Colleagues,
Below is the introduction to an article I have just written for my Adult Literacy Education blog, http://davidjrosen.wordpress.com
Last year the print and digital magazine, TEACH, the largest national education publication in Canada, asked readers “What Does Digital Literacy mean to you?” In the June 13th, 2012 English version of the magazine, http://teachmag.com/archives/5009, two responses were published. I wrote the first one, in the contexts of digital literacy for older youth and adult learners, and in the context of myself as a learner. Contexts for the author of the second definition, Mudita Kundra, are secondary school students, but also the author herself as an educator, graduate student and job seeker.
Is digital literacy really literacy? Why does anyone care how digital literacy is defined?
To read more, and contribute your thoughts, reply to the blog article at http://davidjrosen.wordpress.com You could also copy your reply here.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Comments
Digital literacy is traditional literacy on steroids. In some ways obtaining literacy digitally is more important than conventional methods of learning because of its finality in delivery. Once you hit the ‘send’ button or the ‘enter’ key, opinion and response is out there for all to peruse and to judge.
In order to be a proficient communicator today, you need to understand not only what technology is being used by the majority, but also the value of that usage in engaging the learner and the class.
Social media is a great example of how this digital literacy works. If you use Twitter or LinkedIn to get your opinion out there on trivial subjects, you may lose your credibility as a scholar or expert in a certain field. However, if you use the digital tool as your medium of education, with professionalism and documentation you will be rewarded with success in achieving digital literacy.