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Technology allows educators and students to transform teaching and learning and to develop crucial skills for communicating, creating, and interacting with each other in a global society. Although technology is not a panacea for all instructional problems, it equips students with tools that have not existed in the past. Technology allows digitally and computationally literate students to transition from being simply consumers of information and media to being producers as well. The goal is for Alabama students to be at the forefront in exploring these technological opportunities.
Attaining digital and computational literacy strengthens life skills such as solving problems creatively, thinking critically, and working cooperatively in teams. Because technology is at the center of almost every aspect of daily life, the digitally literate person is more likely to face the challenges of a dynamic global society with confidence.
Digitally literate students can use technology responsibly and appropriately to create, collaborate, think critically, and apply algorithmic processes. They can access and evaluate information to gain lifelong knowledge and skills in all subject areas. Alabama includes computational literacy in its definition of digital literacy. Our goal is digital and computational literacy for all Alabama students.
The new course of study draws upon the requirements of nationally recognized programs. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards for Students emphasize the skills and qualities we want to foster in students, enabling them to engage and thrive in a connected, digital world. The Course of Study standards are designed for use by educators across the curriculum at every grade level, so that these skills are cultivated throughout a student’s academic career (2016 ISTE Standards for Students). The K-12 Computer Science Framework illuminates the big ideas of computer science through the lenses of concepts (what students should know) and practices (what students should do), representing the behaviors that computationally literate students use to engage with the core concepts of computer science.
The DLCS standards will enable students to employ cognitive and technical skills to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information via existing and emerging technologies. The standards introduce the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including computer science principles, hardware and software designs, applications, networks, and societal impact, and lay the groundwork for students to use their increasingly valuable knowledge and skills in college and careers.
Students are already using digital tools outside of school to create, communicate, and collaborate. These tools provide powerful, engaging learning experiences which pervade their daily lives and impact the future, and we must give our students everything they need to increase their competence. Technological understanding prepares students to be productive citizens. For Alabama’s students to be competitive in a global marketplace, we must ensure that they have the skills they need to thrive in the digital age.
Click here to view the ALSDE Digital Literacy Computer Science Course of Study
