Literacy Now

When you look across almost two decades of the 21st century, you can see how much the curriculum has been modified to include digital literacy and digital skills, and it becomes clear that students need to be responsible digital citizens. This concept can be introduced in tandem in the classroom, but students will likely need plenty of practice in and out of school to really master them.

One strategy to increase students’ awareness of how to use social media appropriately is to prepare case studies generated from the news that illustrate common misuses of social media by celebrities or even regular folks. By examining other people’s behavior in relation to their own, students can learn to think more critically about what it means to be a responsible digital citizen and how to identify the contradictions involved. Cases like these can prove quite valuable because young people tend to look for models in society and then emulate what they do.

There are examples all over the world that can be used as teachable moments for students.

During sporting events such as the Summer Olympics, multinational companies often advertise their products with inspirational messages, for example Proctor & Gamble’s video showing the sacrifices athletes made to become an Olympian and the unconditional support they received from their families.

On the flipside of that coin during the Summer Games in 2012, the Switzerland soccer team lost against North Korea. One of the Swiss players was furious and decided to vent on Twitter. He insulted the players of the other team with racist comments. The next day, he was expelled from the Olympic team.

After learning about these real events, ask students to draw connections between what the video showed and the efforts each athlete took to be part of an Olympic team. Yet, even after all of this work, a young athlete is no longer able to compete professionally because of his reckless actions and misuse of Twitter.

A second example took place during an official visit to China in 2015. The former president of Argentina made a sarcastic remark via Twitter mocking the Chinese accent. The diplomatic community was appalled by this president’s behavior. Yet this behavior was applauded among her mass of followers who would never dare to question her actions because the great majority did not exercise critical thinking to analyze the connection between what she did and the negative international diplomatic implications. The message for students here is that respect should be expressed, even in cyberspace.

Offer students newspapers, articles, or videos about events like these and encourage them to infer what repercussions a leader’s digital actions may have had on internal and external affairs.

Digital citizenship is a concept requiring respect for others and oneself, reflection, and lots of practice. Our students need opportunities to discuss and reflect on the inconsistencies between the digital citizenship skills they learn about at school and what they see others do with social media outside of school. Case studies can offer a wide range of different examples to make these discussions memorable and meaningful.

M. Carolina Orgnero is an assistant professor at Universidad de Río Cuarto where she teaches Education and Technology courses in the English language program (TESOL) to undergraduate and graduate students. She also teaches EFL Pedagogy to preservice teachers at ISFD Juan Zorrilla de San Martín in Córdoba, Argentina.

Lately I have been reflecting on the disconnect between educational initiatives about the role of technology in literacy and learning and the realities that exist in some schools.

The past five years or so have been characterized by major educational shifts brought about by new policies and educational initiatives. A common characteristic of all of these initiatives is the importance of pedagogy for preparing 21st-century literate students, not just for integrating technology in the classroom. Tools alone do not teach, teachers do.

The Common Core State Standards include expectations about using media and technology and developing students’ digital skills. Embracing multimedia, reading multimodal texts, and using digital tools in classroom instruction are necessary for students to become college and career ready.

Future Ready Schools, a recent U.S. Department of Education initiative, is designed to provide guidance and support to school districts about making technology infrastructure, technology integration, and professional development decisions.

The 2016 National Education Technology Plan provides a framework for reimagining the role of technology in transforming student learning. It calls for equity, accessibility and connectivity as well as resources that can make learning for all students possible all the time, anywhere. The plan also promotes active use of technology and highlights the role of technology in assessing student learning.

The 2016 ISTE Standards position technology at the heart of teaching and learning. The standards also call for the development of an educational framework that redefines learning in a connected world; prepares students to become literate, creative communicators and digital citizens, critical and computational thinkers, collaborative problem solvers, and lifelong learners; empowers students to take ownership of their learning and construct knowledge; and equips students to compete in a global economy.

