AY 2020-2021

Ed. 110 – Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across the Curriculum

Module 3. Social Literacy

Learning Outcomes:

1. define social literacy

2. explain the roles of parents and teachers in teaching social skills to
children;
3. discuss and examine issues in social literacy.

Explore

What is Social Literacy?

https://prezi.com/6dhdmoooxm7-/social-literacy/

Social literacy concerns itself with the development of social skills, knowledge
and positive human values that enable human beings to act positively and responsibly
in range of complex social settings. It is the knowledge of how to behave and treat
other people in a way that is morally upright just, and equitable, with a view of
promoting positive and productive relation that are free from unfair prejudices, hate,
and discrimination. These three descriptions will be explained below.
By morally upright, we refer to thoughts, speech, actions, and motivation, that
adhere to a standard of right and wrong. On the other hand, just refer to speech,
actions, and behaviors that are in-line with a fixed standard n justice-a system that
promotes and rewards good and at the same time punishes wrongdoing. Any system
of justice, whether national, regional, or local requires a body of rules or laws by
which to measure and administer reward and punishment. Equitable are the speech,
actions, behaviors, and decisions that treat others fairly, regardless of background or
circumstances. Not to be confused with equality, which connotes a fixed standard of
treatment for a people, equity seeks the good of others, and labors to find means by
which everyone gets "what they need" rather than simply "everyone gets the same
thing in the same amount."
Peers and schools play a formative role on the social skills development of
children. these social skills are often expressed as consisting of three inter-related
components: social perception, social cognition and social performance Arthur,

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Davison, & Stow, 2000). Increasing emphasis has been placed on the last component,
particularly in terms of outcomes. Social skill is defined in literature as 'the ability to
interact with others in a given social context in specific ways that are socially
acceptable or valued and at the same time personally beneficial mutually beneficial,
or primarily beneficial to others.
There are several types of social skills that must be mastered for a child to be
socially adept. These range from the ability to initiate, maintain, and end a
conversation to reading social signals to more complex skills such as solving
problems and resolving conflict (Lawson, 2003). The following examples represent
some of the fundamental principles of relating well to others. Children with social
skill deficits can be taught these skills directly by parents, teachers, and/or
professionals using the strategies of modeling, role-playing, rehearsal and practice.

https://www.understood.org/en/ https://www.verywellhealth.com/social-
articles/4-types-of-social-cues cues-5204407

Social Skills that must be mastered to be socially adept

Greeting- Children develop relationships with peers by interacting with them. The
first step in a social interaction is greeting someone. Greeting others is done not only
with words like "Hi!" or "How are you?" but with facial expressions, tone of voice,
and gestures such as a nod or a wave. The nonverbal part of greeting someone is just
as important as the words. It is not so much what one says but how he/ she says it that
lets people know he/she is glad to see them.

Initiating Conversation-In order to carry on a conversation. a child must be able to

initiate, maintain and close conversation appropriately. This requires good listening
and attention skills, as well as the ability to take turns and probe for missing
information, being a good conversationalist requires turn taking and reciprocity,
Children have to listen as well talk. It they do not show an interest in what the other
person has to say they probably will not be interested in talking. Impulsive children
often have trouble knowing when to talk and when to listen.

Understanding the listener. Once a conversation is initiated, it has to be maintained.

In order to do that, it is important to understand the audience one is talking to. A
socially adept child quickly and unconsciously identifies and categorizes his listener,
measures what he/she has planned to say against the anticipated response of the
listener and then proceeds, alters, avoids what she has planned to say. He/she knows
that talking to authority figures is not done in the same way when talking to peers, A
misread of the listener often leads to a misunderstood message and potential social

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rejection. To converse in a socially appropriate manner, children must be able to take

the perspective or point of view of the other person, i.e., think the way they think. To
do this a child must pretend that he/she is the listener and think about what he/she
needs to hear to understand what is being said.

Empathizing - Empathy is more than perspective taking: It means that one is able to
tell what the other person feels. Empathy allows one to really connect with other
people, Other children often think of children who lack empathy as mean, unkind, or
self- centered.

Reading Social Cues - It is very important to read social cues in a conversation. Cues
are the hints and signals that guide us to the next thing to say or do. Social cues can be
verbal or nonverbal. Verbal Cues are the words that the other person is saying. Tone
of voice is an important part of verbal cues. Good detectives pay very close attention
to nonverbal cues.

Previewing or Planning- Conversations also require that one previews or thinks

about what effect the words or actions may have on the listener before she says or
does them. It the impact will be negative; one can adjust what she might say or do.
Problem solving - problems and conflict are often a part of social interactions.
Someone may not agree, get angry, insult, or become aggressive at something that one
says. How one reacts to these conflicts depends on how good her problem-solving
skills are. Conflicts cannot be avoided and are often necessary to "clear the air"
Turning a conflict from a "win-lose" situation to a "win - win" situation is the best
way to resolve conflict. This requires negotiation and compromise, give and take that
results in a situation where all parties can live with and help maintain friendships.

