Blog 6: Digital Literacy in the Digital Age

Why should teachers care about digital literacy and childhood in the digital age?

Digital natives spend a great deal of time online in one form or another. They do not distinguish their identity between offline and online, rather they represent their one identity on various platforms. For these children technology is their primary mediator for socialising. Ultimately this means that digital natives express themselves, make friends and develop their understanding of the world in an entirely different way than a great deal of teachers did when they were young. This drastic change in lifestyle has an effect on the way in which children think, digital natives multi-task naturally, are creative of mind and act intuitively, requiring more interesting stimulation for learning (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). This could mean that a classroom that does not incorporate this new way of life is an unnatural environment for the digital native; this is something that teachers should care about.

Adapting to the way of the digital native and using digital literacy in the classroom is something teachers can understandably be apprehensive about. The teacher may question their own abilities and there is a large amount of opposition against some technologies in the classroom. Palmer (2006) points out that overuse of technology can also have detrimental effects on learning and that children may develop problems with sleep or become disconnected with the outdoors. It is clear that a balance must be reached between more traditional learning and modern techniques, technologies must be chosen carefully for their merits in aiding relevant learning.

In the areas of language acquisition, science, mathematics and social studies computer games have a greater affect on learning than traditional materials, and Minecraft is one of the most important games for learning right now (Hudson, 2013). Teachers can even use a modified version of Minecraft called 'Minecraftedu', which is currently being used in over 1500 schools. In terms of learning, the game is useful for programming, setting up servers, modifying programmes and for using video for such things as guides or presentations. The Minecraftedu mod even incorporates a writing feature so that children can present their work in the digital world. Most importantly, Minecraft has become a somewhat unifying agent for children's social interactions, it has the power to give children a great deal of social capital where they may otherwise be lacking (Ward, 2013).

ICT offers children a real context for writing, digital natives are accustomed to sharing their thoughts online (Palfrey & Gasser, 2008). Schools are already realising this and many publish their children's work on school websites, however, teachers are starting to realise the potential of blogging in developing children's writing. The primary benefit of using blogs for writing is the effect it has on engagement, children become passionate about making their blog the best it can be (Evans, 2004).

Bibliography

Evans, A. (2004) "The Joys of Text." in TES Magazine. 

Hudson, A. (2013) Angry Birds Game Fires into the Classroom. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24228473. Last accessed 01/10/2013.

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

Ward, M. (2013) Magazine. BBC.