Developing Digital Literacy in the Middle School Classroom

Students are growing up in a digital world where technology is constantly changing and evolving. However, their use of these technologies is often more social rather than academically as a way to advance their understanding of key concepts or skills as it relates to instructional content. Teachers know how to teach, and our students are definitely not afraid of digital tools, so our job as teachers is to merge good, sound teaching practices with media that helps students tap into the digital world in which they live. This article shares the process that was followed as 36 Grade 7 and Grade 8 students participated in a 9-week digital media course. The framework of the course used a highly scaffolded format that incorporated various technology tools while also exposing students to aspects of language arts and process writing. Throughout the 9-week course, the role of teacher and students constantly shifted as new roles were taken on by "experts" (the students) who emerged as part of the process.