Digital+Literacy+New+Frontier

With the introduction of digital literacy into the classroom, I must admit to feeling a bit like a dinosaur. When I look upon this new frontier, I am almost blinded by the bright, limitless possibilities. However, when I look behind me and reflect upon the way I was taught to assess and develop lessons in a traditional classroom, I feel as though my education is a bit irrelevant right now. I realize that is a big statement. However, the entire practice and product of writing has changed so much since my undergrad training. It isn't as though I can't catch up, however. It just feels as if I'm not exactly sure where to begin. As an undergrad, traditional writing and the assessment of writing was an entirely different ballgame. The thesis statement was a must. Clarity and concise writing also took precedence. All of this was based around word usage. Being able to turn a phrase, use metaphor and descriptive language was emphasized. This, as I was taught, was writing. These were the things that warranted assessment and what lessons were based upon. However, with change in content standards, writing has begun to embrace multimedia content, illustrations, and special effects. Like many educators, although I am excited by these new dimensions, I am concerned about multimedia and it's inadvertent ability to hide writing as opposed to enhancing it. Bells and whistles can be both enticing and very distracting, but does it really help make writing "better?" This is a question I don't feel experienced enough to answer, just yet. Not so long ago, a Power Point presentation seemed like a radical departure from expected format. However, Power Point is now standard, and almost amateurish to some seasoned techie students. Therefore, creating relevant lessons while incorporating digital literacy, poses as much of a challenge as assessment.There is limitless possibility when one considers wikis, blogging, podcasts, and the myriad ways students can both express themselves through technology. How this will change writing is not yet entirely known, I suppose. Of course, fighting this change nowadays would not only be impossible, but would also make an educator highly unemployable. I suppose what I am hoping for is a happy medium for myself, professionally speaking. I feel strongly about the teaching of writing and literacy in general, and I do not want to lose those values along the pathway to digital literacy. I want my students to write well, and not just rely on the latest software download to save them from actually mastering this skill. I am willing to grow and learn the facets of digital literacy, but I think admitting to being overwhelmed is also perfectly acceptable. Especially when that admission comes from a teacher who was educated in the the archaic practice of assessing multiple choice tests and the five paragraph essay.