Students need to develop skills in digital literacy from Kindergarten to
Grade 12 to become more fluent in the areas of internet safety, digital self-image, digital citizenship, copyright laws, media management and information curation, as well as ethical considerations such as cyberbullying. Technology fosters the ability for children to tackle complex tasks, access learning resources and supports, personalize learning, and represent their learning in multiple-literacies. Therefore, it is important for our students to learn how to use technology in a safe and respectful manner to ensure they are learning in a safe environment.
The updated K5DLSS site can be found at http://www.prn.bc.ca/ss/k5DL/ and is organized by:
- Foundational Operations – basic skills and concepts around computer technology, programs, services
- Processes for Productivity – skills with genres of software or affordances of computer technology
- Communicating & Inquiry – specific examples of activities that can be integrated into the curriculum.
- Safety & Citizenship – While teachers will grow their own skills in technology over time, we feel it is critically important that lessons on digital safety and citizenship be incorporated into practice right away.
The K-5 Digital Literacy Scope and Sequence (K5DLSS) learning standards supports much of the pre-existing and new curriculum. Learning resources are available on the K5DLSS site to support our primary and intermediate teachers in the integration of technology into their curriculum, and the lessons also connect to the Core Competencies of Thinking, Communicating, and Personal & Social. In addition, the K5DL Scope and Sequence support the curricular areas of Careers, Applied Design Skills and Technology, Physical and Health Education, Language Arts, and PBIS (anti-bullying) within the school and classroom.
While technology skills should be explicitly taught to our students to increase digital literacy, technology plays a more ubiquitous role in fostering Universal Designs for Learning (UDL). Technology allows students to demonstrate understanding in multiple ways and allows many to participate and access curriculum where they would not normally be able to do so.
Lessons & Resources
Through the support of contributors we will continue to create learning resource tools that include videos, lesson plans, posters, how-to documents, large group, and small group instruction. The site is a living document, so please feel free to share your resources with Jarrod, Laurie, or Glen to be posted on the site, remembering that any resources shared will fall under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.