Now that you have reviewed the origins of multiliteracies, defined digital literacies and explored the current state of digital literacies in Canada. It’s time to see how you can engage your students in digital literacies in the classroom, whatever level or grade that might be.  Below is a list of resources and tools which will assist you in guiding your students (and maybe yourself) to become or enhance their digital literacy…to design, create, build and learn!  This is not an exhaustive list of Internet resources but meant to get you stepping in the right direction.

Websites with Resources

1. Media Smarts: Canada’s Center for Digital and Media Literacy provides teacher resources searchable for grade and topics. Lessons and tips sheets are available free of charge.
2. Using Twitter in the Primary Classroom to connect, share and explore.
3. How to Infuse Digital Literacy Throughout the Curriculum.  This blog explores how to incorporate digital literacy and why it should be done.
4. Common Sense Education provides educational resources and curriculum for teachers to use.
5. Scholastics provides a breakdown of 6 online research skills to teach students.
6. Edudemic has 15 lessons plans for creating better online researchers.
7. Teaching Channel provides educators with a list of ways to incorporate Google Docs into the classroom.
8. Education Week – Teacher has ideas on how to create a digital literacy curriculum.
9. The Dos and Don’ts of Teaching Digital Literacy – Developed by Common Sense Education
10. Innovation Excellence published an article on 20 things educators need to know about digital literacy.

 

Tools for Student Use

Blogging

The following blogging platforms are free (for basic accounts) but requires students to create/sign up for an account.

1. WordPress
2. Tumblr
3. Blogger
4. Medium
5. Svbtle
6. LiveJournal
7. Kidblog
8. Edublogs

 

Coding

1. Basic coding is taught using this free resource developed by MIT.  Scratch allows students to program their own interactive stories, games and animations.
2. Tynker is an online coding tool for all ages.

 

Collaborative Tools

1. Google docs – Spreadsheets, Presentations and Document Writing Tools
2. Padlet – Free online bulletin board
3. Google Maps – history classes, architecture, community development
4. Scribblar – online collaborative whiteboard
5. Twiddla – free online collaborative meeting place, no sign up is required
6. Pinterest – bulletin board

 

Comic Strips

The following comic strip online tools have differing levels of difficulty.  Find the one that is developmentally appropriate for your students.

1. Pixton
2. Toondoo
3. Bitstrips
4. Strip Generator
5. BeFunky – digital photos manipulated into comics
6. Chogger

 

Digital Storytelling

While some of the sites are free, they do generally require sign up and may have stipulations on length of video or downloading options.  Charges may be required.

1. Animoto
2. Bubblr
3. Capzles
4. Smilebox
5. Zimmer Twins
6. ZooBurst
7. Go Animate
8. Wideo
9. Adobe Voice -iPad, proceed to iTunes store
10. Puppet Pals – iPad, proceed to iTunes store
11. Sock Puppets -iPad, proceed to iTunes store
12. Toontastic – iPad, proceed to iTunes store

 

Social Media

1. Twitter
2. TeacherTube, SchoolTube and YouTube
3. VoiceThread
4. Diigo
5. Instagram
6. Delicious

 

Video Editing 

1. Loopster
2. WeVideo
3. YouTube Video Editor
4. Weavly

 

Resources:

Girl in classroom with laptop. Photography. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Retrieved from  http://quest.eb.com/search/154_2879687/1/154_2879687/cite

Krebs, D. (2011). Technology use. [Computer Graphic]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsdkrebs/6400358699/in/photolist-aKzvE4-6m6kgp-6m6kbR-rKp7X-6tSFn3-4s6q3J-4ahA7u-rqwAYH-5cWBf5-5Deno-2iQ7TN-83bj5t-nN9aPG-pgUXuF-97bQQX-ni3GbW-rKp8D-dSGyvM-bV86Fu-pjskmH-9LTPbH-ni3Ge3-rkFaef-nvPTri-nvPhh2-9VvtM4-9VyiPG-9VyjTf-9VyjPA-9Vvtu4-9VyjFC-9Vvt2t-9Vvtxa-9VycoN-9VycBb-9Vycf9-9VvnrZ-9Vvn9c-9Vyc99-9VvmpZ-9VydhG-9VvmGn-9Vydkj-9Vvmjz-9Vyd41-9VvmTc-9VvmyR-9VvmYe-9VycXS-coMhL3