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What is digital literacy?

What is digital literacy?
Digital literacy is the topic that made the ETMOOC learning space so irresistible to me… I think as educators we spout off about wanting our students to be digitally literate, but not many of us (myself included) have a firm grasp about what that actually means, and quite a number of us are still attempting to become digitally literate ourselves. Whatever that means. It turns out, defining digital literacy isn’t such an easy task. The etmooc community was fortunate enough to hear Doug Belshaw speak on this topic in a recent webinar. Doug explained that digital literacy is quite ambiguous, and he doesn’t have all of the answers when it comes to defining these terms. 30 definitions of digital literacy represented in one of the first texts about the topic (from Gilster, published in 1998!!) trying to figure out what it is and how we can ensure our students are “digitally literate.” Doug shared this quote from his research (Martin, 2006): “Digital literacy is a condition, not a threshold.” Related:  Digital Literacy

8 Essential Digital Literacy Skills That Students Need What was once called typing class is now known as technology class. Gone are the days where computer class was spent playing Oregon Trail and creating word processing documents. The networked world in which students exist demands an education that prepares students to produce and consume information in a variety of formats. These formats range from text to images to multimedia. Coding is a universal language and one that is useful whether a technical career is pursued or not. Despite the commonly held conception that students are digital natives, research has repeatedly shown that this is not the case.

Digital Literacy | Communication Learning | Media Education | Skills Communication 5 Steps to Teaching Digital Literacy in the Classroom Middle and high school teachers are challenged to teach new courses and subjects every year. Digital literacy is one of the hardest subjects for teachers. Some teachers need to upgrade a school’s whole computer curriculum, while others need to forge a course from scratch. With the increase of courses on digital literacy, how are you supposed to teach it? First, you need to know what “digital literacy” means. What Is Digital Literacy? Digital Literacy encompasses a number of 21st century skills related to using technology effectively and appropriately. While your state may not have specific standards, there are some common points all lessons on digital literacy should include. So what topics should your digital literacy lessons include? Information Literacy Today’s students rely on the Internet as a primary source of information for both school and personal use. That’s why it’s important that you teach students how to evaluate information to ensure it’s accurate. Ethical Use of Digital Resources

Online Safety: A Teacher’s Guide to Dealing with Cyberbullying, Sexting, and Student Privacy Social media and text messages have blurred the lines between students’ school lives and private lives. While most schools take clear steps to protect students at school, more schools are beginning to consider the need to set policies that apply to students’ activities outside of school. When it comes to questionable online activities like cyberbullying and sexting, kids sometimes feel pressured to follow the crowd. Image via Flickr by Brad Flickinger. Privacy Since the birth of the Internet, adults have been worried about kids sharing too much online. On the plus side, teens are becoming increasingly aware of the need to protect themselves online. What can you do? Have students commit to following school rules. Cyberbullying Social media and text messages are vital to many students’ social lives. The best approach to protecting students against cyberbullying is to be proactive and create guidelines before problems arise. Get students involved. Sexting Inappropriate Content Now, Keep up

21st Century Skills: Digital Literacy Skills – Math-Teach-Math-Techs Digital Literacy Skills Coding is a universal language and one that is useful whether a technical career is pursued or not. For example, having a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and the like creates a shared understanding and a sense of knowing what can and cannot be done with web pages.Collaboration in the online environment requires deliberate Students should be taught basic project management and group work essentials to navigate between multiple platforms. Utilizing tools such as Base Camp or Trello in addition to collaborative functionality through Google Docs allows a student to begin experimenting with effective online collaboration.Cloud Software is an essential part of document management. The cloud is used to store everything from photos to research projects to term papers and music. Despite the commonly held conception that students are digital natives, research has repeatedly shown that this is not the case. Preach “originality” in the rough. Conclusion: Related Videos:

Cornell University - Digital Literacy Resource Digital Literacy We use cookies to give you the best experience and to help improve our website. How we use cookies. Thanks for letting me know Digital Literacy Digital Literacy Home Welcome to the Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum. Whether you are new to computing or have some experience, Digital Literacy will help you develop a fundamental understanding of computers. The courses help you learn the essential skills to begin computing with confidence, be more productive at home and at work, stay safe online, use technology to complement your lifestyle, and consider careers where you can put your skills to work. Use the menu below to see the Digital Literacy curricula and courses available in your preferred language. After you select a language, click “go”, and the offers available will appear in a new dropdown box. The Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum has three levels. The Basic curriculum features a course called A First Course Toward Digital Literacy. The Standard curriculum is available in four versions. Version 4 uses examples and simulations from Windows 8 and Microsoft Office 2013.

