"Paying Attention" to Technology

While reading Cynthia Selfe’s “Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention”, I was struck by many of Selfe’s findings about how privileged certain groups are to have the luxury of developing technological literacy. However, the one line in the article that caused me to start thinking about my role that was when Selfe argues that “composition studies faculty have a much larger and more complicated obligation to fulfill—that of trying to understand and make sense of, to pay attention to, how technology is now inextricably linked to literacy and literacy education in this country” (414). I hadn’t thought much about how my use of technology could increase the technological literacy divide in my classroom. Sure, there have been circumstances when my students have struggled with technology that I assumed that they wouldn’t have. For example, last fall I had to do a tutorial about how to send emails with attachments after a few students complained that they couldn’t figure out how to send their projects to me.  But, I thought this wasn’t the norm. However, once again I was proven wrong about one of my assumptions about teaching college composition and that there will be many students who struggle with technology.

                After all, the make-up of college students is very diverse, so naturally the make-up of technological literacy is going to be diverse. For example, I will have students who have not only grown up using the Internet but have actively been taught in using it properly for a long period of time alongside students who had their first experience using the Internet when they first started college. So, many people are going to ask, “How do we pay attention to technology and literacy in regards to teaching?” I think there are two big steps to paying attention. First of all, listen to what your students are having issues with. If it is something basic, like email or PowerPoint, take time after class or during your office hours to help that particular student out on an individual basis. Otherwise, you will have students complaining about how elementary this problem is. But, if the issue is more advanced, then maybe you can make a lesson in order to help bridge the gaps of literacy. Secondly, do more lessons that deal with writing using technology. For example, I am having my student write an appropriate email to a college instructor this week for a journal assignment.  That way, they can learn not only the proper way to communicate to an authority figure, but they also can get more familiar with the proper standards of writing an email. By doing this particular step, you are still teaching composition, but you are also teaching technology.

                Do you have any feelings about our lack of “paying attention” to technology?

Work Cited

Selfe, Cynthia L. “Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention.” College Composition and Communication 50.3 (1999): 411-436. Web.