Apologizing - Everyone makes social mistakes at one time or another. A person with
good social skills is confident enough to make a sincere apology for her error. This is
a courageous act and is the quickest or easiest way to correct a social blunder. In
reality, other people usually have a higher opinion of someone who apologizes for
making a mistake. Apologizing is a sign of humble and mature character when one
commits mistakes.

3.1. The Role of Parents and Teachers in Teaching Social Skills to

Children

Parents typically play the major role in teaching children social skills. Parents
can directly teach social skills by modelling, role-playing, and providing.
Opportunities for their child to rehearse and practice new skills. They should
encourage and praise the child for successfully using a new skill. Professionals,
typically intervene only when children are having substantial social difficulty with
peers. These individuals can implement structured, guided, and effective programs
that often involve group work with peers. Children must then generalize the skills
they learn in the group to school and other personal social situations.
School is the place where children spend the majority of their time with peers.
It is, therefore, a natural and perfect setting for children to learn and practice social
skills. While teachers do not have to teach a class in social skills, they can take

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advantage of every opportunity to help children improve their social skills. They
should be alert to teasing and bullying and aware of children that are rejected or
ignored by their peers. They should work cooperatively with the children's parents to
prevent the humiliation, embarrassment, and distress that befall these children. Pairing
a socially inept child with a socially adept one, involving children in cooperative
instead of competitive learning exercises, identifying and acknowledging the strengths
of all children, understanding social weaknesses, and creating an environment in
which diversity is accepted, and celebrated can greatly enhance all children's social
abilities, sense of belongingness, and self-esteem, not just in the classroom but in life
as well.

3.2 Issues in Teaching Social Literacy

How children develop their social literacy is intrinsically a contextual matter

and is not something which can be easily traced in a linear or developmental fashion.
The acquisition of social literacy is a complex process which is historically and
culturally conditioned and context specific. Children learn through social practices,
both explicit and implicit, and become human through social interaction.
Nevertheless, it is also the case that children engage in social activity before they are
taught in other words, children are disposed to be social before they learn what
sociability is all about.
There are two distinct ways of answering the question on how children learn to live
socially with each other and with adults. The first view is normative and communal.
From their culture, children learn customs that provide them with a guide to act in
ways that minimize conflict. The second view is pragmatic and individualistic. The
social order of children is created by explicit and implicit agreements entered into by
self-seeking individuals for avert the worst consequences of their selfish instincts
(Arthur, Davison, & Stow, 2000). In this last view, social order is dependent on
sanctions and formal agreements. Rules are obeyed because they confer personal
advantage on a child. In the normative view, children are persuaded of the moral force
of acting socially through their voluntary associations with others, both in their
immediate circle, such as the family, and in the wider community, for example,
through membership of a church or club. The child in this normative view will not
only know the correct behavior but will perform the role without any need for regular,
conscious reference to the rules governing it.
Teaching social literacy in schools is not as easy as it appears to be due to
subjective standards of morality and inherent human capacity to judge and make
excuses.

Subjective Standards of Morality

The natural outcome of postmodern philosophies is that truth and morality are
considered subjective and open to individual interpretation. This can be seen in the
current culture, where actions and behavioral patterns that were once considered bad
have now become acceptable - so much so that many now consider them to be even
good. When the standard of measure between good and bad changes, this gives us
license to change as well and opens the gates to all kinds of abuse. This, in effect,
pulls fine rug out from under any and all attempts at true justice and equitability, since

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they themselves rely on a fixed moral standard. Interestingly, many of those who
insist on a subjective moral standard be the first to demand for a fixed moral standard
when they themselves fall victim to a subjective morality's inevitable outcome.

Human Nature

While we would all like to believe that people are inherently experience has
taught us that the inherent goodness of humanity is, at best unreliable: Sometimes it is
there, often it is not. We are quick to champion on the cause of moral uprightness,
justice, and equity., but balk that when our words and actions come under their
scrutiny. In other words, we insist that others be judged according to a fixed moral
standard, but invoke a subjective one when our own behavior is questioned. We
demand Justice when we perceive ourselves to be victims of wrongdoing. But we
surround ourselves with excuses when we do wrong. We insist that others treat us
equitably, but are reluctant when treating others with equity costs more than we
expected.

Enhance

Today's students have grown up with the Internet that they have become
inseparable from their gadgets. Blake (2017) offers helpful reminders to young
professionals in terms of social skills in the modern age. This situation underscores
the importance of educating students in what could be called social literacy to ensure
their academic and career success.

