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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How could you modify this lesson for different grade levels?

2. What do students learn about the information they put online?

3. What would you define as safe and unsafe?

4. How could analyzing clues be connected to analyzing texts?

School Details

Wilson Middle Level Program
5141 F St
Omaha NE 68117

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Elementary librarian Barbara Jizba teaches students how the information they put online leaves a digital trail. Students determine what is safe and unsafe information to reveal online. They analyze clues to determine which fictional character was the safest online. Finally, students summarize what they learned about safe and unsafe information.

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Free online game based program where kids learn about their digital intelligence.

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An award-winning fun and safe e-learning platform for children to be empowered with the 8 core DQ Citizenship skills.

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Think Before You Click: Top 10 Online Safety Rules

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I wrote a digcit poem to highlight the serious issues, but I used it to try and cover the issues in a more relaxed and playful way that encouraged discussion.

https://mediatechparenting.net/2017/04/03/an-amusing-but-pointed-welcome-message-for-kids-with-new-digital-devices/

I also developed a digital citizenship poster activity (non-digital and with a gallery display) with my students, as well as a parent interview project that was especially helpful because students discovered that their concerns and their parents’ concerns were not that far apart..

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A Web 2.0 Class: Students Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, and Digital Citizenship

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A Web 2.0 Class: Students Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, and Digital Citizenship

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Shannon Miller

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Students in Van Meter, Iowa, Burlington, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are experiencing education in a new room. Yes, they still go to class in a building, with walls, doors, and windows, but there is something different about these three classrooms. They are all connected. The classroom is flat.

A Flat Classroom

Led by the efforts and collaboration of Patrick Larkin, Principal of Burlington High School, Shannon Miller, Librarian at Van Meter High School, and William Brannick, Principal of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School these three schools are collaborating weekly through various technology mediums.

Last year Mrs. Miller taught a personal learning network and social media class at Van Meter High School on a smaller scale. "I told Bill [Brannick] about it when he visited with his Superintendent and Technology Director last spring to Van Meter." Says Miller "Lets do this together. Let's connect our two schools!" So over the summer, Mr. Brannick and Mrs. Miller worked on designing this class together using a Google Doc. Closer to the school year in #edchat one night, Mr. Larkin decided to jump on board with his Burlington High School PLN class.

The Virtual Classroom

The class is designed to teach Web 2.0 skills, digital citizenship, personal network building, and social media responsibility and practice. The students in all three of these classes have never met in person; however, they have all connected via Skype and their class blogs. They have also had many professionals come and speak to them via Skype. This type of learning is limitless and allows students to broaden their scope of the world. "Since I have started using Skype and blogging," notes Jesse Hasenwinkel, junior at Van Meter High School, "I have been able to virtually meet the people that can help me get the answers I need for what I am searching for in school and one day, in my career."

Each week students write a blog post on topics such as defining a personal learning network, using Skype in the classroom, and how to promote blog traffic. Students subscribe to each other's blogs using Google Reader and leave comments for each other. Some students in these three high schools have made great connections and found common interests. They are expanding their learning opportunities and through the efforts of the teachers and principals, engaging with vast community of learners.

The critic in all of us may say this is simply using the tools and distracting from learning. This is a statement each student in each of these three classes would eagerly contest. Reanne Maskart, a junior at MBAPCHS states, "You have to adapt to the world around you or progress can never happen. That is the ultimate goal of education, right? Progress. Continuous progress." The ability to adapt to a world in constant motion is a key skill that all of the students involved in this project clearly realize.

