1. What is digital literacy, and why does it matter?

1.2. Digital Literacy in the Classroom

Objective: Explore and discover the benefits of teaching digital literacy in the classroom.

You’ve had an opportunity to reflect upon your personal definition of digital literacy, so now we’ll shift our focus to the benefits of incorporating digital literacy skills in the classroom. You need only to ask the students in your class or your own children what technology they use on a daily basis to realize that the “Digital Age” has arrived. The debate now centers on what influence digital media will have on education.

Watch the following video, “Educating the Digital Generation,” from Edutopia, to learn how some educators think digital media is changing education.

In your journal

After watching the video, think about the following questions and record your responses in your journal or discuss them in a PLC:

1. What are some of the key skills students learn by working with digital media?
2. What are the biggest challenges in using digital media in schools?
3. Do you see kids struggling with multitasking? How can we help kids with this?
4. Do you believe there is a participation gap in our schools?
5. How can digital-media projects change how we teach?