What do you know about reproduction literacy?
Reproduction literacy is the ability to create new meanings or new interpretations by combining pre-existing, independent shreds of information in any form of media – text, graphic, or sound. The modern digital technologies provide scholars with new possibilities for creating art and academic work by reproducing and editing texts, visuals, and audio pieces. These digital reproduction technologies require students to master reproduction literacy, which is a form of digital literacy. Reproduction literacy is essential in two major fields, which are writing and art. When using writing skills, pre-existing sentences can be reorganized and rearranged to create new meanings. When using art skills, pre-existing audio or visual pieces can be edited and manipulated in order to create new works of art. Students with good reproduction literacy skills are said to have good synthetical and multidemensional thinking that helps them discover new combinations for arranging information in new, meaningful ways.
What are your reactions to the idea that there are certain reproduction skills?
I use reproduction literacy skills almost every day. For example, I am using reproduction literacy skills at this very moment. I did not know that this skill even existed until my teacher asked me to research it. I found websites that included information on the idea that there are certain digital literacy skills required for one to become literate in a digital society, then I manipulated it and reassembled it to create a new idea. I formulated my own opinion on the idea of reproduction literacy and made use of the information to complete this assignment. I have used existing information found on the internet and used it in many ways to create my own work. For some of the genres in my class research project, I have used existing information in creative ways such as to create a poem, simulated journal entries, and an email exchange. So far, I have just used ideas and general information about a particular topic that I researched and read about; however, I will soon be using other sources directly to quote information and ideas. I try not only to find information, but also to think about that idea and challenge myself to use the information in a different, new way.
How do you think this “new” literacy will change education/schooling?
I think that reproduction literacy is another type of literacy that has already changed the educational world, and it will continue to change. Children used to learn to read and write at the same time they learned and acquired language skills. Now, they are learning new digital literacy skills as they are learning language. I know children as young as three years old who play computer learning games, when they don’t even know they are learning. They are amused by all of the colors and fun animation on the computer screen, and they do not realize they are using digital literacy skills to figure out the game. Most elementary school teachers are beginning to implement digital technology into the classroom environment, and the children begin to develop certain digital literacy skills at the same time they learn to read, write, and continue to develop language. The older population who developed conventional types of literacy skills through linear methods, such as using books, pencils, and paper to read and write, are having to learn these new digital literacy skills after they have already acquired language. New literacy and technology is like a foreign language to these adults, but they must somehow learn to acquire these skills in order to effectively teach their children about the digital world.
4 Comments
October 29, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Isn’t it crazy how we haven’t even heard of this skill, but we used it to write about it? There are so many things that we use so much that I didn’t even know existed.
October 31, 2006 at 10:03 pm
It’s weird to think that we use these skills more than we know. All of us used these skills when writing our thoughts on reproduction literacy because no one knew enough about it to write their response without doing some research first.
October 31, 2006 at 10:53 pm
I really like the way that you refered to using other peoples work and then “challenging yourself” to create better work. It’s weird how someone else will give you the idea, but by using your own creative juices, you are able to make it so much better!
November 1, 2006 at 12:11 am
I never thought about it like that. I am using reproduction literacy as I write my posts. I suppose that we use it all the time without thinking about it.