DIGITAL LITERACY

 

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Digital Literacy can be defined as having the essential skills needed to live and work in an environment where access to information is through digital technologies such as social media and mobile devices. In addition the ability of individuals to use the digital technologies appropriately in evaluating information, building new knowledge and communicating with others.

When we speak about Digital Literacy we need to look at some key features like exposure and training, ongoing professional development, digital citizenship and using Professional Learning Communities (PLC.)  It is common for all Educators in recent times to interact with some form of technology.  Pre-pandemic, in our system, many institutions relied mainly on the traditional methods of the teaching and learning process.  However, during the Covid-19 pandemic there was a need to transition to unfamiliar territory for Educators.  Mass training was given and many teachers felt uneasy in a technological driven forum.  

For many, previous exposure and training would have been advantageous for them to acquire the requisite skills to competently and effectively teach.  Fortunately, some institutions like The Ellerslie School had already been using technology with their students, therefore many of the staff at that institution were trained in the use of various tools and were able to transfer with minimal disruption.  These skills were then taught to others in an environment which was collaborative and supportive giving the teachers the knowledge that they in turn passed on to students.

Ongoing professional development will lay the foundation for continued use of technology and the digital tools for use everyday in the classroom.  Teachers will be able to instruct using available online resources, students will be engaged in the lessons and are able to participate actively whether remotely or in the face to face environment.  Subject content which was once paper-based can now be transferred to digital content, that is easily accessed.

Another aspect of Digital Literacy involves teaching digital citizenship to the students so they understand the full scope of using technology.  Under the ISTE standards for students they should understand the responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning in a digital world and ensure that they do so in a safe, legal and ethical way.  

The video below shows why teaching Digital Citizenship is viewed as important.

 

It has been suggested that having a Professional Learning Community (PLC) with your staff supports collaboration and integration of technology.  A PLC is a group of persons in education who share information on matters relating to the curriculum to help improve teaching and learning outcomes.  Some applications which support the use of PLCs are Wikis and Google Meet is a more familiar one in use at my institution, along with WhatsApp.

Through effective communication and the sharing of ideas amongst staff, we will foster good relationships and improve student outcomes, making any implementation of a digital strategy successful.   Read more