LESSON 3

NON-DIGITAL AND DIGITAL SKILLS AND TOOLS IN

DELIVERING TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LESSONS

TOPICS1in

1. Development and Use of Non-Digital or Conventional Materials

2. Select and Use ICT Tools For Teaching And Learning
3. Creating e-Portfolio as a Technology Tool
4. Technology Collaborative Tools in the Digital World
5. Digital Literacy Skills in the 21st Century

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. integrate media and technology in various content areas;
2. describe technology tools that are used in group activities;
3. use technology tools to collaborate and share resources among
communities of practice; and
4. reflect on the use of technology and on its relevance and
appropriateness.

TOPIC 1. DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF NON-DIGITAL OR

CONVENTIONAL MATERIALS

The teachers need instructional materials to enhance teaching and learning.

Instructional materials are defined as print and non-print items that are rested to impact
information to students in the educational process (Effiong & Igiri, 2015). Examples of
instructional materials are drawings, kits, textbooks, posters, magazines, flip chart,
newspapers, diorama, pictures, recording videos and the like.

Instructional materials have several roles in teaching and learning which include the
following:
(1) they promote meaningful communication and effective learning;
(2) they ensure better retention, thus making learning more permanent;
(3) they help to overcome the limited classroom by making the inaccessible;
(4) they provide a common experience upon which late learning can be developed;
and
(5) they encourage participation especially if students are followed to manipulate
materials used (Brown et al., 2005; Effiong & Igri, 2015)

Instructional materials are the supplementary materials which help the teacher to
make his/her presentation concrete, effective, interesting, meaningful and inspiring. In
any teaching and learning process, instructional materials play a vital role as they provide
sensory experiences to the learners. The primary aim of teaching materials is to provide
the teachers that layout of the way for teaching in the classroom.

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 It is important to understand how to develop instructional materials. Instructional
materials refer to any pre-existing materials that are being incorporated, as well as to
those that will be specifically developed for the objectives (Haigler, 2014). There are also
several factors to consider in developing instructional materials:

1. Develop a story board and working outline based on the subject goals and
objectives.
2. Identify existing instructional resources including materials and teachers’
capability.
3. The teacher may research off the shelf materials that have been developed
by others to determine if their approach could be useful.
4. Explore the possibility of adapting concepts of other teachers without
infringing on anyone’s copy protected design.
5. Modify existing materials based on the objectives of the lesson.
6. If the instructional materials are effective, you can share them with other
teachers.
7. The teacher developer can also sell her/his materials available.

Instructional materials are a great help in stimulating and facilitating the learning of
the learners. According to Wright (1976:1) as cited in Cakir (2006) many media and many
styles if visual presentation are useful to the language learner. All audio-visual materials
have positive contributions to language learning as long as they are used at the right time,
in the right place. In the teaching and learning process, learners use their eyes as well as
their ears; but their eyes are basic in learning.

1. Diorama
It will make the classroom to be creative and innovative. It is a
fun way to build an exciting scene in a small space. Dioramas are
small scenes created of layers of materials, all depicting a similar
concept or theme. They usually display a historical time period, a
nature scene, or a fictional situation. In developing diorama, you will:
(1) choose a concept or theme, (2) research the subject, (3) make a
rough sketch of your ideal diorama, (4) make a list of the items you’ll
need and gather your supplies, and (5) select a container or box.

2. Nature Table
This is a table that contains objects and/or scenes related to
the current season, or upcoming festival or a symbol of an ecosystem.
Children love to follow the natural changes that the world offers each
month and classroom decorations reflect these.

3. Writing Board
A writing board can display information written with chalk (chalkboard or
blackboard) or special pens (whiteboard). Although there are usually more effective
methods of transmitting information, the writing board is still the most commonly used
visual aid.

