Online Chat: Technology and Literacy

I just got a reminder for a live online chat. Thought I would pass it along to you. If you are interested, it would be a great experience.

Here is the info I received:

Tech Literacy Confusion: What Knowledge and Skills Really Matter?

When: Thursday, Feb. 5th at 2pm Eastern time
Where: http://www.edweek-chat.org

Join us for an online discussion to tackle the question: What is technology literacy and how should it be taught and measured?

Teaching literacy—reading and writing—is a core mission for schools, but today’s young people increasingly "read" 3-D computer simulations and "write" via social networks such as Facebook. A growing chorus of experts say schools should add these forms of communication to their literacy mission as "technology literacy."

Many educators and digital learning experts argue, further, that technology literacy should include the processes and conventions of online communities in which young people may use the new forms of communication—for example, "fan fiction" Web sites and "massively multiplayer online games."

Others have much different ideas about what should define technology literacy. The science community and corporate world, for instance, say the need for young people to receive better preparation in STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—for 21st-century careers justifies adding the fundamentals of those areas to the definition of technology literacy.
Still other groups argue that technology literacy should cover Internet safety, cyberbullying, and the laws on the use of intellectual property.

All these different ideas about what should define technology literacy have created quite a bit of confusion. But the good news is that some new efforts may clarify the definition, including a high-profile push to add a technology-literacy test to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

About the Guests:
Tess Jolls, President and CEO, The Center for Media Literacy.http://www.medialit.org
Chris Stephenson, President, Computer Science Teachers Association.http://www.csta.acm.org
This chat will be moderated by Kevin Bushweller, Executive Editor of Education Week's Digital Directions.