Project Rationale

Why Digital Literacy?

"Multiple literacies...texts as constructed differently when literacy is used to perform different functions in our everyday lives. We therefore see digital literacy as a set of social practices that are interwoven with contemporary 'ways of being.'" (Carrington & Robinson, 2009) It is for this very reason I decided to pursue digital literacies in my Masters Research Action Reflection project. This is the direction our world is already moving in, and I feel it is crucial to make sure that my students are prepared for it. The days of printed text being the only source of literacy use and creation are over. Traditional text and these new literacies must work parallel with each other. This is extremely new for me as an educator, but I do feel it was important for me to begin my own research process with these new literacies in order to begin implementing them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Another important reason why digital literacy should be a strong foundation of students' learning is due to its multimodal aspect. Students today are multimodal learners, and traditional text does not meet their needs. "Multimodality...led the majority of students to make creative responses, and for so many of them to signal deeper, more engaged learning than was their usual experience." (Carrington & Robinson, 2009) This became even more clear to me as my students and I worked through the three cycles of this project together. Even the struggling readers and writers in my class came alive and produced thoughts, ideas, and work I never would have expected from them. This drove the point home further of how important it is for teachers to begin incorporating the 'new literacies' into their practices today!

Critical Literacy Component

We now know, from many researchers, how important it is to incorporate critical literacy into all of our literacy instruction. As Bomer & Bomer argue, "The critical mind is one that questions, tests assumptions, considers claims in light of their implications, entertains multiple perspectives, and gravitates toward the interests of vulnerable people." (Bomer & Bomer, 2001) Critical literacy and digital literacy go hand in hand: you can't have one without the other. In order to navigate through, use, and create the 'new literacies' well the students must bring their critical literacy skills with them.

One would argue that in order for our students to become full participating democratic citizens in society, it is important for them to have critical literacy skills, which will also lead them to social justice action. Digital literacies are a great way for students to use, fine tune, and begin to perfect their critical literacy skills, just as using critical literacy skills are an important way to tackle multimodal digital texts. "Critical reading will help pupils to explore the meanings and nuances of online texts and it will also make them safer and more responsible participants in our networked society..." (Carrington & Robinson, 2009)

Questioning and It's Implications for Digital Literacy

Questioning is needed to propel our investigations with digital literacies further. When the kids were using the various digital mediums for their research questioning was an integral part of the process. They started with questions to drive their research, they formed more questions as they encountered new information, and they used questioning strategies to interpret meaning and perspective. They even used questioning to reflect and analyze their own use of digital literacies. Questioning is also an effective tool to get kids involved in the social-collaborative process of literacy that drives success in the 'new literacies. "A powerful benefit of mini-research is that it offers the perfect avenue for getting started with small group inquiry. As kids ask mini-research questions and search for answers, we can teach them important literacy, collaboration, and inquiry strategies." (Harvey & Daniels, 2009)

The Social and Collaborative Aspect of Digital Literacy

Perhaps the most important thing for teachers and students to remember about literacy is that it is social and collaborative, not solitary. It is also important to know that in order to achieve success in today's world it is important to have good social and collaborative skills. What jobs and careers today thrive without these? Even if you are working alone on a computer, you must collaborate and communicate online with others, and often times others who live and work across the globe. There is no better way for teachers to prepare themselves and their students for this social-collaborative world, than with digital literacy. When students were blogging and commenting on others' blogs during this project they began to see the importance of this philosophy. "Giving students a chance to share their work with a global audience is an important first step. It's the conversations, the links, and the networks that grow from them afterward that really show us the profound implications for lifelong learning." (Richardson, 2010)

In thinking about these and other important components of digital literacy, how students would use digital literacy, and eventually how students might begin to create their own digital literacies, I formed my research question which is: "How can I support students in using digital literacy to foster their inquiry and research and in turn create a digital literacy project based on their inquiries and research?"