What+are+some+of+the+skills+needed+to+be+literate+in+the+Twenty+First+Century

 What are some of the skills needed to be literate in the Twenty-First Century?

media type="custom" key="3960543"  “The greatest challenge is moving beyond the glitz and pizzazz of the flashy technology to teach true literacy in this new milieu. Using the same skills used for centuries—analysis, synthesis, and evaluation—we must look at digital literacy as another realm within which to apply elements of critical thinking”(Jones-Kavalier and Flannigan, 2006). The use of the computers and therefore technology in the classroom has been a combination of the glitzy and the true digital literacy skills. Sometimes as educators we can get caught up in using technology to make flashy shows, but which do not enhance students’ digital literacy skills. There is no problem with teaching the application of the technology, however if that is where the teaching stops we are doing a disservice to our students.  “Twenty-first century readers and writers need to   This builds on the work of ( ** Pérez Tornero, **2004) who discussed the four dimensions of operational, semiotic, cultural and civic. The skills needed are not only technical. The earliest definitions of digital literacy refered it as  “the ability to understand information and - more important – to deliver and integrate information in multiple formats that the computer can deliver” (Gilster,1997).The technical skills are easily taught, they change dependent on the software or hardware used but if these skills were to be put into a hierarchical structure this would be the lowest skill. Working with others, analysing, creating and so on are skills that have been a part of a learning environment for a long time and very much enculturated into learning. The newest skill to be included in our understanding of digital literacy is the ethical responsibility. Not that developing ethical responsibility is new but in a digital age it has taken on new meaning. Communication is not just about the way it is said but also what and how it is said. This is the dimension to digital literacy which is more complex. The very nature of the digital environment means that what is created, repeated or analysed is accessible to everyone. The ramifications of this are far reaching. The ethical responsibility in this environment underlines much of the skills of digital literacy. The skills need to be taught or acquired by the learner tie in the students’ cognitive, social and emotional development.  
 *  Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
 *  Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
 *  Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;"> Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;"> Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;"> Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments” ( NCTE, 2008).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;">References <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Jones-Kavalier, B. and Flannigan, S. (2006) Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century. //Educause Quarterly//, Vol. 29, No.2 accessed 1/06/09 [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;">NCTE Executive Committee( 2008) The Definition of 21st Century Literacies. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">National Council of teachers of English Accessed 8/06/09. [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: JI;">.
 * Pérez Tornero **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">, J. (2004). Digital Literacy and Media Education: an Emerging Need. //elearning.europa info directory// accessed 5/06/09 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[]

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