In terms of sample realities, these are perspectives of four educators I have been working with about their experiences with digital literacies and learning:

• “I am an assistant principal at a Title I elementary school. Although summative assessments require the use of a computer, most of what happens in the classrooms involves paper and pencil and very little technology. I have two concerns: (a) How can I close the digital divide for students who do not have access to technology and the Internet at home? The digital divide affects the literacy achievement gap. (b) Many students struggle with navigating the digital environment when taking assessments online. How can we best prepare students both in content and in digital literacy skills?”

• “I am a writing coach at an elementary school. For the past couple of years, I have been supporting teachers’ and students’ writing needs. I know that digital literacy involves one’s ability to use a variety of tools for reading and writing. But how can we help teachers integrate technology in their writing instruction in strategic ways? I think we need protocols for best technology integration use. Digital tools can help students brainstorm, share and evaluate each other’s writing, and collaborate in project-based learning.”

• “I am a literacy coach at an elementary school. I struggle with how to help teachers to be digital readers and writers. Literacy coaches play a key role in shaping teachers’ literacy practices and creating a common language about literacy. We can model innovative literacy pedagogies but we cannot do it alone. We need principals and teachers to collaboratively create a vision for future-ready teaching and learning.”   

• “I teach seventh-grade intensive reading at a digital school. My students and I are using a digital curriculum. All students at my school have a tablet they use at school and at home. Although technology is present throughout our day, many of my students struggle with reading and comprehending digital texts, navigating digital contexts, and developing critical thinking skills. The digital curriculum provides me with strategies and resources but I need professional development on how to develop my students’ digital literacy skills and abilities. The curriculum alone is not enough for teacher and student success. I have a lot of questions about what teaching and learning looks like in other digital schools.”

Leading, teaching, and learning in the digital age require engagement at many levels. We have to come together as literacy educators, researchers, policymakers, and community members to collaboratively problem solve about making digital literacies and learning a priority in preservice and inservice teacher education and in digital leadership. To impact student learning, we will need to collaborate with all stakeholders to develop digital ecosystems that support innovative pedagogies for preparing 21st-century learners.

Vicky Zygouris-Coe is a professor of reading education at the University of Central Florida.

This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

As a former high school teacher who taught at a Title I school, getting a call from a graduate who seeks advice as he or she attempts to navigate the challenge that is college is not uncommon. So I wasn’t surprised to get a call from my former Associated Students Government President who was a junior at UCLA. He was hoping to get the summer internship at Hulu. As he was completing the application, he realized that Hulu wanted a personal digital portfolio. Despite my telling all my students repeatedly to set up an engaging personal website, to be active on Twitter, and to maintain a robust LinkedIn profile, he did not think it was that important for him to do so until it was too late.

Some readers might wonder why I would encourage anyone, especially high school students, to create an online presence. After all, if The New York Times’ article, “European Court Lets Users Erase Records on Web” is any indication, wouldn’t it just be better for my students to not have a social media account or a website?

I began working on creating positive digital footprints because of a post I saw on a website called Rate My Teachers 10 years ago. Although they were mostly positive, seeing posts about me as a teacher without my input prompted me to create a personal website. I did not want someone else’s perception of myself and my work to be the only thing on the Internet. It is true that I have received more than my share of junk e-mails, but I continue to collaborate and connect with researchers and teachers all around the world.

Social media and getting a job

According to the 2014 Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey, 73% of employers used social media as their primary recruiting tool, and 94% of those used LinkedIn as their primary tool. For highly skilled tech-related jobs, the percentage increases. Although many employers said they rarely care about a candidate’s political statements, their negative perceptions are strong against illegal drug references (83%), sexual posts (70%), spelling and grammar errors (66%), and profanity (63%) on any social media platforms. With the advancement of big data analysis tools, teaching our students to take control over what is being posted on the Internet is more important than ever! Here are a few things to remember to share with students.