There are plenty of new skill sets at work and one of them is necessary in every facet of life: Being an effective communicator. These students are speaking, writing, and collaborating with people they have never met. "Everything that I have learned in class," says David Loomis, junior at MBAPCHS, "will help me use technology in a responsible way that can promote my creative ideas." In higher education and the work force, this skill is necessary. Michelle Morgan, a senior at Burlington High School states, "For example, I would create my personal learning network or PLN on ideas for college, tips and such, on swimming and diving, and other miscellaneous subjects that interest me." This type of learning is allowing students to create learning communities in which they have the ability to share common interests. Students must learn not only to be an effective communicator, but an efficient, responsible one. This class is accomplishing both. Principal Patrick Larkin comments, "I am amazed at how little the students actually know about connecting with others for educational purposes. They use social networking solely for socializing. It has been great to see the lightbulb start to go on in regards to them seeing these tools as a resource."

The Role of the Teacher

Mr. Larkin, Mrs. Miller, and Mr. Brannick are not just letting their students venture out into this brave new world of social media alone. They are providing them with the essential skills of what it means to be a digital citizen. They are teaching responsible use of social media and removing the taboo from Facebook and Twitter. These tools can open many doors and provide opportunities for students if used in a responsible manner. Brianna Perry, a junior at Van Meter High School says, "This class is teaching me how to shift through information, how to find the information, experts, etc. that will be beneficial to me. [It's} teaching me how to be a responsible, digital learner." The fact that some schools simply block these tools and never teach responsible use is like placing locks on a fence surrounding a pool but neglecting to teach kids how to swim.

Critical thinking via technology

The students in these three classes are learning in an environment that is familiar to their generation and exciting. These students are learning how to be critical readers and thinkers, while opening up rich, academic conversations via blogs, Twitter, and Skype. Mrs. Miller says, "My students cannot stop talking about our connected classroom. They have made so many new connections and realize that their classroom is not simply limited to a room, but is an expansive canvas."

This is the where the excitement in education begins. All of these students are learning beyond the classroom walls. Many of them correspond via their blogs after school or update each other on common interests via Twitter. They realize that what they put on the Web will be effectively permanent and that responsible digital citizenship is necessary in all facets of social media.

What these students are learning is invaluable and should be integrated into more of our classrooms. The opportunity for teachers to bring in authors and speakers to their classroom is out there. We simply need to make this happen and give our students the best opportunities to learn. At the end of the day we, as educators, hope students can walk away from class saying what Amy Ly a junior at MBAPCHS says:

I have enjoyed learning with people from different environments and experiencing learning outside of a single classroom. Though we may all seem the same, each and every student has different opinions and ways of learning; therefore, with the sharing of ideas through classrooms via blogs and Skype, we, all, as students are given greater opportunities for success.

*All of the Student PLN Connect Blogs can be found at The Student PLN Connect and BHS Web 2.0 Class

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A Web 2.0 Class: Students Learn 21st Century Skills, Collaboration, and Digital Citizenship

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Students in Van Meter, Iowa, Burlington, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are experiencing education in a new room. Yes, they still go to class in a building, with walls, doors, and windows, but there is something different about these three classrooms. They are all connected. The classroom is flat.

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I use the FBI's SOS site to teach my 3rd and 4th graders how to be safe online. I also incorporate my own questions with their resources.
https://sos.fbi.gov/

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I teach an Information Literacy course and Digital Citizenship is a large part of the curriculum.  I use Common Sense Media and a combination of other videos, activities, etc.  I am having my 8th graders create a PSA using We Video on either digital/internet privacy, digital footprint, or cyberbullying.

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I'm the Executive Director of EPIK Deliberate Digital. We're hosting this year's DigCitSummit in Utah, in collaboration with the Digital Citizenship Institute. The focus of the Summit will be on Positive Digital Citizenship. We've curated some examples of Positive DigCit at this website: http://digcitutah.com/digital-citizenship-kids/

#usetech4good

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I have created lessons about Digital Citizenship and have uploaded them to Nearpod to make them more interactive.  The students have really enjoyed the lessons this year.  The lessons I use are based on lessons that I have used in the past.  I cover research and safety online as part of being a digital citizen.   You can find the lessons on my blog:

Online Research

I also include games and videos in my lessons:

