Media Studies Blog Post

           Becoming Digitally Literate in a Digital Age

Introduction

     Let’s face it, the world is going through rapid change because of the digital world along with the new technology that accompanies it, and education has not been unaffected. Education has been altered by the introduction of new technologies which allow for many more avenues of information gathering and sharing. In addition, it has brought new forms of media which we constantly must critically interpret, but we also need to know how to communicate using these new forms with a language that differs from traditional writing. This means that there has been a category of literacy that has been developed from these changes and I believe that we as teachers need to be ready to teach what literacy means in the digital world. I would argue that we need to equip ourselves with this knowledge in order to better prepare our students for further education and the workplace.

The Definition of Digital Literacy: A Resource Overview          

     Due to the young nature of the topic of digital literacy much work needs to be completed in order to have a full understanding, but this is not to say that there are no resources available. One resource that I have discovered to be an insightful introduction into the topic of digital literacy is a blog post entitled The Definition of Digital Literacy. In the post it talks about how the digital world has created a new type of literacy and improved literacy by increasing our ability to analyze, evaluate and create media. It outlines what a digital literate person is able to do, like knowing different information sources or the pro’s and con’s of media forms. Finally, the resource gave a concrete definition of what digital literacy is and defined it as: “…the ability to interpret and design nuanced communication across fluid digital forms.”

            

Connections to Other Resources

     There are also other various resources which can complement The Definition of Digital Literacy. I believe these types of resources would be needed in order to gain a fuller understanding of the subject because this post is helpful, but I think could use some more depth. One example of this is a resource entitled 5 Opportunities to Amplify Your Writing ( Found here http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/07/07/5-opportunities-to-amplify-your-writing/) which educates those looking to become more digitally literate on how to write effectively in the digital world. This can aid in teaching media studies with a focus on digital literacy because it focuses on the writing aspect of digital literacy and how what tools can be used to improve it. There are also plenty of other resources which help the learner go deeper into the topic such as Dimensions Of Critical Digital Literacy: A Framework (Found here: http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/literacy/5-dimensions-of-critical-digital-literacy/) which is a blog post which teaches the student how to think critically about what they see in the digital world. This can give the topic some structure in order for the student to organize how they will critically analyze media. Below you will also find some other helpful resources to introduce the subject of digital literacy.  
Here is a resource to help think about digital literacy critically.

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/literacy/5-dimensions-of-critical-digital-literacy/     
Here is a resource discussing digital writing.
http://langwitches.org/blog/2016/07/07/5-opportunities-to-amplify-your-writing/    

G., Marquita. (October 21) "Digital Literacy" (Online image) Retrieved from https://www.tes.com/lessons/qg8JPwD8OGMdxA/digital-literacy.

Here is an example of a word cloud a student made which other students could make to grasp the key words.
Connections to Ontario Curriculum

     One of the four major strands outlined in the Ontario Curriculum is media literacy which has a direct connection with digital literacy as the two complement one another. The Definition of Digital Literacy resource, along with the other resources outlined to complement it, I believe can help fulfill two of the overall expectations outlined in the curriculum. This includes the ability of students to: “Identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning” and “Create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques.” Though the study of media literacy and digital literacy are not exactly the same, I believe that the study of digital literacy is important to media studies because students learn how to understand various forms of communication as well as have the ability to write them.

Connections to the Classroom          
     I believe that the resources outlined above would be best suited for grades 6-8 as an introduction into more critical thinking of the digital world. If I were to use these resources in my classroom I would assign the readings as homework and ask the students to be prepared to discuss it in class. I would then have the students gather in small groups to discuss what they think it means to be digitally literate. After the discussion I would ask that they create a flow chart to present to their other classmates. Next, I would have the students read another text that I have selected and ask them to point out the strategies the writer used to grab the reader’s attention as a method of lesson reinforcement.  

            Thank you for your time in reading this post! I hope it was helpful and insightful so that we all can help teach our students about literacy in this digital age.