After running a discussion on working with students who have low technology skills at the first ThatCamp Philly, I ended up on a panel discussing general digital literacy. There was a very productive discussion by attendees, which included friends like Rebecca Goldman and Janine Utell.

55% of households in Philadelphia lack internet access.
550, 000 individuals in Philadelphia are considered low literate.
A lot of questioning of the "digital natives" myth.
Students often do not realize they need to know technology to take an online class.
Digital literacy issues often combine with *literacy* issues.
Many employers do not have paper applications. Now what? Jobs do not have time/resources to train.
I have had students cite from Yahoo Answers.
An idea to survey students' technology skills.
Revolving door of adjuncts means repeated training.
All humanities classes should have lab component.
Everyone keeps talking about digital natives!
How do we get expectations to line up?
Generational differences in how technology is used could be part of this...Rachel gives example of Using Google Street Maps in class and students being blown away by it.
Jazmin does work with a library "tech van" to teach citizens how to use email, Office, etc
Students don't know how to do research for transferring to colleges...
Often digital literacy can be connected to *literacy* issues...
550,000 adults in Philadelphia are "low literate" (half the population of adults!!!)
Connecting service learning to literacy and digital literacy
Jobs don't want paper applications
You have to have baseline of programmatic literacy or you're just not going to get the job
A lot of our returning students are not tech savy
Computers can be used to create literacy
Surveys for what they use on desktop and phone
Add what browser you use to survey
Students often form web searches as questions!
Discussion of relationships with libraries
Freshman Comp students required at multiple schools to attend a library session...
Issues with adjuncts not being "invested" in programs to add this stuff...
Yahoo Answers can be solved with better understanding of credible sources...take a day to discuss them specifically...
Yahoo Answers is not New York Times is not Science
Rebecca: Why do they need scholarly sources!?!
Research project as a treasure hunt!
Grammar, syntax, protocols, of digital literacy
Discussion of what is required for K-12 programs...
Students frightened by changing thesis as research goes on
Rebecca: Students come to her already written paper and looking for sources afterwards...
Have empirical library days in Comp II and/or Lit classes
Another call for digital literacy across the curriculum
Having, besides the four papers, allowing students do pick and choose platforms for assignments (150 points)
By presentation day, must have sources that need to be DEFENDED
A big change these days is students don't have to learn how to code/wysiwyg
List of approved sources for papers (make using these part of rubric)
Rebecca: students have to do background research first before expert research
search involves failure!!!