Lesson MINI

LESSON MINI

My Digital World

Grade:

3-5

Topic:

Digital Literacy

Unit:

Teaching for Tomorrow

Overview

In this lesson mini, students explore foundational digital literacy concepts through hands-on inquiry and reflection. Students begin by investigating digital identity and understanding how online activities contribute to their digital footprint. They then learn essential online safety strategies to protect personal information while using digital devices. Students discover the benefits and challenges of various digital learning tools, set specific goals for improving their technology skills, and evaluate their personal growth as digital learners through self-assessment and goal-setting activities.

Ideas for Implementation

Digital literacy

Library media

Learning centers

Intervention or enrichment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

STEM

Key Vocabulary & Definitions

digital citizen (noun): someone who uses technology safely, kindly, and responsibly

digital footprint (noun): information that a person intentionally or unintentionally makes public on the Internet

Internet (noun): a communications system that connects computers and computer networks all over the world

netiquette (noun): the rules for using good manners and being respectful when communicating on the Internet

online profile (noun): a user’s digital representation on the Internet

online reputation (noun): a user’s quality or character as perceived by others based on the user’s actions on the Internet

password (noun): a series of characters required for access to a computer or website; typically known only to the user

post (verb): to publish (as a message) in an online forum

privacy (noun): freedom from being intruded upon

username (noun): a sequence of characters that identifies a user when logging onto a computer or website; also called user ID

Authentic Learning Extensions

Authentic learning opportunities for studying the digital world involve real-world experiences and practical applications that help students understand how to evaluate online sources, conduct effective research, and communicate findings meaningfully. Here are some examples:

Digital Research Projects: Students choose their own technology-related questions to research using the skills learned in the unit. They evaluate sources, gather information, create presentations, and share findings with community members or other classes. This reinforces students’ research and communication skills while building their confidence as digital learners who can investigate and present knowledge effectively.

Research Showcase: Students present their technology research findings to families during a school learning fair or celebration of learning. They demonstrate how they evaluated sources, share their research processes, and explain what they discovered about technology’s impact on daily life. This authentic audience gives real purpose to students’ digital literacy learning while connecting all unit concepts.

Source Evaluation Guides: Students create simple guides to teach younger students how to identify reliable websites and sources. They compile checklists, posters, or short videos explaining authorship, currency, and credibility. Regular sharing sessions help students reinforce their evaluation skills while building confidence as digital-literacy mentors.

Choose Activity

LESSON MINI

My Digital World

Activity

1 :

Exploring My Digital Identity

By the end of the activity, students will be able to define digital identity, identify multiple components that make up a digital identity, examine how online activities contribute to digital perception, and reflect on their own digital presence goals.

>40

Minutes

Materials and Resources

Materials

Chart paper (one piece for teacher)

Devices such as Chromebooks or tablets (one per student)

Images of people with positive digital presences

Whiteboard and display

Writing and coloring utensils

Resources

Implementation

Prepare for the Activity: Select age-appropriate images of children and adults with positive online presences from your preferred Britannica resource or another royalty-free resource.

Tell students that today they will investigate what happens when people use the Internet and how this creates something called a digital identity.

Begin by asking students to brainstorm what this term might mean. If students need help getting started, use open-ended prompts such as “What connections do you notice between the words digital and identity? What questions come to mind?”

Display the Bubble Web graphic organizer, and write the word Internet in the center. Ask students to share their observations and experiences: “What activities have you observed people doing on devices [e.g., computers or tablets]? How have you seen people in your life use the Internet?” Continue with exploratory questions: “What benefits have you noticed about Internet use? What challenges or concerns have you observed?” Record all student responses on the graphic organizer, facilitating a discussion that allows them to share what they have observed or experienced firsthand.

Distribute a Mini Glossary graphic organizer to each student and direct them to write digital identity in the first Vocabulary Word column. Demonstrate this step by writing on your own copy or on the board. Ask students to reflect quietly for 30 seconds about what they think this term means and then write down their initial thoughts on the back of the graphic organizer.

After students have recorded their thoughts, invite sharing by saying, “What ideas did you record? What connections did you make between your experiences and this new term?” Guide students through a discussion in which volunteers share their ideas. Then facilitate understanding by building on their responses: “Based on your observations and ideas, how might we define digital identity using the information you’ve shared?”

