Week 2 - Why should teachers care about digital literacy?

Digital Literacy is a newish aspect of teaching and is one that has varying viewpoints surrounding it. Teachers are now educating a world of ‘digital natives’. Some find this impressive, some find this annoying, some even find it frightening (Palfrey & Gasser 2008) however there seems to be one common train of thought; “these kids are different” (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:2) Their way of doing things is very different from when you were growing up and the scary part is “they’ve never known any other way of life” (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:2)

We should not ignore the way the “digital era has transformed how people live their lives”. (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:3) It means that we as professionals have to embrace this “rapid period of technological transformation” (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:3) as “Just as technology is playing an increasing
role in culture generally, so too does it play a growing role in the lives of children.” (Futurelab 2010:7) Therefore we must adapt our pedagogy to incorporate this; making us known as ‘digital settlers’ or ‘digital immigrants’.

This digital era causes a widespread fear amongst parents, who worry about their digitally connected kids and it is supported that “they all have legitimate reasons to worry about the digital environment in which young people are spending so much of their time”. (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:8) This is mainly a fear of the impact of the Internet and the situations it can expose young people to; this fear is fed by the media. Palfrey and Gasser acknowledge that within ensuring safety in this digital era  “parents and teachers are on the front line. They have the biggest responsibility and the most important role to play.” (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:10) As we are seen to have this important role we should remain professional at all times. Teachers also have their concerns however, generally ones about our own ability to keep our skills as up to date as Digital Natives and also the pedagogy of our own education system keeping up with the ever changing digital landscape. (Palfrey & Gasser 2008) The Born Digital text enhances that it is important to “take both the challenges and the opportunities of digital culture seriously” (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:8) and embrace these as well as remembering that all the traditional values currently being taught will also be relevant in this new digital world of teaching. It seems silly that nowadays children start school “with an existing knowledge and experience of digital media. 
Yet, the use of technology they experience
 in schools often bears little relevance to the ways in which they are communicating and discovering information outside of school.” (Futurelab 2010:11) We should be using their knowledge and skills and building on it and expanding it. Therefore as teachers we need to remain professional within this change to the digital era and we should overcome any doubts and fears by learning “how to balance caution with encouragement”. (Palfrey & Gasser 2008:9)

FutureLab (2010) Digital Literacy Across the Curriculum: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/digital_literacy.pdf [accessed 28/01/2013]

Palfrey, J. & Gasser, U. (2008) Born Digital: Understanding in the first generation of digital natives New York: Basic Books