Bookworm organized a participatory workshop “Updating Literacy Knowledge, beyond the a b c” at the library premises in Taleigao. The workshop was on the 1st of June, 2012.
Resourced by Dr. Lynn Mario T de Souza, a Professor of Linguistics at the University Of Sao Paolo Brazil, the workshop touched on understanding how knowledge is organized in written texts and looked at the various forms of presenting knowledge visually and in writing.
Through out the day long workshop, Professor Lynn shared his understanding and premise on what constitutes literacy, traditionally and in the more modern day perspective. He enabled comparisons with practice and reinforced ideas through theory reminding the participants that literacy is more than just reading and writing. Literacy is about meaning making within a context. That certain forms of Literacy are more accessible than others, that schools privilege some forms over others and that to be responsible literate citizens there is an urgent need for educators to pay attention to all forms of literacy.
Participants were Professor Alito Sequeira – Goa University, Jugneeta Susan – Researcher in Children’s Literature, Brenda Menezes – English teacher at the Goa European International School, Dr. Marita Adam – Director Spandan, Sheena D’Mello – Student of Literature and the Bookworm team in Elaine Mendonsa, Sujata Noronha, Chetna Malhotra, Niju Mohan, Krystal Cardozo, Niquita Ferrao, Desiree Alphonso, Sabina Ali and Priya Jargirdar.
Participants were struck by how much more complex issues of literacy in written material are, when asked to review texts available in the form of manuals, legal document, pharmaceutical information, bank application forms etc. It was very clear that certain forms of literacy are ‘removed’ from even the most literate by nature of the language/content.
The day long workshop ended with an intensive exercise of framing literacy activities that define literacy as a social practice.
Updating Literacy Knowledge, beyond the a b c ; was a workshop that did in fact update and in doing so, enabled more educators to think critically about literacy.
