What Makes Kids Digitally Literate?

Technology provides everybody with the ability to share information and knowledge, but this is only possible when people possess the skills to access the technology and the ability to use the connected environment properly. Giving children the awareness and knowledge of modern technology is an essential aspect to the educational curriculum and the UK computing curriculum recognises and addresses this.

Teachers need to take on board the comments made by their students regarding devices and technology used in the classroom. By doing so, schools can make better use of budgets and provide the modern technology that kids really appreciate and will give better assistance to raising digital literacy levels.

Digital literacy discussed

According to research from Lloyds Bank, there are more than 11 million people lacking basic digital skills in the UK. So, making pupils more employable via the development of technical skills is a critical requirement for schools. It’s not just a case of adding interactive whiteboards and e-readers or Smart TVs to the classroom environment. Children need to be constantly encouraged to embrace technology and work with a number of devices, such as tablets and mobile devices if their digital literacy is to be increased and encouraged.

Digital literacy means that kids should have the ability and knowledge to use technological tools for a range of varied purposes. It’s not just the case that schools should own these devices, but they really need to encourage kids to use them in the proper fashion. This can be accomplished by way of the development of skills in critical thinking and an awareness of the responsibilities and social issues raised by online environments. Pupils need to be aware of the Acceptable Use Policy that’s in place within their educational environment, and told the reasons why these safety measures are in place.

Ensuring that children in primary and secondary schools have access to the knowledge required for writing and designing their own computer programmes is also an essential aspect to digital literacy.

Classroom connectivity is key to moving forward with all these digital literacy improvements. The Aerohive education WiFi is an ideal option for schools and offers the connectivity required within the classroom environment.

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