Literacy today depends on understanding the multiple media that make up our high-tech reality and developing the skills to use them effectively. A 2006 article from Educause Quarterly Magazine
Rutgers RIOT (Research Information Online Tutorial) Lessons in selecting a topic, finding resources, selecting keywords, identifying citations and evaluating sources.
Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.
Digital exclusion of any kind does not enhance the growth of users in an electronic society. All people should have fair access to technology no matter who they are.
To become productive citizens, we need to be committed to equal digital access.
The mainstream availability of Internet purchases of toys, clothing, cars, food, etc. has become commonplace to many users.
Users need to learn about how to be effective consumers in a new digital economy.
In the 19th century, forms of communication were limited. In the 21st century, communication options have exploded to offer a wide variety of choices (e.g., e-mail, cellular phones, instant messaging). The expanding digital communication options have changed everything because people are able to keep in constant communication with anyone else.
A renewed focus must be made on what technologies must be taught as well as how it should be used.
Learners must be taught how to learn in a digital society. In other words, learners must be taught to learn anything, anytime, anywhere.
Business, military, and medicine are excellent examples of how technology is being used differently in the 21st century. As new technologies emerge, learners need to learn how to use that technology quickly and appropriately. Digital Citizenship involves educating people in a new way— these individuals need a high degree of information literacy skills.
Many people feel uncomfortable talking to others about their digital etiquette. Often rules and regulations are created or the technology is simply banned to stop inappropriate use.
example of banning technology: 'disable comment' feature on YouTube
We recognize inappropriate behavior when we see it, but before people use technology they do not learn digital etiquette (i.e., appropriate conduct).
It is not enough to create rules and policy, we must teach everyone to become responsible digital citizens in this new society.
Digital law deals with the ethics of technology within a society.
Users need to understand that stealing or causing damage to other people’s work, identity, or property online is a crime.
Hacking into others information, downloading illegal music, plagiarizing, creating destructive worms, viruses or creating Trojan Horses, sending spam, or stealing anyone’s identify or property is unethical.
Just as in the American Constitution where there is a Bill of Rights, there is a basic set of rights extended to every digital citizen. Digital citizens have the right to privacy, free speech, etc. Basic digital rights must be addressed, discussed, and understood in the digital world. With these rights also come responsibilities as well. Users must help define how the technology is to be used in an appropriate manner. In a digital society these two areas must work together for everyone to be productive.
Eye safety, repetitive stress syndrome, and sound ergonomic practices are issues that need to be addressed in a new technological world. Beyond the physical issues are those of the psychological issues that are becoming more prevalent such as Internet addiction. Users need to be taught that there inherent dangers of technology. Digital Citizenship includes a culture where technology users are taught how to protect themselves through education and training.
In any society, there are individuals who steal, deface, or disrupt other people. The same is true for the digital community.
We need to have virus protection, backups of data, and surge control of our equipment. As responsible citizens, we must protect our information from outside forces that might cause disruption or harm.
We have created a Digital Literacies Toolkit aimed at helping students explore the educational uses of Web 2.0 tools and develop good practice in the use of social software and the internet. It's open to all to use
This resource is designed to support primary and secondary teachers to integrate the development of students' digital literacy into everyday learning. The materials, developed with primary and secondary school teachers as part of Futurelab's digital participation project, can be downloaded from our website.
BiblioBouts, an online social game that covertly teaches students how to do library research while they go about the business of completing a research-and-writing assignment.
Enjoyed this 40min presentation by Doug Belshaw on Dig Lit
Do we even know what literacy is? Same word can have different meanings
He suggests 8 elements for discussion:
Can you guess what they are from these chemical-like symbols? First one done to give you a start!
Cu-culture
Cg
Cn
Co
Cf
Cr
Ct
Ci