Is there a DOCTOR (of educational technology) in the house?

 YES, there is! You may have noticed that I have been away for more than two years…I’ve been completing my doctoral work @ Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP). This past July, I successfully completed my Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense) and am now in the final stages of editing and publishing my manuscript. I AM an Ed.D. (Doctor of Education w/ emphasis in educational technology)!

My dissertation research studied Baby Boomers 

Literacy WAS ‘3 “R”s. Now Literacy Includes Digital Literacy: T, S, & P

Long ago, educational standards led to teaching/learning the most basic literacies including reading, w(r)iting and a(r)ithemic. Today, I believe basic literacy skills must include Tap, Swipe and Pinch: gestures required for using a smartphone, iPhone or iPad or similar device.

Actually, I believe the basic literacies requirements should include basic computer skills, browser use capabilities, and internet navigation. Am I right?

Generational educational experiences varied, not so much as they do today, in the digital age. Discovery is a few taps or clicks away. Collaboration, an on-line text dialog, Skype-like conversation or telecommunication video conference have become the primary digital methods of interaction among the masses. Or, is it less than the masses? Is it becoming the most frequent form of communication when we’re not face-to-face.

(Hmmm, I wonder when we’ll be face-to-face and communicate via digital device rather than words? Perhaps when communicating in languages other than our native?!)

Returning to point: is there a digital literacy standard and, if there is, what percentage of baby-boomers meet it?

Discuss!