Digital Literacy Ski l ls , Tools , and Oppor tuni t ies to Reshape

Adul t L i teracy Learn ing and Inst ruct ion

H O U S T O N , T E X A S | N O V E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 1

Welcome

David Harvey

ProLiteracy President and CEO

The Panel

• Dale Lipschultz, Moderator – American Library Association

• Toni Cordell – Adult learner and literacy advocate

• Lana Jackman – National Forum for Information Literacy

• Stephen Reder – Portland State University

• Petrice Sams-Abiodun – Lindy Boggs Center for Community Literacy

Digital Literacy

• Digital literacy is the ability to use information and

communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and

communicate information; it requires both technical and

cognitive skills.

Digital Inclusion

• A digitally inclusive community is one where

all residents have access to and a command of

information and communication technologies so they

can use high-quality content and online services to

build better lives for themselves and to actively

participate in society.

Who’s talking about digital literacy?

• Government Agencies

• Schools and Educators

• Afterschool programs

• American Library Association

• Foundations and Corporations

• Children and Adults

• The Media

See slides 40-42 for orgs and URLS

Dangerous Assumptions

• Everyone can read, write, and compute.

• Technology is the great equalizer.

• A digitally literate nation is a literate nation.

The Reality

• The National Broadband Plan foresees – 90% broadband adoption by 2020

• The 2005 NAAL tells us – 90 million adults read at or below basic

– 11 million adults are not literate in English

Our Task

• Challenge the assumptions

• Develop innovative strategies

• Reach underserved communities

• Close the Digital Divide

Promising Practices

and

a few lessons learned

Toni Cordell

– teacher and learner

– passionate advocate for life-long

learning

– mother, grandmother, and cross

country roller skater!

http://www.tonicordell.com/

We love our library!

The Speed of Technology

Talking (and understanding) the Talk

The Good News

Dr. Lana W. Jackman

National Forum on Information Literacy

Source: http://flic.kr/p/4XmARC

National Forum on Information Literacy

Information Literacy...Digital

Literacy...What’s the Difference ???

Information Literacy forms

the foundation for the practice

of life long learning; it is a

teaching and learning

strategy that empowers all

learners to become effective

and self sufficient users of

any type of information, both

print and electronic.

Digital literacy, a.k.a. ICT literacy (information and communications technology) is “the ability to access networked computer resources and use them...to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers.”

(Gilster, 1997)

Communicate

Create

Integrate Manage

Evaluate

Access

Define

Adult

Learner

Core School and Workplace Competency

Critical Thinking Foundation

Source: http://flic.kr/p/8Y8KBv

Information Literacy Unplugged

“To prosper in the Digital Age, people must

be masters of information. “The illiterate of

the 21st century will not be those who

cannot read and write, but those who

cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” (Toffler as cited in Rosenberg, 2001, p. 3).

A Lifelong Learner’s Success Toolkit

Information literacy + digital tools

= 21st century competencies

Rear View Mirror Approach

“...that if we, as a people, continue to deal superficially with

our educational, social, and political realities, and not only

develop, but challenge our intellectual capacity, then look

for us to continue to perpetuate our historical legacy as

“the busboys and busgirls of the new space motel in the

21st century.”

Dr. Samuel L. Proctor, former pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church, Harlem, New

York

“Let there be no doubt: a “skilled” minority person who is

not also capable of critical analysis becomes the trainable

low-level functionary of dominant society, simply the

grease that keeps the institutions which orchestrate his or

her oppression running smoothly.”

Dr. Lisa D. Delpit Executive Director /Eminent Scholar, Center for Urban

Education & Innovation, Florida International University

Thank You!

Dr. Lana W. Jackman

National Forum on Information Literacy

359 Walden Street, Suite 100A

Cambridge, MA. 02138

www.infolit.org

nfil@infolit.org 617.959.1464

Stephen Reder

Portland State University

National Broadband Plan

Federal Communications Commission, 2009

Key Issues

• Economic Opportunity

• Education

• Healthcare

• Energy and the Environment

• Government Performance

• Civic Engagement

• Public Safety

National Broadband Plan

Digital Literacy Recommendations

“Recommendation 9.3: The federal government

should launch a National Digital Literacy

Program that creates a Digital Literacy Corps,

increases the capacity of digital literacy partners

and creates an Online Digital Literacy Portal.”

