It may seem like digital literacy is pretty straightforward, but there are so many levels that educators need to know about for this topic. We thought we would collect a few things we believe are vital for educators to understand digital literacy.
Text Speak Is Not Bad
It is okay if learners use text speak. It shows a complex understanding of language.
A Blog and Blogging Are Different
Try not to use the word blog and blogging interchangeably. A blog is content, and blogging is the act of writing the blog.
Don’t Just Use Slideshows
More resources and tools can be used other than PowerPoint. Make sure that you let your learners use multiple media formats to allow them to have a deeper understanding of digital literacy.
Get Away From Google-Friendly Questions
Try to ask more complex questions than ones that can be answered with a quick Google search.
Don’t Over-Rely on Cool Tech for your Lesson
There are plenty of new tools and programs, but only use them to enhance the lesson plan.
Teach Originality
Make sure that the learners are not just regurgitating things from online. Teach that originality is a vital tool to have in the world.
Talk About Plagiarism
Ensure that learners understand plagiarism in this day and age, where copying can be called repurposing content.
Quality Content Is Important
Make sure to take time to teach them about quality content and how to detect it.
Critical Thinking & Skepticism
To some, two things that may seem like mute skills to have are skepticism and critical thinking. But they are still important, especially in an age where anyone can post content and claim it as fact. Having an adequate level of skepticism and using critical thinking could save individuals from believing everything they read.
Teach More Than One Literacy
With the advancement of the digital world, there has been an expansion in literacy types. So make sure when teaching digital literacy, you also incorporate things like meta-literacy and digital citizenship.
Go For Deeper Results
It is important to go farther than the Google search’s front page, and the learners should understand that.
Use Your Tools
Use tools to filter through the mass amounts of available information.
Teach HTML Too
If you want to upgrade your digital literacy plans, then include a few HTML coding instructions.
Make Digital Products
Find a way to incorporate the digital product into your plans. This will help teach digital citizenship and give learners a new avenue for their creativity.
Use Multiple Resources
Make sure that when teaching digital literacy, you teach learners to look at more than one source, not only to find facts but to get multiple viewpoints.
Make Sure to Include WordPress
WordPress is also a vital platform for the learner to understand. It can be used to help with writing skills and their voice.
Interviews
Encourage learners, when they have a question, to interview the person via email or even video conferencing.
Scientific Discourse
When diving into scientific papers, learners will struggle with the technical jargon. So teaching them about scientific disclosure will help them be more patient with the longer format pieces of content.
Digital Writing Lessons
Academic papers and digital writing are very different. In the new era, digital writing takes place, so making sure learners understand how to make essays of this style is important.
Empowerment via Digital Resources
Make sure to impart the knowledge that learners can use these platforms to empower themselves and others. Ensure they understand the impact on people and that things can be as big or small as they want, but they should be done with care and digital citizenship in mind.
Conclusion
There you have it, 20 things that every educator should know about digital literacy skills. We hope this has helped you.
