Dive Brief:
- The complexities of navigating online sources have made digital literacy a mandatory area of instruction, and while developing the additional curriculum can seem daunting, eSchoolNews details eight components educators and administrators can check off as they do so.
- Digital literacy curriculum must align with state standards, provide ways to measure growth, and also attempt to offer a personalized approach to lessons so each student’s learning needs are addressed.
- Other components include building digital learning lessons into existing core subject curriculum, supporting teachers with technical and instructional help, and weaving in new digital formats that range from online grade books to video courses.
Dive Insight:
Few would argue against teaching students about digital literacy. As more of their lives move online — whether that’s the way they get their news and information to the professional work they may do in the future — knowing how to navigating the digital world safely is crucial for today’s learners.
More people want guidance on how to understand the way online information is transmitted, and how to interpret it as well. That led to a 300% increase in visitors to the Stony Brook University Center for News Literacy's Digital Resource Center (DRC), as Education Dive previously reported, following the 2016 presidential election. Helping students learn how to discern, for themselves, what is accurate information they can trust and what’s not is crucial to the future of society.
Digital citizenship skills can no longer be seen as an add-on to curriculum. For students to be compassionate and empathetic creators online — as well as ethical consumers of what they buy, read and distribute — they must have the tools to navigate this rapidly expanding online space. Schools are expected to produce responsible citizens of the world: This must now include the digital universe, as well.
