Developing Digital Fluency

In this day and age, technology has become heavily integrated into our lives. Accordingly, children need to be equipped with skills to properly and effectively use technology so they can become productive members of society. Children see technology being used by their teachers, parents and siblings on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, even at a young age they can relate to the importance of technology. Our society's obsession with modern forms of interactive media will not disappear anytime soon. Accordingly, integrating technology into education can be an effective catalyst to launch our students into the modern world.

In my classroom, students will practice their literacy skills using a medium that is relevant, important, and trendy—Blogging. Blogging gives a student practice with important digital skills such as navigating the Internet, creating presentations, and fine tuning typing abilities My role as a teacher will be to  help prepare students with the digital skills he or she  needs to become successful in the future.

Through interactive blogging ,there are many opportunities to introduce students to the idea of digital citizenship.Students need to be explicitly taught that everything he or she  posts on the Internet is permanent, and can have repercussions. It is important to inform students that institutions including but not limited to colleges and employers, can easily track their digital footprint. By teaching students the importance of implementing a positive digital footprint early on, he or she can start positively representing his or herself through well formed  blog posts and comments.

Not only is it important to educate children that a digital footprint is permanent, but also it is necessary to educate them about using technology and the Internet in an appropriate  way. Introducing students to Blog Guidelines will help to ensure that they are behaving appropriately online. The guidelines dictating online behavior are established to teach students to be respectful, responsible, and safe. The process of communicating these rules creates a foundation for  students to develop and practice not only social manners, but also productive Internet behavior. These behaviors provide students with a good example of how he or she should consistently behave when posting on the Internet in order to maintain a positive digital footprint. It is also important to discuss with students the importance of Internet Safety so they can make sure they are not only protecting themselves but also being made aware of potential dangers on the internet. These are two very important steps to effectively instill good habits within a student for the digital world.

Clear communication begins with a page that is easy to read and navigate. Through exposure to a variety of different blogs, as well as designing one’s own blog, students will have experience designing a page that is aesthetically pleasing while also easy to read and maneuver. As the school year progresses, students will learn ways to integrate features including but not limited to  multimedia and hyperlinks into their posts to help further their communication. additionally, he or she will practice effective communication through his or her fully developed blog posts, and meaningful comments. Explicitly teaching students how to write meaningful comments will help him or her throughout his or her  technological careers. Students will focus on creating comments that add on to the preexisting discussion and allow him or her to engage in a introspective  conversation. Teaching these digital literacy skills from early will help  prepare students for online collaboration in later grades, as well as future employment. Giving students sufficient practice in these digital literacy skills helps them build confidence in using 21st century technology skills. This confidence helps students realize the full potential in the digital world.