OBJECTIVES At the end of this chapter, you should be able to develop a clear and practical understanding of the following: •
definitions of conventional literacy; and
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expanded views of literacy in the 21 st century.
Literacy is defined by dictionaries as the state of being able to read and write (Literacy, Literate, n.d.). Although it is the ultimate thesis of this chapter that such a traditional definition no longer suffices in the information age, a thorough understanding of literacy and its past nuances will give us a solid foundation in exploring and discussing the "new " literacies of the 21st century and why possessing them is now mandatory for both teachers and students in all levels of education. This chapter explores several definitions of literacy and what being literate means in the multiplicity of contexts in the 21st century, with the goal of raising awareness in readers who might be presently unaware of the evolving perspectives on literacy and giving teachers the opportunity to pause and reflect on their own literacies even as they attempt to teach the new literacies to their students. Traditional or Conventional Literacy
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