Are your students "Technologically Literate?"

You may have experienced instances where students know how to use a computer to perform certain tasks but may not be savvy enough to be considered "technologically literate." In addition to EasyTech (which was demonstrated at this month's School Technology Liaisons' meeting), Learning.com has a Tech-Literacy Assessment for elementary and middle school students that meets ISTE standards and is being used in schools across the nation. The ETS has also created a Tech-Literacy Assessment for high school and college students called iSkills (formerly known as the Information & Communication Technology Literacy Test). Why is this important? NCLB made it a national goal for all 8th graders to be technologically literate. However, tech-literacy does not factor into school accountability provisions and many states are focusing on testing reading and math proficiency for accountability purposes. Whether or not tech-literacy is mandated by NCLB, as educators we have an obligation to make sure the students have the 21st century skills necessary to compete in a global workplace. Focusing on Tech-Literacy could help us do this but how do we seamlessly integrate tech-literacy across the curriculum before students reach middle school? Share your thoughts!