The topic for this week is digital fluency. According to Howell (2014) digital fluency refers to the proficiency in which we use digital items and technology to achieve our goal. Digital fluency is not measured by acquisition of particular skills but rather mastery of skills that reflect ones context, life style or learning. For example, during the last two years of study I have become fluent in my ability to use Word and access information through the internet. Previous to study, I was book keeper for the family business and as a result became digitally fluent in MYOB accounting software. Both examples highlight that digital fluency involves active participation in technologies and can vary to suit context.
Howell’s lecturethis week discusses the point, that for many, digital proficiency and fluency is best achieved through trial and error. Within the education setting digital fluency has become part of the Australian Curriculum and for this reason educators need to consider how ICT can be implemented within the classroom to provide children with the opportunity to experiment and problem solve using a range of devices and programs. Howell (2012) suggests meaningful and purposeful engagement with digital technologies, with the aim to create and experiment provides children with such opportunity and works towards achieving the goal of digital fluency (p.135).
Digital Fluency
” Aspects of effective learning with technology in the primary and early secondary phases of schooling” (Howell, 2012)
It is anticipated that as students become digitally fluent they will become “confident users of websites and search engines, participants of social networking sites, scrutinisers of complex mazes of information, strategic and critical explorers” (Jenkins et al., as cited in NSW Department of Education and Training. 2010, p. 4).
The rationale behind creating digitally fluent individuals lays in the fact that no longer do we live in a solely print based world. In the workforce, education setting, home life and social context there is an expectation that individuals will be technologically-savvy and literate.Committed sardines
References
Howell, J. (2012).Teaching with ICT: Digital pedagogies for collaboration and creativity. South Melbourne: VIC. Oxford University Press.
Howell. J. (2014). Living and learning in the digital world: Module 02, 03 Week 6 [Streaming video]. Australia: Echo 360 Ltd. Retrieved from https://echo.ilecture.curtin.edu.au:8443/ess/echo/presentation/69320b47-1f26-4f87-ae1c-7ba4e48e0050
New South Wales Department of Education and Training. (2012). Literacy learning and technology: Curriculum K-12. [PDF file]. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:graXmMh_UZsJ:www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/literacy/assets/pdf/packages/tech_lit_learn.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au
Porter. (2012). “Generation Gap” [Image]. Retrieved from http://emrefirat.edublogs.org/2012/12/20/gap/
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TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE DIGITAL WORLD 