Abigail Webster

Due: September 10, 2014

Professor Tim Newby
Rudy Rico
Digital Literacy Project

Part 1

Dear Julie,

Sis, trust me when I say I know exactly what you are sitting through. I had him as a
teacher, too! You know, ever since I got here to the College of Education at Purdue, Ive
learned a lot more about what it is like to be a good teacher in the 21
st
Century. Theres actually
a class Im taking right now that focuses on being digitally literate as a teacher in the 21th
Century and why it is so important now more than ever.
Digital literacy is important for three reasons when it comes to the classroom. First, it
allows for the incorporating of several different teaching styles. All students learn in their own
way, as you already know, so this helps them the materials presented to them in their own way.
The next reason digital literacy is so important for the classroom is mainly because we live in the
21
st
Century and most students are already familiar with technology and how it works. Applying
it in the classroom will only benefit the students. Lastly, it is so beneficial for the teachers to
digital literate skills because it will most likely be demanding in the classroom and they will need
to know how to use it. The more the teacher knows, the more likely they are to get a job as well,
and that is always an important factor!
Let me back up a little bit since I didnt really get to explain what digital literacy is. Its
hard to put it into a definition, so let me break it up into four parts. The first part is information.
This consists of exactly what is sounds like. This is where you find, evaluate, and sort through
information. The second part is tools. This is when you find what will be most appropriate to use
in the classroom. The third instructional design. This is where you bring it all together and put it
to use. The last main part consists of the social aspect of it. In other words, this is where you
share and communicate all of the information, tools, and instructional design. Digital literacy has
so much more detail and many more parts, but those are the four main ideas that tie it all
together. As I learn more about it this semester, Ill be sure to keep you updated! For now, good
luck with your teacher and do the best you can for now. And just remember, that is not truly how
a good teacher educates students in the 21
st
Century.
Much love,
Abigail

Part 2
Julie,
Here is the video I was telling you about over the phone!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075aWDdZUlM
Now I wont say much because I want you to watch it and experience it for yourself, but
this video does an excellent job of showing what it really means to be a good teacher in the 21
st

Century. Towards the beginning, it makes a point to say that teachers are no longer the main
source of information since students can find whatever information they want via technology.
Our job as teachers now is to teach them how to use these resources effectively and efficiently.
So take a look for yourself and let me know what you think! Talk to you soon!
Abigail

Part 3
Here is the link to the video I made for this part of the project:
http://www.screencast.com/users/webstea/folders/Default/media/7b0d1114-692a-485d-a64e-
6cb233c32f68

List of Ideas:
1. As educators, you are no longer the source of information since anything and everything
can now be found using technology. With that being said, it is your job to teach your
students how to use those resources and devices efficiently and effectively.
2. Encourage them to use technology in/for class and apply it to the curriculum. The
technology world is only going to expand and become more and more of an everyday
necessity.
3. Digital literacy is made up of four different sections: information, tool, instructional
design, and social. Each one of these play a huge part of being digitally literate. Teachers
must know how to use these sections and be able to teach/explain these to their students.
4. As good educators in the 21
st
Century, we need to make sure our students know to do
these five tasks with digital literate skills; finding, evaluating, utilizing, creating, and
sharing.
5. In the long run, to be a good teacher, we need to make sure we facilitate and inspire
student learning and creativity. This is one of the ISTE standards for teachers. I
personally think this is one of the most important parts of being a teacher in the 21
st

Century and this definitely cant happen or be effective without the help of technology
and digital literacy.

Part 4
In todays world, we are faced with not only being able to read, write, etc., but all things
digital as well. As educators, we need to know how to use computers and software that goes
along with it. Students today are also very technology savvy with their mobile devices. We need
to know how those digital devices all interact and how to bring those interactions to the
classroom. As students, they are definitely going to be overwhelmed by the amount of
technology out there and their need to be digitally literate, but it is our job as teachers to make
sure that they have a calm mind about it and help them understand the concept of digital literacy.
Now, in the digital world, things are constantly changing and evolving. The biggest thing
we need to do as educators in the 21
st
Century is make sure we are open minded and welcoming
to these changes and evolvements. We are not going to be successful in this digital age if we are
constantly sticking to what we know. The digital world is always changing, and that is something
we need to get used to first and foremost. There are other skills we will need to have in order for
us and our students to be successful in the twenty-first century. We need these certain skills and
strategies to really be effective. Problem solving is one skill that every student and teacher needs
no matter what they are teaching or learning. We need to be able to break down a difficult
problem or situation and figure out how to solve it. Creativity is something that we all need to
have in some form or another. It is obvious that we all show our own creativity in our own ways
and that is why it is so important to have it in the 21
st
Century. Technology definitely calls for
open mindedness and creativity plays a huge role in that. This also helps students come up with
unique and useful solutions to situations involving technology. Analytical thinking is something
that is also important when it comes to learning and teaching, not just in a digital environment.
This allows teachers to compare, contrast, evaluate, synthesize, and apply without instruction.
Teachers will be put on the spot with their digital literacy and they will need this skill especially.
Collaboration and communication are both a huge part of being digitally literate. Teachers
should already have this skill in the classroom and with their peers, but it is important they have
this in a digital environment as well.
Without having these skills in the 21
st
Century, teachers are going to encounter many
difficulties and predicaments. Just for a quick visual, let us say that there is a teacher by the name
of Mr. Alexander at South Way High School. He is very old fashioned and uses nothing but
books as sources of information and only uses the chalkboard to teach that information. There
are many problems Mr. Alexander is going to have as an educator in the 21
st
Century. He says
that it worked for the other 40 years he was teaching and he is not going to change his methods
now. Sure, this may have been an excellent method of teaching back in the 1970s, but as I
previously stated, you are not going to be a successful teacher in this day and age if you are not
okay and adaptive to change. The digital world was practically nonexistent when Mr. Alexander
first started teaching. He is not going to be relatable to his student, let alone grasp their attention
with his methods. This does not allow for problem solving, creativity, or any other skills that are
necessary for a successful class for neither the students nor the teachers. Being digitally literate is
no longer a choice in the classroom. Teachers will not be successful in the classroom if they do
not have digital literate skills.
The ISTE standards are extremely helpful when it comes to being a roadmap for teaching
in the 21
st
Century. They coordinate perfectly with one another. These standards were written
and put together by people who have taught before and/or know exactly what it takes to be
successful in the classroom. Each standard was written precisely word for word so that teachers
can use it as a guide in the classroom. For an example, one of the ISTE Standards for Teachers
states that we need to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity. This standard is one of
the most important parts of being an effective educator and it cannot be done without the help of
digital literacy. These standards give us a base to go from and branch off of with the help of
digital literacy.
Digital literacy and technology is definitely works as a partner with teaching and learning
in the 21
st
Century. Technology is and always will be evolving and changing in this world. The
generations below us are going to become more and more immune to the digital world and as
educators we need to make sure we keep up with that. Most of the time, it will be good for us
and our curriculum to keep up with the digital world, but of course just like anything else, it will
not always be 100% efficient. Students will try to find loop holes and there will always be
glitches in the system, but for the most part, having technology in the classroom and both the
teachers and students being digitally literate will only benefit and give room for growth in the
learning experience.