Digital Literacy: Highlights and Impact of 2-day Training for kids
OVERVIEW
Digismartkids Digital Literacy Training for Kids and Teens was made possible by the efforts of University of San Agustin BSCE 1A students. During the month of December 2022, the event was hosted for two days via video conferencing using the ZOOM app. The event’s goal was to increase young teenagers’ digital literacy and awareness, especially among those between the ages of 7 to 9 years old. We, the event’s organizers and planners, hope that by educating these young participants about the true nature of the digital and social media worlds, we might better prepare them for the perils and risks they may encounter in the future.
GOALS
Last December 14-15, 2022, A 2-day digital literacy lecture was conducted via the ZOOM app which has a lot of audience, specifically children of different faces and also those SSES pupils of Sto. Domingo Elementary School, ranging from 7-9 years old. This webinar was being proposed by RSE Academy Co-Founder, Dr. Cheryl Dublar. The program was hosted by the students of BSCE section 1-A from the University of San Agustin sharing knowledge that covers timely topics to help them prepare and take control of their digital life. The goal of the Digital Literacy Skills Training for Kids and Teens, in general, is to teach the audience digital citizenship that will allow them to gain important 21st century skills, think critically and make wise decisions as a digital user.
One of the objectives of the digital literacy training was to address this problem and enable as many early teenagers as possible to have the skills necessary to secure their personal safety and prosper in the modern world. In order for them to be able to make wise judgments when necessary, we must be able to provide them the skills to access, assess, and analyze information sources. In order to do this, we gave our young participants the chance to take part in the conversations and we encouraged them to think critically by posing challenging questions that would help them comprehend the material and generate their own solutions.
As a result of technological advances, we now inhabit a world that is both enriched and loaded by technologies. The abundance of technology in daily life demonstrates the importance of digital literacy for children. All can benefit enormously from the many perks and advantages of the digital realm, but if technology is not utilized and interpreted correctly, it may also be complicated and even threatening. Well, how essential is digital literacy? It is necessary to teach youngsters digital literacy. Children must be able to grasp technologies in order for them to use it safely and productively. Being literate is no longer sufficient in the modern world of technology. It’s crucial that kids learn digital literacy as well. It has to do with the capacity to locate, utilize, and produce knowledge online in a positive and helpful manner. Additionally, it entails being aware of the limitations of technology as well as the additional risks and safety measures that go beyond basic computer usage. Making a class where students are required to use these digital tools can promote digital thinking. The importance of digital literacy will increase over time as a result of the way the world is going. Nothing to be afraid of in the online world. It should be viewed as a fantastic opportunity for today’s youth, easing many aspects of their lives as they advance through them.
Knowledge includes a number of crucial issues in digital literacy, such as:
· Online Security
· Digital Footprint Records
· Cyberbullying
· Using online resources appropriately
The whole concept that awareness deals with readers’ capacity to comprehend the content of digital media. The world is linked today more than ever before. Accessing digital media has become a daily component of our existence. The idea of “virtual dependency” outlines the links between various media types. It is now quicker to ingest content through various sources due to the advancement of digital technologies. A broad variety of social factors in the event that this happens might influence how statements are perceived in the digital context. Understanding these social elements is vital to grasping the appeal of specific media. It’s essential to teach youngsters how the internet operates and how to make the best use of it. They ought to be familiar with the fundamentals of using the internet and assessing the data they come across. Additionally, it’s critical that students understand that not all information they find online is reliable. There is fake news and information everywhere, therefore it is important to verify the authenticity of any material you see online.
DAY 1
The day 1 lecture started at exactly 7 o’clock in the evening. The presentation is aimed to give introductions about the topics with regard to being a responsible digital user. The program was hosted by Arabella Padernal and Luther Araza, they present their learning materials to the students, and most of them are grade 2 SSES pupils of Sto. Domingo Elementary school. The program started with an opening prayer followed by discussing the house rules. The hosts then gave an ice breaker for the pupils to make the webinar more exciting as they start the program. There were 6 lessons that was being tackled; “Media Balance and Well Being”, “Finding Balance in a Digital World’’, “Staying Safe Online”, “Protecting Online Reputation”, “Cyberbullying” and “Being Aware of what you Share”. For each lessons, there were provided at least an educational video that will be a great help for the students. The educational video will show the audience a situation wherein they can relate and picture out as if they were in the actual case. The students really paid attention to every topic and participated in the activities that were prepared. Afterall, the session taught children how technology changes each individuals lives but in order to be safe, it must be used in a proper way. To know what is right or wrong is a major key to a safer and a reliable environment especially that online and technology world is continuously improving.
