[Advisors] How do you teach digital literacy -- CIRA forum

[Gary W Kenward]

Clarice:

   I whole heartedly agree with your observation concerning the change =
in learning motivators. I am unclear, as are many I believe, as to the =
way to connect ICTs to what people are interested in.=20

  People generally are not interested in learning about technology. They =
are interested in applications of technology. How many people do you =
know can tell you how their microwave actually works? Their LCD TV? =
Telephone? Fridge? Fuel injection automobile? GPS?

  Marita makes an excellent point about the need to focus in on the =
"why", as the why should lead directly to the what and then the how. In =
my experience, the non-technical person is not really interested in =
learning about ICTs, but is really interested in how to use ICTs to =
their own benefit. Whether for infotainment or work.=20

  As far as personal anecdotes go, my children are all very adept at =
using computers and applications. None have shown an interest in the =
technologies, despite having a professional resource with mentoring =
experience in the house.

  If my conjecture is accurate, it may also be a partial explanation of =
why the general public is not overall enthusiastic about Internet =
issues. Are they concerned about privacy? Perhaps. Deep packet =
inspection? Doubtful.=20

   The challenge, however, is to turn general comments about the =
necessity of "ICT" education for the benefit of Canada as a society into =
more prosaic statements that appeal to individual needs. And separating =
the "what" from the "why" becomes more difficult.

   Where I live, there are many locations where courses are offered in =
basic computer use, social media, vertical apps (e.g. Photoshop, MS =
Office, Quickbooks, etc.). There is even a course at the local community =
centre on basic computer use for seniors. So what is missing? And, why?

   Marita is onto one very good idea: critical thinking. And I believe =
the "why" is fairly clear: to provide people, as best as we can, the =
ability to sort through the information deluge that the Internet =
provides. My comments on this subject were addressing the fact that =
teaching critical thinking is neither specific to ICT or the Internet =
and, thus, not new. I am very interested in hearing from educators as to =
whether critical thinking is being taught appropriately in Canada's =
school systems.

   So perhaps the focus should be on basic understanding and skills =
related to personal information management. Particularly, with young =
children.=20

   Keep in mind, that when today's 6 year olds graduate, the Internet =
and the applications it enables will be radically different from today. =
Different in ways we have little hope of predicting.

Regards,
Gary Kenward



THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.

On 2013.03.04, at 9:52 AM, Clarice Leader <cleader@mb.e-association.ca> =
wrote:

