DIGITAL LITERACY of students and teachers

“Tell me and I forget,  teach me and I may remember,  involve me and I learn.” The use of digital skills in class is the way to involve students in an active learning process and to bridge the digital divide which exists between the use of ICT inside and outside school .

Digital Literacy is an essential skill for the future occupations and development of our students as global citizens of the 21st century an essential skill for the professional development and lifelong learning of teachers

SWOT SWOT Access to the Internet Strengths Weaknesses Access to the Internet Access to software, educational platforms Training courses Self-motivation to improve (both St/T) Project work Technological – equipment, unsteady Internet connection The attitude Time-consuming Insufficient investment SWOT Analysis Opportunities Threats To improve the motivation Erasmus+, other projects Access to ICT training Is it wise to use a lot of ICT in class? Overuse of digital devices can affect medical condition

Bridging the digital divide To improve the digital competency we have to bridge the digital divide or to overcome all the weaknesses mentioned previously. The digital divide at schools has several aspects. Technological equipment Training courses Changing the attitude Educational platforms/ software Improving the motivation Government policy

Good practices Peers Peers Most of the time their collaboration is informal They learn quickly how to use ICT tools in class when being taught by peers Being taught through webinars, some students show others how to use Active Inspire in class

Good practices Students Teachers Students educating teachers and teachers educating students

Good practices Teachers Teachers An Erasmus+ lesson on St. Patrick’s day – cultural aspect of digital divide An Erasmus+ lesson for teachers “Technology in the classroom”

Good practices Teachers Teachers Share good practices with teachers in Edmodo communities – Language Arts, Computer Technology, Health and PE, Creative Arts, Maths and many more – each community has an average of 500,000 followers around the world We also use a Bulgarian platform http://ucha.se/ where we can share lesson plans, watch video lessons

Good institutional practice The first educational platform in Bulgaria which is constructed and powered by Junior Achievement and Samsung. Trainings how to use the platform have been held for the last three months. It gives teachers the opportunity to manage their classes in a more inspiring way, to give homework, to do project work with students and for students to cooperate in teams. smartclassroom.bg

Google drive Google Drive's Hidden Gem Google Forms are an amazing tool! Free and powerful, it is ideal for anyone who wants to use them in class! Unlike other platforms, students will use them after graduating, in real-life situations and their future jobs.

Good practices Opportunities The participation in Comenius and Erasmus+ KA1, KA 2 projects have proved to be one of the most effective trainings both for students and teachers Implementation of other national projects leads to improving key competencies, including digital skills Training institutions also help us bridge the digital divide. One of our constant partners – Center for creative education - http://cct.bg/

Impact on students Better informed, better educated Classes will be more interesting and students will improve their motivation for studying They will build self-confidence when using ICT in a meaningful way in class and will gain competence in self-learning out of class Therefore they will improve their personal key competencies which their future employers consider desirable for the employees to possess – teamwork skills, motivation, decision making, problem solving

Impact on teachers innovative role on their teaching practice and professionalism bring creativity in the classroom gaining confidence knowledge of ICT skills developing and enhancing teacher’s habits of collaboration and sharing of good practices and experience among the educational community

Digital Literacy and Citizenship No matter what subject you teach, it is important for your students to know how to think critically and evaluate online sources, understand how to protect themselves from online threats, to think before they share and be good digital citizens. As technology provides incredible opportunities for students to learn, connect, create, and collaborate, the school can build a positive school culture that supports the safe and responsible use of technology. Online sources Google has developed lessons which are appropriate for kids and incorporate some of the best advice and tips how to evaluate the credibility of online content, how to create a positive reputation online, how to explore in a safe manner and how to avoid online tricks. https://www.google.com/goodtoknow/web/curriculum/ https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/digital-citizenship http://www.cyberwise.org/ http://www.teachinctrl.org/ http://www.digizen.org/

Safer Internet Day (SID) It is organised in February each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people across the world.   This year's celebration took place on Tuesday, 9 February with a theme of 'Play your part for a better internet!'. On this website www.saferinternetday.org/showcases you can see what events happened in your country or area and find contacts and resources to help you play your part for a better internet all year through.

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