Explore Your Learning And Literacy Project

This project asks you to explore your learning and literacy development by

This project asks you to explore your learning and literacy development by narrating an experience or set of experiences. You could choose to focus on traditional literacy (learning to read and write) or another form of learning over time, including technological literacy—learning how to build apps, navigate the internet, communicate through text messaging, blogging, social media, etc. Academic literacy—learning how to think, talk, and write as a student or professional within your field of study (i.e., as a scientist, historian, literary critic, etc.) workplace literacy—learning the multiple ways of talking to customers, colleagues, and managers within a particular setting or situation. Community literacy—learning to communicate with a particular group and understand their specialized language, practices, and values. Note: this could include communities surrounding sports, music, or other interests and values.

Writers can approach a learning and literacy narrative in many ways (working from a significant event or events, following a chronological pattern, discussing significant people, etc). You can choose any of these approaches or use one that you have seen at work in a narrative we've read or talked about in this class. As you make these decisions, remember that your essay should do more than narrate events or accomplish self-expression as an end in itself: it should also interpret the significance of the experiences for you and your readers.

In other words, this project requires you to think carefully about your audience and purpose. Keep in mind that writing in this class is public, and could be shared with the teacher and other students. Please only write about experiences that you are comfortable making public within our classroom community.

Assignment Components

In order to finish this project, we will complete the following parts together over the next few weeks: Invention/Prewriting: Collect and submit several pages of the invention work you complete in preparation for writing the Learning Narrative. This invention work can be typed from the questions in the CEL on Public Resonance, Analysis, and Point of Contact. If you complete this work by hand, include a picture or scan of a few pages of your work.

Draft: Include at least one pre-revised draft of your essay. The draft needs to meet the word count of 750 words and must also apply formatting requirements for the project—in other words it must be complete. Make sure that your draft is clearly marked "draft."

Peer Review: We will complete a guided peer-review process via Canvas. You will need to provide thoughtful and targeted feedback to your peers to earn the peer review points for this unit.

Final: For your final submission, you will need to have revised your draft(s) to incorporate the changes recommended by your peers and feedback from your instructor. This final should meet all of the assignment criteria, and will be evaluated with the Writing Experience rubric.

Reflective Self-Analysis

The essay submission will also require you to complete a reflective self-analysis assignment. This assignment is a brief reflective essay analyzing the effectiveness of your essay. The self-analysis uses passages from your own writing and pre-writing as evidence for the claims you make about your writing process and writing strategies.

Objectives

These questions help to guide discussion and inquiry for this unit. The goal is not necessarily to answer these questions, but to explore them through the work of class discussions, writing, and reflection. What is an experience? What are significant experiences in my life? How is my own perspective on experiences different than the experiences of others? How do I perceive and report my experiences differently? What significance do I perceive in my memories and experiences now that I missed earlier in my life? How does writing about my experiences help me gain a more focused critical perspective on myself and on my understanding of the communities around me? How can I use my experiences to build trust and credibility (ethos) as a writer? How can I establish emotional connections with an audience? What issues and audiences from my personal experiences and memories are most important to me? What enduring topics or problems do I remain passionate about?

Paper For Above instruction

The development of literacy and learning is a deeply personal journey that reflects not only individual growth but also the ways in which we engage with various communities and adapt to changing modes of communication. This narrative explores my literacy development through the lens of my experiences with technological literacy—learning to navigate the internet and build digital applications—and how these skills have influenced my academic and community interactions. By reflecting on key moments and significant influences, I aim to demonstrate how my evolving literacy practices have shaped my identity and my capacity to connect with others.

My journey into technological literacy began in high school when I first experimented with creating simple websites and coding basic applications. Initially, I approached these activities with curiosity but limited understanding. Over time, I immersed myself in online tutorials, programming forums, and coding communities, which not only enhanced my technical skills but also broadened my perspective on digital communication as a means of community building. This phase of my literacy development was marked by a significant event: launching my first personal website, which served as a platform to share my interests and connect with like-minded individuals. This experience underscored the importance of digital literacy in establishing connections and fostering self-expression within online communities.

As I transitioned into college, my academic literacy evolved alongside my technological skills. I learned to think critically about sources, craft research-based arguments, and effectively communicate within my field of study—be it through academic papers, presentations, or digital collaborations. The integration of technological literacy became essential for my success; I regularly engaged in online discussions, utilized research databases, and employed digital tools to organize and present my ideas. One pivotal moment was contributing to a collaborative research project that relied heavily on digital communication and shared resources. This experience helped me realize the significance of digital literacy not merely as a skill but as a crucial component of academic and professional identity.

Furthermore, my community literacy expanded as I became more involved in online communities centered around my interests in music and activism. Participating in social media discussions, sharing content, and engaging in community campaigns deepened my understanding of the language, practices, and values that define these groups. For instance, organizing an online awareness campaign for social justice issues required me to adapt my communication style to resonate with the community’s cultural norms and expectations. These experiences highlighted how community-specific literacy practices are vital for effective participation and meaningful contribution within specialized groups.

Throughout these experiences, I have come to appreciate the interconnectedness of various literacy forms. Technological literacy enhances my academic and community interactions, while my experiences in community engagement inform my digital communication practices. Writing about these journeys allowed me to critically reflect on how my skills have evolved and the significance of being adaptable in a constantly changing digital landscape. Moreover, sharing my narrative with peers has reinforced the importance of credibility and emotional resonance—building trust and establishing connections with diverse audiences.

Ultimately, my literacy development reveals the importance of continuous learning and openness to new modes of expression. Writing this narrative has given me a clearer perspective on my growth, helping me recognize the value of embracing diverse literacy practices to foster stronger community bonds and professional success. As I look forward, I aim to deepen my digital skills further and utilize my literacy experiences to contribute meaningfully to both online and offline communities, fostering mutual understanding and collaboration across various social and cultural contexts.

References

• Becker, H. S. (2008). Arts as represented in communication: a study of free arts and literacy. In Culture and literacy. Routledge.
• Gee, J. P. (2012). Social Linguistics and Literacies: Ideology in Discourses. Routledge.
• Hutchins, B., & Bruning, J. (2018). Digital literacy and online communities: Ethical considerations. Journal of Digital Media & Policy, 9(2), 225-238.
• Leu, D. J., et al. (2015). The evolving landscape of literacy research and practice. Journal of Literacy Research, 47(3), 247-259.
• Street, B. V. (2014). Literacy in Theory and Practice. Cambridge University Press.
• Shapiro, J. (2019). Community literacy practices in digital spaces. Literacy and Communication Technologies, 11(1), 45-60.
• Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2015). New Literacies: Everyday Practices and Social Learning. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Jenkins, H. (2013). Participatory culture: Interviews and reflections. MIT Press.
• Parsons, D. (2020). Digital storytelling and academic literacy development. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 29(4), 431-445.
• Kress, G. (2010). Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. Routledge.