Literacy Snapshot-Courtney Silverstein

It was funny to me to realize just how much I read throughout the day. I never thought of myself as a huge reader-I always enjoy reading just don’t always find the time to sit and read a book. However, after I thought about it I am constantly reading every day. It made me think back to when I was a kid and I was just learning how to read; I was probably pointing out everything in sight that I could read. Now it seems I take advantage of my skill. I read street signs, labels on food or drinks in the mornings, text books, text messages, internet articles, scores to sporting events etc. I do all these things without even realizing I’m reading! I realized that if I didn’t know how to read I would be lost. It made me feel bad for the people who do not get the privilege to learn how to read. Here I am taking advantage of being literate, while some adults can’t even read their name on a piece of paper.
However, I do read and write probably at least ¾ of my day! When I wake up, I read emails and my assignment book to make sure I bring the right materials to my classes for the day. I read the labels of the food in the pantry to find my breakfast. I read during all of my classes and on my breaks I continue to read-crosswords, text messages, facebook posts, articles in People magazine etc. When I get home from class, I read homework, the guide to the TV, pages on facebook, etc. All throughout my day I read, listen and write-using my literacy in many ways. I also discovered that even though I am quite a literate individual I don’t read a lot about the world. I seem to be caught up in my classes and own life to pay much attention to the news outside my local life. I feel like I should be reading more about what is going on around the world, especially since today’s society is so globalized. Being knowledgeable about the world is important as an educator because so many of our future students will have different cultures and backgrounds. Knowing more about each of their cultures would greatly benefit the classroom. In general, this project has opened my eyes to the importance of literacy.