Hello. My name is Thom Gillespie. I write for a magazine called

[John Steinmetz]

Dear Thom,

That's a very good question. It's hard to be literate in a new medium 
when the medium itself is still developing, when there are few stable 
genres and little literature. (Look how long we had writing before we 
had novels!) Just as language literacy means more than knowing how to 
draw and decode letters, technological literacy means more than 
knowing what menus to use.

No, education isn't keeping up very well in most places. But they're 
often not keeping up very well with older kinds of literacy either! 
What about science literacy, math literacy, music literacy, 
geographic or historical literacy? Or what about plain old skillful 
use of language? Many schools seem to have trouble teaching how to 
use English well, let alone Flash or Squeak.

In a few places there are people who understand that "computer" is 
not a subject to be taught, but a medium to be used for reflection 
and expression--just like older media.

A related question well worth exploring is what technologies children 
should be encouraged to use at what age. Some educators think that 
children may be harmed by too-early emphasis on abstraction and 
representation.  Some preschools and kindergartens have established 
mandatory computer time for their students. Certainly children are 
capable of using the machines, but the question remains whether this 
is the best use of their time.

	John Steinmetz



>Technos. I've been following Squeak for a few months.
>
>I'm working on a column for Technos magazine which I'm calling 'new
>literacy.' I'm wondering if the tools available for kids to express ideas
>today include not just traditional writing tools but tools such as word
>processors, html, Flash, Director, Blender, Boxer-like tools, Squeak, and
>all sorts of non-linear editing tools such as Premier, FinalCut and
>AfterEffects, has literacy changed? If literacy has changed has education
>kept up? Considering that kids are different depending upon their skills
>how do you educate a literate population today?
>
>I realize you all are busy but I'd appreciate your thoughts on these
>matters and I think others would also appreciate your thoughts? I'll be
>asking these questions of others for the magazine.
>
>If you are too busy I also understand.
>
>Sincerely,  Thom Gillespie
>
>  \\\\////   tHoM gIllEsPiE, maitre d'Igital, CafeTechnos at ait.net
>  /ww  ww\   Indiana University, Telecommunications Dept
>6 (*][*) ?       1229 E 7th St      Radio & TV Bldg
>  \  .7  /          Bloomington, IN 47405-5501 USA 
>   ( --')       thom at indiana.edu     812-855-3254 (v)  
>    WWWW         The MIME Program in newMedia Design
>   / WW \               www.mime.indiana.edu
>   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Since permanent change is here to stay, to accomplish anything bold and
>beautiful in the firmament of time we must learn to change directions and
>fall gracefully   -- Sam Keen in Learning To Fly


--