Admongo
CyberChase
FBI-SOS
Safety Land
Privacy Playground
CyberSense and Nonsense
Webonauts Internet Academy
Hector's World

Safe Web Surfing video
Online Safety video
Playing and Staying Safe Online video
The Polkadots Cyber Five video
Surf the Web video
Safety Smart Online video
Internet Safety for Kids video
Internet Safety Top 10 video

Also,  the Federal Trade Commission will send you free materials about Internet Safety and has lots of other resources as well.
Federal Trade Commission

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@SherronGone
Resources I use to teach Digital Citizenship at the elementary level:
Common Sense Media - Digital Citizenship

BrainPop - Digital Citizenship

BrainPop Jr. - Technology

Planet Nutshell - Net Safe

NetSmartzKids

Common Craft - Net Safety Videos

OnGuardOnline.gov
StopBullying.gov - Cyberbullying

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Using lessons from Common Sense Media I have begun to integrate Digital Citizenship at my school for grades K-8... running PD for teachers in August. Credit to Judy Artz for her guidance, innovation and support! Students in my tech club are creating tech presentations to share with the classes in early September.

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From @MrsMurat
I teach a semester long #Digcit course and we focus more on how to act responsibly than the block and ban or "don't do this" approach. We have guest speakers, create educational pieces that are shared across the globe and this year we hosted a DigCit Summit that showcased our documentary Positively Social.

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We partnered with our Audio and Video teacher on campus and his students created the script and video on Digital Citizenship.  Classes came in and watched video, discussed and signed our pledge.  https://goo.gl/8DjmX5

We have had over 1,000 students sign our pledge!

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This article discusses a great example of students demonstrating  that having the right attitude and disposition in using digital media is essential, and indeed foundational. Dogged skeptics are fooled far less often. It also looks to some excellent resources.

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I have always taught aspects of digital citizenship whenever classes came to the library for research or creation projects. One of the very best way, though, if you can, I believe is to incorporate it into having students blog. Here is a website I created a while ago to help librarians and teachers get students blogging: https://sites.google.com/site/startbloggingwithstudents/

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Master the Media - it has QR codes and lesson ideas and so much more.

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If you're looking for a polemic about "saving our plugged-in world" from the big, bad mass media, MASTER THE MEDIA isn't it. Instead, this is an overview of media history and structures that is intended to place a skeptical lens between general audiences and the media they hear, see, read, and play. It would make a great high school text book or a quick prerequisite read for a university level intro course on how to teach media literacy.

The tone is conversational and there is plenty of scaffolding for people who don't do media literacy education for a living, including bullet lists of key takeaways (labelled "Facts to Remember"), QR code links to additional resources, follow-up questions suitable for families and follow-up questions suitable for classrooms. Scattered throughout are quotes from students and Smith is especially thoughtful about how digital media issues play out in families - often summed up in great lines like, "Giving a child a smartphone without conversations about responsibility and potential threats is like giving a teenager a Ferrari without first requiring him to take driver's ed." (p. 119)

So why the 4-star rating?

It was easy to get past some minor annoyances, like inadequate labels for the QR codes that makes it impossible to identify the source without the right smart phone, wireless access, or affordable data plan (as could easily be the case for someone reading this at a public library, for example). Or the fact that the discussion of news sticks to traditional sources, even though young people get most of their news from places like late night comedy shows, Facebook feeds, or online magazines and blogs.

It was harder to get past Smith's failure to acknowledge foundational aspects of her own perspective, e.g., that this book is entirely U.S.-focused. Cultural assumptions, especially in terms of how they influence choice of topics, remain hidden. So readers are left to guess, why, for example, the author looks carefully at the notion that "sex sells," but provides no discussion of how a social power dynamic like racism is used to sell.

Nor is Smith clear about the salience of the media history specifics that she chooses to include. Obviously it's important to understand the ways that commercial imperatives shape form and content, but I'm scratching my head trying to figure out which analysis, reflection, or production skills are improved by knowing things like the history of the gramophone!