Suggestions on Using the Writing Board:

1. Keep the board clean.

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 2. Use chalk or pens that contrast with the background of
the board so that students can see the information
clearly.
3. Make text and drawings large enough to be seen from
the back of the room.
4. Prepare complex drawings in advance (if very complex,
an overhead transparency or 35 mm slide may be
preferable).
5. Underline headings and important or unfamiliar words
for emphasis.
6. Do not talk while facing the board.
7. Do not block the students’ views of the board; stand aide when writing or drawing
is completed.
8. Allow sufficient time for students to copy the information from the board.

4. Flip Chart
It is a large tablet or pad of paper, usually on a tripod or stand.

Suggestions on Using Flipchart:

1. Use wide-tipped pens or markers; markers will narrow

tips produce printing that is difficult to read.
2. Print in block letters that are large enough to be read
easily from the back of the room.
3. Use different colored pens to provide contrast; this
makes the pages visually attractive and easier to read.
4. Use headings, boxes, cartoons and borders to improve
the appearance of the page.
5. Use bullets (•) to delineate items on the page.
6. Leave plenty of “white space” and avoid putting too much information on one
page. (Crowded and poorly arranged information is distracting and difficult to
read).
7. When pages are prepared in advance, use every other page. IF every page is used,
colors will show through and make text difficult to read.
8. Have masking tape available to put pages up around the room during
brainstorming and problem-solving activities.
9. To hide a portion of the page, fold up the lower portion of the page and tape it.
When ready to reveal the information, remove the tape and let the page drop.
10. Face the student, not the flipchart while talking.

5. Zigzag board
It is a multi-board series of three or four
rectangular boards. They are joined together along the
sides by hinges so that they can be easily folded up and
carried. Each board can be of a different type, for
example, a whiteboard, a chalkboard, a flannel board
and so on. The size of the boards for the zigzag multi-
board depends on what you want to use them for.

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6. Wall display
Displaying items on a classroom wall is a well-known,
tried and tested educational method. A wall display is a
collection of many different types of items and materials put up
on a wall to make an interesting and informative display. In a
classroom, the display can consist of students’ own work. In
development work it can be used to convey information to the
community.

7. Rope and Pole display board

This board consists of two parallel, horizontal poles tied
loosely together with rope. Visual aids such as posters can be
pinned to the rope. This kind of display board is invaluable where
there are few solid walls for displaying information. It has no
solid backing and can be made quickly for teaching, training and
when working with communities.

Guidelines when designing conventional instructional materials:

1. Unity- Use only one idea for each visual ad and include a headline.
2. Simplicity- Make ideas and relationships simple and easy to recall. Avoid cluttering
a visual with too many words, numbers, or graphics. The audience should be able
to grasp the concept in 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Legibility- Make letters big and readable for all in the audience.
4. Consistency- Use the same type style and art style.
5. Clarity- Avoid type that is too small to read; avoid all caps.
6. Quality- Make it neat and professional, and remember to proofread.

TOPIC 2. SELECT AND USE ICT TOOLS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

Figure 1. ICT in Education

Looking at the figure above, ICT integration in education allows ease of processing
of information, effective accessibility to resources, easy sharing of resources , expression
of creativity and effective collaboration. All these are easily done using the gadget you
have in your pockets or backpacks.

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A. Using Mobile Phone and the QR Code

Since ICT integration allows ease of processing of information, a QR code can read
information at a quicker speed and in an interesting manner.

Have you seen a symbol like this one? This is now

popularly used in different products, reading materials and even
in museums. This is QR code.

What is a QR Code?
Are you familiar with a QR Code?

Familiarize yourself with a QR Code. It is code that was created by a Japanese Corporation
Denso-Wave in 1994. Effectively and efficiently connecting the physical world with the
electronic world, QR stands for ‘Quick Response’. It allows the readers to decode the
information at a high rate of speed. This is popular in Japan and is also used by companies
as they attached their QR Code in their products. It usually gives a URL linking you to a
website or immediately provides the salient information about the product.

