Web Literacy forEducators and Schools

Mick Purcell

Head of School

Edubridge International School

slideshare.net: mickpurcell

twitter: mickpurcell

This paper investigates web literacy and why it is important.

First, some definitions are given: what is web literacy?

Then we look at two approaches to web literacy, the theoretical and the practical: we try to develop a model for understanding web literacy and strategies for teaching web literacy in schools.

Web Literacy:The Double Helix

One Visionary

Our mission is to promote openness, innovation & opportunity on the Web.

3 Leaders

Cathy Davidson Joi ItoAlan November

5 Organizations

Primary Objectives:

● Define Web Literacy● Identify Leaders in Teaching Web Literacy● Look at Models for Understanding Web Literacy● Suggest Strategies for Teaching Web Literacy in Schools

The most important learning:

● Web literacy is one of the most important skill sets that we must teach to children

● Most schools are failing in the teaching of web literacy because teachers and administrators don’t know how to do it

● There are emerging models of and discussions about web literacy that can help us to teach it

● It is remarkably easy to find practical resources about teaching web literacy (on the web, of course!)

● Common Sense Media

Use Common Sense Media Scope & Sequence as yourWeb Lit Curriculum Map

Tip #1

Mozilla’s Definition of Web Literacy

Web Literacy: the skills and competencies people need to read, write and participate effectively on the web.

“remix”

Digital Citizenship

Web Literacy

Web Literacy:a subset of Digital Citizenship

Web Literacy:from Mozilla

Definition of Web Literacy

Mozilla: the skills and competencies people need to read, write and participate effectively on the web.

difference between the internet and the web

difference between skills and competencies

From Wikipedia: Competence (human resources):

the ability to do a job properly -- a combination of practical and theoretical knowledge, cognitive skills, behavior and values used to improve performance.

image credit: Wikimedia Foundation (World Wide Web)

Literacy vs. Technology

quick poll:

Chrome or Safari or Firefox?

“participate”

upload, share, tag, network, signing in, social bookmarking, taking courses, tag, use web services, connecting

Encourage your teachers to become Common Sense Media Certified Educators

Tip #2

Web literacy is NOT about Technology

It is about LEARNING

The web is the largest information and learning resource ever constructed by humankind.

It is also the most useful, the freshest. the most accessible and democratic, and the one kids turn to first.

Don’t educators have an obligation to teach students how to use it?

What is a URL?

A uniform resource locator (URL) is a reference to a resource that specifies the location of the resource on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it. Most web browsers display the URL of a web page above the page in an address bar.

What is the Law of Conservation of Momentum?The law of conservation of momentum, as implied by Newton's laws of motion, states that in a closed system (one that does not exchange any matter with its surroundings and is not acted on by external forces) the total momentum is constant.

Web Literacy: an example

Teach your 1st-graders a lesson about keywords

Tip #3

Ask your 4th-graders to earn a Common Sense Media Digital Passport

Tip #4

TEACH children how to read a URL

Tip #5

include:● secure servers● domain names● TLDs● country codes● directories and subdirectories● special characters ~ *

Use DMLcentral articles as a starting point for an in-school PD session

Tip #6

Have your 7th & 8th graders sign up for a MOOC on coding with Scratch from UEdinburgh

Tip #7

Get your School Certified as a Common Sense Media Certified School

Tip #8

Use twitter to access world experts

Tip #9

1. Ask: what do you want to learn about?2. Listen . . . . . . “Economics!”3. Follow a World Expert on Economics

a. . . . . . . the Economist4. Follow the people the expert is following5. Students report back what they have learned

Include a Unit on storytelling with Scratch in your MYP Design class

https://scratch.mit.edu/

see Clint HamadaYokohama International School

Tip #10

5-minute break:

with a neighbor, discuss:1. something you have learned2. something you will try on Monday

Many Models

1. Attention2. Participation3. Crap Detection4. Social Communication5. Networking

Howard Rheingold: 5 Web Literacies

Howard Rheingold: 5 web literacies

better behavior (web ethics)

students: tips, tools, research, how to right-click, advanced search tools, etc

critical thinking

A Model for Teaching Web

Literacy

Mozilla’s Model

Use free posters available online for classroom walls and to start conversations

Use your head, use your heart, use your gut, and use both feet:

to stand up to cyberbullying and to find balance

Tip #11

Apply Alan November’s “Big 6” to secondary Assignments

Tip #12

1. Did the assignment create capacity for critical thinking on the web?

2. Did the assignment reach new areas of teaching students to develop new lines of inquiry?

3. Are there opportunities to broaden the perspective of the conversation with authentic audiences from around the world?