Complete the Definition column of the Mini Glossary graphic organizer collaboratively. Encourage exploration by saying: “What words or concepts connect to digital identity in your mind? What examples from your own experiences come to mind?” When the definition is complete, have students fill in the corresponding column on their graphic organizer.

Point out the Sentence section of the graphic organizer, and model creating a sentence using the term digital identity. Write the following sentence frame on the board: “A digital identity includes ___ because ___.” Then invite students to create their own sentences using the sentence frame and their own examples. Ask several students to share their sentences and write them on the board.

Tell students that in the last column on the graphic organizer they will draw a visual representation of the term digital identity. Think aloud as you plan your drawing by saying, “What visual elements might represent digital identity? What symbols or images come to mind when I think about how people appear online?” Show your planning process, and then challenge students to create their own visual representations. After students complete their drawings, have them share with a partner and explain their thinking using this sentence frame: “I drew this because ___.”

Introduce the research component of the activity by explaining that students will work in pairs to explore vocabulary words using dictionaries or approved websites such as Merriam-Webster or Britannica Kids. Demonstrate this process for students with the term online reputation as an example. Then guide students in writing the definition in their own words: “How might we explain what the term online reputation means using words we understand?”

Provide the following word list and have each pair choose four terms to research: digital citizen, digital footprint, Internet, username, online profile, password, post, privacy, website.

Circulate and provide sentence frames as needed. For example, “This word means ___” or “I think this is important because ___.” Ask open-ended questions such as “What did you discover about this word?” and “How would you explain this concept to someone else?”

After students complete their Mini Glossary graphic organizer, invite the class back together for a sharing session. Have pairs share one new definition they learned. Focus attention on digital footprints by asking: “What did you discover about digital footprints? What questions do you have about this concept? How might this information be useful?”

Help students make connections by asking exploratory questions:

What do you think might happen if someone posted unkind comments online?

How do you think others might respond if someone shared helpful information?

What patterns do you notice in how online actions might affect perceptions?

Guide students to draw their own conclusions about how online behavior influences how others perceive us.

Prepare students for the demonstration by saying: “Let’s investigate what information appears when we search online. We’ll explore our school’s digital presence and see what we discover.” Use the school’s website as an example. Think aloud during your exploration: “What do we notice when we look at our school’s website? What information is shared? What impression might this create? This represents our school’s digital identity.”

Show age-appropriate images of children and adults with positive online presences. Facilitate analysis of these examples by asking: “What do you observe about their digital presence? What questions arise as you examine their digital identities?” Guide students to identify patterns through their own observations.

Help students connect to their own experiences by asking: “Consider how you want to be perceived by friends, family, and teachers in person. What similarities might exist for how you’d want to be perceived online?” Model reflective thinking: “When I think about my digital presence, I consider what values and interests I want to represent.” Invite students to discuss with a partner, exploring one positive characteristic they might want their digital identity to reflect.

After partner discussions, gather students for a whole-class sharing session. Ask pairs to share one positive characteristic they discussed, and record all responses on a piece of chart paper titled ”Positive Digital Identity Characteristics.” Encourage students to listen for new ideas as classmates share, and celebrate the variety of positive traits mentioned. Once all responses are recorded, post the chart paper in a visible location in the classroom as an ongoing reference for future digital citizenship discussions and activities.

Wrap up with a brief reflection, asking, “Based on your discoveries today, what are key insights you’ve gained about digital identity?” Allow students to share their reflections and questions.

Differentiation and Variations

Collaborative Vocabulary Exploration: Use a Collaborative Vocabulary Exploration graphic organizer instead of the bubble web to strengthen vocabulary understanding. This approach supports reading comprehension.

Digital Identity Case Studies: Have students work in small groups to examine the digital presences of selected educational organizations, libraries, or community groups. This activity provides examples of varied digital presences and enables students to work collaboratively to identify key characteristics of different types of digital identities.

Frayer Model: Instead of having students explore new vocabulary words using the Mini Glossary graphic organizer, provide them with the Frayer Model graphic organizer. The Frayer model supports students’ learning by strengthening vocabulary development and encouraging students to define the word, identify its synonyms and antonyms, and demonstrate understanding by using it in a sentence.

Collaborative Teaching

Parallel Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Parallel Teaching strategy. In this model, the class is divided into two groups, and each teacher delivers the same activity simultaneously to their group. This reduces the student-teacher ratio, allowing for more interaction and individualized attention. With smaller groups, students are more likely to participate actively and receive immediate feedback, which fosters a deeper understanding of the content and promotes a more engaging learning experience. Evidence suggests that small-group instruction leads to increased student engagement and improved academic outcomes.

