Digital Literacy is a component of media literacy. It refers to an individual’s ability to find, evaluate, produce and communicate clear information through writing and other forms of communication on digital platforms in a safe and responsible way. It is more than digital skills that focus on the tools (Word, Twitter, apps etc); It involves questioning and applying skills in different contexts to increase creativity and employability of learners.
3.3 Increasing Creativity and Employability (Digital Literacy) – Children and young people are innovative, confident and responsible in the use of technologies and staying safe online. They critically examine and make informed choices about the use of digital technology to enhance and personalise learning in school and where appropriate, beyond the school day. They anticipate and respond to new opportunities and threats caused by developments now and in the future. HGIOS 4, Education Scotland (2015)
Computer Science
As learners become more digital literate, they become better equipped to solve the challenges associated with the computer science aspect of the curriculum. Computer Science brings together elements of technology, science and creative digital media.
As their digital literacy becomes more sophisticated they embed computation to solve problems. Increasingly they apply the core principles underpinning digital technologies to develop their own ideas. HGIOS 4, Education Scotland (2015)
Digital Safety – Creating Good Digital Citizens
Safe use of digital technologies is essential to help learners ‘be safe and confident explorers of the online world’. This is addressed in class charters, discussed in well-being wheel discussions and visited through questioning in every Digital Literacy lesson.
Digital Leaders and Learners at Menstrie Primary School have also developed a ‘Digital Charter’. This is our Acceptable Use Agreement for all.
Click here for more info. You can also download a copy of the MPS Digital Charter.
The ‘Be Internet Legends’ programme developed by Google and supported by Parent Zone, aims to address five key fundamentals. for more information click here.
