Lesson 4: Technology

Collaborative Tools in
the Digital World
 INTRODUCTION
The learners of this generation are a new kind of breed and it is
important that teachers understand how to deal with them. They
seem to thrive in collaborative learning.
• They like to connect to the social networking sites.
• Creating and producing something are what they prefer to do
rather than become consumers of information inside the
classroom.
• They like to be mobile either physically or virtually as they
traverse from point to point or site to site.
 Technology as a Collaborative Tool
• One way to engage students is to give them a challenge
and a chance to work together.
• Normally in a regular classroom, teachers may have
discouraged students from conversing with classmates
during individual work, but sometimes there are positive
things that can come out of it as students talk about the
task assigned to them or as they work themselves of a
complicated task.
Available tools and applications that can be used to
work collaboratively with others.

1. SKYPE - A software application allowing you

to do a videoconferencing for free. All you need is
to create an account and can be used for a video
meeting.
2. WIKI - A software that allows you to create a
page or a selection of pages designed to allow you
to post or write, edit, or upload a link quickly.
Available tools and applications that can be used to
work collaboratively with others.
3.BLOGGING - It is journaling your ideas to which others can
react allowing a thread of discussion to take place and which can be
used online. It is the abbreviation of weblog.
Direction when using a weblog
A.Use weblog with a clear instructional objective.
B. Guidance on what and how to post will be needed.
C. With easy access to information, a major obligation is to teach the students to
use multiple source and to cite them appropriately.
D. Writing about your ideas is a personal act but it is important that you are
taught to make blogs personal without revealing too much of personal information

E. It may help if you can look for very good examples of blogs.
4. Google Group or Google Form
Is an application that can be used in a collaborative
documentation of ideas contributed by members of the
team. Having a google account will come very handy and
you can easily have access to a variety of applications.
 Lesson 5: Digital
Literacy Skills in the
21 Century
st
 Introduction
• The 21st Century has redefined digital literacy. It has broadened
its perspective to include other aspects of the 21” context.
• This lesson will focus on digital skills and digital literacy as a
response to the 21st Century developments.
• The millennial students are generally tech-savvy, digital natives.
They practically know how to go about a tablet, an ipad,
smartphones or laptops better than anyone else. This suggests
their digital skills.
•
• Selecting the right tool when you need to locate, use or present information
• Presenting your digital identity online
• Identifying and communicating with an expert online
• Using online tools and sites to search or share information online
• Recognizing owner of ideas and information found online through citations
• Distinguishing the search engines to get information
• Knowing the information that can be searched in the web
• Using the right key words to search for related online materials
• Using social networking sites as a source of information
• Scanning or skimming a page of a site or a blog among
• others to get the relevant information quickly
• Signing up in pertinent sites having experts and authorities in the
discipline to be updated with information they can provide
• Using materials in a variety of online media (ie. Videos, podcast,
sites, among others).
• Assessing the credibility of an online resource Citing correct
reference to other person’s work found online
• Using bookmarking to organize and legally share files
• Posting comments to online forum, blogs or Vlogs, or web pages
while observing netiquette
• Writing and posting online views or ideas suited to the target
readership or audiences
• Collaborating with others online in creating and sharing
documents or presentations
• Using multimedia to capture the information or message (ie.
Recording and editing a digital story. Video or a podcast)
• Communicating with others through online modality (e.g. skype,
forums, blogs, social networking sites. Etc.)
 LITERACIES