You can easily read QR codes through a QR code scanner. Here’s all you need to do:

1. Have a mobile phone with a camera.

2. Using the mobile phone. Download from Playstore or App Store the QR Code
Reader/Scanner application. Choose an appropriate QR Code reader gadget for
your operating system whether IOS or Android. Once installed in your gadget, you
can use it to read the codes.
3. Focus your camera on the QR code. Click it and the message will be revealed.

More interesting than reading QR code scanner is creating your own QR codes.

How will you make your own QR code?

Step 1: Be online.

Step 2: Search for a QR Code generator and ensure that you read the information about
the application. This is important to ensure your safety in the internet. There
are tons of QR code generators out there, but a few of the most popular include
Kaywa, GOQR.me, Visualead, and QR Stuff. There many free applications online
and therefore you can take this chance to use them.

Step 3: Once you have identified you free online QR Code Generator, you can now
encode the text or the information that you want.

Step 4: Run it and save it as a jpeg file. Now, you have successfully created your own
code which you can download.

Step 5: Test the QR Code reader or scanner.

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B. Using Laptop and the Infographics
There is an apparent deluge of information around and access to these is made
easier through the internet. You are faced with one major question on how to interpret
it all and put it into one cohesive information that is quick and clear to read.

Soruce: https://www.customermagnetism.com/what-is-an-infographic/what-is-an-
infographic/

An infographic is a visual representation or an image such as a diagram, chart or

picture representing information or data. It is eye-catching and makes use of a clear
layout, attractive colors and hues, and caricatures that provide a cohesive presentation
of the information.

If it is used to marker products in the increasing visual world, then infographics can
also be employed in marketing information and ideas in the teaching and learning
process.

One tool that can be used in crating infographics is Canva (http://www.canva.com).

It has several infographics template for education. You can try out the free design
elements and produce one just like a professional infographic designer. You can start
exploring this site and familiarize yourself with its features. As a gentle reminder, please
take time to read the instructions and navigate around the features to get optimal use of
it.

There are many ways for which infographics can be used.

Using infographics:
1. To present survey data
Presenting statistical data such as from surveys can be overwhelming,
Infographics can be highly useful. Data are much easier to decode. They can be
made easier and quicker to understand if they are presented in an infographics.

https://www.interact-intranet.com/blog/3-tips-to-make-employee-engagement-work-for-you/

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 2. To simplify a complex concept

Simplifying a complex idea is the core purpose of using an infographics.

This is a very effective educational tool as a way of summarizing key points or
providing an overview of a lesson.

3. To explain how something functions

Using infographics, you can show the intricacy of how something complex
works. It can reveal the mechanics behind how an object works. Designers can
create infographics by showing the mechanics behind intricate objects, processes,
concepts.

Source: https://dribbble.com/shots/1075558-How-your-iPhone-is-made

4. To compare

Presenting information by highlighting similarities and differences through

a visual parallel in an infographic can turn out more effective than sometimes
expressing it in words. It is easier to draw comparisons with the same information
neatly organized.

Assess the given infographic of a superhero- Batman- from the time it was
conceived in 1939 to 2013.

Would you say that it is effective? Why or why not?

What are the key elements that the designer clearly employed to dhow a visual starting
point?

Source: https://www.pinterest.ch/pin/326722147938488852/

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 5. To present interesting facts

When information or facts are presented all in words, the use of

infographics can bring to life. If done well, the infographcis can transform the
information into visual image that can attract and engage readers.

If there is a written text, the information may not stand out compared to when it is
presented in this format. Information written in snippets becomes understandable and
more appealing to the eye.

How will you make your own infographics?

You will need the following:

1. You need to be online.
2. Using the PC, laptop or mobile phone, search for Canva, Vismen or Venngage
among others.
3. Create or sign up an account if you still do not have one in order to design your
own infographics.
4. Procedure:

Step 1: Choose the most suitable template for your use from the library.
Step 2: You may use images from their file or upload your own pictures.
Step 3: Make a cohesive layout containing correct and essential information.
Step 4: You can choose a background and font styles.
Step 5: You may change the color of boxes and the text to suit your style and add
stunning filters to add flair.
Step 6: Save the image of the infographics.
Step 7: Share the infographic you have created.

