Digital Literacy is something everyone should know more about and practice. Digital literacy is the ability of a person to find, evaluate, and communicate ideas through various forms of media across the digital world. It is a practice that overarches everything you do on the internet. In today’s world we have access to more information than ever before. We have the ability to look up anything at any moment in time, but how do you know the information is true? Well that is were digital literacy comes in. Everyone thinks they’re good at technology, and often times people believe whatever they read online. We live in an era where “fake news” is extremely prevalent. It is extremely easy to fake images, articles, or information for a few examples. Digital literacy allows the user to distinguish whether something online is helpful or whether it isn’t.
Teaching our students digital literacy is something the newer generation of teachers will need to focus on. Especially social studies teachers. Sadly it is extremely easy to find fake historical information and not know. Teaching our students how to weed out the sources like that and find the real information is hugely important. Teaching our students key ways to be able to identify sources and websites that are good to use is a practice that will become key in every classroom. When I was in high school it wasn’t a practice we had been taught about. However, in college I was educated on the practice, and it has elevated my research skills, and overall internet using abilities.
I am in the same boat with you on the timeline of understanding the works of the news. In high school, while I had views on both sides of the aisle, I would believe the first thing I heard and stick with it. I still have semi-balanced views, but with a more throughout vetting process. I would like to apply that process in the classroom.
As a political science major, we have learned just how much misinformation there really is regarding politics. I like how you mentioned, “fake news” being prevalent nowadays because it’s completely true. I agree with you that this is something teachers should look into when thinking about digital literacy. I have seen some teachers give false information about a topic because they read it in an article that didn’t have sources to back it up. If teachers can weed out the sources it doesn’t only benefit themselves but their students as well. I believe that learning how to research is something we should learn how to do before college.
I agree with your opening line about saying digital literacy is something everyone should know and practice. As a teacher we have to continue and grow with the digital world as we go. This will allow us to continue teaching our students int he right direction and allowing them to learn in the correct way.
I agree it is very hard for some people including myself to decide what news sources to trust. I also believe it is very important to teach our students how to go through information correctly. I think this particular set of skills have been ignored for too long and we have that to blame partially for alot of problems.