My Digital World

Activity

2:

Protecting Personal Information Online

By the end of the activity, students will be able to identify and apply specific strategies to protect their personal information when using digital devices and explain why these strategies are important for their safety.

>40

Minutes

Materials and Resources

Materials

Blank paper (one sheet per student)

Poster board (one per group)

Whiteboard and display

Writing and coloring utensils (one set per group)

Resources

Implementation

Prepare for the Activity: Select sample images from your preferred Britannica resource, or another royalty-free resource, that effectively communicate safety messages.

Tell students that during today’s activity they will learn skills and strategies to stay safe online by completing an Internet safety questionnaire, reading and taking notes on an Internet article, and working collaboratively to create a poster outlining key steps for staying safe online.

Begin by writing digital safety on the board, and invite students to share their thoughts about what this term might mean. After listening to student responses, guide them to understand that digital safety means being aware of potential online risks and having the knowledge to protect yourself from these risks.

Distribute an Internet Safety Questionnaire to each student, and give them time to complete the pre-test column individually, encouraging them to think carefully about each scenario presented. After students complete the pre-test, ask open-ended questions such as “What made you choose that answer?” and “What might happen if someone made a different choice?” Encourage students to make independent and class discoveries for why sharing personal information with unknown people online can be risky. Collect the pre-tests, but don’t review students’ answers yet, or ask students to set them aside. Tell them that the questionnaires will be saved for later during the activity, when they will complete the post-test.

Display the Internet article and distribute one copy to each student, explaining that this informational text explores how the Internet developed and includes important information about staying safe online. Point to the “Internet Safety” and “Cybersecurity” sections, and ask students to predict what kind of information they might find in these sections based on the headings. Record two or three predictions on the board to revisit later.

Have students work with a partner to read the two sections together while using the Active Reading Through Writing graphic organizer to capture their thoughts and questions. Before students begin reading, ask them to consider: “What questions do you have about Internet safety before reading?” During reading, encourage them to note: “What new information are you discovering?” After reading, prompt them to reflect: “How does this information change your understanding of digital safety?” As students work, circulate and ask probing questions to help them make connections between the text and their own digital experiences.

Once students complete their reading, bring the class together and ask them to share the most important ideas they discovered from the article sections. Create a collaborative summary by recording student contributions on the board, allowing them to build understanding together. Refer back to the predictions made earlier and discuss which were confirmed or revised based on the reading.

Organize the class into small groups of three or four students and challenge them to create posters that teach others about digital safety. Ask them to refer to their questionnaire responses and graphic organizers to identify the most important safety strategies they learned.

Provide examples of neutral safety tips, such as “Think carefully before sharing photos that show where you are,” and demonstrate various visual elements students might include on their posters, such as symbols, diagrams, or illustrations. Show sample images from your preferred Britannica resource, or another royalty-free resource, that effectively communicate safety messages.

After groups complete their posters, have each small group pair with another group to share their work through brief presentations. Encourage listeners to ask questions such as “What new safety tip did you learn from this poster?” “Which visual element helped you understand the message best?” and “What questions do you still have about digital safety?”

Display all posters around the classroom, and conduct a gallery walk so that students can observe one another’s work. Ask students to record on blank paper any new safety strategies they discover during their observations. Consider providing students with simple prompts such as “One new tip I learned” and “One question I still have” to use during the gallery walk. These can be written or displayed in a location that students can refer to during the activity, or students can write them on index cards that they take with them as they move from poster to poster.

Bring the class back together. Redistribute the Internet Safety Questionnaires that the students completed at the start of the activity, or ask students to take out their questionnaires if you had them retain them. Explain that they will complete the same questionnaire but will now use their new knowledge from the lesson to see whether any of their thinking has changed. After students have completed the post-test, facilitate a class discussion by asking students to share their reasoning behind their choices. Then review the correct answers (1. c; 2. a; 3. c; 4. b; 5. c; 6. b). Have students compare their pre-test and post-test responses to see how their thinking evolved.

Wrap up by inviting students to independently complete the reflection question at the bottom of the questionnaire: “How has your thinking about Internet safety changed during this activity?” Time permitting, invite volunteers to share their responses aloud. Close by emphasizing that digital safety is an ongoing responsibility, and encourage students to share what they learned with family members.