C. Ipad/Tablet and the Online Bulletin Board

Creativity and collaboration are fun! A dull and boring bulletin board can be made
interesting when done online. Posts when done with themed backgrounds, stylish fonts
and varied colors become attractive to the learner. An online bulletin board is a ways of
presenting ideas with a twist and interest with no cost at all. Here’s how:

Step 1: Search for https://padlet.com/

Step 2: Sign up or log-in using any of your social media account.
Step 3: If you want to make your own, click MAKE A PADLET.
a. You can choose Start with a Blank or Pick a Template.
b. Start making posts by clicking the + sign.
c. Make your posts as creative as you can by clicking Modify and selecting
your choice of color, font, theme, etc.
d. You can now share your Padlet or online bulletin board to your friends.
Click Share and allow others to have access to it or you can share through
the social media account where others can view it.

Step 4: If you want to join someone’s bulletin board, click JOIN A PADLET.
a. Enter in the dialog box the URL of the Padlet you want to join.
b. Start posting on your friend’s/classmate’s Padlet by clicking the + sign.

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Below is an example:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyvxNtlB6Jw

TOPIC 3. CREATING E-PORTFOLIO AS A TECHNOLOGY TOOL

Portfolios are one good means of keeping things in order. In a semester work, a
learning portfolio is a collection of student work that exhibits students’ effort, progress,
achievements and competencies gained during the course.

Portfolios may come in many forms. It can look like an album or scrapbook, or even
a filer where the documents and evidences are kept. However, nowadays, it is possible to
have online portfolios by creating sites. This is also called the ePortfolios or digital
portfolio. This can be used as a digital archive that can contain the same materials as a
physical portfolio but can have more such as multimedia productions, relevant online
links or references, digital stories or video blogs, PowerPoint presentations, photographs
and other ICT materials. The e Portfolio can be private or can be published and shared
publicly to stake holder like parents and friends.

1. Student ePortfolios can evaluate students’ academic progress. They can inform the
teacher to adapt and use instructional strategies when pieces of evidence indicate
that they are either learning or not. In other words the construction of the
ePortfolios should start from the beginning and should be an ongoing process. They
should not be reviewed only at the end of the term but navigated around and
provided feedback to let the students know how they are doing.

2. Monitoring students’ progress can be highlighted in a portfolio. It may not only

contain finished products but also several versions on how the students improved
their work based on the feedback provided by mentors. Moreover, portfolio can
actually determine whether the students have transferred what they have learned
in new projects or other domains.

3. Portfolio documents students’ learning growth. They actually encourage the

students’ sense of accountability for their own learning process. This may lead them
to see that the learning process is theirs and not anybody else’s. This can make
learners reflect from where they have begun to how far they have developed. When
they make decisions on what to what not to include, they het engaged in the process
of creating their own voice in their portfolios.

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Creating an Online Portfolio Using a Site

There are many sites that can be

used in creating an ePortfolio. One of
which is the Google site. If you have a
Google account, you can start using the
available applications. You can also try
weebly, or wix, among others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VXDDaL4jPE

Steps in constructing an ePortfolio

1. Enter your Gmail account and look for sites. If it is the first
time that you have done this, you need to read the
directions.
2. You scroll down and read further until you see the icon for
Sites
3. When you click it, it will lead you to another section. This
will let you create a site that you can use as an ePortfolio.
4. Consider a good label or a title for your ePortfolio and
prepare the texts, links, multimedia outputs, images or jpeg
files that you want to upload in the pages of ePortfolio.
https://images.app.goo.gl/fDSpgykWLKW55rqt6

Parts of an ePortfolio

Just like a book, the ePortfolio has pages or sections. The organization can follow a
chronological order based on the activities that you go through or you can have a thematic
arrangement. Whatever you choose, it will be a display of your organizational skills.

