Digital and Disciplinary Literacy

        As a teacher it is even more important to acknowledge the digital expectancies of the classroom.

There is a need for teachers to purposefully integrate technology that supports students' learning.

When considering the aspects of digital tools and the web, teachers should consider the amount of

literacy that goes into students reading, analyzing, and comprehending content online. This played

into how I considered teaching the social studies unit in my classroom covering the northeastern

states of America. I wanted my students to be able to learn how to use digital tools while also ensuring

that I was teaching the curriculum. Implementing an inquiry practice into a classroom is a great way for

teachers to teach digital and disciplinary literacy. Before truly understanding digital inquiry can be

effective, I believe it’s important to know how digital and disciplinary literacy instruction can support

each other. 

        There is a synergy that should be acknowledged between digital and disciplinary literacy.

According to Manderino and Castek (2016) disciplinary literacies are the literacy practices used to

engage in disciplinary inquiry, while digital literacies represent the use of digital tools to consume and

produce knowledge. Teachers can aim to engage students in intellectual practices of inquiry, reading,

and building knowledge through exposure to online resources and tools. Using digital formats of

materials enables teachers the ability to provide students with access to additional content related to

disciplinary content. Teachers can view digital literacies as literacy that can be shaped by disciplinary

learning (Manderino & Castek, 2016). Teaching with digital literacy prepares students for their future

participation in society as digital technology in itself is an evolving society. Chase & Laufenberg (2011)

state that many teachers can confuse digital literacy with new literacy, cautioning teachers to

understand that digital literacy is simply reading and writing in a digital environment.

        Bruce (2011) states that digital literacy can have a beneficial influence on the practices in schools across all grade levels. Mentioning that digital technology and tools are a part of  students’ everyday life and experiences. As teachers, it is imperative that we consider the amount of technology that students use daily and will be required to use as they move throughout grade levels. Which presents the need for teachers to feel more comfortable with implementing digital literacy in their classrooms. There should be a pedagogical approach to how teachers select and implement technology (Casey & Bruce, 2011). The digital tools that are selected should directly correlate to what the teachers expectations are for students, their learning, and the practice of selective skills regardless of district purchases or affordances of technology. Evaluating and carefully selecting digital tools can help teachers begin to become more comfortable with their integration. 

        Incorporating digital and disciplinary literacy into one instructional practice produces the best results. According to Bruce (2011) digital literacy encompasses the purpose, setting, and practice in which technology is used to convey meaning and understanding. Citing that the inquiry process is the best way to expose a cycle of learning that can inform and guide learners through digital and disciplinary learning experiences (Bruce, 2011). During the inquiry cycle, shown below, students inquire, research, collaborate, present, and have opportunities to reflect on their learning (Chase & Laufenberg, 2011). The goals of the inquiry process can be directly related to the content of a specific discipline, which allows teachers to ensure students are building knowledge over time. With careful selection of digital tools, the learning operations evolve as students are offered a variety of ways to create in spaces that allow them to express themselves at any age level. Spires et al., (2016) sees disciplinary literacy as highly complex, including instructional approaches that differentiate literacies by content domains. In disciplinary literacy students are using reading, speaking, writing, and listening to learn and form content knowledge. The inquiry process is a perfect way for teachers to begin to implement digital technology and teach appropriate strategies and disciplinary concepts. 

References: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FQ7mCW7aX9efEVTP1k-ZrhJ9EdG

zK2qzLJxqUofhF9A/edit?usp=sharing