Teacher Tips: digital literacy

In the latest Hello World podcast, three educators share their insights on digital literacy:

Katie Dahlman, a preschool teacher in Minnesota, USA
Curt Hitchens, an educator in a rural Georgia community, USA
Haliman Bhayat, a high school teacher in London, UK.

They discuss what digital literacy means to them and offer practical strategies for enhancing it in the classroom. 

Transcript

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Hello world, and welcome to

the podcast for educators passionate
about computing and digital making!

I'm James Robinson, a senior learning
manager here at the Raspberry Pi Foundation,

and this is the first of our three
podcast episodes

accompanying the recent issue
of the Hello World magazine.

Issue 26 explores
digital literacy, asking

what do we actually mean by that term?

and how can we best teach the skills
that young people need to use

digital technologies effectively, safely,
and responsibly in the classroom?

We are trying something different

this episode:

a new format, based on some of the feedback
you've kindly shared with us.

One thing you asked for
were more practical, actionable

tips from teachers around the world.

So here is our first Teacher's
Tips episode doing exactly that.

We've chatted to three teachers:
one who works with preschoolers

in Minnesota;
one in a rural community in Georgia;

and one in all-girls high school
or secondary school in London,

and we asked them to share
what they have found helpful

to develop their students'
digital literacy skills.

We hope that hearing their tips

will inspire and help you engage
your students with computing.

Please let us know your thoughts

by dropping us an email on
podcast@helloworld.cc

Enough from me –

now over to the teachers
to introduce themselves.

Hi, my name is Katie Dahlman.

I am a preschool
teacher in Bloomington, Minnesota.

This is my 16th year of teaching
in early childhood.

Over the past five years
I've had the opportunity to be a digital

learning specialist in our early childhood
programme and really focus on

computer science unplugged activities
with our four-year-olds.

Hello everyone!

My name is Curt Hitchens,
and I am the computer science teacher

at Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle
School in Rock Springs, Georgia.

I'm Halima Bhayat.

I work in a Southwest London
Catholic girls' school.

I've been working and teaching for 
uh, 20 years.

I worked as a senior leader
and I'm currently working

as head of department for digital
T levels and head of computing.

Before we ask them for their tips
on how to increase students'

digital literacy, we challenge them

to give us a line or two on what the term
'digital literacy' means to them.

Digital literacy?

Ooh, that's a good question.

I think it 

goes back to just having
those foundational skills

in order to prepare them
for being a digital citizen.

And what I would say is, digital literacy
is all about developing the knowledge

and skills that are necessary
to use technology to solve

everyday problems and just complete
essential tasks in the workplace.

So digital literacy, to me, it's all about
understanding how the digital world

works, how technology is used,
and how it impacts people.

For example, it involves e-safety, it involves
looking at ethical, moral,

social issues,
but most importantly at the moment,

for me,
it's all about identifying correct sources

and what might or might not be facts.

So what do today's teachers suggest

that you could do to increase
the digital literacy of your students?

Let's start with Halima in South London
with her three tips.

My first tip would be: get them
touch-typing.

Get them to start becoming faster
with their fingers on those keyboards,

because lots of things have become online;
exams in the future

could be going online.

So to me, it's really important
to have those skills to touch-type,

so you can be quite fast
at generating information

and being able to source it,

because then you'll be faster
in your exams, get higher marks,

and also you're very fast at getting
your job done as well for future careers.

Tip number two for me is use of generative
AI, and I feel it's really important

for that digital literacy to understand
what the good and the bad is.

So there are pros with AI;

for example,
if you're a special needs student

or somebody who needs a bit more support,
you could use AI to generate letters

or help you with certain aspects,
book writing for example.

But there is also the other side as well. 

I don't think a lot of people understand
the fact of how much energy

is produced in terms of the use of AI,
and how that impacts the environment.

So I think it's really important

to be teaching the pros
and the cons at school level.

My third tip would be lateral reading.

I feel that it's really, really important
to teach young people

how to look for the correct sources
and check their sources to make sure

that what they are reading,

what information they're taking
in, is genuine and is not made up.

I wouldn't say that I have any of those
in a particular order, but

I would probably say
lateral reading is the most important one,

especially in the generation
we are living in now,

and with what is going on in the world.

So Halima's tips are to get your students
touch-typing; to encourage

the use and conversations around
generative AI; and to teach them lateral

reading, equipping them with the tools
to evaluate the credibility of a source.

From Southwest
London to Northwest Georgia now.

Here are Curt's three tips for how to develop
digital literacy in your classroom.

So, the first tip I would give to
teachers is being very explicit

about teaching concepts
like problem-solving and growth mindset.

A lot of students that come into my class
don't have, like, a specific set of steps

they can use to go about approaching
problems.

So I try to be very, very explicit
about teaching problem-solving.

We also, um, try to focus on things
like developing a growth mindset,

because regardless of what we're doing
or exploring in terms of digital literacy,

none of us are ever going to get it right
the very first time.