▪ Home Page

The first section is the Home or your cover page. This is the first thing that your
readers will see. So you need to introduce yourself and the objectives of your
ePortfolio. Usually, there are templates available and each provides sections. You
can add personal touches such as image or a change of color themes.

▪ Pages

The pages that you can add depend on how you would like to organize your
ePortfolio. What is important is that you need to construct your ePortfolio at the
start of the class. In that way, you can have a fresh start as you try to be conscious
in documenting the activities and learning that
goes with each session.

When adding pages, click the icon and

decide whether it will be parallel to your Home
Page or it will be under it. Just remember that
when you have a template, there are particular
ways that the pages have been arranged. So if
you are starting, it would not be detrimental if
you conform to the template.
https://images.app.goo.gl/UXSLDfKrNdSXct7SA

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 ▪ Reflections

A major element in a portfolio whether it is online or not, is the writing of the

reflection. It is thinking-aloud, a way of documenting what they are thinking. How
students are processing the input and the application of what they have learned into
an activity or a project needs to be captured. With the pencil-and-paper test, the
chance to get a piece of their insights or realizations may be nil unless the teacher
requires them to do so. However, with the portfolio, they can show the process of
their work. This can be easily monitored.

Sometimes it is difficult to write a reflection and a structure can be helpful.

There are many models that can be used as a guide in writing reflections. One is the
Gibb’s reflective cycle model (1988).

Figure: Gibb’s Reflective Cycle Model (1988)

Gibb’s reflective cycle has six stages.

Description. This initial phase in writing a reflection is very simple since you just need
to describe the activity or the experience to the reader. You can write a little
about the background on what you are reflecting about by including relevant
and to-the-point details.

Feelings. Learners are involved in learning and an activity or perhaps a lesson can
trigger certain feelings. So at this point, you can consider and think about how
you feel at that time when you were doing the activity or having the experience.
You need to discuss your emotions honestly about the experience but not to
forget that this is part of an academic discourse.

Evaluation. When evaluating, discuss how well you think the activity went. Recall how
you reacted to the task or situation and how others reacted. Was the experience
a pleasant one or otherwise? This is also a possible part where you can perhaps
incorporate related readings of other author’s principles or theories.

Analysis. This part of the write up includes your analysis of what worked well and what
have facilitated it or what may have hindered it. You can also discuss related
literature that may have brought about your experience.

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 Conclusion. Now, you can write what you have learned from the experience or what
you could have done. If your experience is a good one, you can probably discuss
how it can be ensured or how you will further enhance a positive outcome. On
the other hand, if the experience is frustrating eliciting other negative feelings,
perhaps you can discuss how those can be avoided in happening as this leads to
the next step- Action Plan.

Action Plan. At the end of your reflection, you write what action you need to take so
that you will improve the next time such as consult an expert for some advice or
read a book that will provide answer to your queries. You make plans on how
you can address what went wrong so that you can take the right step to succeed
in achieving the task. If you did well and feel good about it, then you can plan
out how you can further enhance a good work.

When showing examples of your work, you can upload word file, excel data,
pictures, jpeg or pdf files, PowerPoint presentation among others but, a brief description
explains the reason why the file in uploaded has to be written. This will guide the readers
as you also reflect on how relevant or significant the material is to you.

What is great about writing a reflection is it allows you to embrace your won
learning and start taking accountability of it. After all, you owe it to yourself and no matter
what the teacher does inside the classroom, as a learner you can make the decision
whether you want to learn or not. With and ePortfolio, you try to capture your personal
journey of learning.

(Adapted from: Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning
methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit.)

