Week 1 - Digital Literacy

Digital Literacy has become one of the main competences of the 21st century.According to Martin 2006

"it is the awareness, attitude and ability of individuals to appropiately use digital tools and facilities to identify access,manage,integrate,evaluate,analyse and synthesize digital resources,construct knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others in the context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process."

As Glister,1197,p1states: "digital literacy is the ability to undesrtand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when presented via computers." 

Technology is having a great impact on every level in people's life. It is almost impossible to find nowadays any field that has not been permeated or influenced by it. Big companies, industries, small businesses, banks, offices and even schools are not an exception to this. Everyday the influence of this powerful tool is being observed in most educational enviroments. Not only our students are getting more and more proficient in its use, but also teachers.

Teachers have found that the use and the applications of the internet has empowered and provided them with invaluable and unlimited resources, which will not only facilitate their jobs, but also will help them keep connected with their students. In sum teachers have been urged to become digital literates, to learn the terminology, concepts, uses and application in order to keep up, the pace of an on growing society that demands more and more each passing day. The incorporation of technology within the classrooms result in various ilimitate advantages to teachers and students. Furthermore it encourages students to learn in a more enthusiatic way, to be more creative, innovative and self-sufficient and specially concerned in their own learning process.

List of Digital competences a XXI century EFL teacher should have: Blogs, Wikis, Podcastings, Virtual Worlds,Wiziq,Social Networks, Instant messaqges,Voicethread.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_literacy
http://digiteen.ning.com/forum/topics/what-is-digital-literacy
http://www.scitopics.com/Digital_Literacy.html
http://www.ictliteracy.info/