A Changing World For Literacy Teachers from NCTE

FROM NCTE.ORG21stCenturyResearchBrief

Global economies, new technologies, and exponential growth in information are transforming our society. Today’s employees engage with a technology- driven, diverse, and quickly changing “flat world.” Arts teachers need to prepare students for this world with problem solving, collaboration, and analysis—as well as skills with word processing, hypertext, LCDs, Web cams, digital streaming podcasts, smartboards, and social networking software—central to individual and community success. Literacies are already becoming part of the educational landscape, as the following “fast facts” suggest:

• NCTE Research Brief Click here.
• In 2011, the writing test of the National Assessment of Educational
  Progress will require 8th and 11th graders to compose on computers;
  4th graders will compose at the keyboard in 2019.
• Thirty-three states have adopted National Educational Technology
  Standards for K–12 students.
• Approximately 50 percent of four-year colleges and 30 percent of
  community colleges use electronic course management tools.
• The United States ranks 15th worldwide in the percentage of households
  subscribed to a broadband Internet service.
• Over 80 percent of kindergarteners use computers,
  and over 50 percent of children under age 9 use the
  Internet. 3
• At least 61 virtual colleges/universities (VCUs) currently
  educate students in the U.S.
• In 2006, 158.6 billion text messages were sent in the
• Over 106 million individuals are registered on
  MySpace.
• There are at least 91 million Google searches per day.
• The European Institute for E-Learning aims to enhance
  Europe’s position in the knowledge economy
  by achieving the goal “e-Portfolio for all” by 2010.

As new technologies shape literacies, they bring opportunities
for teachers at all levels to foster reading and writing