Polytechnic University of the Philippines

Building and Enhancing New Literacies

“Thought Paper 1”
SUBMITTED BY: Gacosta, Kristine Claire V.

Video 1- “What is Digital Literacy?”

The video talks about what digital literacy is and its importance in today’s society. It also generalized
some competencies frequently mentioned in frameworks trying to explain specific digital literacy skills.
Taking note of the three competencies provided, I watched the rest of the video seeing different variations
of it through the answers of the featured speakers. The first speaker, for instance, called the digital space a
“playground for leisure and work” which hints on the level of nativity learners now have in using
technology. The next speaker continues this narrative by wanting his students to have agency, in using
technology as their secondary voice. This, of course requires them to use it responsively and purposefully
with he and the others after him also mentions.

 Generalized
Ability to create, not just Skills
Digital Literacy consume content
(according [effectively].
to the video)
 Combine technical and cognitive skills.
 To know when, why, and how to use digital tools [purposeful usage].

Video 2- “Why Digital Literacy is Important in Learning”

The showed the use of technology in education in a different perspective that I did not expect. The
accounts of people featured in the video answered the title question, which was simply because we live in
a world with technology, and one should know how to use it. The most notable answer that I heard was
from Alexandra Hidalgo, who explained looking at traditional means and digital methods of teaching as
both effective ways of delivering information in the classroom. She also stated that it doesn’t have to be
an “old vs. new” concept and that learning digital literacies could still persist in a classroom that
incorporates both methods.