I understand the need for students to be literate in this country is in high demand. Art has never been a great chance for students to pick up a book and read, unless they really enjoy art history, and even then it may just be for a class. The overall goal of literacy advocacy is not that students read subject based readings only but to really except the fact that reading can be enjoyable, therapeutic, and beneficial in their lives. I believe that during Art class students can find a passion, or a love for a certain media, style, or form and by promoting journals, teachers can encourage continued growth in the knowledge or love for one of the said groups. By having students journal at length about what they enjoy, the students is delving into their own mind and thinking about not just what was visually stimulating but almost about what they have read about and have retained in their noggins as well as what they may want to know.
The same thing can be said for Zines, Blogs, and any other method of critical thinking about an issue. Zines provide a way to advocate for an issue t he students feels strongly about, and through reading other peoples Zines students are captivated by not only the imagery provided but by the message given. Zines are a wonderful way to get an issue across to the generations that seem to have their eye balls adhered to the television set, constantly being bombarded with imagery and music that promotes the opposite of what schools are attempting to get across. When choosing between watching television and going to school nine out of ten times, my guess is a students would rather watch TV. As teachers we will need to by pass this notion of school being boring and therefore not worth a students time and really force ourselves to look at how can we make learning as interesting as Jersey Shore, or any other disturbingly useless show.
Blogs may be our answer, the fact that blogs are on the world wide web is just one step closer to bridging the gap that exists between school and the students' entertainment need factor. A blog promotes ownership of ones morals and ideas on issues that are important to them making blogs more than a simple assignment that the student can recite what was given in class and truly delve into something more meaningful than the regurgitation of data.
All these things can promote literacy, but it is through the enjoyment of reading that students will truly understand and value the written language. It is not about forcing students to read against their will, but rather getting them to the point where the student can look at a book and a television set and not just judge off the immediate satisfaction of pictures on a screen but look at a book as a more valued source of entertainment. By "book" I do not mean a Tome but it can be, and it can by a graphic novel, or a short play if the students prefers it's about the students after all and should the student not choose what he or she likes?
