Literacy Snapshot (Christine Balcarcel)

When I first started this project it was hard for me to think of all the literature that affects my daily life. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I would be lost without literature. From waking up in the morning and reading the IDS, to checking facebook one more time before I go to bed, literature is everywhere.
I have realized, like others who have already posted, that the majority of my reading is online. Between checking twitter updates, reading my e-mail, and stalking my friends’ facebooks, I spend a majority of my time searching through the internet. The thing that sticks out to me the most about all of this internet reading, is the way that our language is changing because of it. For example, everything seems to be abbreviated. Whether it is an acronym such as “LOL”, or just a shortening of the word like “ppl” (people), the English language seems to be going through some sort of transformation.
Besides all of my internet surfing, the majority of the reading I do is for school or work. For instance, I spend so much time reading syllabi, and required readings and textbooks, that I have lost the desire to read for pleasure. My bookshelf no longer contains any books that I have read just for the joy of reading. All of my books have been required at some point throughout my education. Realizing this has made me wonder how I am going to keep my own students interested in reading.
I think it is important as a teacher to realize that students will benefit more from reading books that they enjoy rather than reading textbooks or required readings. I understand that at some point it is more important to teach a specific lesson using these readings, but at the same time it is important to give students a sense of freedom when reading. Literature is everywhere, and it is important to keep young students interested in reading.