Differentiation and Variations

Language Support: For students who benefit from additional support, provide sentence frames such as “One important safety tip is ___” and “When using the Internet, I should always ___” along with a vocabulary reference sheet containing key terms from the lesson. This supports students by reducing cognitive load and providing structured frameworks that help them organize their thoughts and express their understanding more confidently.

Internet Questionnaire: Invite students to create additional multiple-choice questions for the Internet Safety Questionnaire as an extension activity. This helps students synthesize their new understanding while developing questions that encourage deeper thinking about digital-safety scenarios.

Digital Posters: Consider providing the option for students to use approved school digital design tools to create their posters and share them through your school’s learning management system. This allows students to explore technology tools while practicing the digital-safety concepts they are learning and enables collaborative work in a digital environment.

Role-Playing: Consider adding role-play scenarios in which students can act out appropriate responses to digital-safety situations, allowing them to practice decision-making skills through movement and interaction. This benefits students by providing hands-on experience with real-world digital-safety scenarios, helping them internalize appropriate responses and build confidence in making safe choices online.

Collaborative Teaching

Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching,” both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly. This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.

Activity Introduction: Teacher A introduces the concept of digital safety and facilitates student sharing while Teacher B records student ideas on the board or poster sheet.

Internet Safety Questionnaire (Pre-Test): Teacher A distributes one Internet Safety Questionnaire per student and explains the pre-test instructions while Teacher B circulates the room and offers support. After completion, Teacher A facilitates discussion with open-ended questions about student reasoning.

Internet Article Reading: Teacher A displays the article, provides an overview, and points students to the “Internet Safety” and “Cybersecurity” sections while facilitating prediction discussions. Teacher B simultaneously distributes articles and Active Reading Through Writing graphic organizers. Teacher A explains the partner reading process and reviews the before, during, and after reading questions while Teacher B assists with partner formation and circulation support.

Collaborative Summary: Teacher A facilitates the whole-class discussion of key discoveries from the article while Teacher B records student contributions on the board and helps refer back to earlier predictions.

Online Safety Posters: Teacher A explains that students will work in small groups of three or four to create digital-safety posters and provides examples of safety tips and visual elements. Teacher B distributes poster-making supplies and helps organize groups. Both teachers circulate and offer support. Teacher A then facilitates the poster sharing between paired groups, while Teacher B helps manage timing and transitions.

Gallery Walk: Teacher A explains the gallery walk process while Teacher B distributes blank recording sheets or index cards with prompts (“One new tip I learned” and “One question I still have”). Both teachers circulate during the gallery walk.

Post-Assessment and Reflection: Teacher A redistributes or directs students to retrieve their original questionnaires and explains the post-test process while Teacher B circulates for support. Teacher A then facilitates the discussion of reasoning and reviews correct answers while Teacher B helps students compare their pre- and post-test responses.

Activity Wrap-Up: Teacher A facilitates the final reflection question completion while Teacher B manages the display of completed work. Both teachers conclude by emphasizing digital safety as an ongoing responsibility and praising students for their learning growth.

My Digital World

Activity

3:

My SUPER Learning Goals

By the end of the activity, students will explore different digital learning tools, identify their benefits and challenges, and create specific learning goals to improve their use of technology for schoolwork.

>40

Minutes

Materials and Resources

Materials

Large poster board

Sticky notes

Whiteboard and display

Resources

Implementation

Tell students that during today’s activity they will create learning goals to help them use digital tools better in school. Explain that they will share ideas with classmates, compare good and challenging parts of using technology, practice making goals, and work together on a class display.

Begin by asking students open-ended questions to encourage discovery:

What are some digital tools you use at school or home for learning?

Which digital tools do you like to use for your schoolwork?

What makes certain digital tools fun or helpful to use?

Allow students to share examples such as tablets, computers, educational apps, or online research sites. Record their ideas on the board without adding your own suggestions or guiding their responses.

Guide students through an inquiry-based discussion about digital learning tools. Ask: “When you use digital tools for learning, what do you notice? What goes well, and what can be tricky?” Allow students to share their experiences first with a partner, or in a small group, and then with the class, calling on volunteers to share aloud.

Distribute one T-Chart graphic organizer to each student, and have them write “helpful things about digital tools” and “challenging things about digital tools” in each column.

Facilitate a group discussion in which students share their own discoveries. Write their ideas on the board and give them time to copy the ideas they find most interesting. Let students reach their own conclusions through guided questioning instead of providing predetermined lists.

