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Patrick Boulanger
Professor Presswood
ENC 3416
18 September 2020
Literacy
Traditionally, literacy has been widely thought to be as simple as the ability to read and

write effectively. This understanding of literacy was certainly true in the past, but in the 21st

century, that definition of literacy is more like a gateway into society. In the past, traditional

literacy may have been the only requirement for a good job, but today that is the bare minimum.

Today, it is almost necessary to be literate in many ways to be seen as a successful member of

society. Other types of literacy have come to the forefront during the current pandemic, as it has

become necessary to be technologically literate to be able to do most things.

Literacy in the traditional sense is the ability to read and write. Most people learn to read

and write when they are in school as children. This grants them the ability to attain the

foundational skills needed for our society. Candace Miller, a senior researcher from my first

artifact which showcases the importance of traditional literacy says that children “have to learn

to read in order to read to learn” and this statement holds true. Literacy is necessary to be

successful in school and because of that, those who are illiterate Unfortunately, literacy is not

equally attainable for everyone despite being the most important skill someone can learn. As

shown by Rogers in Table 5 and 6 of his writing Literacy and Its Significance In Modern Life,

students who are literate is between 23 and 29 percent less than that of their non economically

disadvantaged peers. This is an important issue because those students who are more likely to be

illiterate will tend to have much lower graduation rates in high school and college than those who

were literate. This leads to more poverty, as seen in Table 3 of Roger’s writing, where it
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illustrates how much an average person earns at every education level. This puts the illiterate into

poverty, and therefore the cycle continues as their children will grow up in poverty and more

likely to be illiterate. Traditional literacy is the gateway to learning but today, much more than

traditional literacy is needed, such as technological literacy.

Technological literacy is the ability to efficiently be able to use technology, and this has

come to the forefront of our society has technology has progressed. As computers became more

affordable and widespread, everyone has needed to learn how to use them. Computers have

become ubiquitous in our society, and it has become essential to be able to navigate technology

to be able to do many tasks. Nearly everything can be done with technology and not being able

to effectively use technology to complete tasks puts you at a major disadvantage. This has

become especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, as most schools and businesses have

moved to a virtual format and those who are not well versed in technology were left vulnerable,

especially at the beginning of the pandemic. Like traditional literacy, those who are in poverty

are at a significant disadvantage with technology. Although personal technology has become

much cheaper with time, it is still inaccessible to many people. This is a large issue, as those who

do not have access to technology from as they grow up are less familiar with technology in a

world where being technologically literate has become a necessity. Schools play a big part in

developing children’s technological skills, and for many, school is the only place they have

access to technology. I haven’t been in a normal public school in many years, so it may have

changed since I left, but for the most part technology was accessible, but there was not enough

teaching about how to use it. In my opinion, schools need to teach more abut how to use

technology to kids when they are young, so they can traverse an increasingly technological
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world. Another area that schools need to teach better is financial literacy, which is essential to

living a life where you are comfortable financially.

Financial literacy is one of the most important skills that someone can have to live a life

where you can successfully reach your financial goals. Financial literacy was not taught to me in

school until I started college, and I think this decision by the people who write curriculums is

terrible. Financial literacy is one of the more important skills anyone can have, and it is simply

not taught enough in school. Being financially literate can enable you to worry less about money

problems and it can help you feel comfortable with your future. Financial literacy has also

become a very valuable skill during the pandemic, as many people have lost jobs or have had

their time cut, and being financially literate may not make you immune to financial issues, it may

help you soften the blow. A global financial literacy survey concluded through a survey asking

questions about financial literacy that about 30% of people in the United States were not

financially literate. This is a staggering number considering we are one of the most developed

economies in the world.

After doing this project and learning much more about literacy than I knew before, my

outlook on what literacy is has changed. Literacy has many facets and it is not as simple as the

ability to read and write. Being traditionally literate may have been enough in the past, but today,

it is the bare minimum to be functioning in society. Literacy, despite being a necessity today, is

still not equally accessible for all. Economically disadvantaged students tend to be less literate

than their peers by about 25%. This certainly holds true for other literacy such as financial

literacy and technological literacy, as poor students do not have the same access to proper

learning materials as wealthier students. Something else that has come to my attention while

reading about literacy is society’s nonacceptance of any vernacular other than the traditional
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academic vernacular. This is shown in Young’s writing where he describes his experience with

AAVE in academia. In conclusion, literacy is something that is ever evolving and in the past it

may have been enough to be a successful person, but today literacy is a steppingstone to deeper

learning than can employ you to be a productive member of society.

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Bibliography

Wilson, Roger. Colleagues Literacy and Its Significance in Modern Life. Vol. 13,

scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1250&context=colleagues.

Accessed 10 Sept. 2020.

‌Mathematica. “Why is Literacy so Important?” YouTube, 7 September 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4RwKPe_v8U. Accessed 10 Sept. 2020.

‌Haanaa321. “The Importance Of Technology In Classrooms.” YouTube, 19 May 2015,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCi8rRfIw-8. Accessed 9 Sept. 2020.

‌HEQCO. “The Importance Of Financial Literacy.” YouTube, 14 Nov. 2011,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE1K1X3uFwU. Accessed 10 Sept. 2020.

Klapper, Leora, et al. Financial Literacy Around the World: INSIGHTS FROM THE

STANDARD & POOR’S RATINGS SERVICES GLOBAL FINANCIAL

LITERACY SURVEY. 2015.