Our week 6 topic presented the idea of digital fluency. Coined in 2013 by Christine McLeod, ‘digital fluency’ can be defined as “the ability to engage meaningfully and with maximum impact in a digital environment” (Whittingstall, 2014). I considered my digital fluency to be high, so it was very interesting for me to see when evaluated against the checklist of digital skills students should be able to meet at the end of their secondary schooling (Howell, 2012), that I do lack experience in more complex technologies such as robotics.
While I agree with Gerald White (2013) that “the need to teach students the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for the digital age is beyond question”, I have not sufficiently developed my skills to translate this into classroom teaching. Savin-Baden (2015) claims that the new mixture of competencies referred to as digital fluency includes skills such as net savviness, critical evaluative techniques and diversity. However, Howell (2012) is more specific and refers to ‘learning technology fluency’ and contrasts this against fluency in recreational digital technologies such as gaming. I do feel that people are too quick to categorise all technology skills as being equal and interchangeable. My friends and family tend to be of the understanding that if you have technology skills in one area, that you automatically have skills in other areas too.
One area of digital fluency I am passionate about is seeing coding (computer programming) as an extension of writing (Resnick, 2013). The ability to ‘write’ new types of things – interactive stories, games, animations and simulations – is a key aspect of digital fluency. Coding enables students to create digital artefacts as well as understanding process and learning problem-solving skills (Howell, 2012).
As digital fluency will become a prerequisite for obtaining jobs and participating in the digital world (Resnick, 2002), I understand it will be my responsibility as a teacher to maintain my digital fluency and model to my students always being open and enthusiastic in embracing technology (Howell, 2012).
References
Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ict: Digital pedagogies for collaboration & creativity: OUP Australia & New Zealand.
Resnick, M. (2002). Rethinking learning in the digital age. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Resnick, M. (2013). Learn to code, code to learn (edsurge news). Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2013-05-08-learn-to-code-code-to-learn
Savin-Baden, M. (2015). Rethinking learning in an age of digital fluency: Is being digitally tethered a new learning nexus? Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge.
White, G. K. (2013). Digital fluency : Skills necessary for learning in the digital age. ACER Digital Learning Research, Vol 6. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=digital_learning
Whittingstall, J. (2014). Changing up the game: Digital fluency & the future of work. Retrieved from http://www.digitalstrategyconference.com/blog/strategic-planning/changing-up-the-game-digital-fluency-the-future-of-work/
ICT in Education 