A brave new digi-world and Caribbean Literacy : a search for solutions

Abstract

Few areas in our world today remain untouched by the influence of the new technology and its impact on education. Teachers must now devise new strategies for teaching and the exchange of information in classrooms with a view to improving Literacy and the comprehension of English among speakers of English-based creoles. We advocate research and experimentation with digital tools as one of the ways of involving young teachers in possible projects that will challenge their own Literacy as well as that in the wider society. THIS COLLECTION of articles was sourced on the Connexions server with precisely this aim in mind. The first article on the history of Literacy and the evolution of the Connexions (OER)model gives us the signal that the proliferation of digital tools and their use in education will radically alter the face of teaching and learning in the coming decades. The second article explores the topic of the changing learning styles of digital learners. We are in for an educational adventure that has implications for the way Literacy can grow and be a source of enjoyment among dialect speakers of English. These articles form a framework for an exploration of how digital tools can be used to enhance Literacy on our campus. The COLLECTION will be used for a discussion of the issues in workshops and as supplemental reading in Literacy related courses. It has evolved out of an initial exploration of the topic of technology and Literacy. One hopes that it will attract attention and feedback from others in the field of Literacy and the new technology.