Assessment two forced me to look at my school’s current situation regarding the digital learning environment (DLE) and delving into my research for the gap analysis task revealed significant shortfall in digital literacy (DL). After reading numerous articles discussing the impacts on students’ learning outcomes and teacher confidence in the digital setting, I began to understand the importance of reading, writing, and interacting using digital tools in a positive and ethical manner (Pangrazio & Sefton-Green, 2021). WHPS is not preparing students with future skills and found our strategic plan had nothing about information and communication technology (ICT). Moreover, teachers’ confidence is limited (Hobbs & Tuzel, 2017) to teach technology to younger students, integrate DL into lessons (Souflias, 2024, April,21) , or understanding concepts in digital citizenship (DC). Re-thinking how to deliver the curriculum with new teaching and learning practices in preparation with the required skills students need is paramount as they not only become lifelong learners but also responsible digital citizens (Souflias, 2024, April, 21).
Pangrazio & Sefton-Green (2021) explained the importance of the digital landscape and how technologies have entered in every aspect of our lives – social, personal, and economical. This further signifies the importance of teaching DC at WHPS to allow students to grow, foster their engagement and inspiration and provide opportunities outside of the classroom to navigate using various digital tools (Souflias, 2024, April, 21). With the rapid advancement of technology, professional development (PD) for teachers has become key in teaching DL and DC and in feeling confident to implement into lessons successfully and effectively. Nguyen and Habók (2024) argue DL is instrumental to improve educational standards. Oddone et al., (2019) add with the complexity of technology PD is imperative as a strategy to support teachers, however, current PD approaches do not meet teachers’ needs. Hobbs and Tuzel (2017) elaborate, teachers do not have sufficient skills and knowledge to integrate digital technologies into pedagogy and curriculum content. This is evident in my own school, where teacher confidence shows through their lessons, limiting technological use and classifying this concept in the “too hard basket”.
Beginning this unit, I felt out of my comfort zone having limited proficiency in technology, previously not understanding what DL entailed. Now, I know I was not teaching DC the way it needed to be taught to enable students to grow into responsible digital citizens. Delving into the gap analysis for my schools’ context in DL was difficult deciding how this concept could be integrated into lessons. Likewise, the first assessment (Souflias, 2024, April 8) was daunting having to developing a website for teachers about teaching artificial intelligence to students. I gathered information on how to create and develop a website and the digital artefact, watching many YouTube video, reading, researching, and exploring various apps. Overall, I come away knowing how much more I can do for my school as a future TL as they are missing many concepts in the DLE and as for me I have learnt so much, even though at times it felt impossible, hard, and unachievable, however I have so much more knowledge, skills, and strategies that I can use for myself and my school.
References
Hobbs, R., & Tuzel, S. (2017). Teacher motivations for digital and media literacy: An examination of Turkish educators. British Journal of Educational Technology, 48(1), 7-22.
Nguyen, L., & Hobók, A. (2024). Tools for assessing teacher digital literacy: A review. Journal of Computers in Education. 11(1), 305-346. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-22-00257-5
Oddone, K., Hughes, H., & Lupton, M. (2019). Teachers as connected professionals: A model to support professional learning through personal learning networks. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(3), 102-120.
Pangrazio, L., & Sefton-Green, J. (2021). Digital rights, digital citizenship, and digital literacy: What’s the difference? Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, 10(1),15-27. https://doi.org/10.7821/naer.2021.1.616