Since the onset of COVID-19, digital literacy has taken on a new meaning and has forever changed how society produces and consumes information. As physical classrooms quickly became virtual learning spaces, teachers quickly realized the pandemic and various current events that have taken place over the past year have introduced issues with online learning and digital citizenship. Because of the rapid pace of information available at a moment’s notice, coupled with a constant reliance to work remotely, it’s now more critical than ever to teach students the importance of evaluating information for accuracy and bias. Another concern is how students engage with others when using social media and other dynamic interactive tools. When participating in online communities, teachers must inform students how to properly engage with others, and impress upon them to consider the feelings and thoughts of others as they participate in conversations that may become politically-heated. Students will need to learn to respect the beliefs of others when voicing their opinions about social and political issues, whether they choose to do so anonymously or not.

This article is very timely and addresses the importance of how digital literacy has been affected during this unprecedented time. As a library media specialist, I teach students how to critically evaluate online sources, whether they are conducting their research using websites they find themselves, or by accessing my school’s databases. The concepts mentioned by the authors have validated the importance of my responsibility to teach students about digital citizenship. However, being a responsible user of technology isn’t where it ends. Digital literacy encompasses a broad range of skills which includes reading, writing, finding and evaluating, creating, communicating, and sharing information through the use of technology. This can include consuming information in a digital format through the use of an ebook, using Google Docs to write a research paper, employing evaluation techniques to determine fact from fiction, producing a website or blog, posting information on social media, and so much more. The International Society for Technology (ISTE) suggests using various methods and incorporating technology through the application of standards which offers a justification for my definition of digital literacy. As a result, students thrive by harnessing technology, affording them with new ways to showcase their creativity, strengthening their critical thinking abilities, and deepening student learning.

Buchholz, B. A., DeHart, J., & Moorman, G. (2020). Digital citizenship during a global pandemic: Moving beyond digital literacy. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 64(1), 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1076

We now live in a different world and are more reliant on technology than ever before. The educational technology field has exploded and our responsibilities have changed as teachers. Being digital literate is a skill that all teachers must be constantly perfecting because new digital tools are always becoming available. Technology has made information easier and quicker to access, but unfortunately something seems to get lost in the process. Screen time is certainly an issue that is difficult to deal with during remote learning. Activities need to be reimagined to help reduce the time spent in front of the computer. This would mean creating no-tech or low-tech hands-on learning. Some of these activities can be found here. Code.org has information about unplugged lessons in computer science, which could be another no-tech or low-tech possibility. We just need to decide how to apply these different methods in order to help our students become lifelong learners. This reinforces your definition of digital literacy. We need to find ways to synthesize what we now have available to us and create a new way of teaching and learning.

Students need to learn not only how to find information online, but how to evaluate by applying the 5 standards: Timeliness (Currency), Relevancy, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (TRAAP). I am a high school library media specialist and am surprised how ill-prepared students are regarding the use of websites they find online as well as the databases that are provided by the library. The pandemic has increased the importance of teaching them how to use each of these repositories' search tools and the application of the TRAAP standards because new content is constantly available. They need to know how to sort the good information from the bad information found online. I like the idea of gamifying to engage students when learning about fact vs. fiction. When I was a middle school student-teacher, I used a card game called "Fact or Fiction?" The game consisted of a deck of cards with four bulleted items that I read aloud to them. The students would have to use print sources, websites, or databases to decide whether the statements were fact or fiction and support their answers with details. Common Sense Education offers some great resources to help students with their fact checking skills here!

I feel the same way about digital literacy regarding consuming and producing content. Technology has made it possible to create information that looks credible, but it's up to the user to evaluate and decide whether it's real or not.