M2U2A1

Module 2 The Culture of Schooling
Unit 2 Education Laws and Policies: Educational Topic

Activity 1 Influence of National and International Organizations

Digital Literacy and Citizenship

Digital literacy is a fundamental ability to the growth of 21st century skills—not only for education—but to the entire connected world. This topic is of particular importance to me because of my almost lifelong residence in the Philippines, a country where as of January 2014, had over 37.6 million active Internet users, of which 34 million were users of Facebook (Albert & Gaspar, 2015). As remarkable as it sounds to be in the “selfie” capital of the world, it doesn’t correlate to the desired level of digital literacy (Stone, 2014). With the growing number of information and communication technology (ICT) in use, the more responsibility should be implemented to ensure that users understand the possibilities for learning and ever-growing connectivity.

In the Philippines, there are multiple resources and policies regarding digital literacy and ICT use in from government, the private sector, and non-government organizations. The Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICT), a government agency, creates programs, resources, and implements ICT use for socio-economic development within the Philippines. The DOST-ICT executed the Tech4ed program which is commission to a broad variety of work ranging from advancing growth in digital literacy, capability building, to creation of eCenters in municipalities (Tech4Ed Project, n.d.). A recent project for Tech4ed was the expansion of over one thousand public libraries to integrate ICT resources. The project aims to empower communities in rural and under-served areas by improving access to learning resources, employment opportunities, and encouraging entrepreneurship—all of which are impactful to many different aspects of society (Tech4ed, 2016).

In addition to the Tech4ed program, the DOST-ICT endorses the DigiBayanihan organization. The organization “is a nationwide digital literacy movement, initiated through a multi-sectoral partnership between the government, civil society, private sector, and the academe (DOST-ICT, n.d.).” DigiBayanihan, a partner of the DOST-ICT Tech4ed program, is a useful resource for beginning internet users by allowing users access to database of simple yet engaging digital literacy tutorials and trains volunteers to grow the movement exponentially. The tutorials and activity cards range from how to effectively use search engines, search for jobs, and create resumes, among many others valuable skills. Furthermore, DigiBayanihan has a thirty module program that cover topics like cyber-security, agriculture, internet navigation, and disaster risk reduction management (DigiBayanihan, n.d.).

In 2015, the Let Girls Learn initiative was launched by the White House. Supported by the Global Partnership For Education (GPE) Let Girls Learn gathers US female empowerment agencies under one umbrella while committing to support the exploration of joint efforts to improve girls’ education including digital literacy while training them to be leaders (Commitment of the Global Partnership for Education, 2015).

Digital literacy and capable ICT capabilities are necessary skills to meet the demands of the ever growing LED-lit world. The Information Age presents society with the challenges of keeping up with the almost mandatory need to integrate and use technology in everyday life whether you live in an urban area or not. Access to this technology is just as integral to development as simply being able to use it. It is fundamentally imperative to promote the development of skills to every student and teacher. Perhaps a shift in focus would allow the Philippines to evolve from being the “selfie” capital to the most digitally literate capital of the world.

References

Albert, J. G., & Gaspar, R. E. (2015, April 22). What do ICT stats say about the Philippines? Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/90584-ict-statistics-philippines

Stone, M. (2014, March 11). A City In The Philippines Is Officially The Selfie Capital Of The World. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/makati-city-is-the-selfie-capital-of-the-world-2014-3

ICTO-DOST (n.d.). NSTW 2015 – Digibayanis Sought From the Youth. Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://icto.dost.gov.ph/digibayanis-sought-from-the-youth/

Tech4Ed Project. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://icto.dost.gov.ph/tech4ed/

Tech4Ed Project: Over 1,000 Public Libraries to Expand Services via Tech4ed Project. (2016, March 22). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://icto.dost.gov.ph/tech4ed/over-1000-public-libraries-to-expand-services-via-tech4ed-project

DigiBayanihan (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://digibayanihan.org/learn/category

Commitment of the Global Partnership for Education to the “Let Girls Learn” Initiative. (2015, March 3). Retrieved March 22, 2016, from http://www.globalpartnership.org/news/commitment-global-partnership-education-let-girls-learn-initiative