What Are ISTE Standards? (And Why Do They Matter?) The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the foremost organization in teaching technology in the classroom. As a result, the ISTE has more than a dozen quality standards for how students, teachers, administrators, coaches, and computer educators should approach technology in the classroom. In total, there are 29 ISTE standards that apply to these five groups. We’ll cover each of those standards on this page. We’ll also talk about how you can meet those standards for the best possible results. Video: What Are ISTE Standards? First, we’ll look at the most important group — students. Group #1. It may sound strange to have ISTE standards for students, but education is a two-way street. With that in mind, the ISTE has established seven key standards for students to follow. ISTE student standards are: Empowered learnerDigital citizenKnowledge constructorInnovative designerComputational thinkerCreative communicatorGlobal collaborator 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. LocallyGlobally 1. 2. 3.

What is Digital Literacy? | LINCS Community Colleagues, Below is the introduction to an article I have just written for my Adult Literacy Education blog, Last year the print and digital magazine, TEACH, the largest national education publication in Canada, asked readers “What Does Digital Literacy mean to you?” In the June 13th, 2012 English version of the magazine, two responses were published. I wrote the first one, in the contexts of digital literacy for older youth and adult learners, and in the context of myself as a learner. Is digital literacy really literacy? To read more, and contribute your thoughts, reply to the blog article at You could also copy your reply here. David J. djrosen123@gmail.com

The Urgency of Digital and Media-Literacy Skills What a fantastic year that has begun – already full of so much possibility and no lack of challenges either! I am faced with the realities of my own personal beliefs that we are in an era of urgent need for digital and media literacy skills. As a result, I know that I have to make changes to my pedagogy that facilitate students acquiring the necessary skills, while still increasing their achievement. I am a big believer in the power of digital media, and the fact that our students are rapidly moving toward a full digital existence, if we aren’t already almost there yet. Digital media has opened up challenges as well. We need to look toward new objects of study and toward connecting with evolving practices and design challenges of the 21st century. After starting the school year, here is what I know so far: It really doesn’t matter how long you have been teaching, classroom management and self-regulation are always at the forefront. Differentiation is essential. Conclusions Deborah McCallum

Digital Literacy Resource - Introduction Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet. As a Cornell student, activities including writing papers, creating multimedia presentations, and posting information about yourself or others online are all a part of your day-to-day life, and all of these activities require varying degrees of digital literacy. Is simply knowing how to do these things enough? Consider how easy it is to cut, paste, share, rip, burn, and post media—at home and in the classroom. Digital literacy is an important topic because technology is changing faster than society is. This digital literacy site is a resource you can come to again and again during your time at Cornell, to get up-to-date information about issues like these.

Definition: Digital Literacy | Educational Tech Ideas I’ve been working Pat Pehlman to craft a definition for digital literacy and outline skills we believe students need to acquire before graduating from Dickinson College. Defining terms is not my favorite task to say the least. I’m always left with the feeling that I’ve left out far too much, or that I’ve made the definition so vague as to be nearly useless. That being said, it’s necessary since this definition will used to define a digital literacy program that will greatly impact our students’ education at Dickinson College. This is what we have so far. Definition - As digital media become more important for communication, critical thinking and creativity it is imperative for our students to be digitally literate. Skills: Visual literacy Geospacial literacy Image – creating, finding, editing Data visualization from quantitative analysis

The Definition Of Digital Literacy The Definition Of Digital Literacy by Terry Heick When we think of digital literacy, we usually think of research–finding, evaluating, and properly crediting digital sources. The “research” connotation makes sense, as it is the sheer volume of sources and media forms on the “internet” that stand out. But we are living in a world where the internet is disappearing, replaced by sheer connectivity. As the internet dissolves into something more seamless–that no longer requires a clunky web browser to make itself visible–we might adjust our perspectives in parallel. Take the idea of “literacy,” for example. Technology improves literacy only insofar as it improves a learner’s ability to identify, analyze, evaluate and create media. Literacy implies a fuller understanding and a rounder knowledge. This isn’t wrong so much as it focuses too much on technology and “the internet.” It is also a matter of “literacy” to understand concepts like digital footprints and identity.

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