2. What does it mean to be technologically literate? It’s more than just being able to use a computer, cell phone, or other piece of technology. Moore describes it just that. It is more than knowing how to use a certain technology. He states that we have to: Identify the technologies we need relevant to the task at hand Understand how to use those technologies and work them Understand what the technology is used for and the inner workings of them
3. How can I prove that I am technology literate? Technology has always been in my life since I can remember. Cell phones, computers, and iPods are just some of the technologies that have been and still are current in my life.
4. Recently, media sites are becoming more and more popular. In late 2009, I joined the new and upcoming website called Twitter. Twitter is a social media site that consists of “tweets” that are 140 characters or less
5. Looking at the surface, Twitter is seen as a basic social networking site. On Twitter, there is the ability to write freely, such as posting a “status update” on Facebook. You can follow other people such as friends or celebrities, people can follow you, and there is the ability to DM those both who you follow and follow you. It is used as a way to get short, quick messages out. But the question is, can it be more?
6. When I first joined Twitter, I was already completing one objective of Moore’s three points. Point 1 - Identify technologies relevant to a task. When I had joined Twitter, I was looking for a way to connect with other people with similar interests to me. Why not just stick with Facebook? I wanted to expand my horizon to more than just people I knew. On Twitter, you have the option to find people similar to you by searching. That very tool feeds that need. If I searched music tons of different results would appear.
9. And the option to expand that to tweet with links and tweets from people near me. By Twitter offering me these needs, I can find whatever I want to and therefore find the people with similar interests that I want to connect to. I am meeting one of Moore’s needs by proving my technology literacy and ability to navigate Twitter’s interface to search for my needs.
10. Another one of Moore’s points are understanding how to use those technologies and work them . Moore says “…that technology literacy should not be thought of as a isolated set of skills, but as an essential strategy for most learning objectives. “ Some may see Twitter as a platform just for micro blogging (the 140 character texts), but there are more skills and tools from Twitter than can be utilized to increase it as a platform to be used as a learning tool.
11. On Twitter, you have the ability to .. See what users are “similar to you” which is also known as Twitter’s way of saying who to follow See what are trending topics. That is also known as what phrases or hash tags are being tweeted about the most at that current moment.
12. You can see.. Who are following your tweets You also have the ability to “favorite” your tweets. It’s a way to keep your favorite or important tweets in one place without having to scroll back through all of them!
13. The last of Moore’s objectives for being technological literate is To understand what the technology is used for and the inner workings of them
14. The interface of what Twitter is about, and the point of the final objective, is clear when you first log on to the Twitter homepage. It gives you a clear perspective of what Twitter is about before you even log in, by the way they present the idea of Twitter.
16. Just by looking at the homepage you see the following What kind of people are using the website: “Who’s Here” What things people are talking about: Top Tweets What’s popular on Twitter at the moment: Trending Topics The ability to find a specific need: Search Bar
17. Overall, is my proof of being technological literate similar to the way I perceive it versus how Moore describes it? Before I read about Moore, I though being technological literate was having the ability to use and navigate different forms of technology. Now, I see it in a different light!
18. Moore says … “What is required to be technologically literate depends on the performance task.” That very quote covers my exact thought of what it takes to be technological literate now. It depends on what the user is searching for in the platform and what the platform has to offer that suites those needs.
19. So, am I technologically literate? Yes, I think I am! Twitter is a good representation of that proof. To be truly literate and understand that technology, you need to understand more than just how to use it. I have identified what Twitter has to offer as well as how it works in ways more than just what I need. To me, that is being technologically literate!