Introduction

      My purpose for creating this literacy portfolio was to examine the three areas of enquiry in the integrated theory of literacy that David Barton described; "the social, the psychological, and the historical" (Barton, 2007, p. 33). I wanted to look at how these areas function in my life as, "a system of representing the world to [myself]" (Barton, 2007, p. 33). I have chosen each entry because I believe they accurately reflect how I engage with various literacies and am influenced by them on each of these three levels.

The first entry is my literacy log. I've included the log because it provides a fairly comprehensive look at all the literacies I use on a daily basis, and in what realm I use them. It offers insights into the social, psychological, and historical areas of enquiry through recording the literacy event as well as the practice associated with it and any feelings involved.

The second entry is an account of my 'cold-turkey' day. I included this entry because it allowed me to explore what my life would be like were I not able to use one of the most powerful literacies at my disposal. The hole created by the omission of this literacy had implications for the social and psychological areas of enquiry.

The third entry is a literacy-in-persons profile I made of myself. It is done in the form of a video and briefly documents what I believe are some of the most important moments that helped determine the literacies I would use and how I would use them. It's inclusion is important because it explores the historical and social areas of enquiry, and offers insight into how I came to see the world as I do. In learning more about how I gained the tools with which I interpret the world, I learn more about myself.

References

Barton, D. (2007). The social basis of literacy. Literacy: An introduction to the ecology of written language (2nd ed., pp. 33-50). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.