1. Cyber Literacy or Digital Literacy

2. Media Literacy
3. Arts and Creativity Literacy
4. Financial Literacy
5. Multicultural Literacy or Global Understanding.
What are digital literacies?
Digital literacies are the individual’s capabilities to be able to
effectively and responsibly function and perform in a digital
society. The term ‘digital literacy was coined by Paul Gilster in
1997 and it came from the discussion of the concepts on (a) visual
literacy when images and non-verbal symbols try to capture the
knowledge; (b) technological literacy requiring one to be able to
use technology in addressing a need; © computer literacy, which in
the 1980s started to become a household item manipulated to
achieve one’s target; and (d) information literacy which refers to
the finding, evaluating, using and sharing of information.
.
 The Digital Literacies
Media Literacy - is one’s ability to critically read information or
content and – utilize multimedia in creatively producing
communications.
Information Literacy - is locating information from the web and
interpreting while evaluating its validity in order that it can be
shared.
ICT Literacy - is knowing how to select and use digital devices,
applications or services to accomplish tasks requiring the use of
the internet.
Communications and Collaboration – are one’s capabilities in
being able to participate in the digital networks in the teaching and
learning context.
 The Digital Literacies
Identity Management - is being able to understand how to
ensure safety and security in managing online identity and
foster a positive digital reputation.
Learning Skills – are ways of knowing how to study and learn
in a technology. Enriched environment; this is knowing how to
utilize technology in addressing the need to learn efficiently.
Digital Scholarship – is being to link participate in
professional and research practices.
One important component of digital literacy is having an in-
depth understanding of concepts requiring essential core skills.
These core skills are known as the Cs of the 21” Century Skills.
 The Four Cs of the 21” Century Skills
1. Critical thinking is learning how to solve problems. It teaches
students not to accept immediately claims without seeking the truth.
It is the ability to differentiate facts. From opinions and not only
just learn a set of facts or figures but also discover these for the sake
of knowing what ought to be.
2. Creativity requires students to think out of the box and to take
pride in what is uniquely theirs. It means that they will be able to
look at a problem from multiple perspectives-including can propose
multiple possibilities and alternatives to address a problem and they
need to take calculated risks. Creativity encourages students to
think beyond the expectations of conventions.
3. 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.
4. Collaboration happens when students know how to work well with
others to accomplish a given task or solve a problem at hand. This is a 21 st
essential. When students are made to work with others in a pair or in a
team, they are given the chance to practice how to relate with others.
Collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and
better than you can on your own.
 In addition to the 4C’s, there are Citizenship and Character.
Citizenship is known as netizenship in the virtual world. This is making
the person consider how one behaves accordingly by observing the norms
and rules that are in accordance with what are sociably and virtually
acceptable. As a result, one is projecting a reputable digital identity which
is his or her character.
Digital Literacy Skills vs. Digital Literacy
Digital Literacy Skills are required in the wired world. These skills
vary from texts to images to multimedia. Future teachers who will be
handling students considered as tech savvy should equip themselves with
competencies and fluencies needed to handle the fast emerging tools and
applications that should be able to handle even artificial intelligences.”
Lynch (2017), identified eight digital literacy skills needed to
become digitally literate. These are:
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 Does among others allows
student 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 and even music.
4. Word Processing Software. Google, Microsoft Online 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. The screencasting is a video screen
capture which is a great way to share ideas and is easy to use for novice
video creator.
6. Personal Archiving. Students should be taught the concepts of meta
data, tagging, keywords and categories to make them aware how are they
represented online.
7. Information evaluation. – Critical thinking to weed out fake news is a
crucial 21” century skill. The use of tools and skills needed to process
information are very much needed.
8. Use of social media. – Social media serves different purposes
depending on the user, the technology and the need.
 Examples of how Digital Skills or Proficiency support Digital Literacy

Digital skills

1. Sending an email or text

2. Using Microsoft office/ Google
3. Tweeting, Posting to Facebook, Uploading a Video to
YouTube, or posting a photo to Instagram
4. Researching from the worldwide web.
 Examples of how Digital Skills or Proficiency support Digital Literacy

Digital Literacy
1. Evaluate the appropriate digital channel for online communication with
peers, teachers and parents.
1. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of each digital tool.
2. Evaluate critically which tool is most effective for the project at hand.
1. Navigate the social media safely to pro- tect oneself.
2. Identify hate propaganda and fake news.
1. Evaluate the information online.
A. Is the site legitimate?
B. Is the author an expert?
C. Is the information current or dated?
D. Is the idea neutral or biased?