National Broadband Plan

• “Congress should consider providing additional public funds to create a

Digital Literacy Corps to conduct training and outreach in non-adopting communities.”

• “Congress, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should commit to increase the capacity of institutions that act as partners in building the digital literacy skills of people within local communities.”

– “Congress should consider providing additional public funds to IMLS to improve connectivity, enhance hardware and train personnel of libraries and other community-based organizations (CBOs).”

– “OMB consulting with IMLS should develop guidelines to ensure that librarians and CBOs have the training they need to help patrons use next-generation e-government applications.”

• “Congress should consider funding an Online Digital Literacy Portal.”

Digital Literacy Recommendations

Digital Literacy Working Group

U.S. Department of

Commerce

U.S. Department of

Education

U.S. Department of

Energy

U.S. Department of Health

and Human Services

U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development

U.S. Department of

Labor

Institute of Museum

and Library Services

Corporation for

National Service

U.S. Department of

Agriculture

Federal Communications

Commission

Digital Inclusion: Univeral Access

• Requires infrastructure and training

• FCC’s Universal Access funds can

provide sustainable funding streams

• Co-leads are Institute for Museum

and Library Services (IMLS) and

Department of Commerce (NTIA)

• Digital literacy as a cross-agency initiative offers CBOs and volunteer programs new opportunities for strategic partnerships

• Focus on digital inclusion of vulnerable populations creates new demands for service coordination

• Interests in tutoring and community partnerships should draw on adult education expertise

Opportunity for Adult Literacy

Challenges

• Digital literacy: Title I or Title II?

• Serving vulnerable populations

• Tutor-facilitated model – with grants from IMLS and NTIA, a tutor-facilitated

model

• Learn more:

Tutor-Facilitated, Community-Based Digital Literacy

Learning

10:30 a.m.–noon, West Alabama

Petrice Sams-Abiodun, Ph.D.

Lindy Boggs National Center for

Community Literacy

Loyola University

Current Partnership Areas • Comprehensive One Stop

Community Center

– CCRA at Mahalia Jackson

Center

• Public Housing

– Sojourner Truth Neighborhood

Center

– Harmony Oaks Community

Center

• Family Literacy Program

– Even Start Family Literacy

Program

• Faith-based Initiatives

– Faith Full Gospel Baptist Church

– Holy Faith Temple Baptist Church

– Incarnate Word Community

Center

– St. Joseph Baptist Church

– St. John the Baptist Center

• One Stop Career Solution Center

– Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, Inc.

• English Language Learners

– Hispanic Apostolate Community Services

• Criminal Justice System

– Regional Re-entry Center

– US Probation Office

• Post-Secondary – Southern University at

New Orleans

Some Video Testimonials

Concerns

and

Questions

Q and A

Your Turn!

Call to Action

Resources

• Government Agencies

– National Telecommunications and Information Admin

• http://www.ntia.doc.gov/

• http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/

– Portal for Digital Literacy Resources

– Federal Communications Commission

• http://www.fcc.gov/

• http://www.broadband.gov/plan/

– Institute for Museum and Library Services http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/OpportunityForAll.pdf

More Resources

• American Library Association – Library Technology Reports, www.alatechsource.org

– Office for Information & Technology Policy (OITP), www.ala.org/oitp

• Foundations and Commissions – The Aspen Institute, http://www.aspeninstitute.org/

– MacArthur Foundation, www.macfound.org

– Joan Ganz Cooney Center, http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/

– The Knight Commission, http://www.knightcomm.org/

– Pew Charitable Trusts, http://www.pewtrusts.org/

– Best Buy, http://www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com/

Even More Resources

• Youth Organizations – Boys and Girls Clubs of American, www.bgca.org

• Media – Common Sense Media, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/