• Whether you want to or not, you will make digital footprints. Once I spoke with a teacher about the need to maintain a professional website. She said, “I don’t want people to know about me, so I don’t have Facebook or any social media accounts.” I told her to Google herself. Needless to say, she was not happy with what she found. She realized that her students, friends, and family members have posted a lot of information without her knowing. For some teachers who have not considered themselves to be public figures, knowing that our salaries, work places, and our licenses are all accessible by the public under The Freedom of Information Act could come as a shock. Our work e-mails and browsing history when we access information on our work-issued devices can also become public. I don’t know about you, but I would rather maintain my professional website where I have control over what is being posted to be the first result to come up if someone searched my information. This leads me to my next point and example.

• If you don’t, someone else will tell your story. Take control. At the recent International Literacy Association (ILA) Conference in Boston, an attendee asked me if I had a business card with my information. Before I could answer her, she said, “Never mind. I will just Google you.” I was thankful I have maintained my personal website and a YouTube channel for many years. In fact, my first presentation at the ILA conference (then the International Reading Association) three years ago came about when another researcher found me on YouTube and wanted to include me in her presentation.

• Everything is permanent. Even the things you share on Snapchat. Many of my students believe that disappearing display on Snapchat means that the information is gone forever. I always tell them it is gone until they are running for political office or applying to become an FBI agent. I tell them unless they want whatever they shared to be on the homepage of Yahoo, MSN, or Bing or as a Google Doodle, they shouldn’t share it. Ever. I also inform them they should remember that having a Wi-Fi–enabled device means that the information is posted somewhere or shared with someone as soon as they take photos or videos on that device.

• Every post tells a story. Make it count. Because everything is nearly permanent online, one should be careful of what one chooses to share. I used to tell my students that I am an advocate for freedom of speech, which doesn’t guarantee them freedom of judgment from others. As the Jobvite Survey shows, all employers judge potential candidates on the basis of their social media behaviors.

• Be discreet on different tools, but keep in mind of the larger online persona. Although I have all the major social media accounts, I use different tools for different purposes. For example, I post only professional information on LinkedIn and Twitter as I consider it to be a professional space. On the other hand, I use Facebook and Instagram to share my personal activities only with my friends and family. It is no different from choosing the right type of literature genre to express one’s feelings and ideas. Sometimes one needs to write poems whereas other times one must write an essay! So why not consider it before your next post?

Exercising digital citizenship

We all live in a digitally enriched world where one’s knowledge and information have become an important commodity for success. You will notice now many major news outlets such as NBC, ABC, and CNN reported what was posted on the Facebook accounts of the victims of Orlando shootings or the slain Dallas police officers. You hear daily what was tweeted by presidential candidates.

Whether you consider yourself to be a public figure, taking control over your digital persona is a must. And teachers must teach their students to exercise good digital citizenship. For more information on how to help your students, please check out Common Sense Media.

Most important, remember that your digital footprint is your personal brand.

Kip Glazer is a native of Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States in 1993 as a college student. She holds California Single Subject Teaching Credentials in Social Studies, English, Health, Foundational Mathematics, and School Administration. In 2014, she was named the Kern County Teacher of the Year. She earned her doctorate of education in learning technologies at Pepperdine University in October 2015. She has presented and keynoted at many state and national conferences on game-based learning and educational technologies. She has also consulted for Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning and the Kennedy Center ArtsEdge Program.

As an elementary teacher for 10 years, I dabbled in technology as a learning tool but always looked at it from the outside in. I used the Smartboard to present lessons and show my students fun math games. Technology was an insertion to my lesson, not a means to deeper learning.

Recently, I turned technology inside out and started to see it as a vehicle to move the content or unit of study to a deeper level. I asked myself: How can technology enhance the learning of my students and the learning process? How can technology support learning through collaboration, communication, and creation of information?

