How do you see yourself developing the knowledge and skills to address current and future information literacy and digital fluency needs?
As an educator it is important to be aware of and current on changes to educational practice. However in an age where technology is changing rapidly how do we as educators keep up?
Derek Wenmoth on CORE BLOG posts Three Tips For Becoming A Digitally Fluent Educator he notes that we need to move from digital proficiency and digital literacy to digital fluency where we show wisdom and can analyse and evaluate, where we can determine if we are a ‘digital citizen’. Digital fluency he writes is “characterised by the notion of ‘unconscious competence’, where everyday activity involving digital technologies is ‘assumed’ and undertaken as a matter of course, without conscious effort or decisions”. To achieve this he states educators need to:
– create and curate a digital identity
– manage our digital workflow
– build a PLN
Following on from reading this I believe that to meet current and future information literacy and digital fluency needs I need to continue to create and manage my digital footprint, utilise the numerous tools available to control my workload and develop my PLN.
In ‘Towards Digital Fluency’ Dr Alec Couros lists skills 21st Century readers and writers must have including the ability to build relationships “to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross culturally”. With the internet making the world smaller it is important for myself as an educator to build relationships with others in my local area, my country and across the globe. I want to connect with and learn from others and then take that learning back to my students to trial and then share with my school network. As stated by a teacher in ’21CLearners Create The Future’ (YouTube) as I teacher I need to be willing to be a risk taker, to not be afraid to fail and to explore new possibilities. And when I have done all these things I need to share what we I have learnt. Further I will connect with others with similar interests and join the discussions they are having.
I think that as a Teacher Librarian it is part of my role to introduce my students and fellow staff members to the tools they can use in a digital environment to produce and share work, so I need to be able to explain which tools will be most effective and why. To do this I need to experiment with these tools and use these tools myself. I need to be aware of what is out there and be able to critically evaluate their worth in my school setting.
References
Wenmoth, D (2016) Three Tips For Becoming A Digitally Fluent Educator [Blog post] Retrieved from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2016/08/three-tips-for-becoming-a-digitally-fluent-educator.html
‘Towards digital fluency Slideshow’ (SlideShare | 1 of 141) http://www.slideshare.net/courosa/towards-digital-fluency
’21CLearners Create The Future’ (YouTube | 7:24 mins) | http://youtu.be/mVNBebzs0j4
Gillian, I am picking up on your point about having part responsibility for sharing digital tools for producing and sharing work. Who else in the school should be responsible for this? I am thinking every teacher needs to take on this role – however as librarian (and including the IT Director and Curriculum Coordinator or other designated leadership positions) you can lead the way! Good post!
Thanks Julie.
Yes, all teachers should be involved, but as we know some are never willing to share 🙁