Eight days of digital literacy: New strategies for the K-3 classroom
Abstract: As digital literacy becomes more important for all learners, it has become critical to provide instructional support for educators, especially those teaching in the K-5 classroom. However, research has shown that although most teachers understand the need for increased emphasis on digital literacy in the K-5 classroom, there is a paucity of resources and professional development available to support them in those efforts. To overcome these challenges, we introduce a novel digital literacy intervention designed to provide K-5 teachers and students with a foundation for fostering a cross-curricular approach to teaching and learning. Additionally, the intervention – titled “Eight Days of Digital Literacy with Professor Garfield” – leverages the popularity of one of the world’s most well-known and beloved cartoon characters. A pilot study found that students’ understanding and confidence about digital literacy significantly improved as a result of the “Eight days…” intervention. Likewise, this paper discusses cross-curricular pedagogical strategies that were developed to ensure that participants would retain the information learned during the “Eight days…” intervention.