Digital Literacy at Westmoreland County Public Schools
For the 2024-2025 school year, Westmoreland County is rolling out an innovative Digital Literacy (DL) program aimed at integrating digital skills across all grade levels. The program seeks to empower students with essential digital competencies and promote responsible digital citizenship.
Digital Literacy has been defined in many ways over time. For the purposes of WMLCPS, DL encompasses three facets including Digital Citizenship/Internet usage, Computer Terms/Concepts, and Digital Skills. Diagram # 1 shows how DL can be viewed as an umbrella term that covers these areas.
Diagram 1: Scope of Digital Literacy
To ensure a structured and comprehensive implementation of DL, WMLCPS has devised a four-step approach, corresponding to different grade levels:
- Step K-2: Introduction to basic computer skills and online safety.
- Step 3-5: Development of more advanced digital tools and responsible online behavior.
- Step 6-8: Application of digital literacy in academic research and collaborative projects.
- Step 9-12: Mastery of digital tools for future career readiness and digital citizenship.
Each step is designed to build upon the previous one, ensuring a seamless progression of skills and knowledge as students advance through their education in Westmoreland County. Diagram 2 illustrates specific goals for each step.
Diagram # 2 - Steps of Digital Literacy
WMLCPS stands out as one of the first school systems in Virginia to adopt such a comprehensive and intentional approach to Digital Literacy. While other districts have implemented aspects of digital education, WMLCPS’s organized strategy combined with broad classroom support aims to equip every student with the necessary skills for future success. This initiative is expected to benefit the community by cultivating a more digitally proficient workforce.
Contact Jay Lightfoot at [email protected] for more information on WMLCPS’s DL strategy and implementation.