Lewis and Finders

In chapter seven, "Implied Adolescents and Implied Teachers: A generation Gap for New Times, authors Cynthia Lewis and Margaret Finders "argue that the 'generation gap' that exists between [students and new teachers] is shaped by the fact that new teachers and adolescents are compelled to perform particular identities"(101). Because new teachers are so close in age to the adolescents that they teach, these authors use the terms "implied adolescents" and "implied teachers." According to this chapter, "engaging in new literacies makes adolescents all the more dangerous, according to Luke and Luke, because their knowledge and skills threaten adults who lack them, leading to the current panic for the good old days of print literacies"(102-103). This quotation brings up a major concern for new teachers: sharing the spot as the source of knowledge with students. As teachers, we must learn that we can learn from our students and it's okay to do so. Because students are practically raised using computers and new media literacy, they have a lot to offer the class.

One aspect of this article that I think pre-service teacher should take note of is based on the idea of using multiliteracies in the classroom. According to Lewis and Finders, "In many ways[new teachers'} struggles with digital literacies were actually struggles with their views of the implied teacher prevented them from fully realizing that their own connection to new media may bring to the literacy classroom"(108). As pre-service teachers, we are around the same age as our students, which indicates that we share some of the same digital abilities. However, because we never used them in the classroom, we do not think of them as a way to promote literacy. For instance, these authors use the example of IM to show how social literacy can be developed. I began using IM in seventh grade, but I never used it in class. However, this chapter shows us that IM can help students use "technology on three levels: language use, social practice, and surveillance"(105). Even though we may see IM as a purely social tool, it does help students develop literacy.

This chapter shows pre-service teacher that we must keep an open mind to the technology that we use or our students use because it will help students familiarize themselves with new literacies.