Entering the Digital Universe

The Universe. Retrieved from IMAX.

            The universe is vast and constantly expanding – sometimes it is far too overwhelming to even grasp how tremendous it is. As much as we try, humans will never fully be able to understand each planet, star, and crevice that exists within space because it does not fit nicely into a set of boundaries that can be easily explained. So, you are probably wondering: How does the universe relate to the digital world? It is simple really: the digital “universe” never stops growing. People are constantly creating new digital innovations and adding to the expansive digital world, whether it is through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Blogger, or any other website thats sole purpose is to share – this recognition can cause fear in people, and in the context of this blog post, in teachers. A core part of being a teacher is being able to provide the opportunities for their student’s to be able to constantly grow and to learn about the world, with one aspect of that including becoming digitally literate. Many teachers fear that they are not capable of providing their students with the proper skills to properly navigate and use technology or to teach them how to create using various digital tools, and this fear is only amplified with the fast changing nature of the digital universe.

            Luckily for you, reader, the purposes of this blog is to not make you afraid or back away from creating classrooms of students that are capable of being digitally literate – I am here to provide some insight into questions, such as: How can a teacher, who is afraid of technology, become digitally literate? And, how can I keep up with the constantly changing digital universe? Becoming digitally literate and being able to teach your students to be digitally literate does not have to be a terrifying endeavour, nor do you need to understand every crevice and aspect of the digital universe – just like the actual universe, people have been able to learn a lot about its vastness and what it encompasses, but humans continually are not put down by the fact that it is always growing, but rather, their willingness to learn is what allows them to grow as learners.

            The video above, created by the University of Derby, provides a comprehensive description of what digital literacy is and why it matters, briefly discussing from topics about why we need to be able to navigate technology and the importance of being a good digital citizenship.

Beginning with the first question: How can a teacher become digitally literate? In order to help students become digitally literate, you first need a foundation of developing your own digital literacy skills because you cannot teach your students something that you do not know – and if you pretend that you do, your students will know you are pretending.  The three key aspects that I personally believe can help any teacher become digitally literate is by having true enthusiasm to want to learn new skills, engaging in professional development, and the willingness to collaborate (with colleagues and students). These three aspects provide a solid foundation for learning any of the literacies because it means you: 1) Want to grow professionally and you are okay with straying away from traditional teaching approaches, and 2) are going to have a solid support system that will make becoming digitally literate a lot less scary. Speaking with your colleagues should be the first step you take in learning about digital literacy – it is likely that at least one of your colleagues is digitally literate and will have some tips for you, such as a list of resources, that can be a good start for you to learn about what digital literacy is and have concrete examples of it. 

Digital Literacy Umbrella. Retrieved from Media Smarts.

Furthermore, learning with your students can be one of the most beneficial ways for a teacher to become digitally literate (Campbell & Parr, 2013) since it is likely that your students will understand how to use digital tools far better than you can – implementing an activity such as Allies and Aliens: A Mission in Critical Thinking, where students are meant to explore through a digital tool how to recognize bias and prejudice thus, providing them with a foundation to recognize the perspectives that they may encounter in the digital world. This type of activity teaches your students important skills that will allow them to be digitally literate and navigate the digital world critically, but it also works as a learning activity for the teacher – working together with your students in digital activities allows for discussions around why digital literacy is important and the skills that both the teacher and students need to develop in order to become digitally literate. 

The end of this blog is going to address the second question of: How can teachers keep up with the constantly changing digital universe? Well, in a surprising turn of events, the answer is essentially the same to the last question. There is not one single teacher that can simply become digitally literate about every aspect of the growing digital universe, but through professional development activities, collaborating with your students and colleagues, and being enthusiastic about always learning, you are encompassing the multiple variables that will allow you to successfully keep up-to-date on important digital concepts that will allow you and your students to continue learning. Ultimately, through your passion to learn and teach, you will never be afraid to jump into the constantly expanding digital universe and neither will your students.

References:

Campbell, T. & Parr, M. (2013). Mapping today’s literacy landscapes: Navigational tools and

            practices for the journey. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(2), 131-140.

            doi: 10.1002/JAAL.203