Students might discover helpful aspects such as finding information quickly, creating colorful projects, working with friends online, getting help right away, and learning at their own speed. Students might identify challenges such as eyes getting tired from screens, missing talking with friends in person, computers not working properly, or getting distracted by other things on the device.

Afterward, provide a few minutes for students to discuss their ideas with a classmate sitting nearby and add to their charts. Call on student volunteers to share some of the ideas they discussed.

Introduce students to goal-setting by asking: “What is a goal? Can you think of something you want to learn or get better at?” Allow students to share their understanding before explaining. Share that goals are things we want to accomplish or learn. For example: “My goal is to get better at making digital presentations by winter break.” Call on student volunteers to share a learning goal that comes to mind.

Ask students: “Do some goals take longer than others? What’s something you could finish this week compared to something that might take a few months?” Explain that goals can be short-term goals, such as finishing a digital poster by Friday, or long-term goals, such as learning how to make videos over the next few months.

Guide students to discover that breaking goals into smaller steps makes them easier by asking: “How can we make big goals feel less overwhelming and easier to reach?” Explain that they will now learn about making really good goals to help them use digital tools better for learning.

Show students the SUPER Goals display, and guide students through each part by asking questions that help them understand what makes goals successful:

Write the following example on the board: “I will use drawing software to make a colorful poster with five facts about animals for my science project and finish it by Thursday.”

Ask students guided questions: What exactly will this person create? How will we know when this goal is finished? Do you think this goal is possible for a student your age? How does this goal help with learning? When should this goal be completed?

Distribute a My Digital Tools SUPER Goals handout to each student and tell them that they will work by themselves to write two learning goals about how they want to use digital tools in school (Part 1 of the handout). As students finish, have them share their goals with a classmate sitting nearby.

Distribute one sticky note per student. Ask them to choose and write their favorite learning goal they created. After a set time, have students paste their sticky notes on a large poster board and work together as a class to find common ideas and themes in their goals.

Wrap up by pointing out that students can use Part 2 of the handout to keep track of how they’re doing with their goals. Encourage them to check their progress regularly with a teacher or family member.

Differentiation and Variations

Language Support: For students who benefit from additional language support, provide sentence frames and goal templates such as “I will learn to use ___ to create ___ by ___” and “My goal is to make ___ using ___ software.” Offer the SUPER goals checklist in students’ home languages when possible, and encourage students to discuss their goals in both their home languages and English with bilingual peers or family members. Visual supports such as pictures of digital tools and goal examples can help students better understand and articulate their learning objectives.

Peer Goal Partners: Pair students together to share their SUPER goals and provide feedback to each other. Encourage students to help their partners make their goals more specific, exciting, and realistic. This collaborative approach builds communication skills while improving goal quality.

Cross-Curricular Goal Integration: Invite students who benefit from additional challenges to create SUPER goals that integrate digital tools across multiple subject areas, such as using research databases for social studies while practicing presentation skills for language arts, or creating data visualizations for math concepts using digital graphing tools.

Collaborative Teaching

One Teaching, One Assisting: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a One Teaching, One Assisting strategy. In this model, one teacher leads the activity while the other circulates, assisting individual students as needed. This ensures that when students encounter difficulties, they receive immediate help in the form of personalized support and answers to their questions. By addressing students’ unique needs and keeping them on track, this approach enhances individual learning experiences and fosters a supportive classroom environment. Studies indicate that immediate feedback and individualized attention can significantly enhance student understanding and retention of material.

Activity Introduction: The lead teacher introduces the concept of digital tools and records students’ ideas on the board while the assisting teacher circulates the room to ensure students are on task and focused on the class discussion.

T-Chart Graphic Organizer: The lead teacher facilitates a discussion focused on the helpful and challenging aspects of using digital tools to support learning while the assisting teacher distributes the T-Chart graphic organizers and ensures students are actively participating and writing down key ideas from the board.

Short-Term Goals, Long-Term Goals, and SUPER Goals: The lead teacher introduces students to the concept of short-term, long-term, and SUPER goals while the assisting teacher circulates the room and assists students as needed.

SUPER Goals Overview: The lead teacher provides an overview of SUPER goals using the teacher display while the assisting teacher distributes the My Digital Tools Learning Goals handout and supports students in understanding the instructions and beginning their goal-setting process.

