Digital Literacy Integration in Schools: the 3 Workable Strategies

In recent years, a lot has been said about the need for schools to integrate digital literacy in their teaching and learning processes. The reason for this demand being that today’s learners have their future as one both designed and driven by technology. Hence, the need to get them adequately ready to face such future with confidence and competence needed for survival.

However, it has been observed that many schools, especially here in Africa and other third world regions of the world, are still at a snail speed in embracing and integrating digital literacy. This post throws more light on that.

Those who have mustered courage to integrate digital literacy are not yet experiencing desired result, leading to the resurgence of the question: does digital literacy hold any relevance to today’s teaching and learning process?

The answer is always yes- digital literacy is the in thing for 21^st century education. If the desired result is missing, it can only be that some things are missing.

In this post I show you three things schools need to effectively integrate digital literacy and benefit maximally from it.

Decisive Training

In integrating digital literacy in schools, school mangers must discard the assumption that teachers and students are already in the know or can master the key areas by mere word of mouth motivation.

Rather, there must be an adequate training schedule for the entire school- management staff, teaching staff and students- on the use of the basic digital tools.

To further make it work, schools must come up with a digital literacy policy that makes it compulsory for every teaching and administrative staff to undergo such training so that no one becomes a clog in the wheel of progress.

DedicatedTeam

Having trained the entirety of those who must be involved in its implementation, setting up a dedicated team that drive it is another strategy that must be employed. Such team must be adequately equipped to produce result for real.

Everyone must not be part of this special team. In selecting those who make up the team, the following factors must be considered:

ü  Competence: Study your men and identify those who are already possessing higher competency rate in handling digital tools.

ü  Commitment: Those who must form this team must possess the commitment needed to drive it vigorously.

ü  Concentration: To achieve the needed result, those addled with the task of driving the digital literacy project must be relieved of certain duties to enable them concentrate for an optimum result.

Diehard Tenacity

Consistency and progressive implementation is key to driving an effective e-learning structure in schools with these Google tools.

The problem with many schools on the area of digital literacy integration is the problem of inconsistency.  And be sure nothing works with such approach.

To achieve the desired result, efforts must be made to tenaciously work out strategies that make it work in spite of all odds. This will include continual update in line with current trend. Every party involved must be ready to make the initial and continual sacrifice until full result is achieved.

Frankly speaking, going back is not an option. Digital literacy has come to stay; we must be prepared fully to run with it. And with the forgoing strategies, it can be done!