Digital Literacy

Scott McLeod Advocates for Digital Involvement at School on TEDx.

Something to Think About

Teachers and parents alike fear student's use of the internet, but as we know...educating students helps us to empower students -rather than have to control it. Teaching Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy is key to teaching curious, passionate critical thinkers and problem-solvers! Students are using the internet to learn all the time, let's facilitate it's proper use and empower students in and out of school.

2022 Digital Literacy Planning Resources

Commonsense Media has easy to use lesson plans and teaching decks for K-8. You will need to create a free account to access teaching resources.

A Starting Resource!

There are six components to teaching DC which include Media Balance & Well-Being, Privacy and Security, Digital Footprint & Identity, Relationships & Communication, Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech and finally News & Media Literacy. These are all stepping stones to creating an environment where digital literacy and media literacy is learned and understood across all grades. Commonsense Media has made it easy for us.

Digital Passports ready made for student assessment. Check out the links for each division provided.

Checking for Student Understanding

Divisions are challenged to "pass" a Digital Citizen test. There are 6 interactive games that "address key issues kids face in today's digital world." These aid in our efforts as educators to help students use tech responsibly. Students can "pass" the test at the end of their Primary junior and intermediate years with the Social Media Test Drive. Educator guides are provided for each passport activity suite.

Communication to Parents

We're in luck with ready-made, easy to use parent resources. Getting parents on board is a priority always and Commonsense has made this easy for us. These can be posted or linked to the school website. There are five topics available including Homework & Learning with Tech and Social Media & devices - extremely important topics for parents.! Did you know that Commonsense powers WideOpenSchool which guided teachers and parents through home learning these past few years?

Parent resources for digital citizenship are ready and available to help parents understand our DC focus. These include ready-made presentations to parents (great for parent information nights).

Next Steps Resources with a focus on Digital & Media Literacy

Media Smarts focuses on Digital and Media Literacy in a Canadian Context. Read this article about the intersection of Digital & Media Literacy which "draw on the same core as critical thinking," but with more implications.

Multiple Literacies

More than comparable to Commonsense, Media Smarts teacher resources have a Multiple Literacies focus. This resource can supplement your Media Literacy program with ready made lessons and activities. Check out Digital Literacy 101 as well as Media Literacy 101 to find out more. Parent Resources are also included with this amazing site.

Cross Curricular Resources

Media Smarts has many overlapping connections to Character Education, Health, Inclusivity and Equity programming where teachers can work together. Resources for Body Image, Gender Representation, Diversity in Media and more can be found under the Media Issues section.

More ready-made resources which support inclusivity in classrooms and also support Health & PE teachers. This Cyberbullying Infographic is a great starting point for older classes.

Powered by Google this resource has it all, especially for older grades. It's known for its Interland Be Internet Awesome game platform in multiple languages).

Safe, Confident Explorers of Online Content

Be Internet Awesome is a huge resource which can be used for DC curriculum planning on its own, or as a supplement for grades 5+ since it has the best interactive resources for website validation, copyright laws, search terms, research skills and more. Includes readymade Peardeck (interactive) teaching decks. This resource is best facilitated with your resident Teacher Librarian! Parent resources available here too!

TALCO Resources

TALCO has five components to Digital Citizenship - which may serve our Intermediate Students best.

Teacher Librarians

TLs have access to TALCO (The Association of Library Consultants and Coordinators of Ontario) who have developed resources for Online Safety. Ask about how your TL can co-teach and supplement your programming with these resources, many of which are from Media Smarts. The curriculum includes: Digital Footprint, Information Ethics, Responsible Use, Privacy and Online Safety.

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