One of the topics that I’ve become very interested in over this past year is Digital Literacy.  Specifically, I am interested in exploring how colleges and universities use technology to prepare students for the workforce by using real-world tools and online resources that they’ll need in their future careers. Too often, students seem to be exposed to and understand how to use education-centric tools that most likely won’t benefit them in the workplace. Online tools like Quizlet, Kahoot, Blackboard, Canvas, Flipgrid, etc. are fantastic ways for teachers to engage students for learning, but the odds of using any of those tools beyond the educational environment will be very minimal. Even online writing and publishing platforms like Google Apps and Prezi are seldom used in the corporate world, yet these tools are staples for students in K-12 and even in Higher Education.

So what tools can students begin to use now in their undergraduate years that will benefit them? That question will be the focus of my article. ASU provides their students with a Digital Backpack (University Technology Office, n.d.) that contains real-world tools that they anticipate students might need. My plan is to explore the types of these tools and recommend a specific tool along with alternative tools by category.  For example, in the Digital Communication category, students should have a solid understanding of industry-standard tools like Cisco Webex, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.  In the File Sharing and Storage category, students should be familiar with using Box, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive.  For Digital Notetaking, apps like Evernote and Microsoft OneNote are incredibly powerful tools which can incorporate typed and handwritten notes as well as clipped items from the web.

Each of these tools should not necessarily be taught to students as standalone topics, but instead incorporated into the types of authentic assignments that will help students use them constructively. In his article about cloud computing and constructivism, Denton stated, “While the integration of cloud computing as a method for improving academic achievement may seem distant, the way that these tools align with learning theories and modes of instruction suggests otherwise” (2012, p. 40). These tools are not only are useful for students, but they are frequently used in corporate environments and can be used to help me share ideas and communicate with others about my article.  These are all very well-established tools that are perfect for these these tasks.

So far, I have found a few possible publishing opportunities that I would like to pursue.  Either of these might be open to an article such as the one I am proposing.

• Edutopia
• ASCD
• TCEA TechNotes

References