In today's world, everyone has a presence online in some form. Most of the students we will see walking into our classrooms will already have lots of experience using digital media. Whether it be from watching their parents, using the platforms themselves, or just using electronics from a young age, it is very rare that a student has not been exposed to the digital world in some way. This is why it is crucial for our students to learn the skills that are involved in digital literacy.
Digital literacy is the ability to effectively and appropriately use online sources. This involves navigating the web, communicating with others, researching, and using social media platforms. It is important to teach our students how to be digitally literate in order for them to be able to navigate online platforms and be functional members within the digital world.
Skills and Knowledge Students Will Gain When We Teach Digital Literacy:
The ability to research effectively; students will learn how to use a critical eye to evaluate the validity and reliability of a source
Understanding on how to use the web safely; students will learn they need to be careful with how much information they share about themselves or others as that information can easily fall into the hands of the wrong person
How to properly source material they have retrieved online; students will learn the importance of citing their sources in order to ensure they are not plagiarizing
Understanding on the implications of their digital footprint; students will learn there are consequences to their actions, a single post or message may be shared or copied easily so they need to ensure they are not posting or sharing content that may come back to haunt them, when you post online it can essentially live forever
How to use the web respectfully; students will learn the web is home to many views and opinions that can open our eyes to how others think and live, being digitally literate means we are able to support this diversity and respect those views that differ from our own
This knowledge and these skills are essential for students to be successful when using the online platforms they encounter in their everyday lives. If our students become digitally literate they will be able to produce better quality work. We will not have to worry as much about whether they are using credible sources or if they are citing their work. These skills will also help them greatly in their lives outside of the classroom. Students may benefit in terms of their mental health because they will be aware that images can easily be manipulated to look a certain way as well as they will be more conscious about what they post and what they send to their friends. Teaching digital literacy will mean students will understand how easily words can be taken out of context on social media because there is a lack of tone and expression that we would normally use as social cues when talking to an individual in real life. This knowledge may help students when reading comments online or messaging their friends. It may help them not jump to conclusion when they first read a comment or message as well as it may keep them mindful when they are the ones sending the messages themselves.
All in all, digital literacy is a great tool in combating misinformation and misuse of digital sources. We need to do a better job at teaching our students how to be digitally literate and provide them with many opportunities to practice these skills.
Below is a podcast which discusses both media literacy and how it can relate to mental health. It focuses on these topics from a parents point of view rather than a teachers, however, the discussion still raises many interesting and useful points.
https://www.mghclaycenter.org/multimedia/media-literacy-and-mental-health/
Resources
https://www.mghclaycenter.org/multimedia/media-literacy-and-mental-health/
https://diglitforkids.com/2021/02/22/my-digital-literacy-adventure/
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