Design a student activity that develops digital literacy.

Activity

Can be completed face-to-face or with a Jamboard

Students, in small groups, will be provided with an image and some basic information (location and/or date).  They will be asked guiding questions

  • what makes this significant?
    • how did you find this?
  • what is a rare known fact about the image?
    • how did you find this?
  • are you able to visit where this is?
    • if yes, how could you get there?
    • if no, why not?

Students will be expected to share their search terms and results as part of the assignment.  Students will be expected to explain why they used certain results over others and how they made those determinations.

As an extension, groups can share and image with another group with similar guiding questions.

At the end of the activity, all work is to be shared with the teacher who will share certain results with the class

Rationale

Due to the varying nature of my teaching assignment, I felt compelled to have an activity that could be adapted to all grades and skill levels.  I have found that there is a large gap in student’s Understanding (MediaSmarts) within digital literacy, specifically in the critical analysis of information.  Students rarely question the validity and trustworthiness of their web searches opting most often for the first links provided by Google.  With the use of an image, students have a concrete starting point, but the outcome remains flexible.  The same image can be provided to each group or different images to different groups.  Discussion of sources can be held within the groups, encouraging communication.  The overall goal of this exercise is to have students (from the BC Digital Literacy Framework):

  • understand that keyword searching is an effective way to locate information on the Internet and knows how to select keywords to produce the best search results.
  • evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
  • compare, contrast, and synthesize information from diverse sources (triangulates information) before it is used in a knowledge-making process.
  • use digital technology to identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
  • understand that they can go to exciting places online, but needs to follow certain rules to remain safe.

Sources

MediaSmarts.ca

https://practicaledtech.com/free-handbook/

BC Digital Literacy Framework

JamBoard