There are lots of buzz words in education. The one that has peaked my interest
lately is digital literacy. What
is that exactly? A definition I
recently read: Digital
Literacy is using digital
technology communication tools and/or networks to access, manage, integrate,
evaluate, create, and communicate information in order to function in modern
societies... Goodness – what a mouthful.
So, how do teachers
begin to develop digital literacy in their students? Well, first they have to
develop their own digital literacy skills. That is my idea for summer for you – develop your own
digital literacy skills so you can teach it to the kids. So, how?
1)
Get
comfortable with the Internet.
Until you do, you will always struggle. This means you have to play, and play often. Watch YouTube videos and let kids show you how to do
something, like how to set up iTunes.
Dedicate a 15 minutes a day to learning something new.
2)
Play
with different Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis, but start personal before
trying it with your curriculum. For example, create a wiki to help your family
plan the next family reunion. Folks can add their ideas for others to see and
comment on. Wikispaces.com is a great place to start.
3)
Learn
how to use anti-virus software. This is especially important to those of you
who are terrified of accidentally clicking on the wrong link (especially for
those of you who are just learning to play). A great site is http://thebeehive.org/digitalbasics/2010/12/22/intermediate-setting-up-virus-protection/.
4)
Learn
how to test the validity of a website.
People often just use the top hits on a Google search, but those aren’t
always valid sites. Use REAL to
remember four steps for validation:
Read the url
Examine the content
Ask
about the author
Look at the links
5)
Take the
digital literacy course offered by the SDCOE July 24-25. I just completed the two-day course and
I learned a lot. Visit http://sdcoe.k12oms.org/864-59514
to register. It’s $29, but that
includes lunch and is totally worth
it.
