Week 2 - 21st Project

Why should teachers care about digital literacy?

The 21^st Century Fluency Project

Glister (1997 cited in Marsh, 2005) defines digital literacy as lettered representation being transformed and shaped by technology. The 21^st Century Fluency Project (21^st CFP) emphasises that children are different today. As they communicate in different ways than any previous generation, due to living in a different world (21st CFP).

The 21^st Century Fluency Project described their research showed a growing disconnection between learning preferences of digital students and traditional teachers (21^st CFP). Palfrey and Gasser (2008) describe teachers’ roles, as being on the front line in supporting the children. However, the 21^st Century Fluency Project claimed that teachers are failing their students because their instruction is targeted at children from another generation (21^st CFP). McDougall supports this when he stated that, the format of education has remained the same despite the changes of everything else in society.

The 21^st Century Fluency Project (21^st CFP) claimed that engagement and motivation are key to learning, as it is about children wanting to learn. Using digital literacy in the classroom provides one way to make subject learning relevant to the children (FutureLab, 2012). The use of new technology in the classroom may motivate the children to want to learn.

Palfrey and Gasser (2008:8) stated that teachers worry about being ‘out of step with the digital natives they are teaching’.  The project suggests teachers need to ‘become learners themselves, and discover the digital world’ (21^st CFP: 4).Teachers can improve their confidence in using new technology by: learning about different digital tools, exploring the online world and familiarising themselves with what the children are doing and how they are doing it (21^st CFP). On my previous school placement, an expert came in to show the teachers how to use the new technology in the classroom, this then improved the teachers’ confidence to include new technology within their planning.

Schools may be missing out on a huge opportunity to use digital tools as a powerful resource (21^st CFP).  On my self directed placement, the school used the internet as a place where children could access homework and resources to support their learning at home. This is supported by the 21^st Century Fluency Project when they claim that, virtual learning environments can be very successful (21^st CFP).

In conclusion, teachers need to ‘meet the digital generation half way and embrace their world, as we expect them to embrace ours’ (21^st CFP:12).  

FutureLab (2012) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf (Accessed: 25/01/13)

Marsh, J. (2005) Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer

McDougall, S. One table or two? Opportunities for change in educational provision in the next 20 years. Futurelab: http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/discussion_papers/One_tablet_or_two.pdf (Accessed 25/01/13)

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding The First Generation of Digital Natives New York: Basic Books

The 21^st century Fluency Project Understanding Digital Kids II