Though not anti-media, Smith's approach occasionally emphasizes the banal without also giving a nod to the amazing. In terms of sheer numbers, mass media have been dominated by the simplistic and formulaic, as Smith points out in her discussion of "I Love Lucy." But alongside the fluff there have always been gems like Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" or "Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts."
Smith does the same thing with research, using selected examples to underscore the negative without taking the time to actually analyze the research reports as a form of media. For example, in an interesting and important discussion of the ways that media culture has elevated celebrity, she cites a survey of youngsters that found a preference for being a celebrity's assistant over jobs like Navy Seal, U.S. Senator, or corporate CEO. We're supposed to conclude that media interactions have disturbingly influenced the digital generation to value only superficial pursuits. The problem is, once you get past childhood fantasies of being a superhero or queen, most human beings don't want to be leaders, no matter how much or how little media they consume. Leaders are, and always have been, a minority of the population. Most sailors don't apply to train as Navy Seals and there is no expectation that they should. So why would a researcher decry the fact that a majority of youth don't share aspirations to be the boss? This sort of alarmist rhetoric not only doesn't give young people much credit, it's also extraneous to Smith's otherwise informative observations. It's a distraction.

For me, the book's most significant weakness is that Smith wrongly conflates the reasons media get made and the reasons they make it to air. She writes, for example, that "A news product is produced to make money, not to inform." (p. 57) and "Remember, television programs are not created to deliver entertainment to the audience. They are created to deliver a specific audience to advertisers." (p. 25) These are misleading overstatements.
There is no arguing that on commercial outlets, programs make it to air because an executive believes that advertisers will want to pay for access to the viewers/listeners/players/readers that the programs will attract. But there are a myriad of media professionals - journalists, writers, actors, musicians, producers, filmmakers, and other creative folk - who make media because they earnestly want to entertain, tell a story, express themselves as artists, and yes, even inform. They also want to earn a living, but that isn't their only purpose. They go to TV and radio and YouTube and various other social media because if you want lots of folks to see your work, those are the available outlets.
It's a mistake to erase the varied and complex reasons that people make media, especially in a world where user-generated content is an increasing part of our media landscape. More importantly, it's a mistake that's likely to leave students feeling cynical; if it's only about making a buck, then why should they trust anything that anyone in media says? That dismissal, rather than critical engagement, is the opposite of the skeptical, discerning lens that media literacy offers.

The working assumption of Master the Media seems to be that the general public doesn't understand the commercial forces behind much of mass media, and that if they did, they'd reject many of its troubling messages and habits. I'm not sure I agree with the latter part of that assumption, but recognizing media structures and their effect on our lives and culture is certainly key to being media literate. Despite its flaws, this book is a pretty good starting place to learn about those forces.

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master the media: how teaching media literacy can save our plugged-in world

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Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World

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Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World - Kindle edition by Smith, Julie. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Master the Media: How Teaching Media Literacy Can Save Our Plugged-In World.

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This website has some really great resources for digital citizenship lessons, including PBL lessons: here is a great article, with links, by Andrew Miller : https://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-PBL-projects-andrew-miller

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Purposeful Technology-Constructing Meaning in 21st Century Schools

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Digital Literacy has many linked components that can be integrated into other academic curriculum.

In which subject area disciplines would you integrate Digital-Age Literacies?

Just like text has different genres, technology too requires that students be able to think critically about different types of media to evaluate purpose and to construct their own meaning.

The various Digital-Age Literacies apply to the more traditional academic disciplines of reading, writing, mathematics, sciences, social studies, history and the humanities.

The goal of all teachers is to promote higher order thinking skills in their students. Incorporating Digital -Age Literacies and technology into lessons and activities is a sure way for teachers to facilitate their student's construction of knowledge and meaning.

