Digital Literacy Skills of 21st Century

21st Century skills are so much more than being digitally literate. It should be infused into core curriculum in all classrooms throughout the school. Teachers should promote, support and model creative and innovative thinking technology-enriched environments.

Students are wired to learn digitally. They come to school with handhelds practically attached to their limbs. Educators'

obligation is to teach them to become responsible digital citizens in our globally collaborative world.

What is Digital Literacy?

Digital literacy  is the ability to navigate various digital platforms amd understand, assess and communicate through them. The term 'digital literacy' was coined by Paul Gilster in 1997 and it came from the discussion of concepts on visual literacy, technological literacy, computer literacy and information literacy.

Here are literacies a 21st century student should have:

Information literacy is the functional skill. It is locating information from web and interpreting while evaluating its validity in order for it to be shared. An information literate understands facts especially data points that he'll encounter online. More importantly, he/she knows how to separate facts from fictions. 

Media Literacy is the practice of identifying publishing methods, outlets and sources while distinguishing between the ones that are credible and not. A media literate has the ability to critically read information or content and utilize multimedia in creatively producing communication.

Technology literate people know how to select and use digital devices, applications or services effectively. They know and understand the use of every technologies and machines available.

What are the 21st century skills?

To perform well in this century, you need to develop and enhance the 21st century Skills or known as the Four C's. All of these 21st century skills are important for every students to do better in school and succeed in the workplace.

Creativity requires students to think outside the box and to take pride of what is uniquely theirs. This skill empowers students to see concepts in a different light, which leads to innovation. Creativity encourages students to think beyond the expectations of conventions. 

          

Critical thinking is finding solutions to problems. It teaches students not to accept immediately claims without clarifying the truth. It is the ability to distinguish facts from opinions and know what ought to be learned and accepted.

Collaboration lets students to work together, achieve compromises, and get the best possible results from solving a problem. It happens when students know how to work well with others to accomplish a given task. When students are made to work with others they are given the chance to practice how to relate with others.

Communication makes students express their ideas in the clearest and organized manner. Through varied modes - face-to-face, technologically mediated or a blended medium. They need to know how to efficiently and clearly convey ideas.

How to be a Digital Literate?

Lynch (2017) identified eight digital literacy skills needed to become digitally literate.

1. Coding

- coding is a universal language. Basic  understanding of HTML, CSS and the like will create a shared  understanding of what can be done with the web pages.

2. Collaboration

- the use of Google Docs among others allow students to begin experimenting with effective online collaboration.

3. Cloud software

- This is essential part of document management. The cloud is used to store everything from photos to research projects to term papers even music.

4. Word Processing software

 - Google, Microsoft Online, Office, Drop Box are available for storage and management solutions.

5. Screencasting

 - a screencast is a video recording using the computer screen and usually includes an audio. 

6. Personal Archiving

 - students should be taught there concepts of metadata, tagging, keywords and categories to make them aware how they are represented online.

7. Use of social media

 - social media serves different purposes depending on the user, the technology and the need.

8. Information Evaluation

References: https://www.aeseducation.com/career-readiness/what-are-21st-century-skills
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