Building Digital Literacy Through Critical Thinking, Citizenship, and Values

By Kathryn Bauman-Hill, Early Childhood and Elementary Head

The digital realm is changing quickly each day. How do we ever keep up? As a parent to three young adults, I’ve been navigating this changing landscape for some time, but this past year, I re-examined it with more vigor. During this time, I’ve explored books, attended conferences, joined educator collaborative groups, and participated in courses on digital literacy. I've come across topics that are scary (chatbots and misinformation from AI, as well as the dangers of social media use, to name a few). Common themes emerged from each experience, affirming ideas about what children need in a world where access to an attention economy and the use of persuasive technology have skyrocketed. Therefore, being in tune with a few key elements can help teach the next generation (and us) how to better manage these challenges.  

At Capitol Hill Day School, our work begins early as we help students demystify the information they encounter in the world around them. Exposure to digital items in the classroom does not accelerate until 4th Grade and older within our school walls. Yet to prepare students for what is ahead, I collaborated with our librarian, Grace, and my counterpart in the Upper Grades, Tom, to create a more comprehensive experience for students. By using a variety of resources and Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship curriculum, along with what we know about best practices for children, we have established a variety of touchpoints that align with the social emotional curriculum we prioritize at Capitol Hill Day School. Three topics that overlap with our community norms and academic practices help children develop the skills needed to navigate the technical world:  

• Critical Thinking: Teaching children how to question and investigate, how to pick apart an argument, and how to distinguish between fact and fiction helps them develop the discernment needed to make sense of both the world around them and the technology they encounter. 
• Citizenship Practices: Having a responsibility to others and respecting others’ rights (such as privacy and intellectual property) builds an understanding that we are all active participants in ensuring technology is used effectively.
• Values and Ethics: Honesty, care for others, and trustworthiness are qualities that help students make decisions in both school and technological settings.

Each of these aspects helps students build skills that support focused learning, positive peer interactions, and productive, responsible use of technology.

How can adults better support children? This question arose in a course I took through Harvard's Center for Digital Thriving. The answer to this question is rooted in perspective taking, requiring adults to consider what children are experiencing, particularly in an environment where an attention economy is seen as the norm. 

1. Applying a pedagogy of listening and inquiry helps to better understand how and why students use technology. Asking questions starting with “I wonder…” or “I’m curious, what are you doing?” helps adults learn the facts behind how technology is being used rather than simply making assumptions. Is it an opportunity to learn new skills? Take in information? Or does it pacify them? 
2. Headlines out in the world tell us one thing, yet leaning into what we know works best, such as face-to-face interactions, helps children build stronger connections with one another by first learning how to share interests and passions in person before learning how to manage them online. 
3. Using our own values and ethics as an anchor, we teach children balance as they investigate what they gain and what they lose in interactions with technology. If an unhealthy habit has developed, what adjustments are needed to reset it? 
4. Finally, identifying what children need to fill their emotional bucket helps them build their confidence and set boundaries, critical elements in helping children say no to peer pressure and stand up for themselves both in person and online.  

By working collaboratively with children to build stronger life skills, the rapid pace of technological change becomes less daunting. Above all, we want to nurture students who are able to develop digital agency, notice their emotions, manage distractions, and promote focus, all while centering connections and relationships.