Technology is everywhere we look in the United States. There are smart phones, computers, even refrigerators with tablets hooked up to the doors. In this day and age, it is nearly impossible to escape it. Children need to learn to use devices such as iPads better than their parents can. It is no surprise then that schools are pushing to use these devices in the classroom.

While many people think of literacy having to pertain to literature, there is a new era of literacy that is growing in importance. Digital literacy refers to someone’s ability to “use technology competently; interpret and understand digital content and assess its credibility; and create, research, and communicate with appropriate tools” (Common Sense Media, 2009, p.1). This digital literacy is becoming vitally important to function in our world. 

While there are many programs and technologies in our world today available through education, there is what we would call the digital divide. “The digital divide refers to the fact that certain parts of the population have substantially better opportunities to benefit from the new economy than other parts of the population” (Nielsen, 2006, p.1). A contributing factor to this digital divide is called participation inequality. Participation inequality shows that “in social networks and community systems, about 90% of users don’t contribute, 9% contribute sporadically, and a tiny minority of 1% accounts for most contributions” (Nielsen, 2006, p.1).

Asside from the digial literacy and the digital divide, it is important for educators to always remember the ethical side of using technology in the classroom. It is important that moral and ethical values that are used in the real world translate to the digial world, and that students are taught to use technology in an ethically sound way. Educators should be able to teach 21st Century Skills in a professional and ethically sound manner. 

References

Our goals for education have dramatically shifted as a result of technology. “21st Century Skills” is a movement in education today to redefine the standards of academic achievement to incorporate today’s technology (Wikipedia, 2012, p.1). This movement is an essential component to achieving digital literacy. 21st Century Skills, or 21st Century Learning as it is sometimes called, works to educate students so that they are prepared to work with technology. The hopes are that students will not only understand what is currently available for technology, but that they will be prepared to create and work in jobs that have yet to even be invented (Wikipedia, 2012, p.1).

The International Society of Education Technology (ISTE) has created National Education Standards that will help to make 21st Century Learning possible. These standards include such things as “Improving higher-order thinking skills”, “Designing student-centered, project-based, and online learning environments”, and “Inspiring digital age professional models for working, collaborating, and decision making” (ISTE, 2012, p.1).

As educators, our ultimate goal is to allow our students to excel academically. This goal will only be made easier through the use of technology and building of 21st Century Skills. 

References

SMART tools and interactive whiteboards are sweeping through classrooms and leaving a huge impact. Many classrooms are now equipped with SMART Boards, which allow educators and students to interact with internet sites, word douments, and other programs. Technology such as these interactive whiteboards allow educators to help students build 21st Century Skills, and bring a new approach to the classroom which will help engage students in the material that is being presented. 

Bellow you will find a web link to a Google Site. This site has been created as an example of how an educator may create a website for a classroom. The particular site bellow has been created to show a way that a teacher may help students to keep up to date on assignments. Google Sites may also be used to create a more traditional classroom website, which may include a class calendar, updates, and gadgets of various kinds. Google Sites is a useful tool for an educator to utilize in order to keep students on track, as well as keep in contact with parents. 

The link below will bring you to a website called Storybird. At Storybird educators can create simple ebooks for students of all ages. The tool is easy to use, and you may even search for creations made by other educators by age level and specified topics. This is a valuable tool for educators, because not only can teachers use it to differentiate a UDL classroom, students can use the website to create projects and practice using technology.

References

Shepherd, R. (2012). Storybird clip art. Retrieved from http://bekkeran.blogspot.com/