How to define literacy

In class today we read Rachel's paper on the article on the literacy in
digital storytelling and the following question was posed: What is
literacy?

I decided to write a blog post about it after class today so I did not
forget my initial thoughts on the subject. While discussing the meaning of
literacy, someone mentioned the idea of being literate in different forms
of media. For example, being computer literate means having an understand
of how to use technology in a productive manner. Also, being music
literate means being able to read notes and understand them in a musical
sense that is conducive to a language.

After giving those ideas some thought, I feel that being literate in any
field means having a good understanding of that particular subject. Also,
it is having the ability to interpret the given message in the way it was
intended. Being literate in a academic sense means being able to read the
words on a page and synthesize them in your mind to formulate ideas. In
regards to the article, the author presents the idea of being "media
literate" in the present day. To better understand this point, let's go
back 50 years.

50 years ago, to be literate simply meant to be able to read. Now, in
2010, that meaning stays the same, but another layer is added. Being
literate nowadays is having the ability to communicate not only through
spoken word and writing, but through digital media. Digital storytelling
is a perfect medium through which students are able to write in the
traditional sense, but also incorporate the technologies that are
prevalent today. This technique helps students to become literate in the
modern sense, rather than just the traditional.