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Digital knowledge and skills.
The world is becoming more digital. It is more important that children handle this digitalization well. Schools also deal with this. Tests are given digitally, laptops or tablets are needed more often, and there is debate about using phones in the classroom. What role does the school have in making students media wise?
Information everywhere
Children today grow up with many digital tools like tablets, laptops, and smartphones. This gives them easier access to many types of information than ever before. Many children find it hard to handle this information. There is a lot to learn. Which information is reliable? How can you see that? What do you do if you find strange information on the school computer? How do you handle peer pressure in a whatsapp group with children from class? And how does the school handle online bullying?
Digital literacy
The digital knowledge and skills of a student are called digital literacy. So: what do your children know and can do with digitalization and the tools that come with it? This knowledge and these skills can be divided into parts:
- Basic ICT skills: like how a laptop, tablet, or smartphone works, how to use it, and how to keep a safe digital space.
- Information skills: like explaining what you want to know and then looking for, judging, choosing, and using information.
- Media wisdom: what you need to handle the information you get well.
- Digital thinking: thinking about and explaining how to solve a problem by using the digital world.
Role of the school
There is much talk about the digital world at school. Is it better to ban smartphones? Or is it the school’s job to teach students how to use them? How far does the school’s responsibility go? There are no national rules about digital knowledge and skills in education.
The school is therefore not yet required to do anything about the topic. In recent years, there has been more attention to it. If you want to know more about what the school can do about digital literacy, you can find much information on the Kennisnet website.
Danger or challenge?
The digital world can be used in many ways. Is a student on social media during class? Or does the student use the tablet to look up deeper information? It is important to be clear about how a school wants to deal with the digital world. Is it to support learning? Is it used as an interactive tool to bring lessons alive? Or do students mainly use the tablet to relax? It is also useful to ask these questions at home. Talk about this with your child.
Phone ban
From 1 January 2024, a new national rule applies: the phone ban. Secondary school students may no longer use mobile phones in class. Tablets and smartwatches are also not allowed during lessons.
Media education
It is important to handle media well not only at school but also during upbringing. The topic of children and digitalization gets more attention each year. Every year digital literacy is highlighted during the week of media wisdom. Across the country, you can join meetings, activities, and lectures. Do you want to know more about media wisdom in upbringing? Then visit the websites Mediawijzer or Mediawijsheid.
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