The articles
from this week focused on understanding the definition of digital literacy and
all that it encompasses. Whether it is learning basic computer skills, network
literacy, digital problem solving or information literacy, it is imperative
that they be taught in an educational setting. As I wrote earlier this week in
my first blog post: there are many adults that do not have basic computer
skills and the effects of this lack of knowledge has the potential to be far
reaching.
One thing that resonated with me was from the article Advancing Digital Literacy for a Digitally Inclusive Future. It begins by suggesting that if you need help with technology in your classroom, chances are, one of your students will be able to help you through. Recognizing that our students have grown up surrounded by technology and using that to our advantage is wonderful, however, being digitally savvy is not the same as being digitally literate. This idea took me by surprise. Until I read that paragraph, I was guilty of feeling they were one in the same. Based on the readings though, being digitally literate encompasses a broader and deeper understanding of digital technologies, beyond just knowing how to navigate applications or staying up to date on the latest games.
Education
is moving toward being more intentional about the teaching and use of technology
in classrooms. “Powerful literacy instruction should prepare students today to
produce, communicate, interpret, and socialize with peers, adults, and the broader
world they will enter when they graduate” (International Literacy Association, 2018, p. 2). I
enjoyed the article’s articulation of how the real world has colleagues meet
in-person to produce digital materials for a larger audience such as a
PowerPoint presentation or collaborating on a written document. Similarly, we
may use digital meetings such as a Teams Meeting to prepare for a face-to-face
meeting with a client. I agreed with the comment that many people “…move
fluidly across digital and nondigital resources.” I feel this is common practice
with digital family calendars, using YouTube or Google to search for a solution
to a problem, or planning a family outing. I conduct many assignments that move
“fluidly” across resources, but I had never thought of how that mimicked the
work environment. In the classroom, I think explaining the reason behind the use
of both digital and non-digital resources is beneficial.
Many of
the articles this week discussed how inequities in the classroom could be
further widened with a lack of digital literacy development. In the past,
schools were at a disadvantage when they did not have access to textbooks, printed
resources, or teachers with strong education in certain disciplines. Schools
may now be at a disadvantage when they cannot obtain the newest gadget, the
latest app or digital tool. The easiest way to keep the inequity gap from widening
is to focus on the teachers who are teaching the digital context and tools. The
highest return for the dollar spent would be to standardize tools and concepts
that are being conveyed within the classroom – “…responsive digital instruction
today must focus on the contexts of literacies that are used” (International Literacy Association, 2018,
p. 3).
Vanek (n.d.)
goes a step further and points out a number of alarming statistics; the first of
which is that 73 percent of workers in entry-level service work positions do
not have digital problem-solving skills. The article goes on to discuss how lack
of digital literacy skills perpetuates inequities. A person or family that does
not possess internet at their home has less opportunity to learn and grow their
digital literacy. Without these important skills there is little room for advancement
into middle skill jobs which “pay more and provide a career pathway into
high-skill jobs” (p. 3). To close these gaps, it is essential to invest in digital
literacy programs and equitable access to technology, thus preventing the
perpetuation of existing inequities.
One of the
fundamental advantages of formal education lies in its capacity to foster
meaningful interactions among students and educators. Technology has often been
viewed as a hinderance to interactions as people “hide” behind a screen. This
week’s articles identified that technology, when integrated appropriately, can
be utilized to improve interactions, boost confidence and marketability later
in life. Students who may not speak up in class may feel more comfortable conveying
feelings, thoughts, and viewpoints through a digital platform. Peers may find
it easier to communicate and plan out projects through a social platform making
it easier to complete group projects and assignments. Digital tools help to
gather a multitude of information quickly and read many different opinions or
viewpoints. This can support students in understanding multiple viewpoints of a
story. Technology should be used as a tool to support learning and not to
replace the conventional methods of learning. Our goal is to improve the
classroom experience for both students and teachers – technology can help us
meet this goal as long as we integrate and target the skills necessary to develop
a strong foundation of digital literacy.
Sources
International Literacy Association.
(2018). Improving digital practices for literacy, learning, and justice: More
than just tools [Literacy leadership brief]. Newark, DE: Author.
Misha, A. (2023, March 29).
Advancing digital literacy for a digitally inclusive future. EdSurge. Sponsored
content from Dell Technologies. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2023-03-29-advancing-digital-literacy-for-a-digitally-inclusive-future.
Accessed 22 May 2024.
Vanek, J. (n.d.). Digital Literacy.
American Institutes for Research. https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/TSTMDigitalLiteracyBrief-508.pdf.
Accessed 22 May 2024.
Hello Stacie!
ReplyDeleteWhen I reflect back on my own childhood, (I am now 27), I can see how technology was already starting to take over. I've commented in the past how when 2 years after I graduated high school, I started to substitute teach for experience and all the students were now carrying around chrome books and using chrome books to do their schoolwork. It honestly baffled me the first time I saw it. When I was around these students age, we got to go to the computer lab to do math games on the computer, but this was maybe once a week for 30 minutes. At home I was able to use my computer to play video games or educational games. When I got older, I was allowed more access to my computer and not just using the CD rom games anymore. In my early teen years, I started to learn how to work HTML codes and build websites. Technology and the digital world were just starting to really take off. Now in my classroom I use technology a lot to help me with lessons, write to parents, and create center work for students, the list really goes on and on. I work with kindergarten and honestly some of my students have taught me new things I had no idea about and was baffled when they showed me. This kind of runs off the idea that sometimes your students know more about this technology stuff than you do. These facts also support the idea that you mentioned how "Education is moving toward being more intentional about the teaching and use of technology in classrooms". I have a love hate relationship with this idea because I feel that sometimes this might be exposing students to things they should not know yet, I in a way thinks it snatches some of their childhood from them, at least in the younger ages. Although I do understand that the world we live in is evolving and it is setting the students up for the advances they will see in the workforce.
You do state a very important fact when you said how some students at home do not have access to technology and develop their literacy skills it might create even more of a gap in their education. So, schools might have to find a way to be able to give students devices they can take home. I also love the idea "Students who may not speak up in class may feel more comfortable conveying feelings, thoughts, and viewpoints through a digital platform". I feel I would be one of these students, I was very shy when I was in school and also had opinions, I wanted to share but was too scared. This might even show teachers that these students do understand the concept of what is being taught and may even get some great input out of these students. Great idea you brought up!