Introduction to Digital Literacy
Click here to download document.Lesson
Objective(s):
Students will be producing their final project for the class.
Overview:
This lesson consists of introducing students to the concept of digital literacy and what it encompasses, including becoming familiar with the concept of personal digital identities, digital jargon, etc.
Expected Lesson Duration:
Lesson is expected to last 2 days.
Interdisciplinary Connection(s) to Common Core
Preparing to Teach this Lesson:
Types of characters in fiction pdf, used for brief discussion of character types, roles, and development.
Student Handouts:
There are no handouts for this lesson as it is project based.
Lesson Procedure:
Introduction/Gain Attention
- Icebreaker: The class will begin with an icebreaker activity that will stir conversations and or questions (ex: Two lies and a truth).
Project
After the daily meme, students will be introduced to the concept of digital literacy.
A class discussion will cover the following topics and allow discussion of each:
Popular social media platforms used by the students
Types of content posted to each of the different platforms by students
Types of content posted to each of the different platforms by users in general
Ease of access to accounts on these types of platforms (how easily they can be found via a google search, whether the accounts are publicized or privatized, etc.)
An exercise will be performed in which students google themselves or the name(s) of their classmate(s) or instructor(s) and find as many of their social media accounts/content as possible.
Students can pose as an employer researching the social media presence of a potential new hire, and compile any compromising content that would hurt the potential new hire’s chance at employment.
Examples of appropriate content that would aid someone’s reputation and digital identity.
- Students may identify list types and examples of content that would not negatively affect someone’s digital identity.
- Students may identify list types and examples of content that would not negatively affect someone’s digital identity.
Examples of inappropriate content that would hurt someone’s reputation and presence in social media.
The instructor will ask the class questions to gain an understanding of how much students know in terms of laws and regulations relevant to content posted on social media.
Ex: “how many people who are featured in a video are required to give consent before posting the video online?”
Ex: “what action can be taken in the case of a video being posted to social media without a person who is featured in the video’s consent?”
Concept of at-will employment, states which implement at-will employment, and the relationship and affect content posted online may have with an at-will employment.
Real life examples in which subjectively or objectively inappropriate or compromising content posted on social media damaged someone’s digital identity and had real-life repercussions.
These examples serve as encouragement for students to reconsider the types of content they post to social media, and the ways those posts can be damaging in the long run.
Discuss the content of this article which discusses a train conductor who was fired from her company after posting modeling pictures on her facebook. Students should offer their opinion on the situation, justifying their defense of either the woman or the company, and/or offering solutions to prevent or solve a similar situation in the future.
Discuss the content of these images in which a woman publicly gave away her debit card credentials on Twitter. Students may explain the obvious repercussions of this. This situation is admittedly avoidable because of common sense telling us not to share this information, but students may discuss the repercussions of sharing similar confidential information and give examples of types of credentials and information you should not publicly share.
Discuss the situation in which a man tweeted possibly incriminating tweets such as “I need to move out of my place before I viciously murder my roommates” and then shot and killed his roommate. Students should give their opinion on the tweets from the POV of a prosecutor and the POV of the man. Students will answer questions such as “in the eyes of a prosecutor, would these tweets be damaging to the man’s case for innocence?”
Additional scenarios may be discussed, brought up by either the instructor, or by students giving examples they know of or accounts of their own personal experiences.
Outcomes:
Able to define the term digital literacy
Able to identify characteristics and habits of a digitally literate person and how to achieve those characteristics
Identify the different types of content
Decipher between appropriate and inappropriate content for different platforms
Explain the importance of digital literacy and the roles a digital self view has in an individual’s life
Development of cross-platform skills
Content of Lesson
Acquiring Key Concepts: discussion of character roles, types, and development and how to identify these terms in media in any given medium.
Engaging in Experiential Learning: identifying the concepts discussed in examples of tv shows and videos.
Building Proficiencies: using skills from previous discussion and activity to work with a group in developing a unique storyline from a random image.
Connecting with STEM Professionals: view a video interview with a director or writer in which they discuss the concepts focused on in class.
Assessing Learning: have groups explain the methods they used to complete the storyline for their given image. Also allow groups to compare their storyline and steps taken to those of other groups in class. Ask if students are able to identify the concepts of character roles and development in the stories their classmates created.
Closure and Review
Reiterate the importance of privatizing social media accounts or preventing the content posted to public social media accounts from damaging an individual’s reputation.
Explain the importance of diversity in the storytellers and writers due to experiences and how it shapes our stories.
Higher Level Thinking Skills Noted
Developing a dynamic story
Adapting stories due to character developments
Perception due to appearance
Relevance/Rationale:
The art and skill of storytelling that will be practiced in this class will help the students reasoning skills, cognitive constructive capabilities, and develop character. The creation of a narrative requires the student to develop a logical order from a sequence of events. In order for the student to develop a meaningful arrangement of events the student must begin to grow their narrative reasoning skills. These skills can evolve through the consumption and dissection of narrative literature, of a mixed medium. While developing of their narrative reasoning skills the students should/ will become more empathetic to others, wise to deciphering the true purpose of the story, and become comprehensive thinkers of their own circumstances. The students are finally at the age in which they are beginning to construct their own narratives. We, as educators, want them to be exposed to a great diversity of narratives in order mature those narrative reasoning skills. The more developed their narrative reasoning skills are the more they get from a story (deeper perspective). The more advanced their skills, the more likely they are to rationalize why this character chose a particular path, place themselves in the characters shoes, and develop their own character.
Explorations and Extensions:
Does the dynamic aspect of storytelling take anything away from the message that the author may be trying to deliver?
Assessment Criteria for Success:
Content knowledge, student knowledge, and appropriate resources are aligned to instructional outcomes. student learning will be assessed throughout the lesson via question responses and correlation to the project.
Students will have successfully met the outcomes when fundamental questions about the importance of storytelling and its role in imagery can be observed through their writing and reflections of their peers work. Also questions about their current disposition are taken into consideration when they see media should begin to arise. Also a fluid and respectful use of time, along with an essay that is fluid, easy to follow, and retains its essentials as an ELA.
Implementation Feedback:
Students will receive feedback from their peers and instructor while they are sharing their story with their classmates. Students can then share what they felt about the project with their instructor; as well as what they gained from it, how it could have better benefited them, etc.