Assessing Libraries and Technology impact on Student learning

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019

Digital Literacy for Students

Blog Post 1

Impact Statement:
Research indicates that “teaching students how to thrive and survive in our internet dominated
world is now as important as reading and writing.” (House of the Lords Report, 2017) Digital
Literacy creates citizens who understand the importance of technology in the world and are able
to use it effectively and responsibly.

Summary of the Article:
By reading this article, I have gathered the importance of teaching digital literacy in

schools and the key role that librarians play in this effort. Not only is this important to students in
school and learning, but to life outside of school and being successful in the work force. This
importance requires teachers and librarians to develop their skills in technology in order to
develop a sense of digital citizenship in our students. This article outlines the six core skills to
incorporate digital literacy and deeper learning in the classroom which include collaboration,
creativity, critical thinking, citizenship, character, and communication. Along with teaching
deeper learning through digital literacy in the classroom comes the responsibility of educators to
teach how to use these tools responsibly because there are dangers that come with these
opportunities. Digital Literacy is a very important aspect in bringing deeper learning into the
field of pedagogy.

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019

References
Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic revision of Rochefortia Sw.

(Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: E7720.
https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720. (n.d.). doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019

Blog Post 2

Impact Statement:
Research indicates that “adoption of technology for adult learning in both personal and job-
related activities varies by people’s socio-economic status, their race and ethnicity, and their
level of access to home broadband and smartphones.” (Horrigan, 2016) Digital Literacy in
schools can help to close any gap in educational technology by educating students on the use and
responsibilities that come with it.

Summary of the Article:
By reading this article, I learned about the gap within use of technology in adults due to

the ineffective teaching strategies in schools. This gap can be closed with effective teaching of
digital literacy from a young age and an acceptance by students and adults to learn the new
advances that are continually being made. Creating an environment in schools that focuses on
making learning deeper by including uses of technology into the libraries and classrooms for
students will develop a comfort in the area early on and develop a foundation that will make
more students career ready whenever they get out of the school system. This also creates an
environment where students can learn deeper through creating, and developing and get away
from book work and shallow learning practices in the field of pedagogy.

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019

Works Cited
Horrigan, J. B., & Horrigan, J. B. (2017, February 06). Digital Literacy and Learning in the

United States. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/09/20/digital-readiness-
gaps/

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019

Blog Post 3

Impact Statement:
According to Are Libraries the Key to Teaching Digital Literacy by Matthew Lynch, “As more
technology emerges and the amount of online content grows, libraries are at the forefront of
teaching library patron’s digital literacy.” This shows the impact if libraries and schools on
digital literacy and the responsibility they have to help lead children in their learning of effective
use of technology.

Summary of the Article:
In this article, I learned about the way that libraries provide access to technology by being

some of the first ones that introduce new technologies and provide them to the public who
sometimes don’t have any other way to access them. They offer spaces of teaching and learning
for these areas as well as collaboration in developing new ways to use them. I also learned about
libraries teaching users how to use technology appropriately and responsibly and how this can be
very effective to these uses. The article tells about the problem that people struggle with
deciphering between real news and fake news because of not understanding what makes a source
reliable. Libraries in schools can help to show students what it takes to be a reliable source and
help them to develop skills to be effective researchers and creators. The last thing I learned about

Kelsie Wiedmar
March 3rd, 2019
is that libraries also educate educators on how to lead their schools in technology and how to use
it effectively in classrooms.

Works Cited
10, 390, & 44842. (2018, July 24). Are Libraries the Key to Teaching Digital Literacy?

Retrieved from https://www.thetechedvocate.org/libraries-key-teaching-digital-literacy/