For easy reference, here are technology related standards by grade level. Please see the link above to view/reference both the literacy and mathematics Common Core Standards in their entirety on the CCCS's website.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading (K-5):

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words. (Please see "Research to Build and Present Knowledge" in Writing and "Comprehension and Collaboration" in Speaking and Listening for
additional standards relevant to gathering, assessing, and applying information from print and digital sources.)

Production and Distribution of Writing (K-5):
These objectives are very similar, but each one builds on previous exposure and knowledge. For space, just grades K, 3 and 5 are shown.

CCK.W.6.- With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

CC3.W.6 - With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with peers.

CC5.W.6 - With some guidance and support from adults,use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to typea minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading (6-12):

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as
well as in words. (Please see "Research to Build Knowledge" in Writing and "Comprehension and Collaboration" in Speaking and Listening for
additional standards relevant to gathering, assessing, and applying information from print and digital sources.)

Production and Distribution of Writing (6-12):
Again, the standards build upon one another from grade level to grade level. Below are the standards for grade 6, 8, 9-10 and 11-12.

CC6.W.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient
command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

CC8.W.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well
as to interact and collaborate with others.

CC9-10.W.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's
capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dramatically.

CC11-12.W.6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.

Learning and constructing knowledge in the 21st century!

First and foremost - encourage, request, even demand that teachers in your school district get EXTENSIVE (not just one workshop)training in the use of technology in the classroom and Digital Citizenship! Teachers are the front line of content delivery, but if teachers are not comfortable and confident with the use of technology, then they will not incorporate its use into their classrooms.

Collaborate with grade level colleagues to design lessons and activities that allow students to construct knowledge using technology. Collaborate across grade levels to ensure that all teachers are on the same page regarding what skills are deemed important for success in each grade level, along with what skills should be introduced earlier to students who are ready.

Be enthusiastic! Show your excitement towards the use of technology and your students too will follow suit!

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Be confident when using technology, but realistic. If something doesn't go right the first time, try again! Also, technology at times fails for various reasons. Have a back up plan and adjust your lesson accordingly if need be. Your students will understand if you give an explanation.

Some suggested activities to promote Digital Literacy, higher order thinking and construction of meaning in your classroom:

Use an interactive whiteboard as often as possible to design and deliver lessons. Promethean and Smart Notebook have websites with teacher created lessons if you are not yet comfortable designing your own.

Allow students to maintain blogs, wikis, web pages related to their learning.

Engage in email/video chat exchanges with students from other countries.

Utilize storytelling media to allow students to create and publish stories.

Set up a blog site/Facebook page and post weekly discussion questions for students to respond to. Encourage them to respond to each other too!

Use video cameras to dramatize stories, record scientific experiments and expose students to video editing software to create video productions of learning.

Engage students in discussions about how and why various media work well to showcase learning and why others do not. Thinking critically about the medium use use to present a message is just as important as the message itself.

The above list is not extensive and there surely are 1,001 (if not more) ways to incorporate Digital Literacy and technology into your classroom. When in doubt, have FUN with your teaching and your students will have FUN learning!

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How Can we Embed Digital Literacy in the Classroom?

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Digital Literacy has many linked components that can be integrated into other academic curriculum. In which subject area disciplines would you integrate Digital-Age Literacies? Just like text has different genres, technology too requires that students be able to think critically about different types of media to evaluate purpose and to construct their own meaning.

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MediaSmarts has been developing digital media literacy programs and resources for Canadian homes, schools and communities since 1996. Our work falls into three main areas: education, public awareness, and research and policy.

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This site has some great video's of digital citizenship lessons in action!! Highly recommend!
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/06/25/educating-digital-citizens/
One of my favorite lessons to teach is Barbara Jizba's Follow the Digital Trail: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-about-digital-footprints

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Contact US Digital Literacy Today

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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.