Situational Awareness in the Workplace

While casual office attire has become the norm in many offices, job interviews
typically require more formal dress and behavior to demonstrate a level of respect.
Stories prevail of young adults showing up to interview in casual clothing, texting, or
using phones during job interviews or even bringing their parents with them such
behavior demonstrates a lack of situational awareness about what is appropriate to do
in different social circumstances. While college classrooms or the actual office
atmosphere may allow for a more casual dress code, students need to be taught what
is socially acceptable in terms of dress or behavior for them to stand out above their
colleagues. An ability to read social situations illustrates strength to employers-
quickly picking up on a client's mood or expectations in various business or cross-
cultural situations can be the difference between
success and failure.

Social Intelligence in Technological Communication

Text-speak and technology use have affected many young people's ability to
communicate. While email has deformalized much of the communication process,
students still need to ensure their writing denotes respect and provides enough context
for professors (or future employers) to readily respond. In addition, text-speak has
reduced students' ability to communicate using correct grammar. Through studying
particular communication genres and what they demand, students can learn more

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about what individual situations demand in terms of the formality of communication.

For example, if a professor signs an email with "Dr. Smith," this is a fairly good
indication that he expects to be addressed as such and not informally by his first
name.

Social Intelligence in Traditional Communication

While email has taken over as the primary method of communication,

traditional modes of discourse still exist. For example, many employers still expect
cover letters in addition to resumes, and the lack of a thank-you note fora gift is often
perceived as more than a simple social oversight. An ability to craft these types of
documents illustrates an understanding of social expectations and denotes a level of
respect or appreciation. While
not related to the traditional educational canon, learning to properly write a cover
letter or business letter or a thank-you card not only teaches students that these
documents exist and are often necessary but also shows them how to craft such
documents, saving them time and energy in the future.

Summary

 Social literacy concerns itself with the development of social skill, knowledge,
and positive human values that enable human beings to act positively and
responsibly in range of complex social settings.
 Social skills range from the ability to initiate, maintain, and end a conversation
to reading social signals to more complex skills such as solving problems and
resolving conflict.
 The modern age calls for young professionals to develop situational awareness
and social intelligence in both technological and traditional communication to
succeed in their academic and career endeavors.
 Peers and schools play a formative role on the social skill development of
children.

Questions to Ponder (Personal/ Individual written output

On your own, read the questions and instructions carefully. Write/type your answer on
a long size bond paper and submit it on the scheduled time.

1. Are you more of a listener or a talker? Which social skill/s do you think you
need to develop? In what ways can you develop it/them

2. If you were a parent at this time, what would you teach your children on
social literacy? How would you teach them?
3. If you were an employer, what would you look for in aspirants or applicants
for your company?

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4. How do teachers educate children of social literacy nowadays? What specific

content and learning experiences are there in the curriculum that develop social
literacy?

Team written output

1.How do computer technology and social media affect your social skills and that of
your peers? Cite positive and negative impacts of digital technology to
communication.
2. Make a list of Dos and Don'ts in the school and the workplace in relation to social
literacy. Present it creatively through an info graph.

Written Exercises

Read the questions carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. What indicates a person's ability to receive and interpret information in the
communication process?
A. Empathizing C. Initiating conversation
B. Reading social cues D. Understanding the listener
2. Which of the following is concerned with the empowerment of the social and
ethical self which includes the ability to understand and explain differences
within individual experiences?
A. Social performance C. social literacy
B. Social skills D. social role
3. How many distinct ways of answering the question on how children learn to
live socially with each other and with adults have?
A. 3 B. 5 C. 1 D. 2
4. Why is that writings should denote respect and provide enough context?
A. For other people to ignore
B. For other people to readily respond
C. For other people to criticize
D. For other people to think and solve
5. What strategy requires one to preview or think about what effect the words or
actions may have on the listener before she says or does them?
A. Problem Solving C. Initiating Conversation
B. Previewing or Planning D. Social Cues
6. Learning to read people, get along with others, socially acceptable behavior in
different contexts and adapt behavior is a skill called?
A. Literacy C. people’s skill
B. Social life D. social skills
7. Which refers to a sign of humble and mature character when one commits
mistakes?
A. Apologizing C. greeting
B. Empathizing D. initiating conversation

8. The following are the importance of learning traditional modes of

communication, EXCEPT?
A. It saves time and effort in the future
B. It denotes a level of appreciation or respect

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C. It allows misunderstanding among individuals

D. It shows understanding of social expectations
9. It is a natural venue for children to learn and develop social skills.
A. Mall C. school
B. Bedroom D. plaza
10. The ability to read social situations illustrates _______ to students and
employees.
A. Character C. skills
B. Role D. strength

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