Buckingham Belated

There is one word that came to mind when reading this article: "duh."

When we compare the number of websites students have pulled from in their college careers vs. the number of books they've actually checked out a the library, I'd say it's pretty clear that these skills need to be taught from an early age as they are CLEARLY skills that are going to be utilized, and utilized often, in higher education. Isn't that that ultimate goal- getting students to give themselves the furthest education that will offer the most opportunities?

Many teachers, it seems, have a stigma against using internet sources to site from over print text, but have no problem using it themselves in research papers. Come on now- I just used dictionary.com to make sure I was using the word "stigma" correctly. It's about time we, as educators, recognize that digital literacy is a part of the need-to-know modern professional skills.

As one of my favorite professors pointed out, there is probably just as much crap on a bookshelf as there is in a Google search. Skills like comparing sources and assessing the legitimacy beyond the "bias" or author are skills that we should have learned in school- and probably our parents should have learned in school. After all, one of the most highly regarded philosophers of all time argued that the Earth was the center of the universe in the face of convincing evidence presented by a lesser-known and less popular man. It took hundreds of years to undo this socially recognized "fact" because most people looked more at the author than of the evidence; do we really want our students making the same mistake?

Breaking down this stigma against digital use as a literacy also starts to break down barriers of socioeconomic status. If we are teaching students how to use computers at school, those who are not getting access to them at home will leave your room with the skills to further their education just like the students who have computers at their house, or- God forbid we know it will happen- when the little snappers start showing up with their own laptops.

In conclusion, looking at things like word processors, internet games, and internet sources as useful and legitimate learning tools is a must for future teachers to be able to give students the opportunities we hope they will take in the future. The skills mentioned in the article are long overdue, and will undoubtedly make for more meaningful learning experiences when students are looking to these technologies for their education- whether we are teaching it to them or not.