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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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Much Love to Joyce Valenza - my library muse and inspiration!
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jElqwp80uG7eDVxsRoEqvH5rV7b90N2w3gw0FEujmlU

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http://digitability.com/

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Educational Technology and Mobile Learning

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July 3, 2016
Few weeks ago we shared Mozilla Learning's Web Literacy Wheel featuring a number of key skills and competencies for 21st century students. Today we are adding another great resource from Mozilla Learning to help teachers prepare digitally savvy students who can 'read, write and participate on the web'. Teaching Activities is a section in Mozilla Learning website where teachers and educators can access a wide variety of activities and lesson plans tailored specifically to meet students digital learning needs. Activities cover different web related topics from learning how to code, understanding online privacy issues to creating and sharing web content. 'Each featured activity includes step-by-step instructions and has been tested in schools, after school programs, libraries and community centers around the globe.'

Here are some examples of the teaching activities featured in Mozilla Learning:

1- Web Literacy Basics
'This six-part series helps learners become familiar with reading, writing and participating on the web. They'll discover the foundations of the web through production and collaboration. '

2- Intermediate Web Literacy
'Learn to style HTML elements on a webpage using CSS selectors, attributes, and values.'

3- Read, Write, and participate with Webmaker
'Learn how to set up your mobile device to write, publish, and share stories with the Webmaker App from Mozilla Learning'
4- Privacy Basics: Passwords,Tracking, and Data Retention
'Learn how to safeguard your privacy online and develop an awareness of how companies and governments track and collect your data online.'

5- Girls in Tech
'In this activity, learners create a remix of a Wikimedia page as they think critically about the intersection of gender, culture, technology and identity.'

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Some Helpful Activities and Resources to Teach Web Literacy to Students

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July 3, 2016 Few weeks ago we shared Mozilla Learning's Web Literacy Wheel featuring a number of key skills and competencies for 21st century students. Today we are adding another great resource from Mozilla Learning to help teachers prepare digitally savvy students who can 'read, write and participate on the web'.

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USC Rossier's Toolkit for Digitally Literate Teachers provides teachers with how-to guides, actionable strategies and real-life examples of the benefits of digital literacy in the classroom.

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Digital Citizenship Curriculum and Resources

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Look At These 4 New Books Perfect For Our Youngest Digital Citizens

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Look At These 4 New Books Perfect For Our Youngest Digital Citizens

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Capstone Publishers

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As a teacher librarian working with children, I was always looking for engaging resources to support digital citizenship, along with technology and media literacy.

Last month at TCEA, I was very excited to find this wonderful new Capstone series, Our Digital Planet, by Ben Hubbard that support these skills and conversations in the perfect way for our youngest learners.

As the Capstone site shares...

Take a look into the workings of our digital planet! From computer networks and wifi to processors and software, this series will take you inside the computer and online world that you use every day. Easy-to-read text and clear photos make a complex topic easy for beginning readers to understand. Readers learn about the workings of computers and how to use them safely.

This series contains four books including, Staying Safe Online,

Using Digital Technology,

and How Computers Work.
I love the bold topics across the top of each spread, beautiful images, text boxes that pop, important words highlighted and information that is easy to understand and engaging for our readers.

In the back of each book, there is also a Glossary that matches up with the words highlighted within the book.

And also a Find Our More page, which included more Books for them to read about that particular topic and Websites within...

These four books are also available in Capstone Interactive as eBooks.

This series would be a great resource to be able to share as a large group conversation and digital citizenship, technology and media literacy.

Also, share these with parents as this is an essential conversation to have at home.

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Look At These 4 New Books Perfect For Our Youngest Digital Citizens!

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As a teacher librarian working with children, I was always looking for engaging resources to support digital citizenship, along with technology and media literacy. Last month at TCEA, I was very excited to find this wonderful new Capstone series, Our Digital Planet, by Ben Hubbard that support these skills and conversations in the perfect way for our youngest learners.

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Media Literacy Research, Resources, Lesson and Project Ideas Padlet 

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Media Literacy Research, Resources, Lesson and Project Ideas Padlet 

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Project Connect Digital Citizenship Microcredential Course 

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Project Connect Digital Citizenship Microcredential Course 

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Follett