4. Is there an opportunity for students to publish (across various media) with an opportunity for continuous feedback?

5. Is there an option or focus for students to create a contribution (purposeful work)?

6. Were students introduced to “best in the world”?

trying to read the web without knowing what a URL is

is like . . . . . .

trying to read a book without knowing what a sentence is

Why is this important?

An assignment:

Research the 9/11 attacks on the USA, using one website from Iran, one from Russia, and one from a school in the USA. Also, find a report about 9/11 from a 2001 website and comment on its bias.

Why is this important?

Apply Alan November’s “Big 6” to secondary Assignments

Tip #12

Example:

“BI” Assignment:

What were the causes of the Cold War? Write an essay, 800 to 1200 words, including a proper Bibliography. Be sure to include at least three print sources that you checked out from the Library.

“AI” Assignment:Compare and contrast two web sources that investigate the causes of the Cold War. Add the web resources to our class website/wiki/blog/Facebook page. Comment on three other students’ contributions.

Why is this important?

Why is this important?

Why is this important?

international - mindedness

and

filter bubbles

Teach your Students how to use the Wayback Machine

Tip #13

Have your students earn Badges from Smithsonian

Tip #14

Use Wikipedia to not use Wikipedia

Tip #15

20 slides in 2 minutes: Teach web vocabulary (new words and usages)

Tip #16

for 5th - 7th graders

Quick poll

Which best describes your view of Wikipedia?

1. Wikipedia is dangerous -- I tell students not to use it.2. Wikipedia is not reliable -- students should generally

avoid using it.3. Wikipedia is a valuable learning resource -- which

should be used critically, of course.

Have students (or teachers) take an online basics exam from Google Web Academy

Tip #17

Google Web Academy

18 tips for Teaching Web Literacy

1. Use Common Sense Media2. Require teachers to be CSM certified3. Become a CSM certified school4. Get students to earn a CSM Digital Passport5. Badges! Students & teachers earn Mozilla Badges6. International Computer Drivers License7. Use Alan November’s Web Literacy Quiz8. Use Google Online Basics exam9. Have a Digital Connections class (not graded)

10. Require Bibliographies first11. Use twitter to access world experts12. Use Coursera or edX in parallel13. Make your assignments “Google-proof”14. Use wikipedia to not use wikipedia15. 20 slides in 2 minutes: web vocabulary16. Put a web literacy unit (Mozilla webmaker) in MYP Design17. Use Scratch for Storytelling18. Let students make videos about cyber bullying

from machine - based to web-based

modern classroom, credit: Ann Michaelson @annmic

ancient classroom, credit: becuo.com

Tip #17

Have students critically examine and then make anti-bullying video

Use Jane Hart’s “Best Online Tools for Learning

Communities are smarter than individuals:

use and understand lists, for example

best software for learning

no need to google “best websites for teachers” -- it’s all there!

Tip #18

Questions or Comments?

Question: why does facebook have a like button?

but not a dislike button?

images: Wikimedia commons

Question: why does facebook have a

“must be 13 years old” policy?

images: Wikimedia commons

Question: are there any 10-year-olds on facebook?

obviously there are millions of underage facebook users -- does facebook even care?

facebook wants to be a successful company!

these kids lie about their birthdays . . . . . sometimes their parents help them!

Sources

Mimi ItoMozilla WhitepaperCommon Sense MediaAlan NovemberCathy DavidsonHoward RheingoldDigital Media & LearningJoi ItoMIT Media LabSmithsonian BadgesScatchGoogle for EducationLeia GravelleJane Hart