I'm Learning About Digital Technologies and Could Really Do With Your Help

My last foray into the world of academia was way back in the heady days of '06 - '07 when I completed my PGCE in Mathematics (with A-Level Accreditation, dontcha know). This was at the tail end of those dark times when PGCEs didn't come with any Masters credits. I've always been interested in continuing my own education. For the past decade or so, it's been self-directed studying, reading the odd paper and half-completing Futurelearn courses. I've also built up a network of astonishingly accomplished friends and acquaintances in the worlds of mathematics, education, museums and heritage, and all conceivable intersections of them, and I'm never quite sure how they keep up the pretence of being pleased to bump into me at conferences.

Back in the Ring

Now, though, I have started on an actual accredited course! Last week I attended my first online session for the distance learning Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Leadership with the University of Northampton (kindly funded by my employer). It was mostly an orientation session, with introductions to the course leader (the fantastic Helen Caldwell) and the other coursemembers.

The course, in short, "will give you professional recognition and equip you with the subject knowledge, teaching skills and critical understanding you need to lead positive change as a digital leader in your setting" and includes two modules: Developing Digital Literacy, which will involve research into digital technologies and practices with a view to bringing my own understanding of the sector up to scratch; and Developing Digital Leadership, which will empower me to take what I've learnt so far and pass skills, knowledge and understanding on to peers and colleagues.

I'm going to be blogging as I go along and I'd really appreciate not only support and encouragement but also the benefit of your experience.

My first task is to come up with a key research question, so I'm going to be thinking about how digital literacy could impact upon my own job role and those of others, both within my organisation and related roles outside it. That'll probably be the subject of my next post on this subject.

Help!

For now, though, I'd really like your help! Either in the comments below, via twitter, or any other method of communication you may have for me, I'd very much appreciate some answers to the following questions. If you could provide some idea of your own job role or other reason for being interested in the topic that'd be really useful too:

• Everyone:
• What does "digital literacy" mean to you? (Please respond to this tweet!)
• Is there anyone I should be following (blogs, podcasts, twitter, etc) who's really doing this stuff right (or provoking thought)?
• Teachers (thinking about museums, but thoughts from other angles welcome):
• What do you want/need from digital resources? What gets in the way? What's the dream?
• Do you already use digital resources from museums? Which ones/ where/ what?
• Please post links to anything that's getting it right!
• Museum educators:
• What digital resources do you provide?
• What are your main barriers to producing them?
• What digital resources do you want?