Digital literacy can be defined as “the ability to use information and communication technologies and to evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” Digital literacy shares many defining principles with other fields that use modifiers in front of literacy to define ways of being and domain specific knowledge or competence. The term has grown in popularity in education and is used in both international and national standards. Digital literacy is crucial in helping students become lifelong learners. It teaches them essential life skills as well as academic skills. It helps students use critical thinking skills to evaluate the quality of digital sources and information, which in turn helps students communicate better.The digital world offers tremendous benefits to us all. It provides platforms that allow us to connect and collaborate. It opens up opportunities to learn about new and important issues, and empowers innovation in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.
The need for digital literacy in the classroom:
Individuals responsible for how they use technology to interact with the world around them. Today most of our work is carried out through means of technology. So it is necessary for all of us to stay updated about latest technological developments. Today, the advancement of technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. Employers expect their workforce to have the skills needed to live, work, and thrive in a digital society. So, when preparing pupils for the world of work, digital literacy is essential. But what exactly is it? Students who use both cognitive and technical skills to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information are certainly on their way to becoming digitally literate, savvy consumers of digital content. However, it is important to note that simply reading online or subscribing to an eBook service does not a digitally literate student make. However, reading a book online, in most cases, is not much different than reading a print book. It simply replaces words on a page with text on a screen. It may only require that students know how to turn pages online. Essential digital literacy skills, as you can imagine, go so much further.
Why is digital literacy so important? School leaders/teachers, media specialists, and educators are focusing more and more on the benefits of digital literacy skills in schools because today’s students are looking to the Internet as a key source of information. Students who are digitally literate know how to find and consume digital content. They know how to create, communicate, and share digital content. Students who are building digital literacy skills understand the basics of Internet safety such as creating strong passwords, understanding and using privacy settings, and knowing what to share or not on social media. They understand the perils of cyber bullying and seek to stop current bullies and prevent others from cyber bullying. In today’s digital world, nearly every career requires digital communication at some point, so equipping students with the skills to effectively and responsibly find, evaluate, communicate, and share online content is key to their futures. But the benefits of teaching your students digital literacy skills begin in the classroom right now. As a school leader or educator in today’s digital world, chances are you’ve been teaching your students digital literacy basics and enhancing their skills all along, perhaps without even realizing it. The essential component of digital literacy when it comes to the field of pedagogy is deep learning, of which there are six core skills:
• Collaboration: The ability to work collaboratively with others, with strong interpersonal and team-related skills.
• Creativity: Being able to weigh up opportunities in an entrepreneurial manner and ask the right questions to generate new ideas.
• Critical thinking : Being able to evaluate information and arguments, identify patterns and connections, and construct meaningful knowledge and apply it in the real world.
• Citizenship. The ability to consider issues and solve complex problems based on a deep understanding of diverse values and a worldview.
• Character: Traits such as grit, tenacity, perseverance, and resilience; alongside a desire to make learning an integral part of living.
• Communication: Being able to communicate effectively through a variety of methods and tools to a range of different audiences.
Other Fields to Ponder:
Focus on the curriculum: It’s understandable that teachers might get frustrated at “yet another thing” for them to add to an already busy teaching schedule. But digital literacy doesn’t exist in isolation. Context is key and the best way to teach digital literacy is to figure out what that means to a particular discipline. For example, English teachers can use blogging to advance digital literacy, while Citizenship teachers can present their class with real-world problems and encourage students to use their computational skills to devise solutions.
Create “modern” classrooms: New pedagogical methods -such as collaborative learning, student-led learning, and flipped classrooms – are gaining popularity thanks to the rise of ICT and, by helping teachers to instill deep learning; such evidence-based pedagogy supports digital literacy. Find out more about what makes a classroom modern and to see that benefits all.
Make your lessons digital: It is hard to teach students about what is needed in the online world without using digital tools. So teachers themselves must embrace digital literacy and consider using ActivPanels and free educational software to help students become engaged in the art of learning online.
