A topic I would like to focus on to better understand this semester is digital literacy. While I feel like I have a solid understanding of what digital literacy is, the digital landscape is constantly shifting and I believe it is important to stay as educated as possible in an effort to best relate to our students. Digital literacy refers to how we consume and share information in a digital space; through emails, social media, and creating digital content to share via PowerPoint and similar platforms.
I feel like I have a decent grasp on digital literacy, and have enough experience to use technology in a positive way in the classroom, however I would like to be more aware of all the tools available to me as an educator. As technology changes and grows, children are exposed to new platforms and tools that become the “norm.” I would like to keep up with the times as much as possible to better connect with my students.
One of my biggest concerns with digital literacy relates to accessibility. Thinking about students in underprivileged schools, I’m curious how students in these communities compare in digital literacy to students from more affluent areas who receive tablets or laptops as part of their education. How do we bridge the gap in underprivileged areas to integrate technology and encourage digital literacy in order to keep up with the changing times?
Another concern of mine surrounding digital literacy concerns reputability, misinformation and disinformation. Now, more than ever, I feel like digital spaces are saturated with information, some definitely more reputable and factual than others. I wonder how we encourage students to constantly question and check what they consume for factual evidence and validity.
The links I chose to share are listed here;
https://www.commonsense.org/education
https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/en/resources
https://www.learningforjustice.org/frameworks/digital-literacy
https://mediaeducationlab.com/
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/topics/digital-literacy
https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2018/10/03/read-alouds-for-digital-literacy-fun
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