Digital literacy can help learners use online resources safely in the classroom and beyond. How can teachers learn these skills so they can share help prepare their learners for working, socialising and studying online? – Written by Kele Scheppers.
Being digitally literate means that you have the skills you need to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is more and more through digital technologies like internet platforms, social media, and smartphones.
Digital literacy is different from computer literacy. It requires critical thinking skills, an awareness of the necessary standards of behaviour expected in online environments, and an understanding of the shared social issues created by digital technologies. These critical skills are essential for our learners as they prepare for a future where the norm is using the internet to work, study, socialise and find information online.
Kitso is our innovative WhatsApp learning bot, available here, to help you learn digital literacy so you can share this knowledge with your learners. Kitso includes modules like online privacy, your digital footprint, identifying credible sources of information, and how to protect yourself online.
When preparing learners for the world of work, digital literacy is essential. Being digitally literate means that you have the skills you need to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is more and more through digital technologies like internet platforms, social media, and smartphones.
Digital literacy is different from computer literacy. It requires critical thinking skills, an awareness of the necessary standards of behaviour expected in online environments, and an understanding of the shared social issues created by digital technologies. These critical skills are essential for our learners as they prepare for a future where the norm is using the internet to work, study, socialize and find information online.
Kitso is our innovative WhatsApp learning bot, available here, to help you learn digital literacy so you can impart this knowledge to your learners. The learning platform on WhatsApp covers modules like online privacy, your digital footprint, identifying credible sources of information, and how to protect yourself online. Here’s a sample of key lessons on Kitso.
- How to identify valid news online
Misinformation is rife on social media channels, and it is designed to manipulate people’s perceptions of real facts, events, and statements. Think critically about the information you view by learning to identify signals of false information like whether the content you are viewing has article multiple spelling and grammar errors, seeing where it’s published, and checking the website domain. Add Kitso to your WhatsApp and discover 4 tips to help you identify trusted news sources.
- How to avoid online scams
Be careful not to give private information away to an individual you don’t know online. Avoid giving information about your banking details to anyone on your social media channels or accepting messages from an unknown number on your messaging platforms. Kitso provides you with a thorough guide to using online platforms safely with accompanying images, so you won’t be taken advantage of.
- What to do if you are harassed online
Cyberbullying is the use of online technology to repeatedly harm or harass other people in a deliberate manner. This may take the form of harmful comments left on social threads or sharing visual content that’s demeaning or rude. Did you know that you can report individuals who are harming others on social media platforms? You’ll find a step-by-step guide in Kitso for how to report an account that is not interacting with others respectfully online.
- How to manage your digital footprint
Your digital footprint is made up of every action you take while searching the web or talking to friends on social media. You can also choose to show specific content in public, to friends online, to selected friends, or only to you. You can also untag yourself in posts or images which you do not approve. Kitso provides you with interactive tools so you can test your knowledge of your digital footprint.
- Manage your privacy
Did you know that you can set up your social media and messaging profiles so that they remain private, and your content can only be seen by people whom you have approved? This means that new followers will have to ask you for permission before they can view your content. Kitso shows you how to check and change your privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
In today’s digital world, nearly every career requires digital communication at some point, and digital literacy is a building block that allows you to communicate well online. Consider how you use the internet to shop, work, study and socialize. Kitso allows you to learn the foundational skills which you need to use the internet safely, and teach others to learn these skills too – get started on Kitso here.
