New Literacies

     I believe there is a disconnect between the idea of the Gen Z being the digital generation and their actually ability with digital literacies. Every other article I read refers to students who are Gen Z and younger as "tech gurus" that have the ability to navigate apps, tablets, and games with ease. This idea has given schools the license to cut technology classes from the curriculum while simultaneously expecting students to be able to navigate educational technology. In Indiana, students are required to take all standardized tests on school-issued Chromebooks. Curriculums have a digital component where students are required to complete assignments and access texts online. Technology in education has done a lot of good, however, many students still fall short of the mark. With a lack of instruction on how to use these technologies, students will fall further behind their peers who are enrolled in digital literacy courses.

    For this reason, I always set aside at least one day to introduce educational apps to my students before implementing them. For my current ELA curriculum, students are expected to record journal entries, fill out note catchers, and complete assessments. The first time I gave an assessment using this curriculum, a student raised his hand and asked, "how am I supposed to choose my answer?" For many people, this is a simple answer. I found myself thinking about a computer class that I took in my elementary years. This class taught me how to navigate word processing systems, type, and use the Internet responsibly. As a 4th grader, I would have had a very similar question. I realized the importance of digital literacy. Students have never been taught how to change the font size on their document, save a file, or even email. These are all things that they have been expected to already know. I have spoken about the importance of this with any member of administration that will listen and have been met with the same answer: integrate it into Language Arts, somehow, some way. I attempt to integrate it in ways that make the most sense. I schedule a week to complete research projects in order to instruct students on how to find credible sources. I take a day (sometimes two) to teach students how to change font size and create paragraphs. It is true that these students are quick to learn how to use the technology, however, we should not deprive them of the opportunity to learn.

    The biggest obstacle that I currently see is the lack of time and resources dedicated to digital literacy. District-mandated curriculum maps seldom include an extra day to teach students how to use these technologies that may be new to them. Having a dedicated computer class would allow for more time to students to engage with technology for the sake of engaging with technology. In my attempt to integrate technology instruction into ELA, some aspects of reading instruction need to be sacrificed. It is known that reading comprehension is better on a physical paper rather than a screen. If I am teaching students how to read a document online but they struggle with comprehension (or an aspect of comprehension, like phonemic awareness), they are sacrificing time to learn comprehension skills in the most effective way. As an ELA teacher, I have to choose which skill to focus on. I have to create a balance between the traditional literacies and the digital literacies.

Comments

  1. Cristin BobeeJanuary 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM

    Anna, I agree with the idea that there is this assumption because Gen Z has grown up around these new technologies and are considered "digital natives" they are also fluent in these new digital literacies. I find that many of them have no idea how to actually read and understand these digital texts that are all around them. They can play games but they cannot analyze an image or an ad unless they are taught how to do that. And the fact there is so much in the curriculum with traditional literacy the digital does not get taught enough or at all.

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  2. Christina WolfJanuary 11, 2025 at 4:50 AM

    Anna, I agree also about the need for implicit technology instruction. I remember having many technology courses beginning around 4th grade (when computers were finally making their way into schools/the internet was accessible). Just because kids are using touch screens on the daily does not mean they know what they are doing. Even though my school does not use computers daily for elementary students, they are required to take the NWEA on chromebooks. There is much drama about kindergarteners not having technology class like the rest of the school yet these students will also need to take the NWEA and they ultimately struggle to complete the tests because they cannot use the computers efficiently.

    It does fall back to the classroom teacher to ensure students are meeting technology standards while also managing regular content areas. As technological advances continue to explode, we must remember that children are not immediately skilled in these tools. It needs to be taught, much like math or reading.

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  3. MiahJanuary 11, 2025 at 8:50 PM

    Hi Anna! I agree that there is often no explicit time given to teaching digital literacies in the school day. It is often left to the classroom teachers and/or the ELA teacher. This load is left for them with no extra time to implement it. We oftentimes have to sacrifice time spent teaching other skills in order to teach these digital literacies -- oftentimes basic prerequisite skills that students are lacking like changing font sizes, inserting or copy/pasting pictures, bolding words, etc.

    I often give students dedicated time to practice navigating these tools by doing a fun activity where the focus is on learning these skills rather than content in order to the lighten the cognitive load. One fun activity I do is a "powerpoint party." I learned about it through Tik Tok actually. I usually show my students the Tik Toks to inspire them. But it gives them practice using digital tools, writing digitally and using multimedia. Here is the directions sheet I give them: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vWYmTlvqOtttY0BEn_uYoNCT_eWWFtrUfUgdmianXw4/edit?usp=sharing

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  4. tgranerFebruary 12, 2025 at 5:04 AM

    Anna.
    I believe there is a disconnect between the idea of the Gen Z being the digital generation and their actually ability with digital literacies. I agree with this statement. While I think that Gen Z has more tech knowledge than Gen X, simply because of the prevalence of tech in the 21st century. Not all of them choose to use all kinds of tech. In my experience, most students have great knowledge about their phones and video game consoles. However, those same kiddos don't know their way around a Word Doc.

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