Reading is Fundamental

Designing interventions in public spaces to promote literacy and self directed learning without bias.

[rayperior]

Digital Colonialism & the Internet as a tool of Cultural Hegemony

http://www.knowledgecommons.in/brasil/en/whats-wrong-with-current-internet-governance/digital-colonialism-the-internet-as-a-tool-of-cultural-hegemony/

Knowledge and knowledge holders, and in turn institutions of education and learning, hold power and sway over culture and generations of society in terms of bias, knowledge, and socialising to maintain a status quo.

To subvert such cultural hegemony there has been a lot of work done, such as the gutenberg project and the concept of net neutrality.

Yet as there is a clear power divide even on the internet, smaller grass root projects are possibly a way forward in countries in South East Asia.

[rayperior]

Public and reading media

Hypertextuality is the order of the day. With the advent of the internet and smart devices, the youth of today are often referred to as digital natives. Yet in a developing nation such as india, that term is connot be used quite as loosely. We have the largest growing population of smartphone users, whereas there is a huge population that lives below the poverty line.

The need for public spaces that are open to all demographics that allow self directed improvement, and public interaction, and communication is the order of the day, without the need for formal interactions such as memberships or subscriptions.

Using various media and types of text and visuals  in public spaces, that people are forced to wait in or spend liesure time in, gives them access to the programme of extensive reading without much effort or monetary involvement.

[rayperior]

Stakeholders

Hierarchy:

Central Government: To serve a more civic conscious people, propogate learning and literacy,and to build a better democracy.

State Government: To serve the states needs and to better make public areas safer, and useful, so as to serve the people and bring around greater literacy and awareness.

Industries: To have better leadership and employees that are more sensitive towards the world, have better communication skills, and build a more efficient workspace and environment.

Public: From all demographics, the people benefit through the building of better learning spaces, public spaces, facilities and civic consciousness. Building of communication skills, community spirit and communal harmony.

[rayperior]

Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or duty. It should be offered to them as a precious gift.

Kate DiCamillo

[rayperior]

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.

Frederick Douglass

[rayperior]

Informal Learning Spaces

The importance of unstructured, peer to peer, informal, self directed learning is underlined by nearly any study or survey conducted by various institutions worldwide. To accomomdate such learning, environments that allow evolving pedagogies and interdisciplinary enquiry, and  place the learner at the center of the educational experience, prove to be vital in all institutions.

Yet it is also important to de-institutionalise such spaces and experiences, to be able to reach much wider stakeholders and improve learning from a grassroots level. It is of utmost importance that we challenge the thinking that the institutions of education(schools, colleges, etc) are the only means of acquiring knowledge and promoting learning. Thus, arises the need for free public spaces that allow for self directed learning without bias.

[rayperior]

Reference Materials

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/extensive-reading-why-it-good-our-students%E2%80%A6-us http://educationspaceconsultancy.com/turning-dead-space-into-informal-learning-space/ http://libjournal.uncg.edu/jls/article/view/282/278 https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/ltconference/2015/04/16/what-makes-an-informal-learning-space/?doing_wp_cron=1499868825.8434851169586181640625 

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/city-reading/9780231107457#

Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom By Richard R. Day, Julian Bamford

https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/collections/elt_archive/halloffame/west/life/

http://www.msu.ac.zw/elearning/material/1335344125freire_pedagogy_of_the_oppresed.pdf

[rayperior]

Inspiration: Extensive Reading

Pioneers such as Harold Palmer in Britain and Michael West in India worked out the theory and practice of extensive reading as an approach to foreign language teaching in general, and to the teaching of foreign language reading in particular. Palmer coined the term extensive reading to distinguish it from intensive reading (1968, p. 137; 1964, p. 113).

What is extensive reading?

Reading often and reading a lot, and reading a wide array of subjects, topics, and over different media is called extensive reading. The content must be engaging and compelling instead of merely interesting. the reading speed is not regulated, and there are no tests on the matter consumed. Reading for knowledge, pleasure or liesure is its own reward.

What are the benefits of extensive reading?

ER develops learner autonomy.

ER offers Comprehensible Input.

ER enhances general language competence.

ER  helps develop general, world knowledge.

ER extends, consolidates and sustains vocabulary growth.

ER helps improve writing.

ER creates and sustains motivation to read more.

With more spaces that allow for ER programmes, and house the resources for it publicly. We buid the foundations for a more aware, expressive, literate society.

Source: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/extensive-reading-why-it-good-our-students%E2%80%A6-us

http://jalt-publications.org/old_tlt/files/97/may/extensive.html

[rayperior]

Premise

Reading is the cheapest and most effective method to provide learner autonomy and encourage self directed learning. Promoting ‘extensive reading’ of textual and visual matter through the use of various media, and encouraging literacy is thus vital in every society. Using informal public spaces that are accessible to everyone to encourage the practice of informal learning will allow for much wider stakeholders.