Compare And Contrast Digital Literacy And Digital Literacies

Since children today have become digital natives; they will never truly know a world that is not touched with technology. This means that the educational paradigm has to shift in order to keep up with the needs of our young learners (Jo, 2016). In the last thirty years, technological advances

We carry our cellphones with us at all times, and with all this online connection, you would think that stepping back and disconnecting is a huge achievement. But this is a new way of life. Nathan Jurgenson, in his article “The IRL Fetish” says, “We have come to understand more and more of our lives through the logic of digital connection. Social media is more than something we log onto; it’s something we carry within us. We can’t log off.”. He explains how we are so deeply connected with technology that it is nearly impossible to stay ‘old-fashioned’. We are learning to accept technological advancements because they are inevitable. In other words, to adapt to this new form of literacy is much easier than avoiding it. In recognition that texting truly is literacy, one English teacher had her students put excerpts of Richard III into “text speak” to show that they fully understand the material. Educators are embracing texting as a new form of learning because it clearly is not going away. Students enjoy texting as a way to escape reality and fail to recognize the literary benefits. Texting will continue to encourage students to read and write as well as improve spelling with phonological

Not So Fast,” Andrea Lunsford argues that rather than leading to a new illiteracy, the digital technologies in the modern world help students to develop their ability of writing. Not only that students are daferrors than 25 years ago, actually with less spelling errors. In order to help students with the challenges, the teacher should offer solid instructions and encouragement rather than derision.

For some of us, it is difficult to comprehend why our education systems have not yet made the transition to technology-based forms of teaching especially when we are in the era of technology. To others, the reasoning is clear and they support the original, dated usage of textbooks in a “traditional classroom” setting. The changes in our society are undeniable with the innovation of technology and social media. Although some authors, such as Neil Howe and Jean Twenge, argue that technology is deteriorating the minds of Millennials, technology is also providing Millennials with a way to create connections across communities.

In response to Mitoko Rich, “Literacy Debate – Online, R U Really Reading?” In the 21st century, children are learning via many different sources, whether through textbooks, internet, blogs, etc. Therefore, it was not surprising to read what was mentioned in this article. Reading in the digital age is causing a debate, especially in regards to students. After reading the article, I began to wonder; is it possible that digital text can cause more harm than good? Can digital text take away the value of reading books? And what is happening psychologically to a child when they are using digital text?

Communication on the Internet is often quite informal. It can appear to be in an entirely different language at times. This is because writing on the Internet is often done by amateurs with little to no revision and no requirements to get published. Getting an idea out as fast as possible is frequently the goal of these Web writers, which can result in failure to correctly apply the basics of writing, such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The essay “Literacy Debate: Online R U Really Reading?” by Motoko Rich is about whether or not reading on the Internet is as effective for today’s youth as reading books. Rich employs specific word choice as well as misleading statistics and quotations to show her opinion on Internet literacy without directly stating her thoughts.

According to the International Adult Literacy Survey there are a great number of people in Canada that do not have the required literacy skills to fully comprehend written material (Statistics Canada, 2007: 17). However, the internet has a solution. Imbedded within informative websites are often links to activities, videos and simulations which may serve to enable those with lower literacy levels better comprehension of the material at hand. This is evidenced by findings of the International Adult Literacy survey that determined that individuals who use computers generally scored higher in prose literacy defined as the ability to understand and apply concepts learned from text (Statistics Canada, 2005). The internet has the potential to provide these individuals with a better understand the concepts contained within text through the use of multimedia beyond the one dimensional pictures contained in a traditional book. Therefore, the internet serves as a means of transferring knowledge that is more inclusive than traditional print media. Although the internet facilitates the transfer of information, there are concerns about how this information is interpreted and understood.

We are currently living in a digital age where our students are notably technologically proficient. This poses a challenge with how some of our students are currently learning (or trying to learn) in our classrooms. Many students have grown tired of reading dense texts for homework assignments and tired of listening to long, boring lectures from teachers at school. The way in which students are currently analyzing and interpreting texts that they read and videos that they watch have not been up to our standards here at North Windsor High School. The thing is, a lot of our teachers are also struggling between teaching with both print text and by digital means. North Windsor High School acknowledges the fact that many seniors graduate not having the digital skills and print text literacy necessary to lead successful lives after high school. We are beginning to implement some changes with our teaching methods and hope to incorporate technology and print text in different and more engaging ways.

