Collaborative Learning and Digital Literacy

 

Living in an increasingly digital world, I believe that it is important for us as educators to teach our students the importance of how to navigate the online environment as well as how they can use it to their advantage. Through the use of social media sites such as blogs, video or picture posts on sites like Instagram, and video challenges on Tick Tok our students are online way more then we ever were (or that I ever was when I was in high school). However...with the increasing use of the internet comes the inherent dangers along with it. Dangers such as mental health concerns due to the pressures to be perfect and get a certain amount of likes or followers, the dangers of falling victim to scams or predators or even losing the ability to be able to converse one on one with someone. 

I have included a quick video for your viewing pleasure on the importance of teaching our students to become digital citizens and why digital literacy is so important in todays society

I have also linked to this post, the Requirements for Remote Learning as per Policy/Program Memorandum No. 164 from the Ontario Ministry of Education 

The use of the internet and online learning is not something that can be ignored or disregarded at all! Our students are going to be online and as educators we have the abilities to teach them how to properly use the online world to their advantages. For example, using forums such as blogs with our students and having them post regularly can teach the importance of accountability, and time management. It can show them how to look inside themselves and understand who they are as individuals. It can help guide them on pathways to discovery. There are so many advantages that can come out of having our students using the online world as part of their learning process. 

Even by creating a classroom blog that the teacher and all the students in the class has access to can teach teamwork and bring students together who might not choose to work together to being with. By the teacher participating in the idea of blogging or using social media it allows the students to buy into what they are teaching to them and the construct that they are 'walking the walk' themselves so that when we want to provide a lesson based around how to properly use a search engine or the safety and dangers of using public blogs the students know that we are coming at them from a place of being genuine rather then just a place of lecturing at them.

We are all learning how to navigate through the ever evolving and changing online world and communities and it is important that as educators we are changing and evolving in order to grow with the changing world of our students. The more authentic and genuine we can be the better prepared we can make our students to become digital and productive citizens when they leave us and enter into the world.