Reading Assignment Part A: A Continuation of a Journey into Digital Literacy Exploration

     While I haven’t had the opportunity to work in a TL position yet, one of the items that I keep coming across in my courses for this diploma and in my own teaching is a need for Digital Literacy and the desire to support students and staff in becoming 21st century learners. In fact, it comes up on this blog a few times from past coursework...

The Canadian Library Association says that:

“Without an excellent school library functioning as a learning commons, students are severely disadvantaged. Students need to be working with the best technologies and resource collections available. They require expert instruction and guidance to become sophisticated users of information and ideas in our complex world. To meet their learning potential and participate fully as successful learners and contributors our students need learning opportunities and new environments deliberately designed to engage and inspire” ( 7).

And if that doesn't sound like it means we should consider using School Library Learning Commons programming to encourage and include digital literacy skills as an important part of learning that needs to be promoted and supported, by staff and the wider learning community, I don't know what does...

Source

Below is my brief story about how I ended up here and why I'm after digital literacy in my school as a hopeful one-day TL:

    For me, my introduction to the idea of digital literacy started a few years ago with a coincidence of circumstances and a text message from my then teaching partner, who also happened to be our wonderful VP at the time. 
    To begin, I should mention that our regular school TL had gone on a leave part way through the year. She was replaced by a lovely older librarian who came out of retirement to do the job. She was very sweet, but had no interest in technology or new district initiatives whatsoever, and was certainly out to run the library program in what we might consider a more “old fashioned” way. 
    I was sharing a grade 5 classroom with our vice principal; entirely oblivious to the ways of the school library learning commons, and digital literacy (and honestly just trying to keep my head afloat as a new-ish teacher), when one day our VP texted me and said something along the lines of “Hey, how would you feel about partnering with me for a tech initiative that the district is working on? We need an intermediate teacher from our school and I think you’d be great. Normally it would be TL and Intermediate teacher combo, but I think the two of us can do it”. I believe the phrase digital literacy may also have been mentioned. And, being a newer-to-the-school teacher with a bit of a “yes” attitude, I warned her that while I was no tech-guru, I’d be happy to be on board and help however I could. 
    So, to greatly shorten what would otherwise be a long story of me learning about a really interesting district-wide initiative to support Digital Literacy in schools, working with and learning from other district teacher librarians (Hi Darcy!), and making my first ever awkward (read: I am a nervous staff presenter) but hopeful presentations to staff during staff meetings… What essentially happened is that I realized how absolutely necessary Digital Literacy skills are for students (and staff!) and that they were just not happening at my school and are continuing to not really happen even now (for a variety of reasons).
At the time that I received that initial text message though, I had no idea that this would be a bit of a rabbit hole that I’d fall down that would actually ultimately lead me here to the path of teacher librarianship!!!

    As I’ve learned more about technology use in classrooms and digital literacy skills related to that, one of the most interesting components of the concept is that it is not meant to be taught in isolation from the curriculum. Instead, it is meant to be integrated into what teachers are already doing and it can be related to the core competencies that we are also already meant to be teaching (see the amazing work done by teacher librarians in my district to put together slides outlining connections to core competencies here - I should note that my only contribution to this presentation was simply editing a copy of it for school names, colour theme etc.).

    It isn’t meant to be a “one more thing to do” piece, but rather, a complement to the teaching and learning that is already occurring. 

    For me,  the wonders that I still have surrounding Digital Literacy Promotion at my specific school center around helping teachers get on board and get excited about this. As the student in this ted talk mentions (among other poignant things), kids instinctively know how to use devices when we put them in their hands, or are quick to figure it out (though, this does NOT make them digitally literate). Students love using technology. When I tell my class that we are headed to the computer lab, or that I’ve booked out our class set of iPads, I’m generally met with cheering. They love being responsible for caring for our tech carts of iPads and are always asking when its their turn to put away and plug in the iPads. These kids are in grade ⅔. They are eager to learn about how to best use tech. It is our job to give them those opportunities and ensure they grow the skills they will need to be successful and safe online citizens. 

    Adults, however, are not the same. Many of the staff I work with find that technology is outside of their comfort zone and isn’t something that they want to actively pursue as an addition to their teaching. This doesn't mean that they're unwilling, or in denial of its importance (unlike the meme below!) but rather that they're overwhelmed and unsure where to start.

And so, my wonder in many ways is about supporting staff and learning communities in their Digital Literacy journeys:

What programs, frameworks, teaching, and collaborative opportunities can we use to support Elementary classroom teachers and our learning communities in incorporating meaningful technology use and digital literacy skill instruction into their classrooms so that students remain engaged and excited while growing their Digital Literacy skills? 

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Keywords/ phrases that I might use while exploring this topic: 

• -digital literacy skills
• -digital literacy as related to success in other areas of learning
• -collaboration to support technology use in classrooms
• -collaboration to support digital literacy learning
• -what digital literacy can look like in elementary schools
• -providing professional development to teachers
• -promoting digital literacy with parents and students
• -programs for digital literacy skills
• -importance of digital literacy for learners
• -digital literacy as related to access to information and privacy concerns
• -Makerspaces and their connections to digital literacy and digital media creation/sharing or Digital Makerspaces as a means of digital literacy opportunity
• frameworks to support technology use in classrooms

I’m hoping that throughout this course, I can continue to grow my understanding of how and why I can and should promote digital literacy learning in my school with both staff, students, and the wider school community! 

Let me know if you have any ideas :) 

Works Cited

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning:  Standards of Practice for School

Library Learning Commons in Canada.llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/llsop.pdf

"Digital Literacy Skills to Succeed in Learning and Beyond" Yimin Yang, TedxYouth@GrandviewHeights. Youtube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 09 Sept. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgEGbMPJcAo

Fidler, C., Kaercher, M., & McNee D. “Deep Cove Building Digital Literacy”. Google Slides, 12 April, 2021. docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hjM2PU7LvnbIOJYvVBh895SwG75YnOd8U14OTwsJxFA/edit?usp=sharing.