Childhood and digital literacy in the digital age

I have used chapter 9 in Sue Palmers book “Toxic childhood – How the modern world is damaging our children and what we can do about it” for this task.

Technology has invaded every aspect of our life and work. Everywhere we go we have access to the web and it is easy to get in contact with others by just a dial, a text or email. Sue Palmer talks about the electronic village and how we are surrounded by it 24/7, whether we like it or not. There does not seem to be an “off switch” anymore she says. We are able to access all the information we need within seconds whether it is through television, the web etc.

She states that adults do not have control over what children are watching or reading anymore. Children can easily become involved in virtual friendship on the Internet, through chatrooms and instant messaging on websites, via games played on PlayStations on smartphones etc., and there is also a huge risk of children watching violent materials online. She claims that over 1000 studies have shown that there is an overwhelming connection between media violence and aggressive behaviour in children.
In school it is the teachers’ job to choose age appropriate materials, teachers need to be aware of the consequences that might be when working with these materials. They need to have the correct knowledge, so they know how all of the different technologies, apps etc. works, they also need to know how to produce and make a product out of it, before they get the children involved.

Palmer also claims that supervision is one thing that has become really difficult for adults, since almost every child has a television, computer and smartphone of their own. I agree that there are some risks when using the web and that supervision sometimes can be difficult, but we have to trust our children, and teach them how to use it in a proper way.
In school the pupils use the web for many things, but most likely they use it for research for assignments, and therefore I think it is important for teachers to teach their pupils how to become critical users. Children need to be aware that all information they read or see online is not necessarily true, everybody nowadays can upload whatever they want to on the web.
An example I have seen in Denmark, was a teacher who asked his pupils to write a piece about nuclear power stations in Denmark. He had created a false website with incorrect information, and most of his pupils had used his site for research, so they ended up presenting the wrong data. He did it to show them, that they always have to be critical whenever they use the Internet for research.

The web and the new technologies can be quite educational. If children learn how to use the web correct for e.g. research, to create their own websites or video presentations, it can be a resource to achieve a higher knowledge of language and literacy skills. By using the technology in these ways, so that children can be able to develop their thinking skills etc., the media can be a great way for learning.

It is the teachers’ job to educate children so they will be able to communicate and live in the society we live in today. Schools should in some way be able to put the world we live in into perspective, and since technology and digital literacy has become such a big part of our life and community, teachers today need to be aware and have the correct knowledge, so they can teach the children how to access and use it in a proper way.

 

Bibliography:
Palmer, S. (2006) Toxic Childhood: How the Modern World is Damaging Our Children and What We Can Do About It London:Orien (Chapter 9 -  Hard Copy)