Class Display: The lead teacher distributes one sticky note per student and asks them to choose and write their favorite SUPER goal they created. The assisting teacher circulates the room and supports students as needed. As students finish, both teachers guide students to add their sticky notes to a large poster board and together identify common themes and patterns in their learning goals.

Activity Wrap-Up: The lead teacher closes the activity by directing students to Part 2 of the handout and explaining how to use their progress charts to help them keep track of their SUPER goals. Regular check-ins with students about their progress are recommended.

My Digital World

Activity

4:

Finding the Right Tools for My Learning

By the end of the activity, students will be able to independently research, identify, and evaluate appropriate digital tools that can enhance their learning across different subject areas.

>40

Minutes

Materials and Resources

Materials

Devices such as Chromebooks or tablets (one per student)

Whiteboard and display

Resources

Implementation

Prepare for the Activity: Research and prepare a list of school- or district-approved digital tools. (Note: If available in your school, consider inviting a library media specialist, instructional technology teacher, or staff developer into your classroom to speak to students and introduce these tools as a follow-up or extension to this activity.)

Begin by telling students they will investigate different types of digital tools that their school has available to them to support their learning across school subjects. Ask students to think about and share all the different subjects they study in school. As students respond, record their suggestions on the board. Common responses may include English language arts, science, social studies, math, music, art, and physical education.

Display the Bubble Web graphic organizer and distribute one copy to each student. Write digital learning tools in the center circle. Facilitate a class discussion where students brainstorm different categories of digital tools they have encountered at school and at home. Record student responses on the board, and invite them to copy the ideas onto their organizers. Guide their thinking by posing open-ended questions such as the following:

What types of digital tools have you used to find information?

What digital tools have you seen used for creating presentations?

What digital tools have you used for writing assignments?

What digital tools provide practice opportunities?

What digital tools have you used for creating visual content?

What digital tools allow people to work together on projects?

Tell students they will work in small groups to investigate which types of digital tools might be most beneficial for different subjects. Divide the class into small groups of three or four students.

Distribute one Subject Area Tool Organizer handout to each student. Ask students to reference their digital learning tools bubble web and begin exploring connections between different tool types and school subjects. Encourage students to consider questions such as these:

What is this tool designed to do?

How might this help students learn?

What are its main functions?

Which subjects might benefit most from this type of tool?

Allow time for students to discuss and record their ideas within their groups.

Bring the class back together and have student volunteers share their group’s findings. Encourage students to actively listen and add to their handout any digital tools other groups might have included that they did not.

Introduce the research part of the activity by assigning each group to focus on a specific school subject (e.g., English language arts, science, social studies, math, music, art, physical education). Tell students that they will use their devices to research school-approved tools that might support learning in their assigned subject and select one tool to investigate further.

Model the research process by demonstrating how to use school-approved Internet search engines or navigate to your school or district’s approved digital-tools portal. Work with students to develop appropriate search terms and phrases, recording them on the board. Ensure that all students understand the research process and can navigate online information safely and effectively.

Instruct students to create a brief presentation using an approved platform that explains what the tool is, what it is used for, one interesting feature they discovered, and how it might be helpful for their assigned subject.

Time permitting, invite groups to present their newly discovered digital tools.

Facilitate a whole-group discussion around the concept of using appropriate tools to enhance learning in different subjects. Ask students:

What did you discover about using different digital tools for different subjects?

Which digital tool are you most curious to explore further, and for what subject?

How might these digital tools support your learning process?

Differentiation and Variations

Language Support: For students who benefit from additional language support, provide vocabulary cards with key terms and visual representations of different digital-tool categories. Allow students to use translation tools when researching and encourage them to create presentations in their preferred format, including the use of images, diagrams, or bilingual elements. Consider pairing these students with native English speakers or providing sentence frames for discussions and presentations.

Guided Research: Support students in their research by asking guiding questions and prompting them to find specific information about each subject. This structured whole-group approach supports students who need additional guidance finding information online and provides opportunities for students to discover new resources and processes.

Video Creation: Consider having students create a video that showcases their tool. This variation provides students the opportunity to develop their oral communication skills as well as digital creation skills. This promotes collaborative work and the use of multimedia tools.

Collaborative Teaching

My Digital World

Activity

5:

My Digital Tool Growth Journey

By the end of the activity, students will be able to evaluate their personal growth with digital learning tools and create documentation that reflects their progress while setting specific goals for continued improvement.

