Digital+Literacy

**DIGITAL LITERACY** **Digital literacy** is often understood as the ability to access, understand and participate in or create content by using digital media. Developments in digital technology have had significant effects on the way individuals interact with communications and media services. An increasingly wide range of sources of information, ways of doing business, services (including government services) and entertainment are now commonly made available and accessed online and or through digital media.

Heany Park Primary School students (Years 5/6) will be taking part in the DEECD Digital Literacy trials during Term 1 of 2010. Reports from the trials to follow.

//from Bernie Trilling, Senior Director, Oracle Education Foundation in TOWARD LEARNING SOCIETIES AND THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES FOR LEARNING-WITH-ICT// The global primary, secondary and tertiary (K-16) student population is rapidly becoming a new breed of learner as they become ever more digitally connected. They are  **“digital natives”**  that speak “technology” without an accent, having grown up with computing and telecommunications devices as a natural part of their world. In more developed countries like the US and the UK, the patterns of technology use among these **digital natives**  are astounding; by the time students exit school and join the workforce they will have experienced: media type="custom" key="5765335" **Digital natives**  think and act differently from **“digital immigrants”**  (those born before ICT prevalence, who speak “technology” with an accent, such as printing out emails to read or not being adept at typing with thumbs). Many **digital natives**  have a very rich online life:
 * THE NEW “DIGITAL NATIVE” LEARNER**
 * 10,000 hours of video games
 * 250,000 emails
 * 10,000 hours of cell phone use
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">20,000 hours of TV
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">500,000 commercials
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"><5000 hours of book reading
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Searching – multiple search engines, info sites, “Googling” people & interests
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Collecting – graphics, animations, MP3’s, videos, sensor data
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Creating – stories, websites, avatars, games
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sharing – web pages, blogs, drawings, music, videos, webcams, humor
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Communicating – email, IM, chat, cell phone calls, text messaging
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Coordinating – projects, travel plans, workgroups
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Meeting – forums, chat rooms, online multiplayer games, dating sites
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Socializing – wide variety of socializing methods learned online
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Evaluating – reputation systems, rating systems, online advisors,
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Buying & Selling – auction sites, forums, online markets
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Gaming – solo, 1-on-1, small & large groups
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Learning – online research on things of personal interest