(The author a teacher in school education department is presently posted at Govt High School Brakpora Anantnag. Views are his own)
Worrying upward trend in heart attacks in Kashmir
Zahidah Maqbool
[email protected]
While the second wave coronavirus epidemic is wreaking havoc across the world with over 14 million people infected ,we have an another worrying unexpected surge of heart attacks among young population in Kashmir. Our heart itself needs blood supply and oxygen to stay healthy, to keep it working and fit , heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to its own muscle through coronary arteries and without blood tissue loses oxygen and dies. A heart attack occurs when an artery supplying with blood to heart and oxygen becomes blocked. This can result from coronary heart disease, in which plaque — made up of cholesterol and other substances — collects in the arteries, narrowing them. Over time, this can obstruct the flow of blood to the heart .A heart attack is different from cardiac arrest, in which the heart stops working completely. Almost 29,545 patients visited outpatient department (OPD) visited Sher-i-Kashmir institute of Medical science (SKIMS) Soura from January 1st to October 31st to treat their heart disease ,according to available figures. The incidence rate is almost twice as much in winter as in summer as the blood in the elderly population group tends to be thicker and stickier with increased viscosity during extreme cold weather conditions, notably during chilla-e-kalan in the valley.There are many Risk factors that can lead to heart attack,
– Highly Competitive and intense workload /demands.
– Tobacco comsumption :-Smoking cigaret and bidi and Smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacoo)
– Family history
– Daibetes.
– Familial hypercholesterolemia -genetic origin.
– Hypertension.
– Lipid disorders.
– physical and mental stress.
– Excessive comsumtion of alcohal.
– Lack of exercise.
– lack of sleep.
– Sedentary life style.
– CAD -Coronary artry disease.
– Physical inactivity or hyperactivity.
– High stress and white-collar jobs.
– Unhealthy eating habits .
– Working at odd hours/Increasing workloads.
– uncertainty of future.
– lack of investiment in personnal hobbies.
– life _limiting situations.
– Unchecked health conditions.
-Drug addiction.
Depression raises C – reactive proteins _a marker for inflammation , Diabetes causes sugar to build up in the blood and also ,Cigarette/ tobacco cause the cells that line blood vessels to become swollen and inflamed .After the inflammation in the walls of coronary artery endothelial injury and deposition of lipids occurs in response, Oxidation of lipids and platelet activity increases and it continues to develop into a stenotic plaques that eventually occlude the lumen of artery and causes blockage and can hinder the blood flow to the heart , insufficient blood and oxygen supply to heart leads to heart attack . Why there are more sudden deaths among young adults due to heart attack than old age group. With age there occurs a process called Coronary Collateral Circulation .Collateral circulation potentially offers an important alternative source of blood supply when the original vessel fails to provide sufficient blood. Longer the history larger the caliber coronary collaterals develop. In young populations, this Natural bypass or collateral circulation may not be present as timely enlargement of collaterals may even avoid transmural myocardial infarction (MI) and death in symptomatic patients. Well-developed coronary collaterals may help protect the myocardium from infarction during episodes of ischemia and may extend the limited number of valuable “golden hours” from the onset of an acute myocardial infarct to successful coronary reperfusion.
Prevention:
Fortunatly there are many things we can do and can reduce the chances of getting any heart ailments like
– life style modification or management -adapting healthy habits or ecducate from childhood or adolescent is essential.
– Moderate intensity of aerobic (isotonic) exercises like
-Brisk walking.
-Cycling.
-Jogging.
-swimming.
-Healthy foods like vegetables,fruits ,nuts,low fat dairy products.
– Avoidance of transfatty acids like hydrogenated fats.etc
-Manage organise and balance life .
– Avoid stress and get enough sleep.
-Keep Diabetes,Blood presure and sugar in control.
– Quit ciggrette smoking .
– Keep Wight in control.
-Keep cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control.
– limit alcohol .
(The author is presently pursuing Masters in Surgical Nursing at SKIMS Soura .Views are his own) [email protected]