Administering the ePortfolio

Before publishing your ePortfolio for the world to

see your work, you can control who can see your work.
The icon for sharing the site can be managed by entering
the email address of the person with whom you want to
share it.

https://images.app.goo.gl/SaZpPGeKwZ9oAngg8

Assessing an ePortfolio using a Rubric

Evaluating and e-Portfolio using a rubric, is a

consistent application of learning expectation, learning
outcomes or standards. It should tell the students the link between learning outcomes or
standards. It should tell the students the link between learning or what will be taught and
the assessment or what will be evaluated. Rubrics are simple and easy to understand. The
items in the rubric should be mutually exclusive.

Students can see connections between learning (what will be taught) and
assessment (what will be evaluated) by making the feedback they receive from teachers
clearer, more detailed, and more useful in terms of identifying and communicating what
students have learned or what they may still need to learn.

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 Category Inadequate (1) Apprentice (2) Competent (3) Exemplary (4) Score
Selection of Most work Few work Most work samples All work
Work Samples samples are not samples are are related to the samples are
related to the related to the objectives of the clearly and
objectives of the objectives of the ePortfolio. directly related
ePortfolio. ePortfolio. to the
objectives of
the ePortfolio.
Use of No use of The use of The use of The use of
Multimedia audio/video, or audio/visual/gra audio/visual/graph audio/visual/gr
graphics. The phics/photograp ics/photograph is aphics/photogr
photos and audio h is included, but included and aph is
or video are used randomly appropriate. integrated
distracting from and without seamlessly into
the content of the purpose. work samples.
portfolio.
Reflection Reflections are A few reflections Most of the All reflections
missing, and describe why reflections clearly describe
those that are work samples in describe why work why work
there do not the portfolio samples in the samples in the
describe why the demonstrate portfolio portfolio
work samples achievement. demonstrate demonstrate
demonstrate Most do not achievement and achievement
achievement. include student’s growth. Some and growth.
ability to critique reflections also Reflections also
their own work include student’s include
and provide ability to critique student’s ability
suggestion for their own work and to critique their
enhancement. provide own work and
suggestions for provide
enhancement. suggestions and
enhancement.
Creativity and Layout is simples. The layout lacks The layout serves The layout
Purpose Pages/links are purpose and its purpose and serves its
missing. style. shows some purpose and
creativity. show creativity.
The layout and
design is
reflective of
organized
thinking.
Ease of Few links work. The site is The site has most The site has all
Navigating Little effort missing required required pages or required pages
reflected in pages or tabs, tabs, and shows or tabs, is well-
quality and and is poorly logical organized,
organization. organized. organizations and labelled and is
labelling. easy to
navigate.
Text Elements The ePortfolio is The ePortfolio is The ePortfolio is The ePortfolio is
difficult to read often difficult to generally easy to easy to read.
due to read due to read. Fonts and Fonts and type
inappropriate use inappropriate type size vary size vary
of fonts, type size use of fonts, type appropriately for appropriately
for headings, sizefor headings, headings and for headings
subheadings and subheading and subheading and and subheading
text and font text and font text. and text
styles. styles. Color of allowing for
Color of Color of background, fonts, ease of
background, background, and links generally scanning.
fonts, and links fonts, and links enhance the Color of
decrease the allow for readability of the background,
read-ability of the readability of the text in most of the fonts, and links
text, are ePortfolio. generally

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 distracting and text in most of enhance the
used the ePortfolio. readability and
inconsistently aesthetic
throughout the quality
ePortfolio. throughout.
Writing There are more There are 4 or There are few There are no
Conventions than 6 errors in more errors in errors in grammar, errors in
grammar, grammar, mechanics grammar,
mechanics mechanics requiring minor mechanics.
requiring major requiring editing editing and
editing and and revision. revision.
revision.
TOTAL:

TOPIC 4: TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE TOOLS IN THE DIGITAL

WORLD

Technology as a Collaborative Tool

One way to engage students is to give them a challenge and a chance to work
together. An example is when you give them as issue to discuss which they can continue
talking about even if they are outside if the class. Students may continue the discussion
and share information or come up with an agreement by texting, emailing, chatting, or
using the online document. Once they have agreed, they can move to the next step of
presenting their agreement or resolutions to the whole class.

