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Safe videos for kids.

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The best safe videos for kids of all ages. Hand-picked educational videos.

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Follow this hashtag on Twitter to stay informed and connected.

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Helping make smart choices in our 24/7 media and technology world. Movie, TV, app, and book reviews by age, plus tech tips.

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Common Sense Media: Age-Based Media Reviews for Families

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Common Sense Media is the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families. Parents trust our expert reviews and objective advice.

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Learn and teach essential skills with the Digital Literacy Curriculum designed by Microsoft

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Whether you are new to computing or have some experience, Digital Literacy will help you develop a fundamental understanding of computers. The courses help you learn the essential skills to begin computing with confidence, be more productive at home and at work, stay safe online, use technology to complement your lifestyle, and consider careers where you can put your skills to work.

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Online safety, education, and help group.

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Multipurpose website for teachers by teachers: professional development, e-Learning, Webinars, resources, and more.

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Contact US Digital Literacy Today

Our message:

Thank you for visiting
US Digital Literacy. Digital Literacy is important in education, the work force and generally for every internet user. While this site focuses on the educational side of Digital Literacy , it also provides many resources in an all in one website to help you tap into the exponential amount of resources available via the internet. At the bottom of each page you will find a slider of corresponding links to our favorite sites categorized by each page. We put our favorite top 20 sites at the bottom of this HOME page, so scroll through them at the bottom to bookmark your favorites too! Most of all, you should know that this website is a work in progress. We are adding to and modifying it every day. If you would like to subscribe for free to our blog posts and updates click this link now. Thanks again for supporting this site by sharing it with your friends! Digital Literacy and Media Literacy for Today's Learners
The definition of literacy has evolved in the 21st century. The basic definition of literacy means to be able to read and write. To be successful in today's digital world, literacy goes far beyond being able to read and write. What it means to be digitally literate has reflected the change in how information is processed, delivered, and received in today's highly connected world. The University Library of The University of Illinois defines digital literacy as:

The ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information.¹
The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers. ²
A person's ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment... Literacy includes the ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments. ³

US Digital Literacy believes in supporting Instructional Technologists in every school to facilitate digital and media literacy instruction for all children and all teachers and staff. School systems should make provisions for a certified Instructional Technologist in every school to truly embrace 21st century education in their schools. All districts need to look forward to what will continue to transform education and what has only been a taste of the evolution of technology in the lives of our children.

While in her blog article "14 things that are obsolete in 21st Century Schools", Ingvi Hrannar Ómarsson states "The idea of taking a whole class to a computer room with outdated equipment, once a week to practice their typewriting skills and sending them back to the classroom 40 minutes later, is obsolete. Computers or technology should not just be a specific subject, that's not sufficient anymore but rather it should be an integral part of all the subjects and built into the curriculum." But be careful in your plans for that old computer lab, it does NOT have to be removed from the building, it simply needs a visionary at your school to help repurpose it. Regenerating a computer lab into a Maker Space, Reading Lab with devices, a SMART lab or other 21st Century space will help teachers understand the need to step out of dated practice.

"Technology must be like oxygen: ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible."

-Chris Lehmann, Principal of Science Leadership Academy

US Digital Literacy is dedicated to providing many resources for learners, teachers, principals, parents, and ALL education stakeholders to become better equipped in today's digital world. Please check back often for updates and new information about digital literacy.

Commitment to providing digital tools must come with a commitment to providing fidelity in instructional practice. US Digital Literacy focuses on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). TPACK is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective technology integration in their teaching. Guests of US Digital Literacy will find significant digital resources in addition to resources for pedagogy and content throughout this site. This video is a quick introduction to the dynamic framework, TPACK (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). For more specific information on TPACK, please visit http://tpack.org/. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x.

US DIGITAL LITERACY is today's INTERNET resource for 21st Century Education

You can check out what is TRENDING today in Digital Literacy, 21st Century Skills, Bring Your Own Device, and Common Core by checking out the news links below. US Digital Literacy is your one stop web based network for all things trending in digital literacies. Add us to your list of favorites!

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J. H. Grigg, Ed.D.Texas Learning

We are extremely happy with this site for teachers. We now have one place to go to help teachers integrate technology into their learning. Thank you and best wishes from Texas Learning Consultants.

Kari Curran, Literacy CoachGovernor's Teachers Network at NCDPI

US Digital Literacy is my number one resource for best practices in classroom instruction and assessment! A phenomenal resource for teachers to select from a menu of web apps for their teaching practice. Partnering with lynda.com for just in time professional growth needs for teachers. This site was created by a teacher for other teachers.

Your Digital Footprint

We live in a digital age with an Internet economy that is growing exponentially. Close to 75% of Americans use the Internet as part of their daily jobs and careers. Our goal is to help educators teach students best and safe practices as they use the Internet and record their digital footprint. What you do on the Internet and think may have been deleted is still embedded in the social network DNA, so Internet users must think before they click! The best policy for protecting yourself is PRIVACY. Protecting your digital footprint is the most important thing you will learn using technology. THANK YOU again for visiting our site. Be safe and be smart!

Digital & Media Literacy

Technology in our daily lives

Most challenging in this millennium is our students know a lot more about technology than we do, and it is almost impossible to keep up with them! We are serving a new generation of students, often referred to as Digital Natives. They have grown up with technology and have been immersed in media rich resources. They are masters of multitasking. Today's students have revolutionized expectations in the classroom.

