[staff] Traveling Distances
It is interesting to speak with people about the importance of digital learning, especially within schools. While I was not a huge promoter of this topic in the past, I have seen the importance of digital literacy grow over time. Working at Global Kids has really brought this topic to the forefront and placed it at a higher level in my conversational sphere.
Here at Global Kids, and especially within OLP, having digital literacy within the classroom is a no-brainer. This sentiment is found within many younger generations as well, especially those groups that grew up with all types of new digital technology being at their fingertips. I have met many people who are not super fond of digital media that are within this group, but they seem to definitely be the minority. Many older generation groups see digital technology as a tool for kids to have fun or mess around and do not understand the need for it within classrooms. I met a guy several nights ago who brought up digital literacy being taught in the classrooms [he is a public schools high school teacher in NYC]. He is a little older than I am, in his early thirties, and gave the impression he did not feel comfortable with digital technology. While he says he understands the importance of digital literacy and in fact encouraged his students to use the various types of digital technology available today within the USA, he felt it has found its' place within schools and therefore there should not be an emphasis placed on making it more prominent within a school system's curriculum.
But has it found "its' place"? While I think that digital technology has definitely been implemented in some schools, there are many, which do not have either access or do not want new technology within the classroom walls. There has been a call to form a new group, in which teachers would go into low-income schools and teach students how to effectively implement digital literacy in such a way that it would help teach meaningful and educational skills, which could prove to be a promising first step.
As with anything else, people promote digital learning if they are comfortable with it, while those who are not comfortable are against its' being worked into the curriculum or do not understand why it is necessary to move forward.
Why must the unknown appear so daunting?
