lot of information that I would never have imagined learning, and now I can’t imagine not knowing it. For example, learning that the earliest form of writing was impressions in clay for the purpose of tracking trade. Like, who would know that besides literacy scholars? But it is a piece of information I know I won’t forget. I also won’t forget arguing that TV fandoms should be a central part of school curriculum based on Jenkins’s research of participatory culture. It is such an obscure concept, yet one totally worth considering in association with education.
It is hard for me to think back to my previous understanding of literacy which had been so narrow and didn’t account for 10% of scholars’ knowledge on the subject. Literacy is everywhere and functions across all fields of study, yet it lacks a consistent definition. Literacy means something a little bit different depending on the historical and social context in question which, for me, is difficult to conceive. I do enjoy the challenge of understanding such an expansive subject, though.
I guess I also learned that I’m a geek for literacy studies, too.