Digital Immigrants & Digital Natives

Digital Immigrants, that would be most of the teachers (but not all) do things like print our email, while the Digital Natives do not even use email any more! They use text AND Snapchat! We still get our news from the newspaper, and think a podcast is some kind of science fair project! Only a handful of teachers understand how technology is a not a subject to teach but rather a tool to use with a Digital Native to let them power up and apply real world problem solving to their curriculum. These teachers are often referred to as Digital Transients. Teachers must meet students where they are, they must aspire to use the language of technology to engage their digitized learner in our globally collaborative world. In doing so, teachers must help students become responsible digital citizens. Mike Ribble has two great books about this topic. Check out Raising a Digital Child and Digital Citizenship in Schools to learn more, both available at Amazon.com.

Media Literacy

According to The National Association for Media Literacy Education, media literacy is seen to consist of a series of communication competencies, including the ability to ACCESS, ANALYZE, EVALUATE, and COMMUNICATE information in a variety of forms, including print and non-print messages. Media literacy empowers people to be both critical thinkers and creative producers of an increasingly wide range of messages using image, language, and sound. It is the skillful application of literacy skills to media and technology messages.

Today's Students

Today's students must do more than memorize facts. Students must understand how to use digital tools to gather facts, interpret, analyze and create meaning, even create new meaning from the information they gather. Becoming truly literate means embracing a new framework of learning that layers core content into a world rich in digital and media literacies that will help students become future ready graduates in a globally collaborative world.

Highly Qualified Teacher Leaders

While using the digital tools is innate for most students, digital citizenship requires leadership and facilitation in our schools by highly qualified teachers. Unfortunately, many districts are resorting to untrained faculty, part-time assistants, and sometimes even no one to lead digital literacy at their schools. Schools must not turn their back on highly qualified teachers who are based in schools that are leading the digital transformation in education. Schools who use budget cuts as an excuse to cut these positions from their schools are doing a huge disservice to their students. Many systems have a team of highly qualified teachers in central office positions rather than working directly with students. This too is a disservice to our children. Educators qualified in Instructional Technology should be providing direct services in classrooms.

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Contact US Digital Literacy Today Our message: Thank you for visiting US Digital Literacy. Digital Literacy is important in education, the work force and generally for every internet user. While this site focuses on the educational side of Digital Literacy , it also provides many resources in an all in one website to help you tap into the exponential amount of resources available via the internet.

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Resources for digital literacy

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Just learned about this sitting at the 2016 NCTIES Conference.

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Thank you for attending a Digital Citizenship at Home event, sponsored by CMS Instructional Technology. This site contains information that was shared during the session, as well as other resources...

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Essential elements of digital citizenship

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Essential elements of digital citizenship

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From the ISTE Connects blog

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Kids today have always had technology in their lives, and many educators assume their students are competent tech users - more competent, in fact, than themselves.

In reality, though, students may be comfortable using technology, but they still might not understand how to use it appropriately or how to harness the power of technology to pursue their passions and contribute to their community.

In my book, Digital Citizenship in Schools, I explain the three categories of digital citizenship respect, educate, protect and lay out a framework that educators of all subject areas and grade levels can use to teach the basics of digital citizenship.

As you embed digital citizenship lessons into your curriculum, you'll feel more comfortable empowering your students to be active, vocal digital citizens who use their voice to do good in the world and promote the causes they care about.

Read on to get an overview of each of the nine elements:

Respect

Digital access: Advocating for equal digital rights and access is where digital citizenship starts.

Digital etiquette: Rules and policies aren't enough - we need to teach everyone about appropriate conduct online.

Digital law: It's critical that users understand how to properly use and share each other's digital property.

Educate

Digital communication: With so many communication options available, students need to learn how to choose the right tools according to their audience and message.

Digital literacy: This involves more than being able to use tools. Digital literacy is about how to find, evaluate and cite digital materials.

Digital commerce: As students make more purchases online, they must understand how to be effective consumers in a digital economy.

Protect

Digital rights and responsibilities: Students must understand their basic digital rights to privacy, and freedom of speech.

Digital safety and security: Digital citizens need to know how to safeguard their information by controlling privacy settings.

Digital health and wellness: One important aspect of living in a digital world is knowing when to unplug. Students need to make informed decisions about how to prioritize their time and activities online and off. Balance is one of the five competencies of DigCitCommit.

Mike Ribble is author of The Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders and Digital Citizenship in Schools, 3rd Edition.
This is an updated version of a post that was originally published on June 25, 2014.

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Essential Elements of Digital Citizenship

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Kids today have always had technology in their lives, and many educators assume their students are competent tech users - more competent, in fact, than themselves. In reality, though, students may be comfortable using technology, but they still might not understand how to use it appropriately or how to harness the power of technology to pursue their passions and contribute to their community.

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Use this kid safe search engine with your students.

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SafeKids.com | Digital citizenship, online safety & civility

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Child Safety on the Information Highway Child Safe Search Family Contract for Online Safety Online Safety Quiz (for pre-teens) Talk with your Kids About Being Safer Online (updated 2011)

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Teach your students about their digital footprint with this great lesson!

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Redirecting - 21 Things 4 Students - REMC

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Use this kid safe search engine, powered by Google, with your students.

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Kiddle is a safe search engine, offering a safe web, image, and video search. Results are vetted by editors.

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Clips from Disney movies to help explain Fair Use.

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This is a great poster to place around your classroom to help students remember "I am a Digital Citizen!"

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You can print out and give these bookmarks to students to help remind them "I am a Digital Citizen!"

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This is am image. Click on the image once to view larger and read. If it does not appear, click "view original".