Week Four

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Critical Digital Literacy Elements of Code Breaking

Decoding in Digital Spaces

This week we examine how to decode the navigational, operational and stylistics of digital spaces. This includes decisional factors that are embedded into digital texts and media that illuminate inherent biases and understanding. Characteristics and conventions within modes of digital text will be examined. Norms and practices in digital environments will be explored e.g. safety, behaviours, privacy, sharing.

Code breaking focuses on how digital spaces are accessed, used, understood and created for a variety of user populations. What affordances are 'baked into' the tools to ensure the user experience is positive and productive? What assumptions are made by the creator and/or the user in order to access and understand how to move within the digital space?

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​This week's activities will provide CHOICE in code breaking in ONE unique digital environment. As you use, analyze and create within your selected resource, consider the explicit and implicit navigational mechanisms, conventions, operations, stylistics and modalities. Collaborate and collect your knowledge and insights with others in a GoogleDoc set up for your chosen digital tool.

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

• describe and explain the CDL skills involved in code breaking as they apply to teaching and learning with technology
• distinguish specific code breaking skills required by students and teachers to effectively access familiar and unfamiliar digital resources (D2L, Google docs, Google hangouts, Twitter, blogs, Bitstrips)
• analyze common operations, conventions, navigational mechanisms, stylistics and modalities found in digital resources
• critique and evaluate the affordances and biases of DCT resources to determine their efficacy in the classroom with an eye to digital citizenship, student safety and exceptional learners
• justify teaching and learning about code breaking (operations, conventions, navigation, style, modality) as part of curriculum delivery from a personal and professional stance ((referencing grade, subject, student profile)

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Readings

• Hinrichsen & Coombs, Section on Decoding and Figure 1
• Review the LAB page of this course site for additional links for the three digital resources.

TWITTER: If you wish to investigate Twitter, sign up for a professional account or check out the navigation and operations in Twitter that you may not have explored before. Start with this HOW TO video.

SLACK: If you'd like to take a closer look at SLACK as a professional collaboration space, take some time to code break in this digital tool. This 'slack' video may be a great way to get you started. 

BLOGGER: This blogging tool is only one of many blogging platforms. Since it is available FREE through your university Gmail account, I suggest you start with this one. If you have already created or worked on blogs before, continue to use what you are already using. Here is the Google Blogger Guide page to get you started.

Activities

YOUR CHOICE to explore ONE of these digital spaces to learn more about the explicit and implicit affordances.

• Twitter
• Slack
• Blogging

Create a collaborative summary in the Google Doc created for this task (You can access them here with your university email). Include links to resources that supported your learning.

Actions

• Post in D2L discussion forum

​From your own experiences, where have you had success or faced challenges in 'breaking the code' in order to access, use, understand or create in digital spaces?

​How can you teach students to decode digital spaces effectively?

How can you integrate digital literacies into teaching and learning about 'code breaking' when introducing or using web or electronic resources?

• Respond to two classmate's posts
• Individually meet with your instructor in a NON-RECORDED Google video chat to discuss your inquiry project. Sign up in the Google doc HERE for the time that suits your schedule.