30-40

Minutes

Materials and Resources

Materials

Devices such as Chromebooks or tablets (one per student)

Whiteboard and display

Resources

Implementation

Tell students that today they will explore how much they have developed as digital learners and discover ways to continue growing in the future.

Begin by inviting students to think quietly about their experiences with digital tools throughout the school year. Ask students to consider what they notice about their own learning journeys. Record student observations on the board without adding commentary. Ask open-ended questions to guide their thinking:

What do you notice about the digital tools you use during your school day?

When you think about how you used these tools at the beginning of the year compared to now, what do you observe?

What questions do you have about your own learning with these tools?

Display the My Digital Tool Progress Tracker and distribute a copy to each student. Explain that this tool will help them explore and document their own discoveries about their digital learning progress.

Guide students through the tracker. Demonstrate how the rating scale of 1–4 works without suggesting which numbers they should choose (1 = just starting, 2 = learning, 3 = getting good, 4 = expert level). Ask students what they think each level might look like for different tools.

Have students begin completing the “My Digital Tools—Before vs. Now” section of their tracker. Guide them to first identify the digital tools they use most frequently for learning, and then encourage them to honestly assess their skill levels at two different time periods. Students will rate themselves on the 1–4 scale for both “before” and “now” periods. Then have them complete the reflection prompts: “At the beginning I could ___,” “Now I can ___,” and “My biggest improvement was ___.” Encourage students to think deeply about specific examples from their own experience.

Direct students to the “My Growth Goals” section. Guide them through the process of selecting two digital tools they would like to develop further and creating specific, measurable goals. Students will complete the prompts: “By [date], I will be able to ___,” “To reach my goal, I need to ___,” and “One action I’ll take this week ___.” Encourage students to make their goals realistic and specific to their own learning needs.

Arrange students into pairs and have them share one discovery about their improvement and one goal they have set. Encourage partners to ask thoughtful questions and offer positive feedback about each other’s learning journeys.

Wrap up the activity by inviting students to share what they discovered about themselves as digital learners, and acknowledge the growth mindset they have demonstrated through this reflection process.

Differentiation and Variations

Language Support: For students who benefit from additional language support, provide the tracker in both English and their home languages when possible. Pair English language learners with bilingual partners or provide visual vocabulary cards showing common digital tools. Allow students to use their home languages for initial brainstorming before translating key ideas to English. This approach benefits students by validating their linguistic resources while building English proficiency, ensuring they can fully participate in reflection about their learning without language being a barrier to self-assessment.

Extended Challenge: Invite students who benefit from increased challenges the opportunity to create action plans with multiple steps or to identify ways they might help classmates with tools they have mastered. They could also explore new features of familiar tools as part of their goals. This variation benefits students by providing appropriate intellectual challenge and fostering leadership skills while deepening their understanding through teaching others.

Alternative Formats: Allow students to express their reflections through drawings, voice recordings, or digital presentations if written responses are challenging. Some students might benefit from completing the tracker orally with teacher support. This supports students by honoring diverse learning styles and removing barriers that might prevent them from demonstrating their true understanding and growth.

Collaborative Teaching

“Unlocking Literacy” Webinar Recording

In the News

My Digital World

My Digital World

Lesson MINI

LESSON MINI

My Digital World

Overview

Choose Activity

LESSON MINI

Activity

1 :

Exploring My Digital Identity

By the end of the activity, students will be able to define digital identity, identify multiple components that make up a digital identity, examine how online activities contribute to digital perception, and reflect on their own digital presence goals.

>40

Materials

Resources

Activity

2:

Protecting Personal Information Online

By the end of the activity, students will be able to identify and apply specific strategies to protect their personal information when using digital devices and explain why these strategies are important for their safety.

>40

Materials

Resources

Activity

3:

My SUPER Learning Goals

By the end of the activity, students will explore different digital learning tools, identify their benefits and challenges, and create specific learning goals to improve their use of technology for schoolwork.

>40

Materials

Resources

Activity

4:

Finding the Right Tools for My Learning

By the end of the activity, students will be able to independently research, identify, and evaluate appropriate digital tools that can enhance their learning across different subject areas.

>40

Materials

Resources

Activity

5:

My Digital Tool Growth Journey

By the end of the activity, students will be able to evaluate their personal growth with digital learning tools and create documentation that reflects their progress while setting specific goals for continued improvement.

30-40

Materials

Resources

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