Watch Out! Digital Literacy Has Arrived!

The terms digital literacy and new literacies were very foreign to me when I began my graduate work, but now, they are terms that I cannot stop coming back to.  They summarize the new types of literacy experiences that students of this generation are embracing: texting, blogging, social networking, picture messaging, skyping, etc.  All of these forms of literacy are not only vital to their success in this new and every-changing world of technology, these literacies are engaging. 

Students no longer need to pick up a textbook to learn how to divide fractions; they can simply open the Internet and type it into google.  That, in itself, is amazing!  But, as stated in the video hyperlinked below, it is vital that with these new types of literacies, students learn to analyze and evaluate.  They need to be savvy, but intelligent:

• Do the authors of a blog have a significant bias?
• Are the resources reliable?
• How many resources should I check to make sure this is the correct information?

These are just a few questions that our students need to keep in mind when using new literacies.  We have to teach them to analyze the information and evaluate whether or not it is reliable.

In the following video, students of this generation open our eyes, as educators, to a new way to look at digital literacy: it is not a hassle to learn how to use it, it is a necessity!  As teachers, we should always be reflecting on our practices and I believe that these students provide an important and essential viewpoint on new and upcoming technology that should be used in classrooms to prepare students for life in an ever-changing world.

"Teach me to think... to create... to analyze... to evaluate... to apply.  Teach me to think"