So we're trying to get students
to change that mindset from, oh,

my failures are, you know,
a reflection of my lack of success,

when no, really,
that's just an opportunity for you

to learn and grow and improve.

So growth mindset, teaching the 
problem-solving process,

and, um, just, just teaching 
perseverance in general, I think is

a lesson that many students
that I deal with on a daily basis just,

just, just have to learn and get better at.

The second tip that I would offer to
teachers is: make sure that you're

providing consistent opportunities
for creation

and exploration within your classes,
not just for consumption.

That's where a lot of students'

experience with technology comes from,
is on the consumption side of things.

But I really try to emphasise
exploration, hands-on

application, learning
from mistakes, things along those lines,

and I think it's helpful
to have, like, some guard rails

or some boundaries
in terms of creation or exploration,

but I think having that open-endedness
does allow students opportunities

to apply knowledge and skills
that they've acquired, in maybe some ways

that you hadn't
necessarily even considered before.

And I think students in the long run
benefit

more from that, and are able to retain
knowledge and skills

and apply those in new settings
more than they would if they were just

kind of sitting back
and passively consuming technology.

The third tip is: don't hesitate to go out
and seek guidance from other

mentor teachers, instructional technology
coaches, or other people

you consider experts within your district,
or your region, or your state.

For those of us

that live in more rural areas,
that's just kind of a necessity.

I know a lot of people that I work
with pretty closely would agree that

a lot of times, people
that live in this kind of setting feel

like we're kind of on an island.

And basically, if we want to explore
and learn new things,

it's kind of up to us to kind of pursue
that and figure that out on our own.

I think over the last several years,
I have been able to do a much better job

thanks to organisations like Georgia Tech
and the Georgia Department of Education,

of being able to connect
with other educators throughout the state,

to find those other experts
and other mentors that I can call on

when I do have questions or I'm
trying to implement something new and

I'm looking for ideas
about how to best do that.

So Curt's suggestions are to develop
problem-solving skills and a growth mindset;

provide opportunities
for open-ended creation and exploration;

and to seek guidance from mentors
and organisations.

We asked him for an example of something
he might do with his students

to help those problem-solving
skills and growth mindset.

Here's what he said.

I have some seventh-grade students right now
that are working on

developing skills and knowledge
related to game design,

and this morning I had asked them
to focus on designing a game

that was going to meet the needs
of an elderly person, a grandmother.

One of the things that I really had
to push them to start to think about is:

how do we show empathy for other people,
the people that we're designing a product for? 

How do we get away from thinking
about just what we want and what we need?

And one of the things I had to think about
is, your grandparents,

what are some of the struggles
that you see them

having when it comes to technology,
and how could you

incorporate certain features
into the game that you're designing

that maybe would address the needs
of that particular group of people?

So I would say opportunities like that
would be prime examples of trying

to use a growth mindset, trying to develop
problem-solving and teaching

perseverance. More from Curt in a bit,
and from Halima too.

But now, over to Katie in Minnesota

for her three tips on how to develop
digital literacy skills with preschoolers.

My first tip to increase digital literacy
would be to understand the 'why'.

Why is it important to teach computer
science in your school or classroom?

In my classroom,
we embody the 'why' through a lens

of these three ideas:
skills, equity, and joy.

Computer science teaches
so many transferable skills,

whether that be cognitive skills,
which fosters creative problem-solving, 

creative thinking,

helps kids approach challenges
through innovative solutions across

various disciplines.

So you can use it in art,
music, gym, science.

And then it also enhances
the social–emotional

learning through those, um,
developing those interpersonal skills,

through collaboration, and clear
communication, and problem-solving.

And then, thinking about equity,

understanding that 'why'. We recognise
and want to take action,

and we know that
there are under-represented individuals

in the CS field,

and so really using computer science
as a tool to serve for that,

so that all students
can have the opportunity

to develop those skills and possibly
have future careers in technology.

And then the last but not least is joy,
because that is something

that computer science
just ignites in all kids.

Through lots of hands-on 
engaging activities

they can solve real-world problems
and really have some personal expression.

My second tip for enhancing digital
literacy in your classroom is to integrate

computational thinking skills vocabulary
into your existing curriculum.

Preschoolers
naturally are engaged in tinkering;

we're playing,
we're exploring, we're problem-solving,

and so being really intentional
to introduce and connect computational

thinking vocabulary into your daily
activities is so important.

We can talk about algorithms
in the form of hand-washing, or how to do

watercolour painting.

We can incorporate decomposition
into our music study

and break down
how to make a rainstorm with our body.

My third tip is redefining technology
and starting with unplugged activities.

So I'm a preschool
teacher, and technology doesn't have to be

solely around screens or digital devices.

We can really think about ... technology is

using tools that have been designed
for a specific use.

And so with that
in mind, tools in preschool,

like pencils, can also be used
for technology for our littlest learners.

And they learn problem-solving, 
creativity, and perseverance,

just through those things.

