Cultural Literacy Test Website
This website focuses on the importance of reading in order to become a culturally literate student. It implies that the more a student reads the more that the student will be able to understand content, which leads to becoming culturally literate. The website offers a variety of tests in different content areas to test your literacy knowledge of them. We do not believe that reading should be the only focus in order to become culturally literate and however there are many different factors that influence it. Literacy alone is not simply just reading, but writing, language, images, videos, etc. Becoming culturally literate is impacted by our understanding during reading (as the website mentions), but also our understanding during other types of literacy, our surroundings, and the knowledge we bring from other experiences and our own knowledge of our cultures and others. However we still feel that this website allows students and even adults to see where their knowledge resides in terms of different subject content areas.
Cultural Literacy Rubric
We have included a website with a rubric that explains criteria of being a culturally literate student. This rubric was created by Metiri Group in cooperation with NCREL. We agree with many aspects of this rubric, because it demonstrates what it means to be well-rounded and aware of cultural litearcy. Here is an excerpt from the rubric:
"Culturally literate students are knowledgeable and appreciative of the way that culture and history – their own as well as those of others – impact behaviors, beliefs, and relationships in a multicultural world. Such students:
"Culturally literate students are knowledgeable and appreciative of the way that culture and history – their own as well as those of others – impact behaviors, beliefs, and relationships in a multicultural world. Such students:
- understand that culture impacts their behavior and beliefs, and the behavior and beliefs of others.
- are aware of specific cultural beliefs, values, and sensibilities that might affect the way that they and others think or behave.
- appreciate and accept diverse beliefs, appearances, and lifestyles.
- are aware that historical knowledge is constructed, and is therefore shaped by personal, political, and social forces
- know the history of both mainstream and non-mainstream American cultures, and understand that these histories have an impact today.
- are able to take the perspective of non-mainstream groups when learning about historical events.
- know about major historical events of other nations and understands that these events impact behaviors, beliefs, as well as relationships with others.
- are aware of the similarities between groups of different cultural backgrounds and is acceptant of differences between them.
- understand the dangers of stereotyping and other biases; are aware of and sensitive to issues of racism and prejudice.
- are bilingual or multilingual, or working towards these proficiencies.
- can communicate, interact, and work positively with individuals from other cultural groups.
- understand how the use of technology and the Internet impacts worldviews.
- use technology in order to communicate with individuals and access resources from other cultures.
- are familiar with existing cultural norms of new technology environments (instant messaging, virtual workspaces, e-mail), and are able to interact successfully in such environments.