The blog post you are about to read is centred on the need for individuals to be digitally literate. As there are 3 members in our group we decided that we would each write a ‘mini’ blog post on the lecture. This will allow you to read 3 different contributions with differing ideas and views.
The new 2014 National Curriculum Computing purpose of study identifies that schools have to ensure that pupils become digitally literate. During the lecture a discussion took place around what it actually means to be digitally literate. It was identified that being digitally literate would allow children to confidently use digital technology which will allow and enable them to create and express their ideas through a variety of digital mediums. This will then be able to be applied throughout their life.
It was discussed in the lecture that being digitally literate will allow for individuals to be critical of what they come across using digital technology. It could be suggested that if individuals are not digitally literate and able to take on a critical stance then problems may arise. For example, in order for children to be digitally literate they need to have a good understanding around how the media can manipulate and distort images through the use of digital technology. If individuals do not have a thorough understanding around this then they may not take a critical stance on the information/image and believe in everything that they see. The question raised here is whether this may then impact upon children’s self-esteem? If children do not have a clear understanding of images being distorted then may it make them question why they do not look like the image represented? I strongly believe that if children are not taught how to be digitally literate and be able to be critical over what they see and what they may upload then issues may arise.
Esther
When we are discussing digital literacy, I think we need to be clear about what we mean. Renee Hobbs, an expert on digital literacy, defines it as “it’s the ability to critically evaluate and communicate information and ideas using digital technology”. I think often digital literacy is implied to mean simply the ability to competently use computing equipment and software, or interact with social media such as Facebook and Twitter.
However, in keeping with the more traditional view of literacy, what I think we should be focussing on teaching our pupils is how to interact with the huge range of information available to them online. What they will need to know is not only how to find and share information, but how to critically evaluate what they find, much as they do with non-digital texts and traditional media such as newspaper articles. With more and more of us using digital technology in our day-to-day work lives, the new National Curriculum for computing recognises that the provision must be more than simply coding or training in how to use Word or Excel effectively.
To become digitally literate means to be able to use all the technology available to express ideas and information, to share with others, to find and use information, and to be able to critically examine and evaluate the sources we find. Rather than simply learning how to “do”, we all need to learn how to think, and to engage intelligently with the rich variety of digital media available to us now and moving forward.
Imogen
http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/subsites/dilframework/
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/feb/10/literacy-digital-teacher
For my contribution to the Blog post I wish to address some of the 8 essential elements of digital literacies that were mentioned during the lecture and the ones that I feel children already exhibit and which ones we as teachers need to install into them through our teaching. The 8 essential elements are as follows; Cultural, Cognitive, Constructive, Communicative, Confident, Creative, Critical and Civic.
I feel children of this generations confidence, levels and skills of communication with digital technologies are already at an extremely high level. Before children step into a classroom to take part in a computing lesson they will have already experienced a variety of different technologies. Mainly; tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and laptop/desktop computers. For their generation all these different types of digital devices are common place and people cannot function without them, so that is why we are seeing children coming into school with the confidence using these different technologies. Also with their exposure to all these, children are aware of so many different ways of communication and how to do this using various devices, especially with the spike in social media and its useage. Also schools often provide a school VLE website where children can message one another and communicate, so schools have definitely moved with the times and digital technologies.
I think us as teachers need to introduce the rest of the elements for children to become completely digitally literate, they come to us with certain elements due to their usage and exposure to all the technology available to them. We as teachers need to plan and execute our lessons and teaching strategies to enable our students to expose children to the other elements of Digital Literacies. This can be achieved by showing them different aspects of computing and in the activities we set for them. We are teaching more than just how to use a computer but how to access the information and to use it in a way that helps them to learn as well.
Simon
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