. As students gain skills and confidence, they can be encouraged to develop ideas for new computational projects of their own design that address issues of their choosing (the “Create” stage).

Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute. The most effective context and approach for developing computational thinking is learning computer science;

When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged. With greater engagement, they commit themselves more fully to learning so their learning is deeper and more enduring.

Storytellers can transform the world. They inform, persuade, entertain, and inspire us to take action. Digital storytellers use technology to improve the quality of their work and amplify its impact.

Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist.  Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure.

I believe that the word choice involved in identifying construction as opposed to creation is also of the utmost importance

multimodality can be described as an eclectic approach, although itis primarily informed by linguistic theories, in particular, the work of Halliday’s (1978)social semiotic theory of communication and developments of that theory (Hodge &Kress, 1988). Multimodality has developed in different ways in the decade since itsinception around 1996. Although a linguistic model was seen as wholly adequate forsome to investigate all modes, others set out to expand and reevaluate this realm of ref-erence, drawing on other approaches (e.g., film theory, musicology, game theory

Alongside this, the representational and communicational environ-ment is also changing in highly significant ways that can be described as a shift fromprint as the primary medium of dissemination toward digital media

Sefton-Green’s (2006) Reviewof Research in Educationreview of how current media debates frame children’s interac-tions with media as pedagogic argues that interest in children’s media culture opens widernotions of learning beyond education and school systems

It’s true that studies have found that readers given text on a screen do worse on recall and comprehension tests than readers given the same text on paper

The fear of technology is not new. In the fifth century B.C., Socrates worried that writing would weaken human memory, and stifle judgment. In fact, as Wolf notes in her 2007 book Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, the opposite happened: Faced with the written page, the reader’s brain develops new capacities.

here’s no question that digital technology presents challenges to the reading brain, but, seen from a historical perspective, these look like differences of degree, rather than of kind. To the extent that digital reading represents something new, its potential cuts both ways. Done badly (which is to say, done cynically), the Internet reduces us to mindless clickers, racing numbly to the bottom of a bottomless feed; but done well, it has the potential to expand and augment the very contemplative space that we have prized in ourselves ever since we learned to read without moving our lips

To read silently is to free your mind to reflect, to remember, to question and compare. The cognitive scientist Maryanne Wolf calls this freedom “the secret gift of time to think”: When the reading brain becomes able to process written symbols automatically, the thinking brain, the I, has time to go beyond those symbols, to develop itself and the culture in which it lives.

to determine how participants’ comprehension was gauged. Our intention was to chart the levels of comprehension (i.e., locate and recall, integrate and interpret, and critique and evaluate; NAGB, 2008) assessed within each study. This decision was informed by the assumption that medium may play a more influential role when comprehension questions move beyond gist understanding

broadly defined reading as the dynamic process of understanding and drawing meaning from written text. We regarded this general conception as relevant whether the process of reading occurred in print or digitally.

all signs point to a growing presence of digital reading in the lives of students and their teachers. One reason for our conviction regarding this trend is that there are now a plethora of devices to employ when reading digitally, from computers to other mobile devices such as iPads, Kindles, and even smart watches

The rationale behind a great deal of personalized learning technologies is that, once complexity is minimized for the user, then teachers are freed up to use their time for other, more important tasks. Whether it’s conferencing with students, analyzing assessment data, or even taking some time for self-care, technology is intended to help us become more powerful and increase our potential as teachers and learners.

This is the intention behind a great deal of personalized learning technologies, which oftentimes individualize instruction on the students’ behalf, using assessment data to determine which activities are appropriate. Doing so minimizes the complexity of the role an educator plays, because they are no longer making decisions about content, but instead allowing the technology to take over that responsibility.

The problem with many personalized learning tools is that they live mostly in realm of Substitution or Augmentation tasks. While there may be some functional improvement with regard to delivering content and collecting assessment data, there is little to no redefinition of the learning experience, which still sees students simply consuming and regurgitating materials, albeit through more efficient digital means.