> I agree with Darlene. For many training must address a current want or =
a need not a future one and I would add the concept of "just in time".  =
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard "I just want to know how =
to do this one piece so I can finish this project . I do not want to =
know everything because by the time I will have a need to use the rest I =
will have forgotten it." the teaching of ICT's requires ample practice =
time on skills relevant to each individual for it to be readily fought =
out.=20
> Sent from my BlackBerry=AE smartphone on the MTS High Speed Mobility =
Network
>=20
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Thompson, Darlene" <DThompson1@gov.nu.ca>
> Sender: advisors-admin@tc.ca
> Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2013 13:38:44=20
> To: James Van Leeuwen<jvl@ventus.ca>; Marita Moll<mmoll@ca.inter.net>
> Cc: TC Advisors<advisors@tc.ca>
> Subject: RE: [Advisors] How do you teach digital literacy -- CIRA =
forum
>=20
> I just wanted to highlight one point that James made that the learning =
achieved by his daughter sprung from an interest that she had.  I think =
this is of vital importance to teaching digital literacy to any age =
group.  Gone are the days when people will take the time to take a =
course without seeing a specific need or fulfilling a want in their =
lives.  So how do we move people from the YouTube/Facebook applications =
to something more productive in their lives?  By designing =
workshops/courses around what people are interested in and showing them =
how ICTs can help them get there.  This is much more challenging but =
grab people's attention and motivate them.
>=20
> D
>=20
> Darlene A. Thompson
> CAP Administrator
> N-CAP/Department of Education
> P.O. Box 1000, Station 910
> Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0
> Phone:  (867) 975-5631
> Fax:  (867) 975-5610
> dthompson@gov.nu.ca
> ________________________________________
> From: advisors-admin@tc.ca [advisors-admin@tc.ca] on behalf of James =
Van Leeuwen [jvl@ventus.ca]
> Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2013 8:48 PM
> To: Marita Moll
> Cc: TC Advisors
> Subject: Re: [Advisors] How do you teach digital literacy -- CIRA =
forum
>=20
> Marita,
>=20
> that's a great question.
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> We all know that nobody can teach us anything if we aren't interested =
to learn.
>=20
> Which is to say, we teach ourselves.
>=20
> What you are describing is mentoring, which is exactly the direction I =
think this discussion needs to go.
>=20
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> In the space of half a day, my eight year-old daughter has become more =
competent in the mechanics of PowerPoint than I have become in over =
twenty years of using this tool (it has been around since 1990).
>=20
> Indeed, I am now learning some of the finer nuances of PowerPoint from =
my daughter, because she has a distinctly different aesthetic and =
technique from my own.
>=20
> I have never gone in for the 'bells and whistles' features of =
PowerPoint, as I have always regarded them to be distractions from the =
content of my presentations.
>=20
> My daughter has now provided me with a solid example of how, in a =
particular context, a particular visual effect can enhance the impact of =
an image.
>=20
> It helped her to make a point more effectively, even if she wasn't =
consciously aware of the point she was trying to make.
>=20
> She could only tell me that "It fits", and she was dead right.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> As I was learning new technique from her (which she was eager to help =
with), I was mentoring her in the art of effective communication.
>=20
> What is your point, who are you trying to make it to, and WHY?
>=20
> Once she has properly answered these questions for herself, she can =
better shape the WHAT and HOW of her presentation for effectiveness and =
efficiency.
>=20
>=20
> All of this learning has taken place in relation to her interest in =
developing a PowerPoint story about her own life, which she is =
interested to share with family and friends.
>=20
> Her interest in PowerPoint was piqued last night as she watched me =
working on one of my own presentations, a copy of which I have attached =
in PDF format.
>=20
> She recognized the relevance and power of the tool to one of her =
imperative interests, which is to know how she matters to others.
>=20
> By inviting family and friends to watch and listen to her presentation =
(she's adding audio just now), she will be developing a better sense of =
how she matters to us, and how much she matters to us.
>=20
> There is nothing more important to a child, and this points directly =
to the most essential value of ICTs.
>=20
> They can help us all to live more happy and fulfilling lives, by =
helping us to to better understand ourselves, each other and our world.
>=20
>=20
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> Developing digital literacy is really just learning how to use a new =
set of tools.
>=20
> We should approach this important task the same way we have approached =
development of mastery and skill with other tools.
>=20
> I am talking of course about the master-apprentice relationship, more =
generally described as the mentor-learner relationship.
>=20
> A good master/mentor helps an apprentice/learner to draw out (educe) =
their talent and develop their abilities, including mastering the use of =
their tools.
>=20
> They also help the apprentice/learner to understand the value of their =
tools, which directly addresses your point about distinguishing between =
communication that is helpful and communication that is useless or =
harmful (critical thinking, as you put it).
>=20
> ICTs now provide us with the ability to learn just about anything we =
want to learn, and to communicate just about anything we want to =
communicate.
>=20
> Perhaps the most important role of the mentor is to foster better =
practice.
>=20
>=20
>=20
> The master/mentor also seeks to help talented apprentice/learners =
develop discipline in relation to their craft, and to develop stronger =
commitment to their craft (stay focused, be authentic, be patient, keep =
trying).
>=20
> In return, the master/mentor gets to learn new tricks and techniques =
from the talented apprentice/learner as they develop.
>=20
> They also get the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping to =
fulfill the potential of talented people, while advancing the pragmatic =
and aesthetic value of their craft.
>=20
> I.e., they get to take greater pride in their work.
>=20
>=20
> In the process of implementing this tried, trusted and timeless model =
of learning (or any other model for that matter), I agree that we should =
strive to avoid using terms like digital literacy or any other language =
that is irrelevant or mystifying.
>=20
> The vast majority of us would not care to point out that we drive a =
car with a gasoline-powered motor, a diesel-powered motor, or an =
electric-powered motored.
>=20
> We just drive our cars, and what is most important to us is what they =
enable us to do.
>=20
>=20
> Speaking of cars (you know where this is going), I submit once gain =
for everyone's thoughtful consideration my discussion paper for the =
concept of an eCitizen Club.
>=20
> Building on the talents and interests of local youth, and hopefully a =
few supportive sponsors, I am planning to implement a pilot initiative =
around this concept in the year ahead.
>=20
> I plan to collaborate with our local library and (former) CAP site, =
which continues to build the suite of communication tools and services =
that it makes available to the community at large.
>=20
>=20
> This brings me to another point that I think is timely to make.
>=20
> I no longer see a clear distinction between a CAP site and a library.
>=20
> Both are places where people go to access communications and =
communication tools, and (sometimes) to access mentors.
>=20
> Perhaps we need a new name for libraries and CAP sites, which more =
accurately reflects their evolving and expanding role(s) in advancing =
the communication and learning capacities of the communities they serve.
>=20
> I believe we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of =
community institution, which deserve proper attention from a design and =
development standpoint.
>=20
> Exactly what purpose do we want this institution to serve, and how?
>=20
> How will it need to function in relation to traditional institutions =
like schools, colleges and universities?
>=20
> I find this a very exciting topic to discuss, because I believe this =
new institution will enable communities to rebuild their natural or =
organic role in contextual learning and communication, a role they =
played before the emergence of industrialized education systems.
>=20
> Enough on that topic for now.
>=20
>=20
> In summary...
>=20
> The ICT Revolution has put into the hands of lay people a powerful set =
of tools that were previously the domain of a small group of elites with =
highly specialized knowledge and skills.
>=20
> We are now confronted with the challenge of putting these tools to =
full and constructive use, on vast new frontiers of opportunity where =
guides and mentors are still few and far between.
>=20
> I see this challenge of developing 'digital literacy' as entirely an =
issue of developing mentoring capacity, and I am wondering aloud if =
there is a more appropriate role in the world for an organization like =
TC.
>=20
> JvL
>=20
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> On 2013-03-02, at 3:23 PM, Marita Moll =
<mmoll@ca.inter.net<mailto:mmoll@ca.inter.net>> wrote:
>=20
> So here is the posting on that CIRA site under digital literacy.  This =
(TC) is the community where the experts are.  What have we got to say in =
response?
>=20
> How do you teach digital literacy? There was a lot of talk at the CIF =
about teaching digital literacy to children. It seems to me the question =
isn't so much about digital literacy as it is critical thinking. The =
Internet amplifies by orders of magnitude the number of voices we hear. =
We need to teach children how to distinguish the facts, then determine =
the truth as it applies to them, rather than some nebulous buzz word =
like digital literacy.
>=20
> Marita
>=20
> On 2/28/2013 4:34 PM, Garth Graham wrote:
>=20
> Following from CIRA CIF 2013, CIRA has opened an ongoing online forum =
called myVoice at:
>=20
> http://cif.cira.ca<http://cif.cira.ca/>
>=20
> GG_______________________________________________
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>=20
>=20
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>=20