So my first graders and I embarked on a four-week journey into the unknown world of producing an iMovie together. I asked them: “What makes real reading?” To answer that question, we viewed videos of students demonstrating reading strategies. We evaluated these “texts” as an audience to see what worked and didn't work. These young learners identified that students who talked directly to the camera were easier to learn from than those who read from a script. They noticed showing examples of reading strategies was more informative than singing a catchy song. They thought deeply about the way others communicate through video.

After they had some schema of the film they would create, we stepped away from technology. Making the movie was our tool and motivation to communicate, and the goal was to share our learning and understanding of real reading.

During one work session I said to the reading specialist, “This video is going to be a mess! It is taking too much time out of our reading instruction.” Her response was clear: The students were internalizing learning and doing meaningful work. Having a supportive colleague who recognized the important work our students were doing allowed me to forge ahead. It validated the time and energy the class spent on the project.

Students wrestled with questions like What does visualization really mean? and How can I communicate what “looking for chunks” to decode really is? Through the process I did not give students answers but guided them and pushed them to be clear and articulate. It became a sort of formative assessment, where some partnerships moved independently and others needed recurring support and scaffolding. I didn’t know how the process was going to unfold and it didn’t matter. Learning existed in each moment. For every time I doubted the process, I was inspired by students’ thinking and processing.

Of course I’ve used an iPad before to record video, but never have I handed it over to 7-year-olds to do the real work. The morning I pulled the microphone out of the box and assembled the tripod, there was a buzz in the classroom as recording day finally arrived. The children rehearsed and revised on the spot, knowing their reading strategies and examples inside out. They asked to rerecord until they had it right—and would have kept going for perfection had I not cut them short. They saw the vulnerability in trying something for the first time and if they weren’t successful, they worked at finding a solution.

After editing, we shared our first film on Twitter and YouTube.

Even though I was convinced by this point that developing collaboration and communication skills through a digital medium was paramount to the product, the debut of our video was priceless. Parents thanked me for the “gift,” our school leader mistook us for third graders, and gurus in the literacy world retweeted us. The children had a real audience and received authentic feedback to solidify their learning. They recognized that people beyond our classroom walls know and use the same reading strategies. They felt famous for talking about reading.

Technology cannot be an add-on to the curriculum or an afterthought to boost motivation. It adds to learning and engages students in new ways, but becoming digitally literate is more than being able to manipulate the latest program. Technology changes in an instant, and we cannot equip our students for the tools and programs of tomorrow. This journey showed me I can endow my students with experiences that promote original thinking and creativity. I can create situations where they rely on one another to develop ideas and communicate. I moved from reading teacher to a facilitator of multiliterate learning. I led the way and set the vision, but the children did the real work.

Caroline Petrow is a first-grade teacher at Durham Academy in North Carolina.  She has 11 years teaching experience and a MEd Reading Education.  Follow Caroline and her students on Twitter. ​

It’s summer time, a time when many of us are looking for professional development opportunities to help us prepare for an exciting new school year. If you are in search of new ideas, explore the options at the SimpleK12 Professional Development in Your PJs website. The educator community is awesome and has much to offer in the form of webinars, resources, collaborative sharing, and more. Their mission:

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I discovered this PD site on my mission for Google training. I was investigating professional development options and came across the SimpleK12 website. I signed up for a free all-day Google Apps webinar and was so impressed, I purchased a membership. There are many perks to the membership including professional development certificates after the completion of webinars, synchronous or archived. SimpleK12 offers more than 700 professional development hours and thousands of professional development webinars on hundreds of timely topics in education. The trainings target educators including administrators, media specialists, classroom teachers, literacy coaches, and technology specialists.

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Mary Beth Scumaci is a clinical associate professor and technology coordinator with the Division of Education at Medaille College in Buffalo, NY. She designs and instructs technology courses and trainings for students, faculty, and staff. Her mission is to help prepare teacher candidates for a successful career in education.