Overall, it was a successful program and a great experience of the first day lecture knowing that it will leave a lesson to each of the participants. It was a great opportunity for all those pupils knowing that in the webinar session they were very enthusiastic.
DAY 2
On the following day, the lecture session discussed another new 6 topics including digital friendship, private and personal information, screen out the mean, strong passwords, safe online talk and my creative work. The program was hosted by Valerie Jayne Torda and Robert Sazon; they presented it to the grade 3 SSES pupils of Sto. Domingo Elementary School. In the beginning of the program, they introduced the house rules then followed by an icebreaker to catch the attention of the children and make them more energized before starting the main discussion. They also inserted short videos that talks about each topic to make the children more attentive in the topic they’ve discussed. At the end of the discussion, they gave the pupils some activities and it ended well. The session was successfully done by the class of BSCE 1-A and taught the students a lot about digital literacy and how it works nowadays. Making them understand more about it would really help them to know more about how the technology works and how it can affect them. Children that have knowledge about digital literacy are at a significant advantage. Many of these advanced technologies are necessary in the classroom and in the workplace. When kids start their careers, almost every industry will require some kind of computer literacy. They are also required to possess fundamental abilities, such as the ability to type up a document, do research using a search engine, send an email, as well as the ability to use the internet responsibly, as the majority of schools now require projects and assignments to be submitted online.
IMPACT
Students who seem to be excellent in digital literacy will have a better experience and confidence to use these platforms for learning, whereas students who are not adept in this area may find it difficult or unsettling to utilize the relevant technology, which could hinder their progress. By reflecting more cautiously about our connections with the media, it prevents unnecessary interactions when we are knowledgeable and we can live healthier lives if we can learn to strike a balance between online and offline realities. The target of the lesson discussed was based on the practice of using technologies efficiently. Reminding students about the tech world we live in today and showing them to be cautious with false information, taking care of personal information and to show them to be adequate in every aspect of the internet.
Digital literacy has a positive effect on education as a result of the remarkable expansion of electronic learning. As a result of technology improvements, schools, universities, and other institutions have adopted digital learning to allow students to engage in lessons using digital technologies. Learning community students will feel more at ease and confident using these platforms for learning, but less literate students may find it challenging or unsettling to use the necessary technology, which could impede their progress. Digital literacy training improves students’ cognitive abilities by encouraging them to use critical thinking skills to their actions, behavior, and social engagement in the digital environment. Has become essential for all digital world individuals, whether they get a thorough education. The appropriate set of digital skills is essential for education, but it’s also essential for fostering an environment that is more inviting, inclusive, and secure.
The extent to which technology promotes and enhances students’ learning is its greatest advantage. Students come to understand that learning is a process that demands respect for reading and personal accountability for their education. When new literacies are applied, student resentment and discouragement are reduced. Students were exhorted to focus on realizing their own potential. Elementary students need to learn the essential elements of digital citizenship because each child has a future behind their fingertips and teaching digital literacy will make it easier for them to distinguish between the credible and inappropriate online resources.
DIGITAL FRIENDSHIPS
The impact of technology on digital friendships is covered in this day of session. Students will evaluate what makes friendships kind and healthy as well as how online behaviors influence both good and bad connections. a friendship in which all communications take place online or via technology. When individuals feel cut off from others in their everyday contexts, they create relationships online with the aim of camaraderie and deeper bonds. For some kids, these online relationships prove to be a crucial part of their social and self-development. Many individuals have spoken about feeling embarrassed or socially anxious since leaving the solitude of the early pandemic and feeling as though they no longer understood how to interact with others. Children’s social abilities have also been greatly impacted during a critical juncture in their development, which is only natural. Nobody knows for sure how long the seclusion will last, but child development might have interfered with children’s development based on their ages. Additionally, there are benefits and drawbacks to establishing and sustaining friendships online as more and more social interactions take place online.
In order to recognize how these changes in their friendships may affect them, it is first beneficial to understand how children generally develop socially. In March 2020, when many schools converted to virtual classrooms, kids lost their primary means of making acquaintances at school. The younger the child, the less stable their relationships tend to be compared to those of adults. This implies that these relationships are more prone to breakdown, particularly when their primary setting for interaction is through online.
After the successful program, the group prepared an activity where the students will be showing their appreciation letter to their friends and classmates and it will be posted on the facebook group. It will serve as the proof of their participation in the said event. Athena Lucero, Edmund Guillan, Grade 2&3 SSES, Lester John Araza, Luke Lucic, Therese De Leon, were the people who were declared as most outstanding students during the webinar session and all those who attended the 2-day event received a certificate of appreciation.
