Strategic Aim 2: Information, Digital Literacy & Digital Creativity
Strategic Aim 4: Health and Wellbeing (School libraries in Scotland contribute to health literacy, social and mental wellbeing, and provide a safe, trusted space for children and young people to be nurtured.)
Collaborative project with Robert Gordon University, Woodfarm High School and Eastwood High School.
Maddie is Online explored issues surrounding young people’s development of digital literacy and their resilience as the online citizens of tomorrow.
It developed a set of resources, activities & lesson plans for school librarians and teachers to support young people with challenges they encounter in online environments.
Over 230 children took part in Online Resilience workshops in six secondary schools. Evaluation of the project indicated that most children enjoyed the series.
They experienced a range of positive and negative experiences being connected online, and learned more about the dangers of being online.
The impact of the project has been to sustain a positive and open conversation with children around digital literacy and online resilience principles, reinforcing children’s digital citizenship skills, creativity and imagination.
The resources emphasise children’s voices via a safe, skills-growing and resilient online training approach.
It addresses the emotional dimensions of online connectivity and how it influences wellbeing, helping children to engage in discussion about ways to safeguard their digital lives.
The series has its own blog space which offers direct access to the three available series that have so far been created
This project focused on ways children and young people can build the skills required to navigate and evaluate their digital environments effectively. It placed School Librarians at centre of training activities and ensured all young people involved were able to engage positively and effectively with digital society.
The ‘Maddie is Online’ framework developed digital, literacy and resilience skills by:
- Extending the reach and relevance of young learners’ opportunities. It developed information & digital literacy using fun and engaging cartoon stories.
- Reinforcing the information & digital literacy agenda, and the role of librarians in leading in this area.
- Creating a new agenda for school librarians. This focused on their role & contribution to the development of school children’s digital literacy and resilience.
