Week 5 (Task 1): Why should teachers care about digital literacy?

Task 1: Why should teachers care about digital literacy?

This is a question that has probably been asked repeatedly and there is no simple answer.  Delpit (1995:153) says ‘literacy is much more than reading and writing’ and, although some professionals may argue, there is a definite trend towards the incorporation of digital literacy in schools.  The National Curriculum for Key Stage one and two in computing says ‘Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology’ (Department for Education (DfE), 2013).

 

Marsh et al. (2005) suggest that the way in which communication takes place with regards to literacy has changed due to developments in technology and they also say that ‘it is vital that educational institutions respond to these wider social and cultural changes in order that they offer children opportunities to develop’ (Marsh et al. 2005).  This is something that, over the course of the last few weeks experiences both from seminars and time in school, is important to think about and actually apply in practice.  There is an ever increasing presence of digital literacy; not only in school, but before children even reach school age and this should be taken into account when thinking about whether digital literacy should be cared about by teachers.  One of the findings from a study by Marsh et al. (2005:59) showed that:

 

Sixty-eight per cent of practitioners stated they felt that ‘media literacy’ was

important or very important for children’s future development and, when asked

to provide reasons for their answers, many focused, like the parents, on the

needs of a generation that was growing up in a digital world

 

The premise that children now grow up in a digital world should be taken on board and the needs of these children should be nurtured and their skills and understanding developed.  Learning about the variety of technology and the ways in which it can be used has shown me that I myself would be one of the sixty-eight per cent of the practitioners in the previously mentioned study.  My own years of education were at a time before, or just at the beginning, of the introduction of digital media and I did not have the opportunity to experience any until recent years.  This contrast of classroom technology, between the current age and my own, gives me a clear view of how effective and useful digital literacy is in today’s classroom environment.  Not only should it be embraced as part of current culture with regards to children, it should also be looked upon as an essential part of the educational curriculum. 

 

Bibliography

 

Delpit, L. (1995) Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press

 DfE (2013) National Curriculum: Computing

 

Marsh, J. Brooks, G. Hughes, J. Ritchie, L. Roberts, S. Wright, K. (2005)  Digital Beginnings: Young Children’s Use of Popular Culture, Media and New technologies University of Sheffield