By definition, digital literacy is described as “the capability to apply information and communication technology to find, evaluate, utilise, create and communicate content with cognitive and technical skills” and it is a new challenge in educational settings that needs to be explored (Munawar et al., 2116). Having a sense of digital literacy also makes the internet a safe and accessible place for students. Liana Loewus, for Education Week, states that “while the word “literacy” alone generally refers to reading and writing skills, when you tack on the word “digital” before it, the term encompasses much, much more”, noting that reading and writing are still at the “heart” of digital literacy. Something that jumped out to me was that Loewus claims that content creation, including the very thing I’m writing (a blog), is all a part of digital literacy. It is creative, collaborative and interactive. It’s easy sometimes to think of technology as something more robotic and black-and-white, when in reality it’s something that can truly spark the most amazing creations and allow students to truly explore different facets of learning. When I was in elementary school, and even high school, we never really had the opportunity to create a blog – but now we can!
Additionally, in having technology integrating with the classroom, more resources are becoming available for students with more support needs. Children who are hearing impaired are able to use hearing devices that their teachers can wear, students who may have trouble with traditional writing have the option to type on a keyboard, students who have trouble focusing can now participate in a movement dance break courtesy of “gonoodle.com”, and so many more! In an attempt to keep all children in the classroom and learning together, technology makes that an easier feat.
In today’s age, digital literacy is essential. As society moves further towards a dependency on technology, it is becoming imperative that adults and children are both able to use digital resources to their benefit. Again, thinking back to my elementary experience, beyond using computers in the computer lab we had very little interaction with technology. Even overhead projectors were rarely used, and if so, they could only project a hard-copy paper and couldn’t link to a laptop or computer. Now, as I enter the classroom, everything relies on technology. Smartboards, overheads, mobile labs, projectors, and the use of cellphones are all a major part of the day. With that in mind, digital literacy is absolutely essential in navigating this new way of teaching and learning. Using technology to our benefit can open so many new doors and allow us to find so many new ways of teaching in an accessible and inclusive way. However, there can be harmful effects of technology on our education as well, and it is so important to not only be aware of these potential effects, but also have the knowledge and capabilities to avoid them altogether. We must remind our learners that technology can help us in many ways, but should never be doing the work for us. Though there will be challenges and many, many times where we will get confused and curse our technology, it is an amazing tool that can really change teaching and learning for the better. In 2023, having a solid sense of digital literacy, in my opinion, is absolutely and unarguably essential.
Sources: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/what-is-digital-literacy/2016/11
Munawar, M., Fakhruddin, F., Rodiyah, R., & Prihatin T., (2021), Digital literacy curriculum management in kindergarten. Cypriot Journal of Educational Science. 16(5),2100-2114 https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v16i5.6226