Carr’s premise is that the Web is interfering with our ability to focus on lengthy material. On the contrary, the internet is actually aiding our ability to focus on reading. This holds true for younger children, who are known as the digital natives in our generation. In a research conducted by The National Center for Education shows that “by altering the mode of reading material from traditional paper-based reading to online reading,” the interest of elementary school children increased (Wright 367). Because children of the 21st century are surrounded by technology, they are more likely to gear towards digital media for their mode of learning. Contrary to Carr’s view that the internet “is chipping away [the] capacity for concentration and contemplation,” these children are more likely to read and focus as a result of

This concept is Loewy’s “‘interdisciplinary curriculum for the digital age,’” and from this, education should change for the better. By highlighting important aspects of the program, Wong shows opposers and concerned parents the solutions to their worries. Danger on the internet will always be present, and it’s all a matter of understanding of how to interact with the internet. If students don’t know how to properly interact on the internet, of course, parents are going to have their concerns. This leads to the “fearmongering and massive information campaigns” over avoiding such issues, which wouldn’t be an issue if covered in school more in-depth. In addition, according to Wong, Loewy’s concept is not the first either, “University of Pennsylvania English Professor Kenneth Goldsmith launched a course [in 2015] called ‘Wasting Time on the Internet,’” where it teaches students how to use technology appropriately, and use it to their advantage of gaining knowledge, rather than wilting it away with societal norms. Therefore, digital citizenship becomes vital if technology is to be a part of education, which Wong thrives in informing her

In today’s day and age, it is common knowledge that students possess different learning styles than those of generations before them. In the essays by Marc Prensky “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” (2001) and “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part II: Do They Really Think Differently?” (2001) the author clearly argues a need to adapt to students modern learning styles. In Lotta Larson’s “The Learning Potential of e-Books” (2015) Larson also argues the clear benefits of eLearning for today’s students. Finally, is Naomi S. Baron’s “How E-Reading Threatens Learning is the Humanities” (2014) a different approach is noted as eLearning could be argued as distracting to a student’s learning process. It is no question that pupils today can

The internet is something that has affected the last few generations. Today's students are affected immensely because they are young, impressionable, and exposed to many more resources through the internet. In Andrea Lunsford’s article, “Our Semi-Literate Youth? Not So Fast,” she and her research team prove that, when used wisely, the internet is not harming students and enhancing their writing skills. In Nicholas Carr's article, “Hal And Me,” he writes through personal and second hand experiences about how the internet is reducing people's ability to absorb information. Many people have different opinions on technology. The ongoing debate is whether or not the internet is affecting people, mostly the younger generations, in a bad way or in a good way.

Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills in the digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(1), 93-106. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/205852670?accountid=32521

Nowadays, Digital literacy helps to understand and analyze information through digital technology. The use of technology plays an important role within the process of teaching and learning; it can be used to teach reading and writing skills by using digital devices such as laptops, iPads, Chromebooks, or desktops. However, within the context of the use of technology in the area of education, and specifically in the area of language, digital literacy would also encompass its application both in development of language skills and learning of languages (reading, writing, oral comprehension and oral production). Although there are many limitations to the technological advances of digital literacy I believe that the advantages are greater than

Language may be defined as a verbal and/or visual method of communication with which information is disseminated, and meaning is constructed. Going beyond speech, language is a diverse system encompassing written word, symbols and signs. Whilst this diversity suggests there is no “proper English” the term “standard” language can be applied to the discourse that is most common in an educational environment. Australian schools have traditionally measured success in reading and writing against this single standard of literacy. However, the digital world students now occupy demands of them a new multi-literacy, which is more heavily reliant on semiotics and embraces diverse forms of discourse. Educators should recognise and embrace this diversity and the varied ways in which the discourses support personal development and prepare students for life in a digital workforce. By exploring the modes of communication valued in texting, networking sites- such as Snapchat, or video sharing websites like YouTube, educators can understand the role these Discourses play in students ' life and help children learn to converge their tenor to meet linguistic expectations both inside and outside the classroom.