TOPIC 9: Digital Literacy

INTRODUCTION:

In this topic, students would be learning about Digital Literacy, the eight digital literacy skills needed to become digitally literate according
to lynch (2017), the 7 Reasons Why Digital Literacy is Important for Teachers, the Challenges to Digital Literacy Education; and Information
Literacy.

After this topic, the students would have gained at least 80% mastery of the content and all are expected to be able to: a.
define digital literacy,
b. cite the digital literacy skills,
c. explain the importance of digital literacy to teachers,
d. cite and describe at least 3 websites that a teacher could use in order to enhance the learning experience of her students, and
e. utilize creative editing tools in making a 1 minute music video for a chosen song.

PRE-COMPETENCY CHECK-LIST:

Do you have a computer/laptop at home? For what do you usually use it?

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EXPLORE the LEARNING MATERIAL: Please read.

DIGITAL LITERACY
What is Digital Literacy?

Digital literacy refers to an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and compose clear information through writing and other media on
various digital platforms. Digital literacy is evaluated by an individual's grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to produce text,
images, audio and designs using technology. While digital literacy initially focused on digital skills and stand-alone computers, the advent of
the internet and use of social media, has caused some of its focus to shift to mobile devices.

―Digital Literacy‖ was coined by Paul Glister in 1997 and it came from the discussion of the concepts on:
a. Visual literacy when images and non-verbal symbols try to capture the knowledge;
b. Technological literacy requiring one to be able to use technology in addressing a need;
c. Computer literacy which in the 1980s started to become a household item manipulated to achieve one‘s target;
d. Information literacy which refers to the finding, evaluating using and sharing of information.

EIGHT DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS NEEDED TO BECOME DIGITALLY LITERATE ACCORDING TO

LYNCH (2017)

• Coding - Coding is a universal language. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and the like will create a shared understanding of what can be
• Collaboration - The use of Google Docs among others allow students to begin experimenting with effective online collaboration. done with the
web pages.
• Cloud Software - this is essential part of document management. The cloud is used to store everything from photos to research projects to term
papers and even music.
• Word Processing Software - Google, Microsoft Online, Drop Box are available for storage and management solution.
• Screen casting - A screencast is a video recording using the computer screen and usually includes an audio. On other hand when you take a picture
on the screen of your computer, it is called Print screen.
• Personal Archiving - Students should be taught the concepts of meta-data, tagging, keywords and categories to make them aware how are they
represented online.
• Information evaluation - Critical thinking to weed out fake news is a crucial in 21st century skills. The tools and skills needed to process
information are very much needed.
• Use of Social Media - Social media serves different purposes depending on the user, the technology and the need. For example, students should
realize that twitter can be useful for staying current on the latest news in the field.

7 Reasons Why Digital Literacy is Important for Teachers

The meaning of "digital literacy" has shifted over the years. While there was a time when job candidates were encouraged to list
"Proficient at Microsoft Word" on their resume, now such skills are considered standard. This shift toward a technologically savvy workforce
has permeated the classroom as well.

It makes sense to assume that the more digitally literate our teachers are, the more they'll employ these skills in the classroom, which
will in turn foster a strong sense of digital citizenship in our students. However, the importance and scope of digital literacy extends beyond
this simple theory. Here, we've laid out seven reasons why digital literacy skills are important for today's teachers.

1. Moving Beyond Google

Google is a powerful tool. Students with access to a computer and the Internet are able to find the answers to not only simple
questions, but also incredibly complex problems. However, there is a significant difference between Googling an answer and
understanding why. Looking at Bloom‘s Taxonomy, we want students to gain the deepest level of understanding when faced with a
problem.
 Simply Googling an answer does not provide students with true, deep
learning. And while most students understand how to use a search engine, it
is up to teachers to provide students with the additional skills to bring the
answers to the next level. There are several ways teachers can embed digital
literacy skills into Internet searches:

a. Teach students to evaluate and question their

sources. Students need to know the difference
between a trustworthy and untrustworthy source.
b. Teach students how to draw a strong
conclusion. Sure, students might find the right
answer to a problem, but what use is that search if
they‘ve only memorized the logic to get them
there? It‘s up to teachers to teach that logic and to
contextualize the answer.
c. Push students to new levels of creativity. Once
students have a deeper understanding of the
answers they‘ve found, push for creative
application of that knowledge. This could be
anything from challenging students to pose related
questions to having students use other digital
platforms to create something new. Examples
include:

• Film a science experiment based on the answer they‘ve found.

• Record a history podcast that tells the story of how their answer came to be.  Write an
investigative journalism piece on that same topic.

Again, digital literacy does not mean knowing how to use every piece of software students will encounter. Teachers
should encourage students to seek out and learn the software they need to know in order to do what‘s required.
2. Teaching Digital Citizenship
Being a good digital citizen means understanding and applying appropriate and responsible uses of internet and technology.
Two issues top the list when it comes to digital citizenship: academic plagiarism and cyberbullying.
Academic Plagarism
In a culture where students are constantly sharing content, they may not know what plagiarism is, let alone when
they‘re doing it. Teachers should set clear anti-plagiarism policies at the beginning of each year.

Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place through the use of electronic technology, and is a pervasive issue in schools
and online communities. And while today‘s students may be digital natives, they still need to be taught that social norms apply
to online behavior. Resources should be in place to prevent cyberbullying and to help students who are being bullied.

3. Closing the Digital Divide

According to a 2014 report External link by the Federal Communications Commission, 31 percent of urban schools and 41
percent of rural schools do not have an Internet connection. Students in these schools struggle to take advantage of the tools,
platforms, apps and resources available to their connected peers. But this digital divide isn‘t just in schools — there is also a lack of
access to devices and broadband at home External link. The divide is pervasive and accentuates already destructive achievement gaps.
Digitally literate teachers advocate for change and seek innovative solutions.

4. Expanding Conceptions of the Digital World

While students may be adept at using digital tools, their understanding of what these tools can do is often limited.

For example, students use Instagram to post photos but don‘t think to use the platform for art or history projects. They record
themselves with a voice memo app but do not realize those apps could also be used for journalism projects or a historical narrative
piece. Digitally literate teachers know how to inspire students to use today's technology as a powerful toolset to expand their learning
opportunities.

5. Enabling Differentiation
Differentiation in the classroom is essential to meeting the needs of all learners, but it is time-consuming, especially for new
teachers. Technology, when used creatively and correctly, can be used to mitigate those differences, such as in one-to-one classrooms.
Teachers can lead the class through a lecture, while visual learners follow along with illustrations on their tablets and audio learners
record the lecture for later review. Technology like this enables teachers to give their students choice in the kind of work they create
for projects, such as a video, podcast or written story. Digital literacy is required in order to set the standards and boundaries for this
kind of differentiation.
Digitally literate teachers also understand that it is less about the technology itself than it is about the tailored experience the
technology can provide to each student. This is what drives differentiation and can make it powerful and highly targeted to students'
individual needs.
 6. Making Thoughtful Cultural and Platform Decisions Teachers often receive mandates from administrations to use a particular
technology product or app even though it doesn‘t make sense for their students. Good teachers know how their students engage and
learn and can use that knowledge to push for technology that will unlock new teaching potential. This makes digitally literate
teachers great advocates for the appropriate technologies. These skills become increasingly important in diverse classrooms in
which students are bringing different cultural contexts into the mix. Both the content and the technologies chosen may vary in
effectiveness given a student‘s familiarity with the tools and the various norms within their culture. A sensitive teacher will make
digital choices that reflect these varied cultural contexts.

7. Improving the Technology

Teachers can offer important pedagogical and practical insights for edtech companies developing learning technology for
students. Today ―teacherpreneurs‖ are sparking teacher-based technological innovation — and they‘re drawn largely from the ranks
of the digitally literate. Teacherpreneurs are teachers who see the need for digital solutions in their classrooms, and some take on roles
where they coach other teachers on using technology External link as a powerful differentiation tool. As teachers master digital
literacy with their lessons, they can collaborate with peers to share technology and work toward improving learning outcomes for their
students.

Challenges to Digital Literacy Education

Digital Literacy Education shares many of the same challenges to Media Literacy. For example: How should it be taught? How can it
be measured and evaluated?
Despite the challenges posed by the broad and fluid nature of media (and therefore digital) literacy, educators in the Philippines can
spearhead literacy efforts by doubling-down on those concepts and principles of Media Literacy that are of utmost importance, namely,
critical thinking and the grounding of critical thought in a moral framework.

1. Teach media and digital literacy integrally. Any attempt to teach these principles must first realize that they cannot be separated
from context --- meaning, they cannot be taught separately from other topics.
2. Master your subject matter. Whatever it is you teach you must not only possess a thorough understanding of your subject
matter, you must also understand why you are teaching it.
3. Think ―multi-disciplinary‖. Once communication is accepted as important, this opens-up new venues where the new literacies
can be exercised.
4. Explore motivations, not just messages.
5. Leverage skills that students already have.
Information Literacy Within Digital Literacy

Information literacy includes the ability to identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively. From effective search strategies
to evaluation techniques, students learn how to evaluate the quality, credibility, and validity of websites, and give proper credit. Information
Literacy has also been referred to as digital literacy or media literacy. Regardless of the terminology, be it digital literacy or media literacy,
having information literacy skills are the fundamentals to thrive in a digital space.

What to Know

Today‘s digital landscape offers young people unprecedented access to tools and resources for learning. The information that
kids encounter, however, is not always accurate or high-quality. Foundational information and digital literacy skills, such as
conducting strategic online searches, judging the legitimacy of online sources, sifting out misinformation, and recognizing advertising,
can help set kids up for success as lifelong learners. For example, kids can learn to search effectively and efficiently with the right
kinds of keywords. They also can learn that sponsored links (which commonly appear at the top of the search result list) are forms of
ads and therefore not always the best resources. When young people also get in the habit of checking out an author‘s credibility or
bias, questioning whether a photo has been digitally altered, or cross-referencing sources, they can avoid being misinformed or duped.
DISCUSSION BOARD:

QUESTION: Which among the 8 Digital Literacy Skills do you think is/are the most important to you as a future teacher? Why?
YOUR ANSWER:
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POST-COMPETENCY CHECKLIST:
Cite and describe at least 3 websites that a teacher could use in order to enhance the learning experience of her students.

WEBSITE DESCRIPTION