Week 6: Information Literacy

Week 6: Digital Literacy Blog

 Choose My Own Adventure!

I choose to do this week's blog post on the subtopic of information literacy called digital literacy. I choose this topic because I felt like it would relate the most of the knowledge and skills my math students would need to know. I think after browsing around the different types that all of them have some importance to be taught, however, I thought since this one would be the most useful one to teach in a math classroom, I would dive further into learning about digital literacy.

What is Digital Literacy?: 

While reading multiple different articles about digital literacy, I have basically come to find that digital literacy is basically teaching our students how to properly use technology to create and use information.  The US Digital Literacy website (http://digitalliteracy.us/) states that "The University Library of The University of Illinois defines digital literacy as: The ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information...a person's ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment". This relates to information literacy because it would be one type of literacy that would be under the umbrella term of information literacy. Information literacy is being able to find and use information/knowledge with multiple formats in which digitally is one type of format. 

I think this Purposeful Technology website (http://purposefultechnology.weebly.com/creating-digital-citizens---what-is-digital-literacy.html) said it best "Most students today have more knowledge about technology than their teachers, but most have not had instruction on how and when to use technology appropriately". So basically let's go beyond teaching them what technology is out there and how to use, but also discuss when they should use it, how to use it best and how to share their digital information/creation with others. 

Below is a picture that explains the components of digital literacy we should be teaching in our classroom curriculum. Once can see how closely it relates to the 4C's and 21st century skills thus furthering the importance of teaching this in the classroom to prepare our youth for the real-world jobs out there in their futures. These are breakdowns of what to be teaching our children about the digital world which would be easy to tie into every class while teaching content and other skills. It even ties it perfectly with the ISTE NETS & technology encouragement of the CCSS. 

Components of Digital Literacy to Teach in Curriculum
(http://purposefultechnology.weebly.com/how-can-we-embed-digital-literacy-in-the-classroom.html)

Examples of Digital Literacy: 

Here are some examples of digital literacy form the website Purposeful Technology:

(http://purposefultechnology.weebly.com/creating-digital-citizens---what-is-digital-literacy.html)

• Understanding how to use web browsers, search engines, email, text, wiki, blogs, Photoshop, Powerpoint, video creation/editing software , etc. to showcase learning.
• Evaluating online resources for accuracy/trustworthiness of information.
• Using online classes to enhance learning in the classroom.
• Choosing appropriate media to showcase learning - understand what platforms will best illustrate your message and learning to peers and educators.
• Using an interactive whiteboard in the classroom for lessons and allowing students to use the interactive whiteboard on a daily basis.
• Encouraging students to use technology to showcase their learning.
• Using the web ( web sites video, music) to enhance the learning of your students.
• Students and teachers creating online content to be utilized both in and out of the classroom.

Digital Youth Network Digital Literacy Example: 

An additional resource I found while researching was the Digital Youth Network (http://digitalyouthnetwork.org/). It is a project created in 2006 by Dr. Nicole Pinkard in Chicago where there goal is to create different programs/curriculum that will ensure that all students are "digitally literate". I think the video pretty much sums of what they are trying to do with their students so please watch this link it to get a better idea of what they are doing. I believe this is a tremendously important project that is really helping children grow with using different digital devices to be successful in future careers so it basically wraps learning content with the 21st century skills to being able to create, communicate, collaborate and critically think about the information using technology/digital tools. I think this is also important to help with differentiate learning beyond the core subjects and allowing student's to pursue careers in "elective classes" that usually involve a lot of different digital devices like cameras in photography and turntables/mixing software in music class. 

Reflection on Digital Literacy:

In terms of the math classrooms in my school and from talking to my fellow colleagues, I do not think we are address the topic of digital literacy enough. I think we use technology and we teach student's how to use it, but we aren't venturing out enough with it! I don't really know about other classes nor the library/elective classes, but I know that we do not really have any initiative for it at Waukegan High school other than putting Chromebooks in the hands of every student and teacher. I think when I finish my masters that it would be interesting to start a PD about information literacy and help teach teachers about the importance of digital/media literacy to our students. I think it would first be important to make it know by maybe surveying teachers and observing classrooms and trying to get more teachers aware for it. I think then having some type of PD day for it with the other technology people in the building would be useful. I think the PD needs to be hands on with many examples to make the most out of it. Thus overall I would say this does need to be taught to students and would love to bring these ideas to the table at school to start some type of initiative about it. I think it would be cool to make changes in our building that help support information literacy like Nicole Pinkard ldid with the Chicago schools which will also support children who want to learn about elective careers and doing that using technology is an important step!