Abstract
In response to technology developments during the first decade of the century, K-12 schools in the USA began to design and develop a variety of blended learning initiatives. The hope was that technology could better address the challenges related to college and career readiness in a rapidly evolving world, and to close the performance gaps between low-income students and their more privileged peers. By 2012, large urban districts began to implement one-to-one device-to-student environments at scale. Districts and educational organizations alike became concerned with the balance between legislation to restrict uses of technology and data to inform learning and the need for digital citizenship competencies for educators and students alike. This chapter reviews recent efforts and resistance against excessive legislation which could create unintended results, including fewer opportunities for underprivileged groups, and to advocate in favor of the systemic inclusion of digital citizenship imbedded in already existing curriculum.
TopIntroduction
This chapter addresses administrative and pedagogical issues related to digital citizenship and media literacy, as they have emerged through the use of technology and the internet in K-12 education. The author provides an overview of the introduction of educational technology in K-12 education during the last decade and discusses subsequent concerns that emerged as a result of its uses in the classroom from the perspective of student data privacy, security, internet safety, and student agency.
The information presented is not meant to be taken as a survey of all K-12 initiatives in the U.S. Rather, the chapter evolves as experienced by leaders in a large U.S. urban district that pioneered a well-documented one-to-one (laptop-to-student ratio) program and explains how the experience provided arguments in favor of embedding media literacy in the curriculum. The narrative includes a discussion of the contributions of educational organizations, unintended consequences as a result of the nationwide push in favor of additional legislation, and the philosophical shift from “acceptable” to “responsible” uses of technology in education. The author advocates for the inclusion of numeracy and media literacy competencies in teacher education as well as their insertion in K-12 curriculum to promote student success in college, career and life. Finally, the chapter includes a section related to technology innovation, in particular the potential positive and negative implications of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) in the classroom.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Data Security: Linked to data privacy rights, the term refers to the IT mechanisms to protect data through defined processes, filters, fire walls, encryption-in-transit, etc.
Filter Bubble: This term describes a phenomenon in internet searches. Search engines are optimized to find information that the user would like to see based on their search history, which includes their preferences, ideology and political affiliation. Filter bubbles are blamed for voter polarization, as it continues to feed the kind of information the user wants to see/read.
Media Literacy: In this chapter, the author uses the term “media literacy” to include the ability to perform effective internet searches, awareness and respect of intellectual property and copyright law, and the ability to identify the truthfulness of news. Media literacy includes news literacy and digital literacy skills.
Data Privacy: This term relates to the individual right to restrict access to their personal, health, political/philosophical views, religious affiliation and educational data. In the case of students, schools and districts have the responsibility to control access to student data, providing it is available only to those who play a role in the learning process and for a defined time span.
Digital Citizenship: A collection of knowledge, attitudes and skills that supports responsible, respectful, and effective uses of technology and internet applications. There are several non-profit organizations that have created digital citizenship curricula. Models include safe practices to protect the individual and personally identifiable information and intellectual property, as well as promote internet safety professional and ethical behavior.
Learner-Centered Education: This term refers to learning methods that focus on learner agency. The focus is on having students actively participate in the design of the lesson; the processes of inquiring to identify valid sources of information; and the production of objects or activities that evidence their understanding of the material. Learner-centered instruction shifts the locus of action from the teacher to the student, and teachers become facilitators or guides of the learning process.
Data-Informed Learning: In the field of K-12 education we differentiate between “data-driven” instruction from “data-informed” instruction to emphasize that data should provide insights about how to proceed, but educators and learners themselves should mediate the decisions about how to proceed. The difference between “data-driven” and “data-informed” addresses an important concern: the teaching and learning process should empower learners by promoting agency and self-efficacy.
Personalized Learning: This term encompasses learning environments where the student is an active designer of the learning process. There are several dimensions of personalized learning environments including variable pacing, co-designing learning, and peer-assessment. In essence, learning is said to be personalized when the learners are in charge of the decisions made to ensure that the learning objectives are obtained, in contrast with differentiated and individualized learning, where teachers make the decisions to adapt the learning for groups of students or individuals.
Data Literacy: The ability to analyze data and draw conclusions, determine the difference between correlation and causation, and understand the importance of valid algorithms to prevent bias.
Internet Safety: Refers to personal safety when engaged in online activities and includes being able to avoid bullying, the approach of predators, personal attacks, or internet crime. Internet safety can be achieved through filters, encryption, walled gardens, strong passwords, and other safe internet practices.
Digital Literacy: A sub-set of digital citizenship skills that focus on following intellectual property laws, performing effective searches, and developing the ability to discern the validity of the source.
Clickwrap: A digital legal agreement used by digital applications where the user provides acceptance of the conditions for use by checking a box and clicking “Agree” or by clicking on an icon.
News Literacy: This term refers to the user’s ability to discern the reliability of the source of information. It includes differentiating between facts and opinions. News literacy is considered one of the 21 st century skills required for responsible local and global citizenship.