Normally in a regular classroom, teachers may have discouraged students from

conversing with classmates during individual work, but sometimes there are positive
things that can come out of it as students talk about the task assigned to them or as they
work themselves of a complicated task.

There are a lot of available tools and application that can be used to work
collaboratively with others. Some of these are Skype, wikis, blog, Google Form, web
conferencing, Realtimeboard, among others. You need to explore each application to be
familiar with the features.

1. Skype is a software application allowing you to do a videoconferencing for free.

All you need is to create an account and can be used for a video meeting.

2. Wiki is a software that allows you to create a page or a selection of pages designed
to allow you to post or write, edit, or upload a link quickly. This is good when
students need to work together to complete a task even if they are not physically
together. A task such as writing a paper together, planning a presentation or
surveying ideas from team members can be managed by a wikispace that
efficiently allows one to document the contribution of each member in the team.
Work can be extended virtually and asynchronously.

3. Blogging In blogging, it is journaling your ideas to which others can react allowing
a thread of discussion to take place and which can be used online. It is the
abbreviation of weblog. It would help if you provide direction when using a
weblog.

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 a. Use weblog with a clear instructional objective. It is an opportunity to
explore the skill of communicating ideas. Like in a writing class, you can
guide students on how to design the whole blog or upload materials and
support students in developing critical communication.

b. Guidance on what and how to post will be needed. Teach the students that
the blogging is for educational purposes and is different from a personal
blog. Proper or formal language variety should be used. A writing prompt
would help to guide your students’’ posts.

c. With easy access to information, a major obligation is to teach the students

to use multiple sources and to cite them appropriately.

d. Writing about your ideas is a personal act but it is important that you are
taught to make blogs personal without revealing too much of personal
information such as contact information and too personal pictures. When
writing blogs, you write your reflections but safeguarding yourself is also
an important consideration.

e. It may help if you can look for very good examples of blogs. There are
online and print publications that review blogs and you can use the
information to guide you toward getting good models.

4. Google Group or Google Form is an application that can be used in a collaborative

documentation of ideas contributed by member of the team. Having a Google
account will come very handy and you can easily have access to a variety of
applications.

TOPIC 5. DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

What are digital literacies?

Digital literacies are the individual’s capabilities to be able to effectively and

responsibly function and perform in a digital society. The term ‘digital literacy’ was coined
by Pail Gilster 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; and (d) information literacy which refers to the finding, evaluating, using and
sharing of information.

In the teaching and learning context, digital literacy is an important competence.

In school, it has become a buzzword which refers to the ability to access, process,
understand, utilize, create media content using information technologies and the internet
(Hsieh,2012).

The Digital Literacies

Media Literacy- is one’s ability to critically read information or content and utilize
multimedia in creatively producing communications.

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Information Literacy- is locating information from the
web and interpreting while evaluating its validity in order
that it can be shared.

ICT Literacy- is knowing how to select and use digital

devices, applications or services to accomplish tasks
requiring the use of the internet.

Communications and Collaboration- are one’s

capabilities in being able to participate in the digital
networks in the teaching and learning context.

Identity Management- is being able to understand how

to ensure safety and security in managing online identity
and foster a positive digital reputation.

Learning Skills- are ways of knowing how to study and

learn in a technology-enriched environment; this is
knowing how to utilize technology in addressing the
need to learn efficiently.

Digital Scholarship- is being able to link and participate in professional and research
practices.

The Four Cs of the 21st Century Skills

The four C’s of the 21st Century Skills refer to critical thinking, creativity,
communication, and collaboration. All of these 21st century skills are essentials for
students to do well in school and succeed in the workplace.

1. Critical thinking is learning how to solve problems. It teaches students not to accept
immediately claims without seeking the truth. It is the ability to differentiate facts
from opinions and not only just learn a set of facts or figures but also discover these
for the sake of knowing what you ought to be.