When redefining learning experiences, we cannot do so at the expense of human connection. The most powerful technologies known to human did more than simply minimize complexity or do something new and catchy: they enhance communication, making it easier for individuals to connect with one another

Pedagogical knowledge (PK) is teachers’ deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning. They encompass, among other things, overall educational purposes, values, and aims. This generic form of knowledge applies to understanding how students learn, general classroom management skills, lesson planning, and student assessment.

Understanding how these affordances and constraints of specific technologies influence what teachers do in their classrooms is not straightforward and may require rethinking teacher education and teacher professional development

Over time, these technologies achieve a transparency of perception (Bruce & Hogan, 1998); they become commonplace and, in most cases, are not even considered to be technologies

effective teaching depends on flexible access to rich, well-organized and integrated knowledge from different domains (Glaser, 1984; Putnam & Borko, 2000; Shulman, 1986, 1987), including knowledge of student thinking and learning, knowledge of subject matter, and increasingly, knowledge of technology.

We need to harness these new technologies for learning rather than distraction.

The “connected” in connected learning is about human connection as well as tapping the power of connected technologies.

Young people learn best when actively engaged, creating, and solving problems they care about, and supported by peers who appreciate and recognize their accomplishments.

Connected learning is when someone is pursuing a personal interest with the support of peers, mentors and caring adults, and in ways that open up opportunities for them.

Digital Health: Digital health skills include managing screen time and balancing students’ online and offline lives; managing online identity issues; dealing with issues relating to digital media, body image and sexuality; and understanding the differences between healthy and unhealthy online relationships.

Teachers interviewed by MediaSmarts identified several key factors that limit the ability of educators to help students build digital literacy skills. They also offered some solutions to these problems, including the need to: provide students with authentic learning opportunities that are enhanced through technological tools; position teachers as facilitators and co-learners, instead of “drill and kill” experts; focus teacher training on how to use technology to enhance learning and meet curricular outcomes; and create reasonable policies and less restrictive filters in schools so that teachers can better help students develop and exercise good judgement.[12] Technology has shifted the traditional classroom paradigm that positions the teacher as the expert. This can be hard for many educators to accept, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our quickly evolving technological world, we are all learners, and teachers who are willing to share responsibility with students are more likely to be comfortable – and effective – in a networked classroom.

content can also be copied, shared or spread at a trivial cost

young people need to develop knowledge, values and a whole range of critical thinking, communication and information management skills for the digital age

Today’s youth are often called “digital natives” by adults because of the seemingly effortless way they engage with all things technological.

The Arts: As more and more artistic production is created or distributed through digital media, arts courses also need to reflect the impacts of digital technology, such as how platform architecture influences aesthetics and self-presentation, and the effects of networked technology on arts industries and communities. The Internet has definitely been a mixed blessing for most arts industries, but students need to understand those changes – and be able to see what changes are coming – if they’re considering careers in the arts.

participate in the digital world has become the 4th basic foundational skill next to the three Rs—reading, writing, and arithmetic

When most workers held jobs in industry, the key skills were knowing a trade, following directions, getting along with others, working hard, and being professional. To hold information-age jobs, people also need to think deeply about issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, communicate clearly in many media, learn ever-changing technologies.

coding in national school curricula; outside-school coding clubs; competitions and campaigns; and the subsidized distribution of low-cost computers with pre-loaded courses and applications.

National ‘digital literacy for all’ initiatives; integration of digital skills development into school curricula;

In the place of ‘digital natives,’ I believe we need to support the rise of a new generation of ‘digital citizens,’ with the right skills for life, work and engagement in connected communities for today and tomorrow.

orchestrating opportuni-ties for the exchange of new literacies, both teachers and students may enhance their literacy skills and their potential for effective communication and information use

we live in an age of rapidly changing information and com-munication technologies,

literacy and Internet use are beginning to slowly become more integrated into the public policies and curricula of nations in ways that have a direct impact on literacy education.

Times piece viewed on the web may contain hyperlinks, videos, audio clips, images, interactive graphics, share buttons, or a comments section—features that force the reader to stop and make decisions

digital authorship as "a form of social power.