Draw the Line: Connecting the Dots between Digital Literacy and Campus Journalism

by: Dawn Arbie Cleofe
November 11, 2011

Point. Click. Browse. 

Looking these words up in the dictionary, different meanings may greet you. Point may mean the tip of something. Click may mean a sound. Browse may mean leafing through the pages of a book. But at one glance, these words bring up a picture. Not of Mr. Webster, but of computers and the internet. 
      As Freeman Dyson puts it, “Technology is a gift of God. After the gift of life, it is perhaps the greatest of God's gifts. It is the mother of civilizations, of arts and of sciences.” It is not new to the ears of today’s generation. Technology has invaded the course of humanity in almost every aspect of life – business, jobs, security, entertainment, and  education.  

               In our country, the government answers this call by promoting the so-called “digital literacy”, specifically in the Filipino students.

Digital Dots

Basically, literacy is the ability to read and write. Digital literacy, on the other hand, is the same thing, only it involves a working knowledge of current high-technology, and an understanding of how it can be used. Furthermore, it is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, and analyze information using digital technology. It is more than just being literate at using a computer.

In schools, for instance, continuous updates in their curriculum are done to keep up with accelerating technological developments. . No longer does it suffice for a teacher to hold the chalk and have a nonstop speech in front of the class. Gone are the days when our only sources of information are books and teachers. Today, technology catapults the traditional learning methods into orbit. Most of the teachers are tend to use LCD projectors, DVD and CD players, television, computers, microphones, flash drives, and others.

Most of the students and teachers of today’s generation are natives of cyberspace—they are digitally savvy.

Ballpoints

Moving on. Where are the campus journalists in this pandemonium of bytes, connections, and tangled wires? What is their role in promoting digital literacy?

Being watchdogs, it is the duty of campus journalists to be a part in the promotion of digital literacy. In producing newspapers alone, there is a shred of this task’s accomplishment.  Articles are typed, lay-outing is done through software and finished products are printed.

Moreover, competitions held during press conferences also involve the use of technology. Photojournalism, for instance, makes use of the camera. The navigation and manipulation of the gadget and the photos showcase the students’ expertise on such processes. Another example is the Radio Broadcasting. Using speakers, microphones and sound effects, it is a contributor in the promotion of digital literacy.

In addition, the DepEd pushes a new group competition category on “collaborative publishing”. The journalists will be tasked to produce a four-page tabloid using Microsoft Publisher software. The published output of the teams will be uploaded to the official NSPC website. This new contest furthermore elucidates that digital literacy is not just a current issue to be waved off, that it is an essential factor in the future of today’s generation, being given utmost importance and attention.

Point. Click. Browse. These words, like technology, are not new to us. With campus journalism, these words will be understood, improved, and added to. The dots will be connected, and the line will be there, continuously moving towards the future.

SOURCES:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_literacy
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/ConnectingtheDigitalDotsLitera/157395
http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/videos/5312/david-cameron-says-technology-is-power
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/236544/technology/deped-pushes-digital-literacy-in-campus-journalism
http://cleach.wordpress.com/why-is-digital-literacy-important/
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/technology_3.html
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJftvFo8DucRmDIVYb0idtBmjmq9J_puC3tRYOs6imShiNnMfisDdvMichLLGMvR0G3CV2qD3o2-5f8s5Y2bBfQV8B5SB5XTL24wkDZtv_7AkkPD4bKr-_5bctEmBKUJ0Iziy_FN-wViU/s1600/cartoon-man-using-computer-thumb4142338.jpg 
http://silkenhut.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/multiply-gadget-store-300x260.jpg
http://www.servitokss.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/writing.jpg