Unit 2.2. Educate: Literacy

What is Digital Literacy?

Digital Literacy:   process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology.

"While schools have made great progress in the area of technology infusion, much remains to be done. A renewed focus must be made on what technologies must be taught as well as how it should be used. ... This process requires sophisticated searching and processing skills (i.e., information literacy). Learners must be taught how to learn in a digital society. In other words, learners must be taught to learn anything, anytime, anywhere. ... As new technologies emerge, learners need to learn how to use that technology quickly and appropriately. Digital Citizenship involves educating people in a new way— these individuals need a high degree of information literacy skills."

Lesson Topics

Each numbered section in the right column begins a 20-minute lesson with the following topics:

2.2.a. Digital Literacy

2.2.b. Plagiarism

2.2.c. Citing Sources

2.2.d. Evaluating Web Sources

Lesson Format

• Facilitator lesson script

1. Video: View the video or Web page

2. Essential question: The student facilitator poses the question or issue you are to consider

3. Think / Ink: Individually think about your personal reaction to the video and write your response to the essential question on your Journal page. 5 minutes.

4. Discuss: Participate in a class discussion comparing your response to that of other students. 5-10 minutes.

5. Conclusion: The facilitator can summarize and present a possible consensus to the question, or decide to disagree. 2 minutes. Collect student Journals.

2.2.a. Digital Literacy: knowing when to use technology

Video: View this YouTube video: "Should You Take Notes on Paper or on a Computer?"  

Essential questions: Which best works for you: paper notes or digital notes typed on your device? Why? Which one helps you learn best?

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.a. Digital Literacy

Web page: Read the first section of this article, "Are You a Digital Native or a Digital Immigrant," and think about whether it is as simple as young people vs. older people.

Essential questions: Are you a native or an immigrant? This refers to how comfortable you are with technology. Do you know some "old" people who know more about technology than you do? Or do you use technology differently than older people?"

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.b. Plagiarism

Video: Take notes on this YouTube cartoon video, "Presidential Plagiarism."

Essential question: This funny animation covers a lot of serious information. What did you learn about plagiarism?

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.b. Plagiarism and Cheating

Video: View, "Funny Classic informative Plagiarism video"

Essential questions: Does the kid in this video look and sound like someone you know? Now read the rules at a Web site called "Plagiarism.org." Not so funny, huh? Do you know kids who cheat by passing off copied information as their work? Have your teachers told you what happens if you plagiarize?

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.b. Plagiarism and Research

Video: View this short YouTube video, "Plagiarism: How to avoid it."

Essential question: What specific things can you do to avoid plagiarism when doing a research paper? If you have a few minutes, explore the many terrific resources at "A Research Guide for Students."

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.b. Plagiarism and note taking

Video: View this YouTube video, "How to Avoid Plagiarism."  

Essential question: Name three ways to take good notes to avoid stealing information.

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.b. Cutting and Pasting is Plagiarism

Video: View this short YouTube video, "Plagiarism: Cutting and Pasting from Several Sources."

Essential questions: Do you think cutting and pasting is plagiarism? Why or why not?  Is there a time when it would be okay?

Think/Ink and Discus

2.2.b. Cutting and Pasting is Plagiarism

Video: View this short YouTube video, "Plagiarism: You Can't Just Change a Few Words." 

Essential questions: Why do some kids think it's not plagiarism if you change some of the words? 

Think/Ink and Discus

2.2.c. Citing Sources

Video: View this YouTube cartoon video on "How to Avoid Plagiarism..."

Essential question: What does citing sources have to do with plagiarism? What style for citing sources does your school require? Here is a Web site called "Son of Citation Machine" where it's quick and easy to gather citation information from a source, click and create the citation, then copy and paste the citation in alphabetical order into your Works Cited list.

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.d. Evaluating Web Sources

Video: View this YouTube video on "Evaluating Websites."  

Essential question: How can your school library help you with selecting Websites? Name one thing the librarian pointed out as a way to tell a bad site from a good site when you want reliable information.

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.d. Evaluating Web Sources

Video: View this YouTube video on "Evaluating Websites.wmv."

Essential question: Do you believe everything you find on the Internet? Name some tools you use to evaluate whether a Web site's information is believable, or not! Why is this important?

Think/Ink and Discuss

2.2.d. Fake Web Sites!

Video: View this Web site on the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus .

Essential questions: Be prepared to be fooled! Do you think you can spot a fake? List three things that would tip you off that this whole site is a very clever fake. What parts of the Web site made it believable? When you have time, you'll love looking at Iowa State University's "Check out these hoax sites."

Think/Ink and Discuss