When we have that strong foundation
and use those technology tools

at a young age,
they can grow and transition

to those more complex
digital tools as they get older.

So Katie's top three tips to increase
digital literacy with, as she calls them,

her littlest learners, is to understand
your 'why';

to integrate computational
thinking skills and vocabulary

into other learning and play;
and to explore unplugged activities.

We'd love to hear
what you think of these suggestions.

Which of these tips
you've heard most appeal to you?

What do you do that you think has really
helped your students' digital literacy?

And how would you define
digital literacy in the first place?

Let us know on email.

We're podcast@helloworld.cc,
and helloworld.cc is where to go

to read the new issue
of the Hello World magazine.

And you can read the digital version
there for free.

And if you'd like a physical copy
and you are based in the UK, you can subscribe

to have a print copy delivered
directly to your door for free as well.

We want these Teacher Tips episodes
to be shorter than our longer

conversation-based podcasts,
so I don't want to add much more.

However, there were a couple of other
great bits in the chats

we had with teachers
that we think you might want to hear.

As you've heard, Halima teaches
in a girls' school in South London,

so we asked her
if there was anything in particular

she'd suggest regarding
digital skills for girls.

I know there's always been this idea that boys
tend to use technology more than girls,

but actually, we have seen stats
showing that those gaps have been closing.

Um, so it's really important
to teach young-generation girls

about checking facts
and knowing what's around them,

allowing them to be careful
with what they publish and what they do,

because it may not support
your future career, or your education.

And I feel, for girls specifically,
it is very important

to be making note about these influences,
because they are very influenced

quite quickly,

because sometimes

it can mentally affect them
quite drastically, where they really start

to believe that somebody looks like this,
or somebody is doing this,

so mental well-being is really important
and that's something to teach our younger

generation, especially the girls,

and that is what I aim to do,
not just as a teacher,

I am a counsellor, I feel, as well.

So I think it's really, really important
to be talking about technology,

but also encouraging those young girls
to use that technology, especially those

that come from diverse backgrounds
and those that have special needs.

There is a place for them,
and I feel that technology creates that,

and it's about educating
those young people

to know: you have a place in this world
through technology.

Halima also worked
with a lot of underprivileged students,

so we asked her
if she had any particular tips

that she could share for engaging them
with computing and digital making.

I feel there's a misconception

sometimes with people
that I need to have a new phone,

I need to have an updated laptop,
I need to have this.

I'm working with underprivileged students.

It's really important for them to know
that they are not different

or less compared
to those who may have more technology.

So, when they're in school,
they do have access to technology. Days

when they are not in school,
what can they do?

There is something always out there.

It's really important for me
to know what is around my students' area,

so I do constantly do research
what the libraries are offering,

what free events the
universities are offering,

for example summer clubs, events
where access to robots, for example.

And there are lots of colleges
who are working with especially key stage 4

students during the summer term,
doing a one- or two-week programme,

and they have university students come in

who are supporting those younger students
in knowing about technology.

I just want to return to Curt for
an additional tip from him, specifically

for teachers who work in rural schools
like his in Rock Spring, Georgia.

So for teachers like me that are working
in rural districts, I think sometimes

we get too wrapped up in maybe what
we don't have in terms of technology,

and I think we can teach a lot
of the same concepts without necessarily

having to have a specific type of device
or number of devices.

There are all sorts of really creative
unplugged activities that you can use

to help students develop
those essential concepts that hopefully

they will be able to apply with technology
when they have access to that.

And finally, when we were discussing
the concept of digital literacy

with preschool teacher Katie,
she touched on something

that we'll be talking about
in an upcoming episode.

In early childhood,
we have something called ECFE.

It's Early Childhood Family Education,

and so really talking with families
about what

digital literacy looks like in their home,
because we all know

kids are watching and listening
what their families are modelling.

So if families are on their phones
all the time,

they're not getting that connection
that they need,

and so really talking with families

how they can be models in their home
for digital literacy,

as in how we intentionally use technology
not just for passive engagement,

but for really active engagement
and for learning.

Modelling is something that we'll dig into

further in our upcoming episode
exploring the term 'digital natives'.

I lead a debate with some brilliant guests
discussing

whether we should ditch that term,
and how best to prepare students

for their lives as digital citizens.
Before that one, though, 

next week's episode discusses
the current state of girls' engagement

in computing. In a brilliant conversation
between the Raspberry Pi Foundation's

chief learning officer Rachel
Arthur, Dr Jessica Hamer

from King's College London,
and Becky Patel from Tech She Can,

they'll be discussing the current state
of girls' engagement

in computing and exploring
how we can empower more girls

in computing through school, university,
and into their careers.

If you'd prefer to listen to these episodes
rather than watch them here on YouTube,

you can subscribe to the Hello World podcast
wherever you get your podcasts.

That's it for our Teacher Tips episode.

Hope it's useful,
and we hope the Hello World magazine

and podcast help you engage and
educate young people in computing. Bye!