Digital Literacy and Responsible Use
MTEL 71’s Digital Literacy domain tests how well a teacher can find, evaluate, use, and model responsible use of digital information and tools. It combines information literacy, legal and ethical use, privacy, safety, and accessibility rather than treating technology as a neutral skill.
Evaluating information
Use authority, accuracy, currency, objectivity, and purpose as evaluation criteria. Check who created the source, what evidence is cited, when it was updated, and whether the site has a commercial or advocacy motive. Lateral reading-leaving the page to see what other sources say-is often more reliable than judging a site by its design. Distinguish primary sources from secondary summaries.
Legal and ethical use
Copyright protects fixed expression, not ideas. Fair use is a four-factor analysis, not a blanket educational exemption. Public domain works are not simply “free online”; Creative Commons licenses grant specific permissions with conditions. Plagiarism is an academic-integrity issue that can occur even when copyright law is not violated. Teach citation and license attribution.
Safety, privacy, and access
Protect personally identifiable information, recognize phishing, use strong unique passwords and two-factor authentication, and discuss digital footprints. FERPA protects education records; COPPA addresses data from children under 13. Accessibility includes alt text, captions, keyboard navigation, sufficient contrast, and WCAG-based design.
Worked example
A student finds a .com page claiming a supplement improves memory. It has no author, no date, and links to a shop. A strong response is to check the about page and author credentials, look for cited peer-reviewed research, verify the date, corroborate with independent sources, and note the commercial purpose. The .com ending alone does not make it false, but it raises a purpose question.
Traps
Do not assume .org or .edu sources are automatically credible. Do not treat fair use as “any educational use.” Do not confuse public domain with free access, or copyright infringement with plagiarism.