The Web offers valuable information on helping students develop many forms of literacy.
One aim of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act is to ensure that "every adult American will be literate and will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a global economy and exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship" (H.R. 1804, 1994, Sec. 102). As the year 2000 nears, educators are finding that it is no longer adequate to approach literacy from the perspective of the printed word. Students also must be able to evaluate the images and information that they encounter on the Web and in the media—and they must be technologically literate to access this information.
Reading and Writing
The Literacy Information and Communication System (LINCS) at the National Institute for Literacy (http://www.nifl.gov), a U.S. government site, presents literacy facts; forums and listservs; and information about programs, publications, and events, as well as a national literacy search tool.
The Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (http://www.ciera.org), a collaboration among five universities, investigates literacy issues. Download "Learning to Read in Culturally Responsive Computer Environments" by Nichole Pinkard, read 10 principles to improve children's reading achievement, and consult a family literacy database.
Get involved with the America Reads Challenge (http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/index.html), a federal reading program designed to ensure that every child can read independently by the end of 3rd grade.
Visual Literacy
The International Visual Literacy Association (http://www.ivla.org/news/gallery/index.htm) promotes students' "ability to think critically and visually about the images presented." Visit the online gallery and be amazed.
At Kent State University (http://www.educ.kent.edu/vlo), walk through the basics of visual literacy in a tutorial rich in visual images. At the University of Washington, "Digital Images and the 'New' Visual Literacy" (http://students.washington.edu/gveen/english/visual) shows how technology is changing our definition of visual literacy.
Media Literacy
According to the Center for Media Literacy (http://www.medialit.org), "Media literacy is . . . an expanded definition of literacy beyond reading and writing, to include how to read the messages conveyed through visual images (television and movies), music, [and] advertising." This site offers tools to help students think critically about such topics as the portrayal of violence and the sway of advertising.
The Media Literacy Project at Babson College (http://www.babson.edu/medialiteracyproject/)aims "to improve the quality of K–12 education by strengthening young people's ability to ask questions about what they watch, see, and read" with curriculum materials, research articles, and information about teacher education and community outreach. Be sure to visit and bookmark Appalachian State University's "Links to Other Media Literacy Sites" (http://www.ci.appstate.edu/programs/edmedia/medialit/links.html).
ESL and Family Literacy
The National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education (http://www.cal.org/NCLE/), at the Center for Applied Linguistics, offers a newsletter of ESL news and resources, an ESL adult literacy e-mail forum sponsored by the National Institute for Literacy, answers to frequently asked questions, a searchable database of ERIC articles, and print and multimedia resources.
Family literacy enables parents and children to learn in a shared environment and involves common activities, such as reading a book together aloud. According to the National Center for Family Literacy (http://www.famlit.org/index.html), states introduced family literacy programs in the 1980s as a way to help families break the cycle of illiteracy and poverty. This site offers information about family literacy, welfare reform, and training.
The Family Literacy Foundation (http://www.read2kids.org)offers a colorful site with tips in English and Spanish for reading to children and information about such family literacy programs as "Reading Roots," "Uniting Through Reading," and "Youth Reading Role Models."
Computer Literacy
For educators, students, and parents, Online Computer Resources (http://www.users.cloud9.net/~dawn/)includes slide-show tutorials to introduce different aspects of computer literacy, including Windows 95, the Internet, and networks. "Teacher Resources" and "Student Resources" offer in-depth ideas and links to curriculum-integration resources for lesson plans.
The ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouse on Educational Technology (http://ericir.syr.edu/ithome/edutech.htm) provides publications, digests, links, and resources related to issues in technology and information literacy.
Information Literacy
The National Forum on Information Literacy (http://www.infolit.org/index.html), a coalition of education, business, and governmental organizations, seeks to heighten awareness of the need for information literacy. At this site are definitions of information literacy, information literacy standards, K–6 lesson plans, reports, forum minutes, announcements of available books and videos, profiles of member institutions, and a comprehensive list of related sites.
