Digital literacy is the ability to use technology to communicate with others, find information, and navigate the internet.
In her TEDx talk, Keegen Korf explains the importance of digital citizenship and why we need to help youth understand digital citizenship.
In 2024, most students of middle school age will have regular access to technology whether it’s with a phone, tablet, or computer. Even in schools, students have access to technology. I have both ipads and macbooks available for students to use throughout the day. We regularly use the tech carts and use web based software for school assignments.
Students need to be taught the necessary skills to navigate technology and the internet. So, how do we do that?
The British Columbia curriculum for grade 7 does have “digital literacy” as one of the content items in the Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies curriculum. They list what you should include in terms of content for this unit, however, because of the autonomy of BC teachers it’s up to the classroom teacher to determine how they teach this unit. For me, this is still a work in progress.
A few of the things I would like to include in a digital literacy unit are:
- internet safety
- digital images
- digital relationships and communication
- legal and ethical considerations
- personal media management (file organization and naming…because I shouldn’t receive a document titled “Document 77”
- search techniques (how to effectively use search engines)
- evaluating search results
After listening to a peer’s presentation on using generative artificial intelligence (AI) for unit planning, I tried out their guide for using a feedback loop with ChatGPT (a method of giving ChatGPT a prompt and then continuing to prompt ChatGPT with more information as needed) to create a unit plan for Digital Literacy. Within a few minutes of prompting ChatGPT, I now have a decent unit overview for Digital Literacy that I can use to create a comprehensive series of lessons for my students.
| Lesson | Topic |
| 1 | Introduction to Digital Literacy (50 minutes) – Overview of the unit objectives and topics – Discussion on the importance of digital literacy in today’s world – Introduction to key terms: digital literacy, internet safety, digital citizenship – Brainstorming session: What does it mean to be digitally literate? |
| 2 | Internet Safety (50 minutes) – Understanding online risks and threats – Identifying common internet safety guidelines and practices – Strategies for protecting personal information online – Role-play scenarios: Responding to online safety challenges |
| 3 | Digital Self-Image and Citizenship (50 minutes) – Exploring the concept of digital self-image – Discussion on digital citizenship: Rights, responsibilities, and ethical behavior online – Analyzing digital citizenship scenarios and case studies – Reflection activity: How can we promote positive digital citizenship? |
| 4 | Digital Relationships and Communication (50 minutes) – Understanding digital relationships and communication – Examining the impact of online communication on relationships – Strategies for effective and respectful online communication – Role-playing digital communication scenarios |
| 5 | Legal and Ethical Considerations (50 minutes) – Introduction to creative credit, copyright, and fair use – Understanding the consequences of copyright infringement – Discussion on cyberbullying: Definition, impact, and prevention strategies – Case study analysis: Ethical dilemmas in the digital age |
| 6 | Personal Media Management (50 minutes) – Strategies for organizing and managing digital files and media – Introduction to digital decluttering and file organization techniques – Hands-on activity: Creating a personal media management plan – Reflection: Benefits of effective media management |
| 7 | Search Techniques (50 minutes) – Understanding how search engines work – Introduction to search strategies: Keywords, Boolean operators, filters – Hands-on practice: Conducting effective searches on the internet – Evaluation activity: Analyzing search results and sources |
| 8 | Evaluating Search Results (50 minutes) – Criteria for evaluating the credibility and reliability of online sources – Discussion on bias, misinformation, and fake news – Group activity: Evaluating and comparing search results – Reflection: Importance of critical thinking in evaluating online information |
| 9 | Identifying Personal Learning Networks (50 minutes) – Introduction to personal learning networks (PLNs) – Exploring different types of PLNs: Social media, online communities, professional networks – Hands-on activity: Mapping out personal learning networks – Reflection: How can PLNs support lifelong learning? |
| 10 | Building and Nurturing PLNs (50 minutes) – Strategies for building and nurturing personal learning networks – Discussion on the benefits and challenges of PLNs – Guest speaker or video presentation: Insights from a digital literacy expert – Action plan: Setting goals for building and expanding PLNs |
| 11 | Review and Reflection (50 minutes) – Review of key concepts and topics covered in the unit – Student-led discussions: Reflecting on personal growth and learning – Group activity: Creating digital literacy pledges or commitments – Feedback and evaluation: Self-assessment and peer feedback |
| 12 | Culminating Project (50 minutes) – Culminating project presentation: Students showcase their understanding of digital literacy concepts and skills – Peer feedback and reflection: Providing constructive feedback to peers – Celebration and recognition of learning achievements – Unit wrap-up: Reflection on the importance of digital literacy in everyday life |
Above is the unit plan overview that ChatGPT suggested after the feedback loop session. For the most part, the lesson topics are relevant and can be a starting point for teaching middle school students. By the time you arrive at lesson 9 – 11, the topics shift to topics that don’t really fit for grade 7 students – at least in the context that I teach. Likewise for lesson 12, this would be a challenging topic for grade 7 students to present on.
I think I would like the students to complete a group assignment where they create some sort of digital citizenship campaign by creating posters and digital messages that are shared around our school community. This would be a great unit and summative project to do at the beginning of the year because it reviews the importance of digital citizenship before they begin major research assignments.
References
TEDx Talks. (Nov 14, 2017). Kid, you posted WHAT?! How to raise a digital citizen | Keegan Korf | TEDxOmaha. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztgSr42CSEI
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