DIGITAL LITERACY AND CITIZENSHIP
Kids and teens today are using the immense power of digital media to explore, connect, create, and learn in ways never before imagined. With this power, young people have extraordinary opportunities, and yet they face potential pitfalls, too. Meanwhile, schools are dealing with the associated ramifications — like cyberbullying, digital cheating, and safety and security concerns. These issues underscore the need for students to learn digital literacy and citizenship skills
What is Digital Life?
Digital life describes the media world that you kids inhabit 24/7 – online, on cell phones and mobile devices, and anywhere media is displayed. By definition, digital media is participatory. The users create the content, and anything created in this digital life becomes instantly viral, scalable, replicable, and viewable by vast, invisible audiences. Kids use digital media to socialize, do their homework, express themselves, and connect to the world. New technologies give our kids unprecedented powers of creation and communication, making the world more accessible and comprehensible at earlier and earlier ages. |
The Need for Digital Literacy and Citizenship.
This dynamic new world requires new comprehension and communication skills, as well as new codes of conduct, to ensure that these powerful media and technologies are used responsibly and ethically. Much of the interaction in this digital world happens at a distance, which can diminish the rules of cause and effect, action and consequence. Additionally, much of digital life takes place under the cloak of anonymity, making it easier to participate in unethical and even illegal behaviors. |
Digital Literacy means the ability to:
> use technology competently > interpret and understand digital content and assess its credibility > create, research, and communicate with appropriate tools |
Digital Literacy programs are an essential element of media education and involve basic learning tools and a curriculum in critical thinking and creativity. Digital Citizenship means that kids appreciate their responsibility for their content as well as their actions when using the Internet, cell phones, and other digital media. All of us need to develop and practice safe, legal, and ethical behaviors in the digital media age. Digital Citizenship programs involve educational tools and a basic curriculum for kids, parents, and teachers.
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