Navigating the Digital World
This week’s prompt came with a few different options, all relating to the current state of digital culture in relation to education.
What a loaded issue right now.
As a high school ELA teacher, I have to tackle the third prompt provided: With the rapid information sharing, misinformation, and AI-generated content, how should educators help students critically engage with digital information?
Such a good question. Let me give you the background before I jump into my take on this.
Did you know that Saskatchewan’s English Language Arts curriculum (at the high school level, anyway) is currently undergoing a revamp? And a number of teachers were polled, and we had representatives from our division go to the meetings and put forth their suggestions on what we wanted to see in a new curriculum. There were a few things that we wanted to see, including an integration of AI (or at least an acknolwedgement that it exists, and some guidance on how to address it with students). And do you know what we were told?
Guess. If you know this government/ministry at all, it won’t be hard to get the general direction.
That’s not on our radar at this point.
Right?!!
Anyway, here’s another thing that has been left for divisions and teachers to figure out. Go figure.
And honestly, that’s where a lot of us are stuck right now. Figuring it out. AI and digital literacy aren’t going away, and yet we’re still very much operating in a system built for a pre-digital world. We’re trying to teach students to think critically about what they read, but the very definition of “text” has changed. It’s not just books and articles anymore. The distinction isn’t limited to fiction or informational. Now we’re got TikToks, memes, Reddit threads, YouTube rants, and yes, ChatGPT-generated writing.
And I’m struggling. Not going to lie. I don’t know what is going to happen with ELA, but I can tell you the sudden, panicked shift back to pencil and paper isn’t doing anyone any favours in the long run. Avoiding the issue is just putting off the inevitable. But we also don’t have the manpower (or the brainpower…) to tackle this on our own!
There are some things that I am coming to believe, so maybe I’ll look at those.
- navigating digital information is going to have to include transparency and conversation. We have to talk about AI openly, because the kids are using it, and it isn’t going away. So conversations about what it can do, what it can’t, where it helps, and where it crosses ethical lines are going to become so important.
- plagiarism and academic honesty has taken a huge hit because of AI, and I think it’s a combination of “they can’t catch me”, “I don’t care”, and students actually not understanding that using AI to replace their own thinking isn’t acceptable
- my job cannot be policing technology use, or running down who used AI, and how do I prove it, so teaching them how to use technology well, how to recognize bias, and evaluate credibility, and cite digital sources, that’s going to play a huge role in our futures. I have colleagues who are using tools like Draftback, and version history, and while some students are still foolish enough to try the copy and paste approach, they’re getting smarter (at cheating), and it shouldn’t be on us to prove that the work isn’t theirs – it should be on students to prove that it is. I’m not quite sure what, exactly, that is going to look like, though.
Our biggest challenge in all of this? The total lack of give-a-damn on behalf of a lot of our students. The level of apathy is unreal, and disturbing.
It’s frustrating that the curriculum isn’t quite there yet, and we are being left to trial and error again. I do think we’re already integrating digital literacy, but everyone is going about it differently. I keep waiting for the PD that is going to give us all some guidance…
And waiting…
Y’all know how this goes.
Until they/we catch up, though, we’ll keep doing what teachers do best: adapting, experimenting, and helping students navigate this messy, ever-changing digital world as thoughtfully as possible.
About The Author
Reading your post reminded me of how quickly education is trying to keep pace with a world that no longer separates “digital” from “real.” In my own reflection, I looked at how memes and short videos have become legitimate texts — powerful tools that carry meaning, humour, and identity. Like AI, these forms of communication aren’t distractions; they’re part of how students learn to interpret and share ideas.
I agree that avoiding these realities only delays the inevitable. What we need now are open conversations with students about how technology works and how it shapes truth, bias, and even creativity.
Your comments about transparency also made me think of Henry Jenkins’ idea of participatory culture where learners don’t just consume, but create and collaborate. That mindset feels essential as we navigate AI and digital literacy together.
I wonder what professional learning could look like if it started from that participatory lens , one where teachers experiment and create alongside students, rather than being handed a set of rules to follow.
Thanks for the interesting read.