2. Creativity requires students to think out of the box and to take pride in what is
uniquely theirs. It means that they be able to look at a problem from multiple
perspectives-including can propose multiple possibilities and alternatives to address
a problem and they need to take calculated risks. Creativity encourages students to
think beyond the expectations of conventions. However, creativity may not ensure
success all the time but it may lead to another direction that can actually be a better
way of figuring out how to solve the problem those that others may not see.

3. Communication makes students express their ideas in the clearest and organized
manner. Through varied modes- face-to-face, technologically mediated or a blended
medium, they need to know how to efficiently and clearly convey ideas.

4. Collaboration happens when students know how to work well with others to
accomplish a given task or solve a problem at hand. This is a 21st essential. When
students are made to work with others in a pair or in a team, they are given the
chance to practice how to relate with others. They may be working with classmates
they do not really prefer to work with but with guidance, you can teach them to tap
on the capabilities of each member of the team and collaboratively achieve the goal.
https://images.app.goo.gl/PCJBb3RAgJir8ULD8

Eventually when they leave school, they will definitely see the need to know how to

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 collaborate with others in order for them to accomplish a job, and you have prepared
them for it. In other words, collaboration teaches students that groups can create
something bigger and better than you can on your own.

In addition to the 4C’s, there are Citizenship and Character. Citizenship is known
as netizenship in the virtual world. This is making the person consider how one behaves
accordingly by observing the norms and rules that are in accordance with what are
sociably and virtually acceptable. As a result, one is projecting a reputable digital identity
which is his or her character.

Digital Literacy Skills vs. Digital Literacy

Digital Literacy Skills are required in the wired world. These skills vary from texts
to images to multimedia. Future teachers who will be handling students considered as
tech savvy should equip themselves with competencies and fluencies needed to handle
the fast emerging tools and applications that should be able to handle even artificial
intelligences.
Lynch (2017), identified eight digital literacy skills needed become to digitally
literate. These are:

1. Coding- Coding is a universal language. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and the
like will create a shared understanding of what can be done with the web pages.

2. Collaboration- The use of Google Docs among others allows student to begin
experimenting with effective online collaboration.

3. 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.

4. Word Processing Software- Google, Microsoft Online Drop Box are available for
storage and management solutions.

5. Screencasting- A screencast is a video recording using the computer screen, and

usually includes an audio. On the other hand, when you take a picture on the
screen of your computer, it is called a Printscreen. Both can be used in explaining
topics as well as providing a visual support to clarify what you are thinking. While
the printscreen is a picture, the screencasting is a video screen capture which is a
great way to share ideas and is easy to use for novice video creator.

6. Personal Archiving- Students should be taught the concepts of meta-data,

tagging, keywords and categories to make them aware how they are represented
online.

7. Information evaluation- Critical thinking to weed out fake news is a crucial 21 st

century skill. The use of tools and skills needed to process information are very
much needed.

8. 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.

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 Digital literacy has been defined in many ways that is understandable by both
digital natives and digital immigrants. Teachers and students should not only be proficient
in how to use (digital skills) but they need to see the information and media technology
to find, evaluate, create and communicate information requiring both cognitive and
technical skills.
Here are examples of how Digital Skills or Proficiency supports Digital Literacy.

Digital Skills Digital Literacy

1. Sending an email or text
2. Using Microsoft Office/ Google
3. Tweeting, Posting to Facebook,
uploading a Video to YouTube, or
posting a photo to Instagram
4. Researching from the worldwide
web
1. Evaluate the appropriate digital channel for
online communication with peers, teachers
and parent.
1. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of each
digital tool.
2. Evaluate critically which tool is most
effective for the project at hand.
1. Navigate the social media safely to protect
oneself
2. Identify hate propaganda and fake news.
1. Evaluate the information online.
a. Is the site legitimate?
b. Is the author an expert?
c. Is the information current or dated?
d. Is the idea neutral or biased?

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